How long is the event?

The listed duration is approximately 2 hours, including the screening and the post-film Q&A.

What are the ticket prices and discounts?

Pricing is Member $10, Adult $20, Student/Senior $15; bring appropriate ID for discounts.

Seating is limited and not guaranteed without a ticket—advance purchase is recommended to secure a seat.

Is the Q&A accessible to attendees?

Yes. The event features a moderated Q&A after the screening designed for audience participation.

Are children welcome?

Age minimums are not specified; the subject matter is best suited to teens and adults with an interest in design and history.

Can I get a refund if plans change?

Cancellation and refund policies are set by the venue; check the booking link or contact the museum for details.

Inside The Aldrich Screening: The Harvard 5 — Ridgefield’s Night of Modernist Architecture

On a brisk Ridgefield evening, The Aldrich invites locals and visitors to a compact, conversation-driven screening of The Harvard 5, a documentary that traces how five postwar architects—Philip Johnson, John Johansen, Landis Gores, Eliot Noyes, and Marcel Breuer—upended American design with Bauhaus-inspired thinking. Set in Ridgefield, Connecticut, this two-hour event pairs an early evening Happy Hour with a 7:00 pm screening, then a moderated Q&A featuring filmmaker Devon Chivvis and Bruce Becker, creator & owner of Hotel Marcel, with The Aldrich Executive Director Cybele Maylone directing questions. The program is built for focused audiences: seating is limited to a maximum 70 participants, and ticket tiers reflect local access—Member $10, Adult $20, Student/Senior $15—making it an affordable cultural night out. The film archives interviews, rare footage, and architecture analysis that render post‑WWII modernism vivid; on screen are the concrete, curtain walls, and clean geometries that remade domestic and institutional design. For Ridgefield, a town known for its active arts scene, this screening is a rare chance to see architectural history contextualized alongside contemporary museum programming. Why book it? The Aldrich frames the film with local relevance. The Q&A connects cinematic research to practice through voices like Chivvis and Becker, and the small audience format encourages questions and close engagement with ideas about preservation, adaptive reuse, and the social impact of design. It is both an accessible night at a regional museum and a concentrated professional salon for architects, designers, students, and curious travelers. Practical notes: the evening runs about two hours, so plan for arrival before the Happy Hour and screening start at 7 pm. Expect a theater-style setting and a conversational Q&A; seating can fill, so reserve in advance through the provided booking link. The program is suitable for teens and adults interested in design, film, and cultural history; note that age minimums are not specified, but the subject matter is best for mature viewers. Combine this outing with a walk through Ridgefield’s village center or a visit to nearby historic sites to make an evening of it. For photographers, architectural details and archival stills in the film reward close attention; listeners benefit most by bringing questions and a notebook. This is an efficient cultural night that connects Ridgefield to larger stories in American modernism, anchored by a local museum staff that intentionally stages conversation as public service. Tickets are sold online with tiered pricing—Member $10, Adult $20, Student/Senior $15—and the evening accommodates a maximum of 70 participants, which creates an intimate forum for discussion; groups and educators should reserve early. Use the booking link to confirm availability, and plan transportation accordingly: car travel takes under an hour, making The Aldrich an easy cultural stop on a Connecticut day trip.

About The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut presents rotating contemporary art exhibitions and artist-centered programs.

The museum offers guided and self-guided experiences for a broad range of visitors, including General Admission visits, All Ages Discovery Tours, Story-Time for Kids, Seniors-Only Tours, and specialized programs such as Care and Connection for visitors with memory loss and their care partners. Visitors can attend artist conversations, performances, and public programs — examples include talks with artists Martin Beck and Elle Pérez, and performances by Sarah Hennies and Tristan Kasten-Krause connected to Zak Prekop’s Durations and its publication launch. The site includes a newly renovated Sculpture Garden that hosts outdoor events and provides a reflective setting for exhibitions and gatherings. Educational offerings extend to Educator Open House events that feature curator-led tours with Associate Curator Eduardo Alfonso, studio activities, networking opportunities, and resources for classroom engagement. The museum’s public programs also include seasonal offerings like Happy Hour Fridays, which combine late-night access, guided tours, and hands-on activities in The Studio while guests relax in the Sculpture Garden. The Aldrich supports family engagement through Story Time in partnership with the Ridgefield Library and regular Sunday Afternoon Tours led by education staff. As a focused contemporary art institution, the museum maintains an artist-centric approach to exhibitions, programs, and publications, prioritizing direct engagement with artists’ practices and thoughtful public interpretation. Hours, ticketing, and current exhibitions are available on the website.