What's On
Special Events and Programs
Current Exhibition
Check out the programs and special events created around our new exhibition, "The Great Americans: Portraits by Jac Lahav."
Celebrate St. Patrick’s day in song
A Celebration of Irish Music
Musician Thomas Hooker Hanford will sing traditional songs and tunes of the Emerald Isle and beloved turn-of-the-20th century Irish-American classics while sharing their history. Repertoire includes sailor songs, romantic ballads, fiddle tunes, Tin Pan Alley favorites, and such sing-along gems as Whiskey in the Jar, Molly Malone, and Danny Boy!
Current & Upcoming
Exhibitions
The Great Americans: Portraits by Jac Lahav
February 9–May 12
Lahav explores the tension and competition between image and reputation, media fame and history. The larger-than-life portraits depict American icons in unexpected ways through dress and pose, often distorting bodies or altering costumes that we’ve come to see as synonymous with the image of figures like Alexander Hamilton, for example.
June 1 to September 8
Fragile Earth: The Naturalist Impulse in Contemporary Art
Fragile Earth showcases the diverse approaches taken by ecologically concerned artists today, illustrating the powerful role they play in advocating for environmental causes. The Florence Griswold Museum has commissioned four leading contemporary artists to create new work that incorporates and responds to the natural world. The exhibition builds on the success of the Museum’s 2017 exhibition, Flora/Fauna: The Naturalist Impulse in American Art, which surveyed the history of American artist-naturalists from the 19th to mid-20th centuries.
Ongoing Exhibition
An American Place
During the first two decades of the 20th century, the village of Old Lyme, Connecticut was the setting for one of the largest and most significant art colonies in America.
Current & Upcoming
Seasonal Events
Check back for June, 2019 dates
GardenFest
Visitors to the Museum understand immediately the site’s appeal to the artists who stayed at “Miss Florence” Griswold’s boardinghouse over a century ago. Her house, gardens, and river view were favored subjects of her artistic boarders. Highlights include, the annual Garden Luncheon and Blooms with a View.
Join us for this exciting series of events that take place in and around the Museum’s historic gardens. This annual event is a ten-day celebration of the site’s historic gardens, featuring special events, and family activities. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of activities for all ages and interest levels. Most events are free with Museum admission.
July 26 and 27
Old Lyme Midsummer Festival
Old Lyme's Midsummer Festival celebrates the town's artistic heritage with two days of festivities!
Join us Friday night for an outdoor concert and dancing, or take part in Saturday’s activities, which include art exhibitions and sales, food trucks, musical performances, artisan fairs, book signings and sales, domestic farm animals, and hands-on kids’ activities.
November 23, 2018 through January 6, 2019
Magic of Christmas
The holidays are particularly delight-filled at the Florence Griswold Museum!
History Blog
Online
Collections
A New England Identity
Hartford Steam Boiler Collection
The paintings and sculptures in this exhibition are by artists who lived and worked in Connecticut from the late Colonial period to the early 20th century.
In Situ
The Painted Panels
During the first summers of the Lyme art colony the artists began to paint scenes on the door panels of the boardinghouse.
Race into the Past
Fox Chase
One of the most celebrated works of art at the Florence Griswold Museum is the frieze-like painting titled The Fox Chase (1905) created by Henry Rankin Poore.
Museum
Campus
Begin your visit at the Krieble Gallery.
The Late Georgian mansion was transformed from a wealthy sea captain’s home into a boardinghouse for some of the most noted names in American Impressionism.
The Museum’s grounds invite exploration.