Theaterworks Hartford To Present Mahsa Attaran Exhibition MY HEART IS TIGHT FOR YOU
On view October 2 – November 2, 2025, in conjunction with Pulitzer Prize-winning play English by Sanaz Toossi.
By: A.A. Cristi Sep. 17, 2025
TheaterWorks Hartford, led by Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero and Managing Director Jeff Griffin, will present My Heart Is Tight For You, a gallery exhibition by Iranian-born artist Mahsa Attaran.
The exhibition, curated by Hartford-based artist and curator Peter Albano, will run October 2 – November 2, 2025, in correspondence with TheaterWorks Hartford’s production of Sanaz Toossi’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play English. An opening reception with the artist will be held on Wednesday, October 8 from 6:30–7:30pm. Admission to the gallery is free.
About the Exhibition
My Heart Is Tight For You offers meditations on family, home, and language shaped by life apart from Iran. Attaran’s multimedia works—spanning installation, photography, and video—capture the tension of living between cultures. The exhibition foregrounds memory, belonging, and resilience, interweaving Persian’s rhythm and tenderness with intimate reflections on women’s labor and strength.
“Even in its most critical moments, my practice remains grounded in tenderness, celebrating resilience and insisting: I am here. See me. Hear me,” says Attaran.
About the Artist
Mahsa Attaran is an Iranian-born visual artist and photographer whose work explores culture, identity, and feminism. She has exhibited internationally, including at the Iranian Artists Forum, Iranian Art Museum, and Windsor Art Center, and her work has been featured in Hyperallergic. A faculty member in the Visual Arts Department at Loomis Chaffee School, Attaran holds an MFA from the University of Connecticut and has taught and mentored over 500 students worldwide.
About the Curator
Peter Albano is a Hartford-based artist, curator, and gallerist. He is the founder of The Arts Industry and Loading Dock Gallery in West Hartford and currently serves as Visual Arts Manager at Real Art Ways. His projects include The Hog River Revival and numerous public art initiatives, and he is a recipient of grants from Hartford Arts Catalyze, Shoreline Arts Alliance, and the City of Hartford.
About English
Directed by Arya Shahi, English by Sanaz Toossi runs October 2 – November 2, 2025 at TheaterWorks Hartford before moving to Long Wharf Theatre January 16 – February 1, 2026. The Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony-nominated play explores how language shapes identity, belonging, and connection through the story of four Iranian adults preparing for the TOEFL exam.
Performances are Tuesdays–Saturdays at 7:30pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm, with additional matinees on October 25 (12pm & 4pm) and October 29–30 (1pm). Tickets range from $25–$70 and are available at twhartford.org or by calling 860.527.7838.
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