MoCA CT draws crowd for conversation on lost places and memory

MoCA CT hosted a community program in Westport, Connecticut, tied to its summer exhibition Looking for History, with support from the CORA Foundation. The event paired artist Ellen Harvey, journalist Dan Woog and preservation advocate Ed Gerber in a discussion about vanished local landmarks, nostalgia and preservation.

Why it matters: - The program turned a gallery exhibition into a community conversation about memory, loss and preservation. - The discussion connected personal nostalgia to larger questions about what communities choose to keep, rebuild or remember. - CORA Foundation support is helping MoCA CT extend Looking for History beyond the museum walls and into public dialogue.

What happened: - MoCA CT hosted a public program in Westport, Connecticut, last night with support from the CORA Foundation. - The event was presented in conjunction with the museum's summer exhibition Looking for History. - Artist Ellen Harvey, 06880 founder Dan Woog and preservation advocate Ed Gerber took part in the conversation. - Robin Jaffee Frank, MoCA CT's executive director, said the program was part of a series of conversations inspired by the exhibition. - Robin Tauck, founder and president of CORA Foundation, said the foundation's culture-and-heritage mission aligns with the exhibition and the public series.

The details: - The discussion centered on Harvey's The Disappointed Tourist, a body of work about sites lost to demolition, disaster or time. - For the exhibition, Harvey created four new paintings based on local submissions: The Remarkable Book Shop, Cedar Brook Cafe, Bloodroot and Allen's Clam House. - Audience members shared short stories about places they had lost or remembered fondly. - Those reflections added humor, poignancy and local detail to the conversation. - Gerber, representing Historic New England, added preservation context and tied individual memories to stewardship questions. - The program was supported by a CORA Foundation Impact Grant. - MoCA CT said the grant has allowed the museum to extend Looking for History beyond the gallery. - The museum described the series as a way to use contemporary art to spark shared reflection.

Between the lines: - The program suggests that preservation conversations can resonate more broadly when they start with specific neighborhood landmarks. - Harvey's local commissions gave attendees a concrete entry point into a theme that can otherwise feel abstract. - The mix of artist, journalist and preservation advocate created a format that blended art, memory and civic history.

What's next: - MoCA CT has three more CORA Foundation-sponsored events scheduled during the exhibition. - Architectural Elegy: A Mourning Ritual for Lost Spaces is set for Thursday, July 23, from 6-7 p.m. - The CORA Foundation Community Conversation with artist Rick Shaefer is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, from 4-5 p.m. - The CORA Foundation Community Conversation with artist Michael Borders is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, from 6-7 p.m. - MoCA CT says the broader series will continue bringing artists, preservationists and local voices together during the run of Looking for History.

The bottom line: - MoCA CT used a summer exhibition to create a public forum about vanished places, and CORA Foundation backing is keeping the conversation going.