The Harris Whittemore Gallery
Speak to Me
September 18, 2008 – January 11, 2009
Guest curators Janice LaMotta and Salvatore Scalora traveled the state to search out the newest and most forward-looking art being produced. In paintings, videos, installation and performance, eighteen artists created narratives that drew upon a variety of sources to produce art that connects with the audience; they addressed issues of memory, current events, politics, and fears and aspirations for the future.
Merging Cultures: Latin American and Caribbean Art & Life in Connecticut
April 17 – August 10, 2008
Guest curator Benjamin Ortiz chose works with strong artistic images and compelling personal stories created by twelve whose heritages reflect the immigration trends of Connecticut, representing Argentina, Chile, Columbia, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, and Puerto Rico. The artists included: Diane Barcelo, Maria Gabriela Galarza-Block, Umberto Castro Cruz, Pablo Delano, Ernest Lopez, Carmen Lynch, Marlo Marrero, Ricky Mestre, Duvian Montoya, Lisie Orjuela, Victor Pacheco, Debra Roinestad, Gloria Santoyo Ruenitz, and Juan Fuentes Vizcarrondo. Their work covered a wide range of styles and themes inspired by politics, social issues, historical events, personal experience, religion, and nature.
Cover Stories: Quilts & Bed Coverings from Regional Collections
January 18 – March 23, 2008
This exhibition of more than 30 quilts, bed coverings, and other needlework followed the chronology of types of bed coverings as they evolved from functional items to aesthetic objects and document the shift in domestic life from colonial self-sufficiency through the industrial revolution and the rise of manufacturing.
Community Gallery
The Brave and Valiant: The History of the Waterbury Fire Department
October 1 – December 28, 1008
Created in partnership by the Mattatuck Museum with the Waterbury Fire Department, this story of the community's heroes was told through photographs, historical fire-fighting equipment and uniforms, oral histories and memorabilia loaned by local firefighters and their families.
150 Years of Sound Minds and Sound Bodies
August 17 – September 7, 2008
The history of one of Waterbury's social icons was experienced through photographs, video and archival objects. A valuable community asset, the Greater Waterbury YMCA celebrated its 150 anniversary. Oral histories drawn from the Museum's collections were supplemented by new additions of written stories as visitors contributed to the Y book.
Daughter, Mother, Grandmother: Picturing the Generations
July 19 – August 10, 2008
Fourteen young women participated in a week-long photography workshop that culminated in an exhibition of their work with accompanying essays. Images on display captured women's life at home and work as seen through the eyes of their daughters.
An American Icon: Little Miss Sunbeam
May 1 – July 11, 2008
Photographs and memorabilia from the Reymond Family Archive related the history of the Reymond Baking Company--a true story of Waterbury ingenuity. Building the business on the latest technological developments, the company was the first to wrap bread, and to introduce special processes that produced the bread so popular with Connecticut families.
