Patchwork: Connecticut Artists Consider 250

In June 2026, the Florence Griswold Museum will mount a juried exhibition of contemporary art to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America. Museums and cultural institutions across the nation are marking this anniversary in myriad ways. As the historic home of the Lyme Art Colony (1900–1937), the Museum will highlight its legacy of supporting contemporary artists by inviting today’s Connecticut-based artists to submit work that addresses themes of American identity and history over the country’s past 250 years. How do Connecticut artists represent, contribute to, define, and reconsider American identity and history?

A touchpoint of Patchwork will be the Museum’s Bicentennial Quilt. Crafted by Old Lyme quiltmakers in 1976, it features 24 patchwork blocks illustrating historic events, houses, key landmarks, and rural subjects in Lyme and Old Lyme. The quilt serves as an inspiration and metaphor for how history is patched together, preserved, and reinterpreted by each generation. Patchwork offers an opportunity for today’s Connecticut artists to contribute their unique perspectives, which may include mending historic absences or patching wounds created by collective challenges. Art offers a vehicle for creative expression and helps viewers process emotions and understand history differently. The goal of this exhibition is to create community by bringing Connecticut artists together under these common themes. Together their work will showcase the richness of Connecticut art in 2026 by reflecting on its history as well as looking to its future.