A Message from the Director

At the New Britain Museum of American Art, we celebrate the ingenuity and impact of American creativity every single day. We believe that art—and access to it—matters. Art enriches lives, sparks curiosity, and builds a more humane society with the power to inspire us, connect us, and remind us of our shared stories and individual journeys.

Our mission is to inspire, educate, and connect people through the power of American art. We offer meaningful experiences that foster creativity, dialogue, and lifelong learning—whether through our world-class collection, dynamic exhibitions, or programs that bring together people of all ages and backgrounds. We are proud to be a nationally recognized leader in American art: a welcoming place where art inspires, history informs, and community thrives.

What makes the Museum of American Art truly special is not only our unparalleled collection, but the way we open our doors and hearts to the public. We strive to make this Museum a place where everyone feels welcome—where a child seeing art for the first time, a student exploring American history, a lifelong learner, or a working artist can all find meaning and inspiration. We are committed to accessibility, inclusivity, and creating a safe space for reflection, learning, and shared experience.

Every day, we honor our role as stewards of American art—collecting, preserving, and presenting the varied stories that shape our nation’s creative legacy. We do this with integrity, innovation, and a deep responsibility to our community and to future generations. Through sustainable practices, thoughtful engagement, and strong partnerships, we work to ensure that American art will continue to enrich lives for decades to come.

Whether you are drawn by the excitement of groundbreaking exhibitions, the enrichment of educational programs, the fulfillment of philanthropic engagement, or the quiet beauty of reflection, we invite you to make this your Museum. Together, we can continue to celebrate the transformative power of American art and the stories it tells—stories of creativity, resilience, and possibility.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. We are honored to share the Museum of American Art with you.

Brett Abbott
Executive Director & CEO

Mission

The New Britain Museum of American Art inspires, educates, and connects people through the power of American art. Through our outstanding collection, dynamic exhibitions, and engaging programs, we create meaningful experiences that foster curiosity, creativity, and lifelong learning.

Vision

To be a nationally recognized leader in American art—a welcoming place where art inspires, history informs, and people and community thrive. By expanding access, deepening engagement, and embracing new opportunities, we will ensure that American art continues to enrich lives for generations to come.

 

A Brief History

The Museum of American Art traces its roots to the New Britain Institute, an organization established in 1853 by city founders to foster learning in a community of new immigrants. Housing a library, a children’s room, and a history room, the Institute began to acquire American artwork as early as 1894. Museum and city leaders forged the nation’s first standalone Museum dedicated to the work of American artists, with an acquisition fund started by John Butler Talcott in 1903.

New Britain philanthropist Grace Judd Landers left her mansion on Lexington Street to the New Britain Institute upon her death in 1934. The newly renovated Art Museum of the New Britain Institute opened its doors to the public on July 1, 1937, in its new home—Landers House. Beginning in 1937, local artist Sanford (“Sandy”) Low was tasked with organizing a dynamic roster of exhibitions featuring regional and nationally celebrated artists to increase the Museum’s audience. He became the Museum’s first director.

In 1950, New Britain industrialist and philanthropist Alix W. Stanley donated $40,000 for the construction of a new wing and provided funds for the purchase of nearly 280 artworks over several decades.

In 1994, the Museum became an independent corporation with 501(c) (3) status, adopting the name the New Britain Museum of American Art, Inc.

Two additional expansions in the new Millennium and the renovation of historic Landers House brought us to the Museum as all know it today: a stunning, inviting space where multiple generations gather to converse and celebrate the stories of the American experience.

VIEW A TIMELINE OF THE MUSEUM'S HISTORY

 

About the Collection

The New Britain Museum of American Art is the first museum dedicated solely to acquiring American art. Spanning four centuries of American history, the Museum’s collection covers major artists and important art movements. The collection now numbers approximately 9,000 paintings, works on paper, sculptures, and photographs, including the Sanford B. D. Low Illustration Collection, which features important works by illustrators such as Norman Rockwell.

