Krieble Gallery
No lover of American Art can afford to miss a visit to Old Lyme.
-William Gerdts, author and scholar
 A New Center for American Art
The Florence Griswold Museum opened the Robert and Nancy Krieble Gallery in 2002. Designed by Centerbrook Architects, recipient of the 1998 AIA Firm of the Year Award, the gallery accommodates exhibition space, collection storage, visitor amenities and a new museum shop. Overlooking the Lieutenant River, near where many of Miss Florence's boarders set up their easels and painted the marshy coastline, this modern facility draws upon the Museum's unique history and setting. Visitors enter under a rippling aluminum canopy, which echoes the tidal river just beyond. Flowering vines scaling stainless steel arbors provide verdant contrast to the smooth white building and pay homage to Miss Florence's lush gardens. Recognizing the importance of light to the Impressionist painters, the curvilinear connecting walls reflect sunlight, cast shadows, and create an airy, welcoming effect. Inside, specially designed skylights allow visitors to experience the artwork in an ambient natural light.
 
Inaugural Exhibition
The first exhibition in the new gallery was The American Artist in Connecticut: The Legacy of the Hartford Steam Boiler Collection. The exhibition can now be viewed on-line. The exhibition consists entirely of selections from the former corporate collection of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company. In an extraordinary act of philanthropy, the company gave its entire collection of American art -- 188 paintings and two sculptures -- to the Museum in the spring of 2001.
Visitor Amenities
In addition to gallery space for exhibitions, the new facility houses the new Museum Shop and provides a welcome area for visitors, including the Orientation Theatre where an introductory video can be seen. The Museum easily accomodates group tours and many spaces are available for corporate and private events.
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