Great Depression-Era

Cooking Classes

About

Over the course of four weeks, participants learned new recipes while cooking with local chefs. Each class was led by a different instructor and covered a different cuisine, and participants could pick and choose which classes they wanted to attend. The chefs and cuisines were selected to reflect the most populous ethnic groups in Waterbury: Italian, Albanian, Puerto Rican, and African American. Prior to the series, a Great Depression-era cooking demonstration was hosted at the museum as a public example of class offerings and to help a wider audience connect the resourcefulness of chefs to the Great Depression era that Walker Evans depicted in his photographs.

Intended Outcome

The Mattatuck Museum aimed to increase audience engagement by offering interdisciplinary programs that inspired visitors to look at Walker Evans’ photographs in a new context. The museum hoped to engage 60 participants through this program.

Actual Outcome

The Mattatuck Museum hosted 39 multigenerational participants in its Great Depression-era cooking class series. Across four sessions, the museum saw a full retention rate with several people participating in all four classes. Participants enjoyed their time learning to cook together and working closely with local chefs, and the program deepened their appreciation for Walker Evans’ work.

Advice Post Project

Offering a hands-on experience that activated taste as a way to understand art and history led the Mattatuck Museum to form local partnerships and reach a greater cross-generational audience. Since the program had a recurring format but featured a new teaching chef and recipe each week, attendees were more motivated to participate in multiple classes. Overall, post-program surveys showed that participants appreciated a program where they could learn a new skill that they could easily integrate into their everyday lives.