The Aldrich “Getting” Art History 101: Foundations

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

“Getting” Art History 101: Foundations

Tuesdays, June 17 | 5:30 to 6:30 pm

Individual Class: $49 Member; $55

To purchase tickets click on the event link.

“Getting” Art History 101 is an interactive class series designed to introduce participants to the foundations of art history. This series invites learners at all levels to engage with key moments in the history of art, from ancient civilizations to the transformative periods of the Renaissance. With no prerequisites required, each class blends storytelling, close observation, and group discussion to bring artworks and architectural masterpieces to life. Whether you’re new to art history or looking to deepen your understanding, this series will help you explore the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of some of the world’s most influential works of art.

“Getting” Art History is led by Kristen Erickson, art history teacher and Director of the Luchsinger Gallery at Greenwich Academy.

Classes

June 17: Italian and Northern Renaissance Painting

Discover the rich artistic legacy of the Renaissance as we study celebrated masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance and explore lesser-known works of the Northern Renaissance. The idea that this period represents the zenith of Western art stems from Renaissance writers like Giorgio Vasari, who promoted his own contemporaries over Medieval art, which he labeled barbaric. Through close looking, participants will consider technique, symbolism, and historical context to better understand this explosive and innovative period in art history.

Instructor Bio

Kristen Erickson has been teaching art history and curating exhibitions for the past three decades. She spent eight years working in the curatorial field at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the Smith College Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art before turning to teaching. Kristen currently teaches art history at Greenwich Academy, where she also runs the campus art gallery. She holds degrees in French and art history from Vassar College and Oxford University. A resident of Ridgefield, Kristen loves making contemporary art come alive for new audiences.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

The Aldrich “Getting” Art History 101: Foundations

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

“Getting” Art History 101: Foundations

Tuesdays, June 10, and 17 | 5:30 to 6:30 pm

Individual Class: $49 Member; $55

To purchase tickets click on the event link.

“Getting” Art History 101 is an interactive class series designed to introduce participants to the foundations of art history. This series invites learners at all levels to engage with key moments in the history of art, from ancient civilizations to the transformative periods of the Renaissance. With no prerequisites required, each class blends storytelling, close observation, and group discussion to bring artworks and architectural masterpieces to life. Whether you’re new to art history or looking to deepen your understanding, this series will help you explore the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of some of the world’s most influential works of art.

“Getting” Art History is led by Kristen Erickson, art history teacher and Director of the Luchsinger Gallery at Greenwich Academy.

Classes

June 10: Concrete and Stained Glass: Ancient Roman and Medieval Architecture

Through interactive discussions, artifact studies, and hands-on activities, participants will explore the artistry, engineering, and cultural significance of ancient Rome and Medieval Europe through two iconic structures - the Pantheon, a temple dedicated to all Roman gods, and France’s Chartres Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Participants will examine how these architectural innovations impacted society beyond the aesthetic and reflected the spiritual and cultural values of the time. Participants will also consider how innovations like the arch, dome, and flying buttress shaped the built environment for centuries.

June 17: Italian and Northern Renaissance Painting

Discover the rich artistic legacy of the Renaissance as we study celebrated masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance and explore lesser-known works of the Northern Renaissance. The idea that this period represents the zenith of Western art stems from Renaissance writers like Giorgio Vasari, who promoted his own contemporaries over Medieval art, which he labeled barbaric. Through close looking, participants will consider technique, symbolism, and historical context to better understand this explosive and innovative period in art history.

Instructor Bio

Kristen Erickson has been teaching art history and curating exhibitions for the past three decades. She spent eight years working in the curatorial field at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the Smith College Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art before turning to teaching. Kristen currently teaches art history at Greenwich Academy, where she also runs the campus art gallery. She holds degrees in French and art history from Vassar College and Oxford University. A resident of Ridgefield, Kristen loves making contemporary art come alive for new audiences.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

The Aldrich “Getting” Art History 101: Foundations

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

“Getting” Art History 101: Foundations

Tuesdays, June 3, 10, and 17 | 5:30 to 6:30 pm

Individual Class: $49 Member; $55 | Full Three Class Series: $108 Member; $120

To purchase tickets click on the event link.

“Getting” Art History 101 is an interactive class series designed to introduce participants to the foundations of art history. This series invites learners at all levels to engage with key moments in the history of art, from ancient civilizations to the transformative periods of the Renaissance. With no prerequisites required, each class blends storytelling, close observation, and group discussion to bring artworks and architectural masterpieces to life. Whether you’re new to art history or looking to deepen your understanding, this series will help you explore the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of some of the world’s most influential works of art.

