The Florence Griswold Museum opened the Robert and Nancy Krieble Gallery in 2002. Designed by Centerbrook Architects, the gallery accommodates exhibition space, collection storage, visitor amenities and a new museum shop. Overlooking the Lieutenant River, near where many of Miss Florence’s boarders set up their easels and painted the marshy coastline, this modern facility draws upon the Museum’s unique history and setting. Visitors enter under a rippling aluminum canopy, which echoes the tidal river just beyond. Flowering vines scaling stainless steel arbors provide verdant contrast to the smooth white building and pay homage to Miss Florence’s lush gardens. Recognizing the importance of light to the Impressionist painters, the curvilinear connecting walls reflect sunlight, cast shadows, and create an airy, welcoming effect. Inside, specially designed skylights allow visitors to experience the artwork in an ambient natural light.

On view from February 12 through June 26 is Inspiration and Impact: The Legacy of the Hartford Steamboiler Collection. In 2001 The Florence Griswold Museum underwent a dramatic transformation when the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company entrusted its American paintings collection to the institution. The gift of 190 works of art encompasses American paintings, prints, and sculpture from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, with an emphasis on Connecticut’s artistic heritage. Inspiration and Impact pairs highlights from the original corporate collection with three dozen recent acquisitions that reflect the Museum’s expanded focus on American art.