$1M GIFT FROM MUSEUM BOARD CHAIR

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut, recently received $1,000,000 from Board Chair Diana Bowes to support the role of the chief curator for the next 10 years. Moving forward, this position will be known as the “Diana Bowes Chief Curator.”

This generous gift comes at a paramount moment, coinciding with the museum’s critically acclaimed Martha Diamond retrospective, as well as the complete reenvisioning of the institution’s sculpture garden. It provides critical funding to continue the momentum of impactful exhibitions and scholarship, ensuring that The Aldrich remains a vibrant center for contemporary art and an integral cultural and educational resource for the Ridgefield community and beyond.

“Because of our ‘jaw-dropping’ exhibitions and beautiful new Sculpture Garden, I feel very confident in the museum’s leadership, program and future,” said Bowes. “As Chief Curator Amy Smith-Stewart enters her second decade shaping the curatorial program at The Aldrich, I am delighted to offer this gift to support her vision.”

Smith-Stewart joined The Aldrich in 2013 and became chief curator in 2022. During her time at the museum, she has organized over 50 exhibitions, including Harmony Hammond: Material Witness, Five Decades of Art, Frank Stella’s Stars, A Survey, and 52 Artists: A Feminist Milestone. “This tremendous gift to the curatorial department will provide the long-term support needed to expand our research and resources, driving the development of impactful exhibitions and scholarship,” Smith-Stewart said.

Executive Director Cybele Maylone said of the gift, “Diana is an incredible believer in The Aldrich’s mission and wor, and her enthusiasm and support are a critical part of the engine that drives the museum. This generous gift is a great vote of confidence for The Aldrich and our programs and will help us to make great things happen in the future.”

The Aldrich is well-known for presenting the first solo institutional exhibitions of significant artists who are responding to the issues of our time. In 2025, The Aldrich will mount the first solo museum shows of works by artists Wen Liu (Jan. 9 – May 11), Nickola Pottinger (June 8 – Jan. 4), Zak Prekop (June 8 – Jan. 4), and Uman (Oct. 19 – April 19, 2026), as well as Martin Beck’s first museum show in the United States (March 30 – Oct. 5).

Founded by art collector and fashion designer Larry Aldrich in 1964, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is one of the oldest contemporary art museums in the United States. The museum is one of the few independent, noncollecting institutions in the country and the only museum in Connecticut solely dedicated to the presentation of contemporary art.