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76 Doing Business in Connecticut | 2017 M ore than 90,000 visitors every year find Connecticut's hidden treasure — the New Britain Museum of American Art — and are rewarded with a rare treat. It is the oldest museum in the country dedicated to American art. Being small, the museum has a personal feel to it, but the qual- ity of collections proves it to be the real deal. Its permanent collection houses more than 8,000 works, from Colonial portraits by John Trumbull to the Pop art of Andy Warhol — and everything in between. e museum was founded in 1903 thanks to a $20,000 gold bond donation from industrialist John Butler Talcott. Today, it houses more than 10,000 works of art. It's one of many art museums throughout the state, including the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, the Bruce Museum in Green- wich, and the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven. But it occupies its own niche. "e strength of our collections is the Hudson River School, American Impression- ism and the Ashcan School," said Curatorial Assistant to the Director Lisa Hayes Williams. She describes the master work by omas Cole called "e Clove, Catskills" as one of the museum's foundational pieces. Sharing space in the Hudson River School (HRS) gallery is "West Rock, New Haven," an oil on canvas painted by Cole's student, Frederic Church. Pairing the Cole and Church paintings, "shows the grand master-student relation- ship," Williams pointed out. Linda Mare, director of education at the museum, said that "Seal Rock," by Albert Bierstadt is another HRS gallery favorite. "People of all ages are captivated and in awe of this work because of the action and movement," Mare said of the painting depict- ing the San Francisco attraction. Heading west Mare is happy to share her vast knowl- edge about the collections and how they relate to American life, and to one another. In the new wing, a gallery devoted to the American West includes works by George Catlin, known for his portraits of Native Americans, and other images of the early American West. "It is a great add-on to the continuing American story," said Mare. Impressionism, Mare points out, was The New Britain Museum of American Art. PHOTO/NBMAA Tourism, Arts & Culture INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT › American art gets its due at New Britain Museum By Joan Hunt Continued on page 78 >