Dear Friends,

The miracle of birth has arrived at Hill-Stead! We are delighted to introduce adorable Ulysses, the first of this year’s group of new lambs. (welcome to the world, little guy, we are trying to make it better for you!) With many more lambies expected in the coming weeks, we warmly invite you to come for a visit to see this natural wonder for yourselves, and if desired, to join our contest to name three of the newborns (or dedicate a trail or an outdoor bench) through our Healthy Living Campaign.

Speaking of arrivals, we are also overjoyed to announce that May Market is back! In keeping with the times, it will look slightly different this year, entirely outside and spread widely across our grounds for safety’s sake. It will have an additional third day to enjoy, running from National Arbor Day on Friday, April 30 through Sunday, May 2. In spirit, however, this event remains unchanged. We are immensely grateful to be able to host this perennial favorite again, to welcome spring together. For more information and tickets, please visit our May Market events page.

Mary and Joseph Sargent at the 2005 Hill-Stead Gala Benefit

And speaking of natural wonders, during this month of celebrating women’s history, I would like to celebrate one of our longtime and leading supporters, Mary Sargent. Mary is among the extraordinary females who, across generations, have devoted themselves and their talents to preserving Theodate’s Hill-Stead. Not only does Mary hold the title of the longest-serving board president, but she also shepherded the institution through a significant period of growth in the 1990s. Mary also founded crucial organizations that are still the backbone of our financial wellbeing, including the Theodate Pope Riddle Society and the Legacy Society. At our present moment of transformational growth with the renovation nearly complete, Mary continues to support and serve to this day. Please enjoy her story, and the many reasons to include Hill-Stead in your estate planning in our newly minted Legacy Society Newsletter.

And please know you are welcome at Hill-Stead, to enjoy our resources of art and nature. The spring blossoms, artistic marvels, and lambs await your visit!

Warmly,
Anna
Dr. Anna Swinbourne, Executive Director & CEO

Dear Friends,

When the pandemic arrived and closed so much down, Hill-Stead pivoted to bring experiences of art and nature back into your lives. Now, February is bringing us snow, and we’re donning boots to dance (and make snow angels) in the winter wonderland, trying once again to create more ways to serve our visitors and spread some joy. To that end, we’ve launched winter winter walktails—a stroll through the grounds, on the arm of a pal, with a warm drink in hand—and, I’m giddy to announce, our first-ever snowman* building contest. Come to Hill-Stead in your outerwear, make the snowy creature of your dreams, and try for the prize! (For details on both events, please visit our Calendar.)

This new nimble reality of museum life – stop, quickly assess the conditions, acknowledge them as ever-changing, take a deep breath, and then respond, bravely! – has inspired some changes behind the scenes as well. I am thrilled to announce that Susan Orred will be stepping into a new role as Director of Public Programming at the museum. Not only did those types of outward-facing and community events, such as From the Porch, save our bacon last year, but they have also become one of the most vital and exciting aspects of our mission to serve the public. With her genuine enthusiasm for and deep knowledge of the museum, surpassed only by her devotion to it, Susan is the ideal person to lead this crucial path forward. Continue reading →

Dear Friends,

I hope this crisp November day finds you well. Looking ahead to Thanksgiving, the entire team here would like to express our immense gratitude for your continued passion and positivity for our beloved Hill-Stead.

This season, we are thankful that the museum remains open with the most stringent safety measures in place. Better yet, we are delighted to invite you to celebrate the holidays at Hill-Stead! We have joined hands with Ballet Theatre Company (BTC) to reimagine The Nutcracker. Winter festivities will include a memorable Through the Tulle exhibition paired with ballet performances in the Carriage Porch. Our masterpieces, such as Degas’ Dancers in Pink, will join both live dancers and stunning costumes as they together festively enliven the rooms of the historic house.

Continue reading →

Dear Friends,

Mindful that none of us need another long email to read, I will this time be brief.

Hill-Stead has responded to the challenges of 2020 with adaptability and open-mindedness, keeping its grounds open to the public despite widespread closures. And our beloved Museum became much more than a place of refuge when we brought live experiences of art back into people’s lives with From the Porch. Since early summer, this incredible initiative united a diverse and dynamic group of partners across the performing arts sphere and brought an audience of more than 2,000 to the Museum’s front lawn. Continue reading →

Dear Friends,

After the long, bright sunlit days of summer brimming with activity, I find autumn – with its earlier sunsets and longer shadows – to be an ideal time for thoughtful introspection.

There’s been plenty to reflect upon over the last six months. On the spring equinox, I wrote to confirm that Hill-Stead would keep its grounds open to the public despite the widespread closures due to the coronavirus. Our 152-acre grounds became much more than a place of refuge when we brought live experiences of art back into people’s lives! To coincide with the summer solstice, we launched From the Porch, an inaugural initiative, radiating with beauty and creativity as we extended our hand to a diverse and dynamic group of partners across the performing arts sphere. Continue reading →