Waterbury, CT…  The Mattatuck Museum celebrates the opening of its exhibition Art for Everyone: The Federal Art Project in Connecticut with a panel discussion of the art and socio-historical context of the presented works on Thursday, September 13, 2012 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. The exhibition is supported by the Connecticut Humanities Council and the Connecticut Community Foundation.

The exhibition opens with a panel discussion featuring State Archivist Dr. Mark Jones, Connecticut River Museum curator Amy Trout, Researcher Deborah Edwards and Mattatuck Museum curator Dr. Cynthia Roznoy. Panelists will describe the evolution and many aspects of this program of which the exhibition is just one part. These speakers have significant experience and knowledge of the Federal Arts Project - have researched the time period, catalogued works and curated exhibitions.

The exhibition, Art for Everyone, will be on display until February 5, 2013. During the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt and his administration set up the Federal Arts Project to create jobs. As a result of this project, 173 Connecticut artists created over 5,000 works of art many of which disappeared. The Mattatuck Museum and the Connecticut State Library have been working together to collect and catalogue both known and unknown works. Art for Everyone examines art produced for the Federal Art Project in Connecticut. Ralph Boyer, Beatrice Cuming, James Daugherty, George Marinko, Spencer Baird Nichols, Joseph Schork and Cornelia Vetter are among the artists represented in this exhibit of more than 80 works. This exhibition is the culmination of a multi-year, multi-part project that was instigated in 2007 by the work of Amy Trout, Connecticut River Museum, and draws upon the archives and data base of the Works Progress Administration artists at the Connecticut State Library. This exhibition places the art and artist in the broader context of American artists during the Depression Era.

Admission to the opening reception of this exhibition is free and open to the public. Join the museum to immediately qualify for member benefits. Please register in advance at www.MattatuckMuseum.org or by calling (203) 753-0381 ext. 10.

Visit www.MattatuckMuseum.org or call (203) 753-0381 for more information on all of the museum’s adult and children’s programs, events and exhibits. The Mattatuck Museum is operated with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts, and is a member of the Connecticut Art Trail, a group of sixteen world-class museums and historic sites (www.arttrail.org). Located at 144 West Main Street, Waterbury, the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Free parking is located behind the building on Park Place.