November 14, 2020 – February 7, 2021

Take a closer look at the objects that surround you each day—there is so much more than meets the eye! Through extraordinary photographs, disassembled objects, and fascinating videos, Things Come Apart reveals the inner workings of common, everyday possessions. This exhibition presents more than 40 images of dozens of objects that explore how things are designed and made and how technology has evolved over time. For example, the individual components of a record player, a Walkman, and an iPod illustrate the technical changes in sound reproduction over the years, and images of the parts of a mechanical and digital watch demonstrate different approaches to timepiece engineering.

As a visual investigation of design and engineering, Things Come Apart also celebrates classic examples of industrial design like the sewing machine, the mechanical pencil, and the telescope. The exhibition is a profoundly thought-provoking way to reexamine the everyday objects around us, to embrace curiosity, and to think about ways we can create a more sustainable future.

Things Come Apart features photographer Todd McLellan’s uniquely beautiful approach to documenting the technological methods of modern mass production – in reverse. For his photographs, McLellan spent countless hours carefully disassembling objects of all sizes and function, laying each component out in order and photographing the assembly of parts. His images highlight the contrast between old-world craftsmanship and sleek modern engineering.

Things Come Apart is a must-see for photography fans, tinkerers, and STEAM learners (science, technology, engineering, art, and math).

---

Things Come Apart is an exhibition organized by Todd McLellan and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).

November 21, 2020 – January 24, 2021

This exhibition showcases the work of CT artist Melissa Barbieri, highlighting a recent series of large-scale works on paper. Working in watercolor and India ink, we see the influence of the desert of the American Southwest on Barbieri’s oceanic perceptions. Transcribing her visions in calligraphy and symbolism, Barbieri has recorded her stream of consciousness in an uninterrupted flow, often working late into the night. By combining text with symbols and imagery she has produced detailed, highly personal works of art reminiscent of codices or scrolls, containing elements of science and nature, history and literature, philosophy and spirituality, and resulting in a substantive body of work, inviting the viewer to explore her dreams and visions.

Long known for her large-scale oceanic paintings in oil and Fresco, this exhibition combines Barbieri’s vision of the power of the deep sea with the vastness of the high desert where she spends much of her time, exploring the dichotomy and duality of both ocean and desert, seeing them as mirrored environments of one another.

August 29 – November 1, 2020

This exhibition showcases recent paintings that contain personal elements – from conceptual and literary interests to contemplative values and the whimsical and humorous.

“It is, after all, who I am. The stains remain,” said Harvey, referencing the show’s title, which is also the title of the book published to coincide with this exhibition. Stains Remain: Stories of becoming an artist in the 1960s, is available in print in the Lyman Allyn’s gift shop and on Amazon Kindle.

The exhibition will be on view in Glassenberg Gallery on the first floor as part of the Museum’s Near :: New contemporary series. Harvey’s work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICALA). He has shown in many countries and in such international exhibitions as the Pan Pacific Biennale and Documenta.