Current & Upcoming Exhibitions
MoCA CT presents a dynamic array of exhibitions year-round, designed to spark excitement and curiosity. Showcasing works from local talents to international visionaries, our exhibitions not only enlighten but also educate, inviting visitors to explore the depths of contemporary art. With insightful docent tours, every visit becomes a journey of connection and discovery, allowing you to feel the pulse of creativity in each piece. Come to MoCA CT to be inspired, to learn, and to ignite your own creative spirit.
Current Exhibition
ColleCTomania
About the Exhibition
MoCA CT is excited to introduce ColleCTomania, an exhilarating exhibition displaying over 140 Swiss posters from the renowned collector Tom Strong. Strong is a New Haven, Connecticut-based graphic designer, photographer and collector who has spent sixty years amassing, displaying, sharing, and living amongst his archive. The exhibition, curated by Pamela Hovland and Karen Salsgiver, includes a widely diverse range of posters from the 1930s to the present.
Switzerland’s design culture has had a significant influence on the discipline of graphic design. Swiss posters in particular, especially those designed during the 1950s and 60s, have attained iconic status and are part of design education in schools across the globe. Created at uniform scale to be displayed in the streets of Zurich, Lucerne and Basel, these posters are now highly collectible, preserved in the archives of major museums and reproduced in art and design books.
Yale University’s graphic design program, the first in this country, was critical in disseminating the work and ideas of Swiss designers. Several influential practitioners were invited to New Haven to teach courses and workshops to students, including Tom Strong, eager to experiment with typography, form and craft. When Yale’s design graduates scattered around Connecticut and the country as both practicing and teaching designers, the visual language and ideology of the ‘Swiss International Style’ spread far and wide.
The poster as a large, public, graphic form has held its prominent place throughout the history of design. Tom Strong’s vast collection of Swiss posters, accumulated over six decades, spans the mid-century to today. His archive includes diverse and boundary-breaking visual strategies employed through inventive uses of type and typography, image-making, layering and collage. The posters illustrate myriad expressions in style, subject matter and ever-evolving technologies. Strong’s posters showcase both the outsized influence of Swiss design as well as the contemporary experimentation that builds on that legacy. Seeing the posters fill the gallery walls is pure visual delight.
“Why do I continue to collect Swiss posters? I guess you like Beethoven and then Stravinsky comes along with different principles, blows your head off. And then you go further, and you find more composers who you never knew anything about. The body and the brain and the ear are accustomed to surprise and difference and beauty. Other than that, I can’t defend it or describe it. These posters have power. You can’t deny it.”- Tom Strong
Exhibition Admissions
Gallery hours are from 12-4 pm, Thursdays to Sundays. Reserve here.
Docent-Led Tours
Starting June 29: Saturdays & Sundays 1-2:30 PM. Reserve here.
For tours outside of said hours or for groups larger than 5, please contact exhibitions@mocawestport.org.
About the Collector, Tom Strong
Thomas Strong was born in 1938 in Hanover, New Hampshire. He graduated from Dartmouth College and served with the U.S. Army Security Agency in Germany and Turkey. In 1967, Tom received an MFA from the Yale School of Art and Architecture and later started the graphic design firm Strong Cohen with his co-founder, Marjorie Cohen. The firm focuses on the design of signage for architectural applications, primarily for colleges and universities.
When Tom isn’t busy designing or installing signs across New Haven, he dedicates his time to revitalizing the neighborhood where he works, a commitment he’s upheld for the past two decades. As a board member of the Chapel West district, he plays a key role in its development.
Beyond his civic involvement, Tom has cultivated a diverse collection, including Swiss posters, HO scale model trains, Braun products, National Park Service folders, and iconic posters from Yale and Otl Aicher’s 1972 Olympics.
About the Curators:
Pamela Hovland is a Wilton-based designer, educator, writer and visual activist. She has worked extensively in the areas of identity, print communications, signage and screen-based design for corporations, nonprofit organizations, cultural institutions and individuals. Her work has been recognized by multiple organizations and publications and included in regional, national and international exhibitions. Pamela received an MFA from Yale University where she is a Senior Critic in graphic design. She is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and a founding member of Class Action Collective, the art collective that uses design to effect social change.
Karen Salsgiver is the principal strategist and designer of the Westport-based graphic design firm Salsgiver Coveney Associates. For over four decades the studio has created design programs and communication solutions that tell the authentic story of a diverse range of corporate, educational and cultural institutions. The firm’s award-winning work has been published in multiple design books and publications. Karen earned a BS in Design and Environmental Analysis from Cornell University and an MFA from Yale University.
MoCA Westport believes the arts should be accessible to all. If you need financial assistance with admissions, classes, or event registration, please contact the Museum at info@mocawestport.org.
Upcoming Exhibition
Kaleidoscope: Dual Exhibition
Camp MoCA Exhibition
We invite you to join us in celebrating the creativity, growth, and passion of our campers at the end-of-summer exhibition that will showcase the incredible artistic achievements and life skills our young artists have developed during their time at Camp MoCA CT.
This summer, our young artists at Camp MoCA CT embarked on an unforgettable adventure of self-discovery, family connection, and community engagement. Through the exploration of diverse art styles and renowned artists, they delved into themes of self-expression, family, and community, while honing their artistic skills and fostering character-building traits such as trustworthiness, responsibility, respect, fairness, and citizenship.
Our campers discovered the transformative power of the ‘ish’ mindset, which encourages creativity and self-expression without the constraints of perfection. Embracing this approach, they learned to appreciate the beauty of imperfection and focus on the process of creating, experimenting, and learning.
In the realm of family, campers engaged with various family-themed lessons inspired by celebrated artists, creating artworks that celebrated love, family diversity, and personal history. These activities allowed them to develop valuable character-building skills, such as responsibility, fairness, and respect, in the context of family life.
Lastly, our young artists immersed themselves in the concept of community by participating in lessons inspired by renowned artists. They created collaborative artworks that highlighted the importance of community connections, teamwork, and active citizenship. They reflected on their camp experiences and developed personal action plans to be responsible community members.
MoCA Gives Back Healing Arts Exhibition
Explore a showcase of artwork created by participants who have found inspiration, joy, and a deeper connection to the world around them through the healing power of art. The MoCA Gives Back initiative embodies the core belief of MoCA CT: arts for all. We are dedicated to recognizing and meeting the diverse needs of our community through partnerships, high-quality programming, and outreach to under-resourced populations.
The MoCA Gives Back Healing Arts Exhibition is a celebration of our commitment to providing meaningful programs and a broad range of opportunities for all members of our local community. This initiative is an extension of our mission to build a deeper understanding and passion for the arts by presenting thought-provoking and relevant arts experiences.
MoCA Gives Back is our promise to make MoCA CT’s exhibition, performing, and educational arts programs accessible to everyone.
Admission: $10 Adults; $8 Seniors/Students (13+); Free for Under 12
The Kaleidoscope exhibition features works from both our Camp MoCA campers and MoCA Gives Back Healing Arts participants.