The Museum of American Art is renowned for its strengths in colonial portraiture, the Hudson River School, American Impressionism, and the Ash Can School. Among collection highlights are landscapes by Thomas Cole, Albert Bierstadt, and Frederick Edwin Church; realist works by Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, and John Singer Sargent; impressionist paintings by Mary Cassatt and Childe Hassam; and 60 works by members of the Ash Can School.

Strengths of the twentieth-century collection include: significant representation by early modernists such as Alfred Maurer, Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Max Weber; a broad spectrum of work by the Social Realists Ben Shahn, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and Jack Levine; and ambitious examples of Regionalist painting by Grant Wood and John Steuart Curry. One of the most notable pieces in the collection is the important five-panel mural series The Arts of Life in America (1932) by Thomas Hart Benton.

Late 20th c. holdings cover works by the American Abstract group, paintings by from Stuart Davis and Milton Avery, and examples of Surrealism by Kay Sage and George Tooker. Abstract Expressionists Robert Motherwell, Lee Krasner, and Sam Francis are included, as are Pop artists Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, and Jim Dine. Conceptual artists represented include Christo and Sol LeWitt. The Museum maintains a small but thoughtful collection of indoor and outdoor sculpture by artists like Paul Howard Manship, Isamu Noguchi, and George Segal. Works by leading contemporary photographers round out the holdings, including important prints by Ellen Carey, Edward Burtynsky, and Cindy Sherman.

Recent acquisitions at the Museum reflect a commitment to diversifying the artists in our collection and presenting a more expansive story of American art. On the centennial of women’s suffrage in America, the Museum presented 2020/20+ Women @ NBMAA, a major initiative celebrating the invaluable contribution of women to the arts through exhibitions, installations, and acquisitions. These acquisitions included prints, photographs, and sculptures by Betye Saar, Carrie Mae Weems, Ana Mendieta, Martine Gutierrez, Kara Walker, and the Guerrilla Girls, among many others.

Contemporary voices like Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Radcliffe Bailey, Titus Kaphar, and Justin Favela explore the complexities of American history through multimedia works. Faith Ringgold and Elizabeth Catlett contribute powerful prints that illuminate the struggles of Black women in America and the resilience required to overcome them. In addition, Rogelio Báez Vega’s painting The Country Club, from his Construct of a No-Country series, addresses the perceptions and misconceptions that many Americans hold about Puerto Rico, further deepening the Museum’s commitment to telling a broader and more inclusive American story.

The Museum has also strengthened its representation of historically significant artists. Robert S. Duncanson, a second-generation Hudson River School painter who broke barriers and paved the way for both landscape painters and Black artists, is now represented in the collection with his major 1870 Landscape. The first major landscape painting by a woman artist, Harriet Cany Peale’s Kaaterskill Clove, 1858, has also joined the collection, expanding the narrative of women in American art.

The Museum’s singular focus on American art offers a panoramic view of the nation’s creative achievement, from its earliest expressions to the voices shaping culture today. By connecting these works to audiences of all ages and backgrounds, the Museum ensures that American art continues to inspire, educate, and foster understanding for generations to come.

Engagement

The New Britain Museum of American Art holds the dual identity of a world-class institution with deep roots in its local community. It draws national and international audiences with its highly regarded rotating exhibitions and renowned permanent collection, while serving as an invaluable local resource—a welcoming gathering place for learning, inspiration, and cultural enrichment.

“I just love art and have been to museums all over the world and this one is my favorite. I brought my daughters here when they were little and the museum was in a house. I brought my grandsons for exhibits and for art classes. I have brought every family member and their children and any visitors I have. They should be as proud as I am to have such a wonderful treasure right here in New Britain, so accessible and so community oriented.” — Recent Visitor

The Museum actively engages the local community through partnerships, shared resources, and educational initiatives. Local businesses benefit from exposure to arts audiences and from opportunities to showcase
their products onsite during Museum events. Throughout the year, the Museum hosts a vibrant calendar of programs featuring regional businesses, vendors, and makers, fostering connections between the Museum and the economic and cultural life of New Britain.

