The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Artists wanted for ‘Hands on the Land’ exhibit
ESSEX — In collaboration with Lyme Art Association, the Connecticut River Museum is looking for original artwork for a temporary exhibition that reflects artistic visions of human impact on the Connecticut River and its Valley, specifically the impact on the environment, according to a statement.
Hands on the Land: Art & the Environment in the Connecticut River Valley will be on exhibit in the River Museum gallery from March 2021 through October 2021, when it travels to the Lyme Art Association.
According to the statement, jurors will select 40 works from submissions that they feel best represents the theme. Artwork for the show should focus on the Connecticut River Valley and interpret concepts of change, impact, inspiration, reflection, or other vision of “man’s hand on the land.”
Artwork does not have to contain historical content but should interpret concepts of change, impact, inspiration, reflection, or other vision of “man’s hand on the land.”
For more information, contact Amy Trout, CRM Curator at atrout@ctrivermuseum.org or 860-7678269, ext. 115.
From the museum: Humans arrived in the Connecticut River Valley 12 million years ago and the landscape began to change. Changes accelerated over time as people harvested the Valley’s natural resources to meet the needs of the altering population. Indian practices for horticulture and managing game, European trade in furs, English settlement of towns, and the demands of trade all transformed the Valley landscape well before the turn of the nineteenth century.
The pace and scale of environmental decline slid out of control. Dams, canals, cities, industries and even industrial pollution were viewed as signs of economic progress. Today, gains made during the environmental movements of the twentieth century are threatened by climate change and governmental abatement of previous efforts.
The Connecticut River Museum is located on the Essex waterfront at 67 Main Street in Essex and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. The museum, located in the historic Steamboat Dock building, offers exhibits and programs about the history and environment of the Connecticut River. For a full listing of Museum programs, visit www.ctrivermuseum.org or call 860-7678269.