Lily deJongh Downing and David Yudain hosted Wadsworth Atheneum curator Oliver Tostmann, the Susan Morse Hilles Curator of European Art, and guests Jeff Brown, Wadsworth CEO, and Matthew Hargraves, Director, for an evening talk and cocktail reception at their gallery space, The Barn, in historic Long Ridge Village in backcountry North Stamford. Tostmann previewed the museum’s European Master Drawing Exhibition which opens winter 2025.

Lily Downing is a Trustee of the storied Connecticut museum, and serves as Secretary of the Board.

Established in 1842, the Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest continuously operating public art museum in the United States. Founder Daniel Wadsworth opened the museum with his collection of about 80 paintings, many purchased directly from the artists; today, the collection exceeds 50,000 works of art, spanning more than 5,000 years. Highlights include: 5,000 works of European art from the Middle Ages to the present day; an unparalleled collection of Hudson River School paintings; French and American Impressionist paintings and pastels; a pioneering collection of both European and American Surrealist masterpieces; and 7,000 objects of European decorative art. The museum continues to acquire a wide range of works to ensure that its encyclopedic collection will stay relevant into the future. Generations of donors have added to the museum’s collections and resources. Foremost among them are Elizabeth Jarvis Colt, widow of firearms magnate Samuel Colt, and financier and Hartford native John Pierpont Morgan.

The modern history of the Wadsworth Atheneum began in 1927 with the appointment of A. Everett “Chick” Austin, Jr. During his 17-year tenure, Austin founded the museum’s collection of European paintings, focusing particularly on the baroque field, and acquired masterpieces by leading modernists. He also introduced other emerging art forms that were new to museums at the time—music, dance, theater, film, and photography. Austin’s former Hartford home, the Austin House, is the largest object in the museum’s collection and a National Historic Landmark.

The Wadsworth’s Avery Memorial Building opened in 1934 with the first comprehensive retrospective of Pablo Picasso’s work in the United States. The Atheneum’s European collection is particularly strong in Italian Baroque painting, with major examples by Caravaggio, Orazio Gentileschi, and Bernardo Strozzi. Surrealist art is also strongly represented including works by Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Max Ernst, and René Magritte.

In addition to showcasing works from its collections, the museum annually features 10-15 special exhibitions of world-class art as well as a wide range of educational and interpretive programs for all ages and backgrounds, including lectures, gallery talks, workshops, family days, public and school tours, concerts, performances, films, and community events. The world class museum is a Connecticut gem, and is only just over an hour’s drive from Greenwich.