NEW LONDON, CONN.- The Lyman Allyn Art Museum announced the opening of a major new exhibition on Saturday, Oct. 30, which presents the story and art of May Way (1769–1833) and Elizabeth (Way) Champlain (1771–1825), two sisters and artists from New London, Connecticut. The sisters were among the earliest professional women artists working in the United States. The Way Sisters: Miniaturists of the Early Republic will be on view through Jan. 23, 2022.

“This is the first museum exhibition to focus on the Way sisters, and it includes objects that have never been publicly exhibited,” said Dr. Tanya Pohrt, the exhibition’s curator. “These two women made important and lasting contributions to the art and history of Connecticut and a young nation. Their work deepens our understanding of early American art with objects and stories from the past that still resonate today.”

The women adapted their schoolgirl training in textiles to create collaged and painted portraits that pushed the boundaries of miniatures as an artform, while serving to expand gender roles for women. Mary Way began her career as a miniaturist around 1789 or 1790, producing painted and unique “dressed” portrait miniatures in profile with sewn and adhered fabric clothing that were unlike anything else made in America at the time.

Evidence suggests that Elizabeth (Way) Champlain, known as Betsey, also produced dressed and painted miniatures in roughly the same period. She remained in New London throughout her life and was active as a miniaturist until her sudden illness and death in 1825. Mary Way, who never married, moved to New York City in 1811, seeking new patrons and hoping to expand her artistic sphere. Facing stiff competition. she managed to eke out a living until she went blind in 1820 and was forced to return to New London, where her family supported her until her death in 1833.

Over the course of their careers, the Way sisters portrayed friends, relatives and acquaintances, as well as a larger network of the mercantile elite from southeastern Connecticut. Telling a story of struggle, innovation and accomplishment, this exhibition traces what is known of the sisters’ artistic production, celebrating their stylistic and material innovations. It also examines the identities of their sitters, exploring New London’s history in the decades following the American Revolution.