Each year, up to 10,000 school children visit the Museum for customized, curriculum-aligned tours and hands-on art instruction. For most, it is their first visit to the Museum—and for many, their first encounter with any art museum. Student creativity is celebrated through two to three annual exhibitions of their work, while local educators benefit from professional development programs that deepen the integration of art into classroom learning.

“I have been bringing students here for the better part of two decades. The reasons for choosing this museum as an out of classroom experience are academic, financial, and practical. Ultimately the museum experience is more than just an exercise in viewing and analyzing resources. The museum experience is immersive. This impacts students in a way that is almost impossible to do in a classroom. Seeing a student connect with art and having an experience that changes their perspective on the world is incredibly rewarding and it happens here.” — Educator

Area colleges and universities regularly bring their classes to the Museum for specialized tours and programs that align with their coursework. Through its University Memberships, the Museum provides students, faculty, and staff with free admission and special access to Museum resources, supporting academic study and fostering meaningful engagement with American art.

Corporations and businesses partner with the Museum through Corporate Memberships, sponsorship of exhibitions and programs, and private rentals. In return, the Museum offers unique opportunities for brand alignment, visibility to key audiences, and enriching benefits for employees, creating valuable connections between the business community and the arts.

The Museum also serves hundreds of visitors with special needs each year, including those from assisted living facilities, retirement communities, memory care residences, and other care settings.

National partnerships have expanded the reach of our collection, including loans from the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Ulrich Museum of Art through Art Bridges’ Partner Loan Network; Impressionist works from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and important works from the National Gallery of Art through the “Across the Nation” program. Likewise, the Museum’s own collection travels around the world.

Local artists remain some of the Museum’s most dedicated partners, engaging deeply with its programs, events, and digital platforms. In turn, the Museum celebrates and amplifies their talent, presenting their work in the Landers House Galleries, in special offsite exhibitions at Delamar West Hartford, and in the annual Nor’Easter Juried Members Exhibition, a cornerstone opportunity for regional artists to shine.

Strategic Direction

The New Britain Museum of American Art’s Strategic Plan charts a path for institutional growth from 2025 through 2030 and beyond, built on a year of comprehensive assessments and analyses—including the 10-year Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) Facilities Study; a financial analysis; and the Campus Vision Plan (CVP), an exciting long-range vision for the Museum and its neighborhood in partnership with the city. The strategy prioritizes long-term fiscal sustainability by reducing reliance on unpredictable annual income and lowering the endowment draw as a percentage of invested funds. It focuses on expanding audiences and supporters both locally and nationally, maximizing contributed and earned revenue, and aligning resources with institutional goals to ensure a cohesive and efficient organization with maximum impact. With this foundation, the Museum is poised to advance its long-range vision for growth as funding allows, driving community engagement, economic development, and climate resiliency. Ultimately, the Strategic Plan strengthens the Museum’s ability to fulfill its core mission and ensure its lasting impact and leadership in the field for generations to come.

Impact

At its core, the mission of the New Britain Museum of American Art is to inspire, educate, and connect people through the power of American art. The Museum has excelled at building a world-class collection with monumental historical significance and at selecting exciting special exhibitions showcasing the breadth of American artistic perspectives. From this central mission and steadfast commitment to excellence, an ecosystem of public engagement, education, entertainment, economic development, enhanced quality of life, and human well-being has blossomed—made possible by the Museum’s ability to foster deep, meaningful connections between its audiences and its work.

“Even into her later stages of Alzheimer’s, my mom appreciated visits to the Museum. I cannot stress enough the richness this afforded her final years. She always knew where she was when she was there.” – Recent Visitor

This connection has resulted in a grateful public who considers the Museum a safe place for sharing, communication, learning, and enrichment; a place where generations of families turn to the Museum to learn, grow, and love together.

