A new exhibition based on a historic local roadway has opened at New Canaan Library.
Featuring artistic pieces inspired by the Merritt Parkway that emphasize its features and construction, the historical and architectural exhibition was created by the Merritt Parkway Conservancy.
A unique overpass bridge on the Merritt Parkway. Photo courtesy of the Merritt Parkway Conservancy
The nonprofit organization’s executive director, New Canaan’s Arianna Kolb, said she came up with the idea of “The Merritt: Masterwork of Design and Planning” after the library “was looking for an exhibition to honor America’s 250 birthday and celebrate this special year.”
Kolb said she believed the 27-and-a-half mile Merritt Parkway would be “perfect” for that because of its iconic reputation.
“It’s on the National Register of Historic Places, a National Scenic Highway,” she said. “It really is one of Connecticut’s architectural treasures, in addition to being one of the country’s most impressive achievements in 20th century public architecture, engineering and landscape design.”
Overhead view of a bridge that passes across the Merritt Parkway. Photo courtesy of the Merritt Parkway Conservancy
On display in the Lightburn Gallery through August, the exhibition includes the “history of the construction and design of the parkway and what went into it,” Kolb said. “The first part of the exhibition is mainly historical photographs.”
She added: “There was also an artist, Howard Heath, who documented the construction of the parkway in watercolors, and I was able to track down two remaining watercolors. I’d still like to find more of them, but they’re probably dispersed in private collections.”
The Merritt Parkway Conservancy also worked with a local collector who owned a toolbox belonging to one of the workers on the Merritt, who “casted the concrete designs on the bridges. You can see the pride that he took in his work because every one of his tools are inscribed with his initials,” Kolb said.
Another artist featured in the exhibition is Marion Post Wolcott, one of the first female photojournalists.
“She was asked in 1941 to document the completion of the Merritt Parkway and she took these beautiful black-and-white photographs,” Kolb said.
Finally, the exhibition also showcases present day work, such as landscape rehabilitation and before-and-after shots of various bridges recently worked on.
Extensive research went into finding the art pieces and materials of the exhibition, according to Kolb. A common theme in Kolb’s research was the Deco influence on the parkway during the 1930s, she said.
“Most of the bridges on the Merritt are all completely different, independent works of art,” she said. “Most of them are Deco.”
At the time, it was very popular for cars to have “beautiful, elegant Art Deco hood ornaments,” Kolb said.
“So in the exhibition there are two Art Deco hood ornaments from 1930s Chevrolet cars,” she said. “I thought that was a nice reflection of the aesthetic style.”
The exhibition, which only went up last month, has already received plenty of positive feedback, Kolb said.
“We have a guest book at the library, and we’ve gotten wonderful responses,” she said.
At the opening reception, there was a great response from “over 200 people who attended, and it was amazing because most people didn’t know about the history of the Merritt,” she said.
Overall, many aren’t aware of the complexity and innovation that went into creating the exhibition, she said.
“It’s been wonderful to educate, engage and involve more people in preserving this treasure,” Kolb said.