Attend all three classes or a single class!

“Getting” Art History is led by Kristen Erickson, art history teacher and Director of the Luchsinger Gallery at Greenwich Academy.

Classes

June 3: Ancient Egypt and Greece

Join us for an exploration of two of the most iconic cultures in ancient history: Egypt and Greece. This class delves into the mysteries of the Book of the Dead, a fascinating collection of ancient Egyptian spells and prayers designed to guide the soul through the afterlife, and its relationship to burial practices and religious rituals. The class will also explore Classical Greece, focusing on the grandeur and symbolism of the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Through interactive discussions and debates, participants will examine how these civilizations shaped cultural identity and memory, both in life and death.

June 10: Concrete and Stained Glass: Ancient Roman and Medieval Architecture

Through interactive discussions, artifact studies, and hands-on activities, participants will explore the artistry, engineering, and cultural significance of ancient Rome and Medieval Europe through two iconic structures - the Pantheon, a temple dedicated to all Roman gods, and France’s Chartres Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Participants will examine how these architectural innovations impacted society beyond the aesthetic and reflected the spiritual and cultural values of the time. Participants will also consider how innovations like the arch, dome, and flying buttress shaped the built environment for centuries.

June 17: Italian and Northern Renaissance Painting

Discover the rich artistic legacy of the Renaissance as we study celebrated masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance and explore lesser-known works of the Northern Renaissance. The idea that this period represents the zenith of Western art stems from Renaissance writers like Giorgio Vasari, who promoted his own contemporaries over Medieval art, which he labeled barbaric. Through close looking, participants will consider technique, symbolism, and historical context to better understand this explosive and innovative period in art history.

Instructor Bio

Kristen Erickson has been teaching art history and curating exhibitions for the past three decades. She spent eight years working in the curatorial field at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the Smith College Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art before turning to teaching. Kristen currently teaches art history at Greenwich Academy, where she also runs the campus art gallery. She holds degrees in French and art history from Vassar College and Oxford University. A resident of Ridgefield, Kristen loves making contemporary art come alive for new audiences.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

The Aldrich Sculpture Garden Tour with Artists

ARTIST PROGRAM, GROUP TOURS

Sculpture Garden Tour with Artists

Saturday, May 31 | 12 noon

$5 Members; $28 General Admission; $23 Students/Seniors | Add on a boxed picnic lunch for $16.50 per person

Spend an afternoon in the Sculpture Garden with artists Rachelle Dang, Anders Hamilton, and Mary Mattingly. From 12 noon to 1 pm, take a guided tour of A Garden of Promise and Dissent, featuring works selected and discussed by the artists themselves. After the tour, linger in the Garden to enjoy a cash bar in the open air surrounded by art and nature. Preorder a boxed lunch from Ross Artisanal Bakery & Café, details below.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

The Aldrich Sunday Afternoon Tour

Sunday Afternoon Tour

Sunday, May 25 | 2 to 3 pm

Free with Museum admission, pre-registration encouraged

Are you curious about the world of contemporary art but unsure where to begin? When you view works of art in a gallery, do you question what you see or feel the need to go into deeper insight? If you answered yes, join Education Assistant Antonio Paone for a tour of the exhibitions designed to activate your curiosity and engage your attention.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time explores the methods and means through which environments are captured, compressed, and represented. Using drawing, sound, video, and installation, the exhibition presents a suite of works informed by Beck’s research into environments, a series of eleven vinyl records from the 1970s produced by the Syntonic Research Inc. label that registered the acoustics of nature and meditative sounds with high-fidelity recording technology. Marketed as psychoacoustic experiences with the potential to alter domestic and workspace atmospheres—for listeners to transcend the monotony of bureaucratic space and activity—the records laid the groundwork for an emerging industry catering to the care, efficiency, and control of the self. Beck’s interest in these records is their pioneering role as atmospheric tools for self-optimization within an ever more competitive capitalist setting. Dissecting the series promotional material, Beck highlights and cuts into the claims made for creating spaces of heightened productivity in which one supposedly feels at ease and is ever more functional.

This exhibition is curated by Eduardo Andres Alfonso, Associate Curator. It will be accompanied by a catalogue, co-published by Gregory R. Miller & Co., which will include images of the works on view and an essay by the curator.

