Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, Part I

In conjunction with the Westport Museum’s exhibition “Playful Pastimes,” join Dr. Robin Jaffee Frank for part two of her captivating series about Coney Island as the ultimate accessible leisure destination and its iconic place in the history of American art and culture. The curator and author of an acclaimed exhibition and book on Coney Island, Robin will explore the site’s enduring status as a subject for artists by exploring paintings, photographs, films, carousel animals, and fun ephemera ranging from postcards to sideshow banners.

Called “America’s Playground,” Coney Island is a world-famous resort and national cultural symbol that has inspired artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers. They captured its inception as a watering hole for the wealthy, transformation into the world’s most famous mechanical amusement center, evolution into a mecca for the masses, decline into a disheveled dreamland, and recent revival. An extraordinary array of artists will be discussed—among them, William Merritt Chase, Joseph Stella, Walker Evans, Reginald Marsh, Paul Cadmus, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, George Tooker, Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, Patti Smith, Basquiat, Red Grooms, Daze, and Swoon.

Tickets are free for members and $5 for nonmembers.