Executive Director of the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Cybele Maylone moved to Ridgefield from New York City four years ago in pursuit of the opportunity to lead the Aldrich, the only museum in Connecticut dedicated solely to the exhibition of contemporary art.
“I loved the opportunity to have more space, including a garden, which I love,” Maylone said of the move. She explained she made a “concerted effort” to live near the museum, as she wanted to preserve that part about living in a city. “Being able to walk to and from work, having that slice of urban living felt important,” she added, “Taking on the position I have now with the Aldrich seemed like an incredibly exciting place to step into, and it has been an exciting four years.”
Obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Master of Arts degree in Arts Administration, art has always been a “very transformational experience” for Maylone, who grew up in Evanston, IL, a suburb just north of Chicago.
“Art makes me feel and think things that I don’t get from anything else,” she explains. “It’s what makes art feel so moving. It inspires awe and wonder and curiosity — the reason I seek it out is because of the new things that art reveals.”
Previously leading a nonprofit art center in Brooklyn, UrbanGlass, a position she proudly held as Executive Director for five years, Maylone worked very closely with the artists there, a place she explains is “devoted to artists in all manners of glass.”
Now with her work at The Aldrich, she’s bringing that same “deep and active collaboration with artists,” working almost exclusively with living artists, most of whom are from the United States.
“We definitely show the work of artists who live outside of the U.S. as well,” Maylone says.
From the membership to group exhibition showings, she explains the art museum, which welcomes 30,000 people each year, is devoted to being “meshed in the community,” stating the spirit of making art accessible to people’s everyday lives is “very rewarding.”
Through her work with The Aldrich, Maylone adds that she especially enjoys the opportunities to work with other members of the cultural community, including the symphony, The Ridgefield Playhouse, and Thrownstone.
“The cultural offerings in Ridgefield, along with the open space, are things I love taking advantage of,” she says. “Ridgefield has been a warm and welcoming place ever since my family and I moved here, and I am looking forward to continuing to bring that connection to culture within the community.”
"From the membership to group exhibition showings, the art museum is devoted to being 'meshed in the community,' stating the spirit of making art accessible to people’s everyday lives is 'very rewarding'."