Artist Bio

Martin Beck (b. 1963, Bludenz, Austria) is an artist based in New York and Vienna. His work transposes rigorous research on architecture, design, music, and popular culture into installation, video, photography, writing, sculpture, and drawing. ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time is Beck’s largest solo museum exhibition in the United States, following the presentation of his sound-and-video work Last Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in June 2024.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time explores the methods and means through which environments are captured, compressed, and represented. Using drawing, sound, video, and installation, the exhibition presents a suite of works informed by Beck’s research into environments, a series of eleven vinyl records from the 1970s produced by the Syntonic Research Inc. label that registered the acoustics of nature and meditative sounds with high-fidelity recording technology. Marketed as psychoacoustic experiences with the potential to alter domestic and workspace atmospheres—for listeners to transcend the monotony of bureaucratic space and activity—the records laid the groundwork for an emerging industry catering to the care, efficiency, and control of the self. Beck’s interest in these records is their pioneering role as atmospheric tools for self-optimization within an ever more competitive capitalist setting. Dissecting the series promotional material, Beck highlights and cuts into the claims made for creating spaces of heightened productivity in which one supposedly feels at ease and is ever more functional.

This exhibition is curated by Eduardo Andres Alfonso, Associate Curator. It will be accompanied by a catalogue, co-published by Gregory R. Miller & Co., which will include images of the works on view and an essay by the curator.

Artist Bio

Martin Beck (b. 1963, Bludenz, Austria) is an artist based in New York and Vienna. His work transposes rigorous research on architecture, design, music, and popular culture into installation, video, photography, writing, sculpture, and drawing. ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time is Beck’s largest solo museum exhibition in the United States, following the presentation of his sound-and-video work Last Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in June 2024.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time explores the methods and means through which environments are captured, compressed, and represented. Using drawing, sound, video, and installation, the exhibition presents a suite of works informed by Beck’s research into environments, a series of eleven vinyl records from the 1970s produced by the Syntonic Research Inc. label that registered the acoustics of nature and meditative sounds with high-fidelity recording technology. Marketed as psychoacoustic experiences with the potential to alter domestic and workspace atmospheres—for listeners to transcend the monotony of bureaucratic space and activity—the records laid the groundwork for an emerging industry catering to the care, efficiency, and control of the self. Beck’s interest in these records is their pioneering role as atmospheric tools for self-optimization within an ever more competitive capitalist setting. Dissecting the series promotional material, Beck highlights and cuts into the claims made for creating spaces of heightened productivity in which one supposedly feels at ease and is ever more functional.

This exhibition is curated by Eduardo Andres Alfonso, Associate Curator. It will be accompanied by a catalogue, co-published by Gregory R. Miller & Co., which will include images of the works on view and an essay by the curator.

Artist Bio

Martin Beck (b. 1963, Bludenz, Austria) is an artist based in New York and Vienna. His work transposes rigorous research on architecture, design, music, and popular culture into installation, video, photography, writing, sculpture, and drawing. ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time is Beck’s largest solo museum exhibition in the United States, following the presentation of his sound-and-video work Last Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in June 2024.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time explores the methods and means through which environments are captured, compressed, and represented. Using drawing, sound, video, and installation, the exhibition presents a suite of works informed by Beck’s research into environments, a series of eleven vinyl records from the 1970s produced by the Syntonic Research Inc. label that registered the acoustics of nature and meditative sounds with high-fidelity recording technology. Marketed as psychoacoustic experiences with the potential to alter domestic and workspace atmospheres—for listeners to transcend the monotony of bureaucratic space and activity—the records laid the groundwork for an emerging industry catering to the care, efficiency, and control of the self. Beck’s interest in these records is their pioneering role as atmospheric tools for self-optimization within an ever more competitive capitalist setting. Dissecting the series promotional material, Beck highlights and cuts into the claims made for creating spaces of heightened productivity in which one supposedly feels at ease and is ever more functional.

This exhibition is curated by Eduardo Andres Alfonso, Associate Curator. It will be accompanied by a catalogue, co-published by Gregory R. Miller & Co., which will include images of the works on view and an essay by the curator.

