Floral Expressions: 200 Years of Women’s Power Through Fashion
February 27 – August 9, 2020
Spaght Gallery
Throughout history, our culture’s social movements, developing technologies, and evolving artistries have influenced the way people style themselves for the outside world. In this exhibition, explore wider historical and social trends over a 200-year period through iconic floral and botanical-inspired dresses from the Fairfield Museum’s collection. Enjoy the beauty in these remarkable costumes, demonstrating the elaborate and ancient crafts of applique, weaving, printing, and embroidery. These examples and their design techniques demonstrate the sensibilities of their eras, often showing the turning of social tides – such as the wild and bold patterns of the Swingin’ Sixties, the decadent elegance of 19th-century Victorians, or the soft naturalism of the late 18th-century.
Special thanks to Kathy Craughwell-Varda.
Local Heroes: What’s Your Emergency?
December 6, 2019 – April 5, 2020
Ruth Carlson Horn Gallery
This family-friendly exhibition takes visitors through the story of a local Nor’easter, and how Fairfield’s local heroes, our first responders, team up to keep our communities and residents safe. Illustrations by Fairfield County artist Christine Kornacki weave together the story of a fictional nor’easter with historical photographs and artifacts from the Museum’s collection to explore what happens when the Nor’easter brings an emergency situation, and the support citizens receive when dialing 9-1-1.
Generously sponsored by NorcomCT and Fairfield Rotary.
Special thanks to the Town of Fairfield Police, Fire, and Public Works departments.
From the Ground Up: Fairfield’s Foods
October 3, 2019-January 26, 2020
Spaght Gallery
“The food you have at home grows on you and becomes more important than simply the food itself. It becomes associated with all parts of your life in a very deep way, part of your roots, your inner self.”
– Jacques Pepin (Madison, Connecticut).
The food we eat helps define us. It is woven through our cultural traditions and our local landscape, as well as into wider global economies. This exhibition will explore how local foods are important to our traditions and how they have shaped Fairfield and our region’s identity over time. Explore the kitchen with a closer look into ingredients from the farmers’ fields, the ocean, and the forest, and share your own special food memories.
Sponsored By: 
Jennings Beach, Fairfield, Day to Night
Stephen Wilkes of Westport is renowned for his amazing Day to Night series, in which he shoots breathtaking iconic landscapes, portrayed from a fixed camera angle for up to 30 hours, to capture fleeting moments over the course of a full day to night. Fairfield’s Jennings beach has now joined Stephen Wilkes’ Day to Night portfolio from around the world. Jennings Beach, Fairfield, Day to Night has been generously commissioned and donated to the Fairfield Museum by the Saft family in memory of Marcia Saft, a former Board member, friend and longtime supporter of the Fairfield Museum. The photograph is on permanent display in Creating Community. Limited edition fine art photographic prints are available exclusively at the Museum Shop.
Creating Community: Exploring 375 Years of Our Past | Ongoing
This hands-on exhibition invites visitors to explore the history of Fairfield and its region over the past four centuries. Look inside a Native American wigwam, climb into an American Revolution fort, decipher a spy code, and look through the windows of a trolley. Young and old alike will enjoy learning how people worked, lived, and built communities over time by exploring original objects, individual stories, and engaging activities. Sponsored by CT Humanities, Fairfield County Community Foundation, The Perry Family and Southport Area Association.
Gustave Whitehead: First to Fly
On view in the Tulloch Library Gallery
Gustave Whitehead was the first to fly a powered airplane, although his flights in Fairfield and Stratford in 1901 and 1902 are not nearly as well-known throughout the world as the Wright brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903. This mini-exhibition in the library foyer displays items from the museum’s William O’Dwyer/Gustave Whitehead Research Collection, which is available for research in the library. More information about Gustave Whitehead is available here.
