Painting by Weir Farm Artist in Residence Alumni Alissa Siegal Selected for Department of Interior Museum Collection

News Release Date:
July 14, 2024

WILTON/RIDGEFIELD - In February of this year, a painting by Weir Farm National Historical Park Artist-in-Residence Alumni, Alissa Siegal, was selected for the Department of the Interior Museum's collection. The Museum anticipates highlighting the work of Siegal and other Artists-in-Residence with an exhibit of this collection in the future. Art has long been linked with the history of public lands in America. Recognizing the role of artists in capturing the collective imagination and encouraging preservation of these lands for future generations, the Department of the Interior Museum collaborates with Artist-in-Residence programs at National Park Service sites, Bureau of Land Management sites, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges to acquire artwork as part of its Artist-in-Residence Collaborations program.

Siegal participated in Weir Farm's Artist-in-Residence Program in September 2019. "My residency at Weir Farm was a gift and a dream, and still fuels my work," said Siegal. "As a National Park Service Artist-in-Residence, I left my daily life behind, and fully embraced being an artist. I consider the National Park Service Artist-in-Residence programs to be an incredible way to share the magnificence of our parks, allowing artists to act as ambassadors for the wonders of our National Parks and all they contain."

Siegal's work stood out as a superb representation of Impressionism and plein air painting styles, which are linked to Weir Farm's significance and artistic legacy. Her piece, Tree Looking Towards Burlingham House, was selected for its artistic merit and representation of Weir Farm and NPS AIR programs.

"Weir Farm is home to trees and stone walls of such character and presence that they evoke the history of the park and its surroundings. As I painted, I thought of the landscape that surrounded me, and about Weir and his family, who created an intergenerational community of art in beautiful, natural surroundings. The family's lives across generations felt so tangible and present," said Siegal. "Tree Looking Towards Burlingham House shows some of the upheaval the land has experienced throughout its history. For me, the house lying beyond the field and tree captures an essential element of Weir Farm's history and landscape."

About the Weir Farm Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Program
Weir Farm's AIR Program fosters contemporary artistic expression on site and prioritizes experimental and thought-provoking approaches to examining and interpreting our world through the medium of contemporary visual art practice. The AIR Program keeps Weir's experimental tendencies alive, allowing the Park to share new ideas broadly with ever more diverse artists, communities, and visitors. This program is supported by the generosity of Park partners, including Friends of Weir Farm.

About Alissa Siegal
Alissa Siegal is a Connecticut based artist and creator. Her work centers around the natural world and explores tensions between chaos and order. She has a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design & an MFA from the New York Academy of Art and was Weir Farm's September 2019 Artist-in-Residence. Recent work includes a mural for the Bennett Cancer Center and co-founding Stamford Murals, a public art and youth mentoring program.

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