Contact:
Margaret Anne Tockarshewsky, Executive Director, New Haven Museum
203-562-4183, ext. 120, matockarshewsky@newhavenmuseum.org
Julie Winkel, Media Specialist,
203-815-0800, jwinkel@live.com
Live: The Art of the Silhouette
Artist & Curator on the Scene at NHM
New Haven, Conn. (October 16, 2023) –See the incredible art of silhouetting live at New Haven Museum (NHM) as we celebrate the exhibition, “Profiles: Ruth McIntosh Cogswell and Dorothy Cogswell,” on Sunday, November 5, 2023, 1- 3 p.m. Silhouette artist Elizabeth O’Brien will create free, handcrafted silhouettes for a lucky few on a first-come, first-served basis. Co-Curator Mary Christ will also be onsite to answer questions about the exhibition. The museum will be open 1- 4 p.m. for this Free First Sunday event.
During the event, silhouette artist Elizabeth O’Brien will demonstrate her craft in person. O’Brien has created silhouettes for almost 40 years with scissors and paper, using both the cut-and-paste method and the hollow-cut, and pen and ink. It’s a passion that grew as she was inspired by old silhouettes and illustrations, and as she evolved as an artist.
Mary Christ, who co-curated the “Profiles” exhibition, will be on-site to answer questions on the exhibit and the artists. Christ notes that the collection speaks to the interplay of working artists and art education, to the role of women in the New Haven arts community, and to the story of a mother and daughter whose lives and careers were based in the arts.
“Profiles” highlights two remarkable women at the heart of New Haven’s art scene a century ago. Ruth McIntosh Cogswell (1885-1944) grew up in the Elm City and attended the Yale School of Fine Arts in 1905-06. She was an art educator and artist renowned for her intricate silhouette work. Her daughter, Dorothy Cogswell (1909-2008), was the first woman to earn an MFA from the Yale School of Fine Arts and later served as chair of the Department of Art at Mount Holyoke College. The exhibition’s photographs, watercolors, pencil drawings and silhouettes give a glimpse of the New Haven arts scene in the early 20th century and allows present-day audiences to consider the role women played in establishing the local arts community that exists today. The exhibition will remain on view through December 30, 2023.
About the New Haven Museum
The New Haven Museum has been collecting, preserving and interpreting the history and heritage of Greater New Haven since its inception as the New Haven Colony Historical Society in 1862. Located in downtown New Haven at 114 Whitney Avenue, the Museum brings more than 375 years of New Haven history to life through its collections, exhibitions, programs and outreach. As a designated Blue Star Museum, the New Haven Museum offers the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, free admission from Memorial Day through Labor Day. For more information visit http://newhavenmuseum.org or Facebook.com/NewHavenMuseum or call 203-562-4183.
