NPS - National Park Service
01/25/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/25/2022 08:38
Weir Farm NHP Year in Review - 2021
News Release Date:
January 25, 2022
January 25, 2022
Contact:Kristin Lessard, (203) 834-1896, x13
2021 By the Numbers
- 31,512 park visitors
- 8,797 followers on Instagram and 4,818 followers on Facebook
- 4,073 hours in support of the park contributed by 115 volunteers
- 2,326 visited the Weir and Young Studios
- 2,062 Junior Rangers were sworn in
- 958 visitors created a work of art with Weir Farm's Take Part in Art supplies
- 609 visitors attended an art class, wellness program, or special tour
- 455 K-12 students participated in virtual and in-park education programs
- 126 works of art were submitted to the virtual Art in the Park Contest
- 55 group visits, including scouts, garden clubs, painting groups, and more!
- 27 teachers participated in professional development workshops
- 8 projects addressed maintenance and landscape preservation in the park
- 6 major paintings were added to the park's collection, including works by J. Alden Weir, John Ferguson Weir, and Sperry Andrews
- 3 major art conservation projects were completed
- 2 youth interns gained hands-on job experience through paid internships
- 2 new virtual programs premiered, including the Exploring Stone Walls tour and The Big Truth online exhibit
Highlights From the Year
Weir Farm is now a National Historical Park!
On January 5, 2021 the President signed a bill redesignating Weir Farm, formerly a National Historic Site, as a National Historical Park. Updating the name to a 'National Historical Park' is a better representation of the diverse and complex resources of Weir Farm and recognizes the park's special place in art and conservation on a national scale. The process to redesignate the park was initiated by park partners, the Friends of Weir Farm and the Weir Farm Art Alliance, who worked with Senators Murphy and Blumenthal, and Congressman Himes, who introduced and sponsored the bill in the U.S. Congress.
5-Year Strategic Plan Weir Farm
NHP staff and partners collaborated in a strategic planning process in 2021, envisioning a mission, priorites, and action items for the next five years. Strategic priorities include investing in infrastructure management, enhancing engagement with art, nurturing a sustainable workforce, broadening and bolstering partnerships, and focusing on managment of natural and cultural resources.
Mahonri Young Plaster Conservation
When you visit the Young Studio at Weir Farm NHP, you step back into 1940, when sculptor Mahonri Young created works such as "This is the Place Monument". Young made large-scale plaster models that were then used to cast bronze reliefs and statues. National Park Service Senior Conservator Naomi Kroll, with the Historic Architecture, Conservation and Engineering group completed the treatment and stabilization of six plaster relief sections from the monument. The conservation of these works conveys the immediacy of the artist's hand, tooling, material, and process in a way that allows visitors to step into the past.
Community Program Highlights
Service Projects with Bridgeport Youth
19 youth with Groundwork Bridgeport participated in service-learning, contributing over 70 hours to help maintain park trails and build new benches for park visitors.
Theraputic Artmaking with the Connecticut Art Therapy Association
Licensed Art Therapist Aimee Jette led two nature-focused collage-making activities for the public and shared insights on using artmaking to increase personal wellness. Additionally, Jette provided outdoor art therapy sessions for youth and adults with the Wellspring program based in Bethlehem, Connecticut.
Teacher Workshops with the Connecticut Writing Project
The park hosted teacher workshops and a virtual writing marathon in partnership with the Connecticut Writing Project- Fairfield. Teachers participated in hands-on outdoor learning, author talks, art-making, story-mapping, and the national Write Out initiative.
Field Days with Girl Scouts of Connecticut STEM Program
Weir Farm NHP began a new partnership with the Girl Scouts of Connecticut STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) coordinator to offer field days for scouts and their families that included Junior Ranger Programs, Weir Farm Olympics, Pond Hikes, and Take Part in Art.
Thank You Park Supporters and Partners!
Thank you to all park supporters, with special recognition to the dedicated corps of Weir Farm NHP Volunteers; the Friends of Weir Farm which supports public programs, exhibits, projects, and volunteer recognition; and the Weir Farm Art Alliance which reunites historically significant paintings and objects with the park through donations and advocacy. To learn more about the many partners of the park, or how you can support Weir Farm NHP, please visit www.nps.gov/wefa/getinvolved
About Weir Farm National Historical Park: Visit the home and studio of America's most beloved Impressionist, J. Alden Weir, and walk in the footsteps of a world-class artist. Set against a rural Connecticut landscape that has been painted by thousands of artists from 1882 to the present, Weir Farm is a national legacy of American Impressionism, the creative spirit, and historic preservation. Explore this National Park for Art and experience what Weir described as "The Great Good Place." Learn more at www.nps.gov/wefa and visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/WeirFarmNPS, YouTube www.youtube.com/WeirFarmNHS, and Instagram @WeirFarmNPS.
About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.