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Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
Established	November, 1964
Location	258 Main Street, Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA
Director	Harry Philbrick
Website	www.aldrichart.org

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is located in Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA. The Aldrich has no permanent collection. It is one of the United States's leading contemporary art galleries and special exhibition spaces. The museum is an international leader in museum education.

The Aldrich was founded in 1964 by Larry Aldrich (1906–2001). In 2004, the museum underwent major building expansion. Its new building received a design award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

[edit] Exhibitions

The high standard the Aldrich maintains for its exhibitions has been attained through years of identifying and presenting the best of the world’s contemporary art. It is recognized internationally for its thematic group exhibitions, always based on clear, straightforward ideas with the potential for bringing together diverse works of art and placing them in a context that facilitates their understanding. Recent exhibitions include Edward Tufte: Seeing Around (2009); Pretty Tough: Contemporary Storytelling (2009); Martí Cormand: 2007 Emerging Artist Award Exhibition; Anselm Kiefer: Velimir Chlebnikov; Neil Jenney: NORTH AMERICA; No Reservations: Native American Culture and History in Contemporary Art; Voice & Void: 2006 Hall Curatorial Fellowship Exhibition; and 50,000 Beds: A Project by Chris Doyle.

[edit] Education

The Aldrich’s comprehensive array of education programs has been acclaimed for excellence and innovation. Ongoing elements include the Museum’s nationally-acclaimed^{[citation needed]} Student Docent Program, which celebrated its tenth year in 2003; the intensive teen program Art Lab, which recently introduced a community service element; and Portfolio Review Day, where high school seniors meet admissions officers from 15 art schools; the ART/WRITE multi-visit program, in which classroom teachers and Museum educators collaborate to use art on view in the Aldrich to enhance the original written work of students; and the biennial Art & Writing Institute for teachers. The Aldrich’s overall education program has garnered support from the Hearst Foundation.^[1]

[edit] Families

The Aldrich’s Family Learning Initiative promotes lifelong learning, offering innovative programming targeted at families, building a continuum of programming and participants by offering special hands-on events—keyed to current exhibitions—on the first Saturday of every month, and producing and distributing specially-designed resources for each exhibition. The third weekend of every month the Museum features Drop-In Hours, when hands-on activities are offered to families in the Education Center.^[2]

[edit] Fellowships and awards

The Aldrich presents two awards annually:

The Larry Aldrich Award to honor an American artist "whose work has had a significant impact on contemporary visual culture during recent years". (The honoree is selected by an independent jury, applications are not accepted. The event, initiated in 1993, consists of a cash prize and an exhibition with catalogue at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.)

The Emerging Artist Award awarded to an artist "whose work exhibits bold innovation, exciting originality, clear direction, and serious dedication". (The beneficiary is selected by the curatorial staff of the Museum, applications are not accepted. The award consists of a cash prize and a solo exhibition at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.)