What is American Art?

The New Britain Museum of American Art is the oldest museum in the country to collect exclusively American art. What constitutes American art? In this lecture with staff from the museum, we’ll explore the different facets and eras that make up American Art and this local museum’s collection.

Through illustrated examples and behind-the-scenes insights, museum staff will examine how American art has been defined and redefined over time—shaped by history, geography, cultural identity, and social change. From early colonial works and 19th‑century landscapes to modern, contemporary, and multicultural expressions, the discussion will highlight the breadth and diversity of artistic voices represented in the Museum’s holdings.

The lecture is to be about an hour.