Dear Friends of the HRM,

As we welcome the crisp air and vibrant colors of autumn, I am excited to share an inspiring lineup of exhibitions and programs designed to provoke thought and ignite conversations. This season, we delve into the transformative power of clothing, particularly through our upcoming exhibition, No Bodies: Clothing as Disruptor, which challenges our perceptions of identity, materiality, and cultural expression.

Each day, we make choices about what to wear, consciously or subconsciously crafting our identity and how we present ourselves to the world. In No Bodies, you will encounter altered and uninhabited garments that disrupt our automatic responses to attire. Clothing often conveys messages about social background, economic status, and ethnicity. Yet, how often do we pause to consider the deeper meanings behind what we see? This exhibition invites you to confront your assumptions, exploring what it means to deconstruct a garment—whether through unraveling, burning, or transforming it.

Without a body to inhabit them, these works compel us to question the narratives we assign to clothing and how it shapes our understanding of others. Already this exhibition has made me reflect on the fact that the meanings we assign to clothing may not represent the wearer’s or maker’s truth. To become a maker yourself, Saturday Sketch: Fashion Design with Briana Bright offers opportunities to improve your drawing skills while learning about fashion design and marketing with a seasoned professional.

Our fall season will also feature Clay Conversations: Ceramics from the Gilded to the Digital Age, opening on October 11. This exhibition juxtaposes the Museum’s rich collection of historic Chinese porcelain with contemporary works by seven New York–based artists. It illuminates how ceramics can serve as vessels for personal and political expression, reflecting themes of exclusivity and exoticism throughout history. With works ranging from antique vases to innovative AI-generated dishware, Clay Conversations explores the resonance of these histories in our contemporary world. As an entry point, a large-scale mixed-media installation by Yonkers-based artist Rachel Sydlowski promises to be an immersive experience that connects the past with present narratives.

Families, you asked, we listened: this fall we are introducing our Morning Stroller Tour starting on Friday, October 11, aimed at our youngest visitors and their caregivers. This interactive experience will feature storytime, puppetry, and movement activities, allowing families to explore our collection in a fun and engaging way before the Museum opens to the public.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Halloweekend on Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27, where we will offer up a weekend of festive activities and exploration, including close encounters with nature. The following weekend on November 2 and 3, we’ll be celebrating Día de Muertos with a community altar and an art workshop making Cempasúchils, or Mexican marigolds.

Join us this fall as we thread the needle of process and artistic expression and prove that people don’t need to leave the County to experience the best in the COUNTRY.

Yours,

Masha Turchinsky
Director & CEO

Image: Rachel Breen. Shroud, 2018. Used white shirts, thread, and fabric. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Camille Knop.