Artist Bio

Martin Beck (b. 1963, Bludenz, Austria) is an artist based in New York and Vienna. His work transposes rigorous research on architecture, design, music, and popular culture into installation, video, photography, writing, sculpture, and drawing. ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time is Beck’s largest solo museum exhibition in the United States, following the presentation of his sound-and-video work Last Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in June 2024.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time explores the methods and means through which environments are captured, compressed, and represented. Using drawing, sound, video, and installation, the exhibition presents a suite of works informed by Beck’s research into environments, a series of eleven vinyl records from the 1970s produced by the Syntonic Research Inc. label that registered the acoustics of nature and meditative sounds with high-fidelity recording technology. Marketed as psychoacoustic experiences with the potential to alter domestic and workspace atmospheres—for listeners to transcend the monotony of bureaucratic space and activity—the records laid the groundwork for an emerging industry catering to the care, efficiency, and control of the self. Beck’s interest in these records is their pioneering role as atmospheric tools for self-optimization within an ever more competitive capitalist setting. Dissecting the series promotional material, Beck highlights and cuts into the claims made for creating spaces of heightened productivity in which one supposedly feels at ease and is ever more functional.

This exhibition is curated by Eduardo Andres Alfonso, Associate Curator. It will be accompanied by a catalogue, co-published by Gregory R. Miller & Co., which will include images of the works on view and an essay by the curator.

Artist Bio

Martin Beck (b. 1963, Bludenz, Austria) is an artist based in New York and Vienna. His work transposes rigorous research on architecture, design, music, and popular culture into installation, video, photography, writing, sculpture, and drawing. ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time is Beck’s largest solo museum exhibition in the United States, following the presentation of his sound-and-video work Last Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in June 2024.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time explores the methods and means through which environments are captured, compressed, and represented. Using drawing, sound, video, and installation, the exhibition presents a suite of works informed by Beck’s research into environments, a series of eleven vinyl records from the 1970s produced by the Syntonic Research Inc. label that registered the acoustics of nature and meditative sounds with high-fidelity recording technology. Marketed as psychoacoustic experiences with the potential to alter domestic and workspace atmospheres—for listeners to transcend the monotony of bureaucratic space and activity—the records laid the groundwork for an emerging industry catering to the care, efficiency, and control of the self. Beck’s interest in these records is their pioneering role as atmospheric tools for self-optimization within an ever more competitive capitalist setting. Dissecting the series promotional material, Beck highlights and cuts into the claims made for creating spaces of heightened productivity in which one supposedly feels at ease and is ever more functional.

This exhibition is curated by Eduardo Andres Alfonso, Associate Curator. It will be accompanied by a catalogue, co-published by Gregory R. Miller & Co., which will include images of the works on view and an essay by the curator.

Artist Bio

Martin Beck (b. 1963, Bludenz, Austria) is an artist based in New York and Vienna. His work transposes rigorous research on architecture, design, music, and popular culture into installation, video, photography, writing, sculpture, and drawing. ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time is Beck’s largest solo museum exhibition in the United States, following the presentation of his sound-and-video work Last Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in June 2024.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time

Martin Beck: ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time explores the methods and means through which environments are captured, compressed, and represented. Using drawing, sound, video, and installation, the exhibition presents a suite of works informed by Beck’s research into environments, a series of eleven vinyl records from the 1970s produced by the Syntonic Research Inc. label that registered the acoustics of nature and meditative sounds with high-fidelity recording technology. Marketed as psychoacoustic experiences with the potential to alter domestic and workspace atmospheres—for listeners to transcend the monotony of bureaucratic space and activity—the records laid the groundwork for an emerging industry catering to the care, efficiency, and control of the self. Beck’s interest in these records is their pioneering role as atmospheric tools for self-optimization within an ever more competitive capitalist setting. Dissecting the series promotional material, Beck highlights and cuts into the claims made for creating spaces of heightened productivity in which one supposedly feels at ease and is ever more functional.

This exhibition is curated by Eduardo Andres Alfonso, Associate Curator. It will be accompanied by a catalogue, co-published by Gregory R. Miller & Co., which will include images of the works on view and an essay by the curator.

Artist Bio

Martin Beck (b. 1963, Bludenz, Austria) is an artist based in New York and Vienna. His work transposes rigorous research on architecture, design, music, and popular culture into installation, video, photography, writing, sculpture, and drawing. ... for hours, days, or weeks at a time is Beck’s largest solo museum exhibition in the United States, following the presentation of his sound-and-video work Last Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in June 2024.

HOURS

Date Time

Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm

Monday 12 pm to 5 pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday 12 pm to 5 pm

Thursday 12 pm to 5 pm

Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Final entry for all visitors is 4:40 pm

The Museum is closed on the following holidays:

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.