As the country’s first museum dedicated to American art, it is the responsibility of the New Britain Museum of American Art to illuminate the voices of all American artists and to make this spectrum of perspectives available to as many humans as possible. In addition to visitors seeing themselves reflected on the walls of our galleries, we create safe spaces for people to reflect on differing perspectives. By including narratives of underrepresented cultures and artists in the permanent collection, exhibitions, and educational programming, the Museum continues its work to illuminate our nation’s diverse heritage and artistic achievements.
This year, the New Britain Museum of American Art is thrilled to launch monthly Access for All Community Days featuring free admission, live artistic performances, artmaking, food, and community sharing. These Community Days are made possible through the generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
On Saturday, June 15, the Museum will host its 23rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration as part of this important program. This event will extend well into historic Walnut Hill Park, allowing for more space to celebrate and encouraging even more community participation. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be artmaking, music, and performances by The Score, Tang Sauce, Briana Maia, Poet Laureate Michael Peterson, Dejave Dance, the New Britain High School Band, Ysanne, and Nzinga’s Daughters. Visitors can also shop from local Black-owned businesses, support independent artists, and grab a bite from regional food trucks.
The New Britain Museum of American Art was one of the earliest institutions, if not the first, to hold a Juneteenth celebration in New Britain. In 2001, in collaboration with its African American Advisory Committee, the Museum worked with New Britain residents to host a celebration for the holiday. This work was led by the Museum’s Juneteenth founder, Paulette Fox. As Executive Director of the Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of New Britain, Ms. Fox has been committed to leading the advancement of the underserved youth and adults of the city since 1985. In fact, she is the first African American female Executive Director of the OIC.
Paulette reflects on her decision to bring Juneteenth to New Britain. She says, “As a child growing up in Hartford, my mother and father always went to Juneteenth. When I came to New Britain 38 years ago and got involved with the OIC and relocated here, I got involved with the Museum of American Art.” Ms. Fox thought it would be important to remind the community about this pivotal day in the history of America. She felt that the smaller size of the city would allow for a more intimate experience than a larger event like the Harford’s, and she felt that the diversity in New Britain would be wonderfully served by a Juneteenth celebration.
Paulette appreciates that the collection and exhibitions at the NBMAA reflect diverse perspectives. “It was so important to have the celebration here because it’s very important to have African Americans and different ethnic groups visit the Museum and understand the history of American art,” she says. For 23 years, the Juneteenth event at the NBMAA has represented the dynamic cultural identities of the community through food, music, and the shared understanding of the impact of the holiday.
Through events like the annual Juneteenth Celebration, the Museum is committed to fulfilling its mission to tell the unfolding story of America through its art and history. This requires the inclusion of all voices—especially the ones often ignored and forgotten throughout American history. The Museum’s current special exhibitions—Justin Favela: Do You See What I See?, Anila Quayyum Agha: Illuminations, and The Land Carries Our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans—highlight the voices of artists of color who are underrepresented in American art history and Museum collections, and all three will be on view for people to see for free during the Juneteenth Celebration.
In Justin Favela: Do You See What I See?, Favela’s piñata-inspired mural draws inspiration from depictions of Latin America from the NBMAA’s permanent collection. With several reinterpretations of nineteenth- and twentieth-century paintings and works on paper, Favela’s works serve as thoughtful interventions within the existing collection, bringing past and present into conversation and addressing Latinx presence—or absence—in the story of American art.
Anila Quayyum Agha: Illuminations is a dazzling, immersive NEW/NOW exhibition featuring the work of Anila Quayyum Agha—an internationally celebrated artist who explores the complexities and contradictions of her experience as a Pakistani immigrant to the United States through monumental installations and intimate paintings and drawings.
Curated by artist, educator, editor, activist, and writer Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (Citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation), The Land Carries Our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans highlights artworks by nearly 50 living Native artists that powerfully visualize Indigenous culture and knowledge of the land.
Join us for our Access for All Community Day: Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 15, at the New Britain Museum of American Art. NBMAA.ORG