“In a world of turmoil, the Museum is a soul place for me, a space that fills me with great joy, a place of serenity and discovery. Thank you NBMAA!” – Recent Visitor

The Museum takes great pride in bringing the excellence of its programs to an historically underserved community. New Britain, a midsized city of 74,135, is rich in immigrant and manufacturing heritage, including the presence of Stanley Black & Decker. The city is home to a significant Polish population and a growing Latin American community, with approximately 20.5% of residents living below the poverty line—well above the national average of 12.6%. For many local schoolchildren, a visit to the Museum is not only their first time in the Museum, but also their first encounter with any art museum. These visits provide transformative experiences, introducing students to the power of creativity, connecting to state curricular standards, and linking them to the broader mosaic of American artistic identity.

For this community, the Museum is a place for dialogue, for gathering, for respite, beauty, exploration and inspiration. Here, people of every background, age, race, and perspective are welcome. The Museum leans into this welcome, through monthly free Saturdays for New Britain, Access for All community days, and any number of free programs and passes, asking nothing from them but presence at “their Museum,” where they can see themselves in the featured artists and art on view, be entertained, and share in conversation. Attesting to this is the Membership—stronger in ranks than most other museums in the region— because the Museum is perceived as a museum for the people, accessible, and welcoming.

“You are an outstanding museum. You teach with your exhibits, not just display.” – Recent Visitor

For the city of New Britain, the Museum serves as a vital cultural anchor and an enduring driver of socio-economic development. Located in a state and federally designated Targeted Investment Community and Opportunity District, the Museum provides a resource that communities of similar composition rarely enjoy—enhancing quality of life, fostering civic pride, and attracting the economic benefits of cultural tourism. Since 2006, the Museum has invested $34 million in capital projects, engaging local contractors and services and contributing directly to the city’s ongoing growth and revitalization.

“The Museum is a special place and a crown jewel for the New Britain community, the state, and the nation.” – Recent Visitor

Founded more than a century ago as the nation’s first museum devoted exclusively to American art, the Museum holds a singular place in history. Today, it remains a leader in telling America’s story through art— celebrating American creativity and ingenuity, shaping scholarship, and inspiring generations.

In Summary

This is what the New Britain Museum of American Art is most proud of: Every day, as visitors move through the galleries, studio classrooms, lobby, Museum Store, and outdoor terrace, the Museum witnesses people from every background, education level, experience, and perspective discovering what they need within its walls. The Museum provides exposure to American art that becomes forever woven into the fabric of their human experience—shared, remembered, and passed down from generation to generation. Through this work, the Museum shapes lives, enhances quality of life, improves well-being, strengthens the local economy, fosters human connection, and safeguards these cultural treasures for the nation’s future.

Accreditation

The New Britain Museum of American Art has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded to the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status.

Of Connecticut’s estimated 700 museums, only 21 are accredited, with 12 of these being art museums. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, roughly 1,100 are currently accredited.

Alliance Accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for over fifty years, the Alliance’s museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable to provide the best possible service to the public.

Accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. AAM’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, considers the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.

GuideStar

The New Britain Museum of American Art is proud to have earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid GuideStar, the highest level of recognition offered to nonprofits nationwide. This distinction reflects the Museum’s commitment to openness, accountability, and measurable impact. By sharing detailed information about our mission, governance, financials, and—most importantly—our outcomes and strategic goals, we demonstrate to our community, supporters, and funders that we steward resources responsibly and advance our mission with integrity.

Achieving Platinum status places the Museum among a select group of institutions recognized for their leadership and transparency. For donors and grantmakers, it provides confidence that investments in the Museum of American Art yield meaningful cultural, educational, and community impact. For the Museum, it reinforces our role as a trusted steward of America’s story through art—an institution not only with a distinguished history, but also with a clear, data-driven vision for the future.