The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art will, for the first time in its 62-year history, host a survey dedicated to showcasing artists residing and creating in Connecticut. On Tuesday, January 13, the museum revealed the names of 40 artists selected for the inaugural Aldrich Decennial exhibition. Scheduled to open on June 7 and continue through January 10, 2027, this exhibition, titled The Aldrich Decennial: I am what is around me, will feature pieces made in the past ten years by artists who have not yet had a solo museum show in the state.
This exhibition draws inspiration from Connecticut’s artistic legacy, which includes notable figures like Alexander Calder and Sol LeWitt. Among the artists chosen are New Haven-based painter Dominic Chambers, Iranian-born multimedia artist Arghavan Khosravi, and novelist and poet Renee Gladman. The exhibition’s title is a nod to the 1917 poem “Theory” by Wallace Stevens, a former Hartford resident, which explores how identity is shaped by one’s surroundings.
“Connecticut has always been a site for visionary artists and daring ideas,” remarked Chief Curator Amy Smith-Stewart in a press release. “This survey highlights artists who call this place home—artists whose work is deeply rooted in the Museum’s community yet resonates far beyond it. It’s an honor to share their powerful voices with the world through this new exhibition series.”
The following is the complete alphabetical list of artists participating in the Aldrich Decennial: Faustin Adeniran, Ellen Altfest, Scott Carrillo Azevedo, Jen Bervin, Carlos Bautista Biernnay, Lula Mae Blocton, Gary Burnley, Dominic Chambers, Carl D’Alvia, Chris Domenick, Anindita Dutta, Azza El Siddique, Anoka Faruqee & David Driscoll, Enrique Figueredo, Lizzie Gill, Renee Gladman, Dan Gunn, Edward Henderson, Huê Thi Hoffmaster, Kristy Hughes, Jilaine Jones, Arghavan Khosravi, Sonja Langford, Emily Larned, Jihyun Lee, Beck Lowry, Danica Lundy, Tammy Nguyen, Grace O’Connor, Em Rooney, Lucy Sallick, Kern Samuel, Aki Sasamoto, John Shen, Remy Sosa, Philip Taaffe, Felandus Thames, Amanda Russhell Wallace, Julia Wachtel.
