February 14 – April 11, 2020
*Extended through August 2, 2020

This engaging exhibit highlights the lives of five exceptional residents of New London County, past and present—attorney Lonnie Braxton, Rev. Florence Clarke, Sonalysts Board member Donetta Hodge, Coast Guard Commander (Ret.) Merle Smith, and 19^th century freed slave and teacher Ichabod Pease. Stories of Resilience showcases their determination, bravery and strength in the face of personal and systemic racism. Developed from the Jewish Federation of Eastern CT’s Encountering Differences Program, the exhibit paints a picture of remarkable successes in the face of daunting obstacles through personal photographs, artifacts, and video testimonies.

In the press:
The Day: Resilience in the face of racism: Exhibition at Lyman Allyn in New London focuses on the extraordinary lives and impact of five local people
Hartford Courant: From burning crosses to everyday slights, pervasive racism documented in New London exhibit

This exhibition is generously supported in part by the Frank Loomis Palmer Fund, Bank of America, Trustee. We extend a special thank you to Todd Gipstein for creating all of the visual display panels and videos for this exhibition. [Read more…]

January 31 – May 10, 2020

The New Haven Paint & Clay Club, established in 1900, is the oldest continuously active art club in Connecticut. With a history and impact extending far beyond New Haven, the club draws members and exhibitors from across Connecticut, New York and New England.

The art in this exhibition explores place and regional identity. Traditional landscapes depict the land, water, people and locales that help shape our conception of the Northeast. Other works by Connecticut artists portray abstracted landscapes and imaginative or distant places. Drawn from the collection of the New Haven Paint & Clay Club and augmented with works by Club members from the Lyman Allyn and the New Haven Museum, this retrospective celebrates the history and continuing legacy of the Club in its efforts to support and encourage the visual arts. [Read more…]

November 23, 2019 – January 26, 2020

Go wild this holiday season with the Lyman Allyn’s newest family-friendly exhibit, Grand Menagerie: Animals in Art! From the earliest cave drawings to the sleekest modern art, the animal world has always been a source of inspiration. Discover a zoo’s worth of animals to be found throughout the museum’s collection—in paintings, ceramics, sculpture, drawings, bronze, textiles, photography and more.  Explore the ways artists have depicted animals throughout the centuries, both observing the natural world and seeing themselves reflected in it. Learn about the symbolism humans have attached to animals in different cultures and how those meanings have shifted over time as societies have changed. Featuring more than 50 artworks and artifacts from the museum’s collection and interactive fun for all ages, Grand Menagerie promises something for everyone in your herd!

 
Left to right: Egyptian Falcon Sarcophagus, n.d. Wood, paint, gesso. Gift of Mrs. Earle W. Stamm. 1980.89; William Zorach, Reclining Cat, ca. 1926, rosewood. Bequest of Mary Griswold Steube. 1998.21.