Magnificent Murals

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield has been at the forefront of contemporary art for over 50 years. In addition to paintings, you will also find the walls and floors of the Aldrich feature sculpture and many non-traditional items that create a truly striking experience. 

Work has been completed in Hartford on the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art‘s spectacular renovation and artistic renaissance, all worth going to see, including Sol Lewitt’s brilliantly colored, wildly configured murals in the museum’s entrance gallery. The wall drawings measure 20 feet wide by 45 feet high and are almost certain to lift the mood on a dreary afternoon.

Thomas Hart Benton’s “Arts of Life in America” was first unveiled in New York City in 1932, and later removed to New Britain in 1953, where, at the New Britain Museum of American Art, it has dazzled viewers ever since. Four huge wall panels and four more on the ceiling depict the “arts” of everyday life, including music, games, dance and sports, and other subjects as well. 

Take a walk on the artistic side with the New London Mural Walk. Lasting from 30 minutes to an hour, this walk will take you past national historic landmark buildings, as well as through neighborhoods with just some of the city's bustling shops, eclectic restaurants, breathtaking waterfront park and many art galleries. 

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, a mural series was created to honor frontline workers. Across two abandoned buildings are more than 80 larger than life portraits of heroic Frontline Workers of Hartford, who have had the city’s back since day one.

Known as Norwalk’s hidden treasure, the WPA murals of Norwalk City Hall are part of one of the largest and most important collections of restored Depression-era art in the country. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was created in 1935 to provide economic relief to American citizens following the Great Depression. Under President Franklin D Roosevelt, artists created dramatic work to promote this program. Today, very few of these murals remain, but 30 murals and panels can be found at Norwalk City Hall.  Currently, the City Hall is closed to the public, but the works of art can be viewed online.

For a larger-than-life look at history, take a virtual tour of Hartford’s Supreme Court Building, where you can see murals adorning the walls and ceiling of the courtroom.

Many of Connecticut’s public buildings served as canvases for mural painters during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and much of the work survives to this day. Many of these murals have been catalogued here, and together they could make an interesting road trip. Just be sure to check with each location before venturing out.

Finally, if you want to snap some post-worthy shots with murals, discover these Instagrammable outdoor murals all over the state!