Late Night Thursday

Arts Council supporters welcome new Director

Barbara Lamb, Cindy Clair, and Mimsie Coleman.


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On Monday, November 28, arts organizations and artist members turned out in style to welcome the new Arts Council Executive Director Cindy Clair. The reception, held in Neighborhood Music School’s beautiful new recital hall, featured music by and lots of friendly faces. Welcome Cindy!

Seniority Rule

On Friday, November 17, community members, family, artists and friends packed the Small Space Gallery to celebrate the opening of Seniority Rule. The exhibit featured paintings and collages from area senior artists, ranging in age from their late 60’s to 91. Participating artists included Mary Lee Neale, Mary Grant and Jo Garguilo of West Haven, Brenda Harvey and Lee LaForte of Orange, New Haven’s Phil Foxx, Ruth Blum and Mary Lou Horan.

Random Intention

On Thursday, November 9, the artists’ reception for Random Intention at Gallery 195 was held at NewAlliance Bank. The exhibit, which features works by local artists Oi Fortin and Liz Pagano, explores the interactions of chance and control in the creative process of printmaking.


To read a review of the show in the New Haven Register, please visit the link below: http://www.ctcentral.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17513068&BRD=1773&PAG=461&dept_id=566798&rfi=6

SMALL SPACE GALLERY

Spectra 2006, the Photographic Arts Collective Annual Members Show, takes place December 11 to January 26, with an artist's reception on Thursday, December 14, from 5 to 8 pm. Small Space Gallery is located at 70 Audubon Street, 2nd floor. Gallery hours: Mondays through Fridays, 9 am- 5 pm.
Artwork by Majorie Wolfe.

The Greater New Haven's Revolutionary Visionaries

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven will honor six outstanding individuals and organizations from the region at the annual Arts Awards Luncheon on Friday, December 1, at the New Haven Lawn Club. This year's theme, " Revolutionary Visionaries," celebrates those with insightful and revolutionary actions and ideas that enrich the greater community countless ways. This year's awardees are:

Arte Inc
Yale Peabody Museum of National History
Nick Lloyd of Firehouse 12
Ras Mo Moses
Youth Rights Media

C.Newton Schenck III Award for lifetime achievement in and contribution to the Arts:

Roslyn Milstein Meyer and Jerome Meyer

For more information or to purchase tickets for the Arts Awards Luncheon, please call (203) 772-2788.

GALLERY 195

Oi Fortin

Gallery 195 is located at the New Alliance Bank, 4th floor and currently features an exhibit called Random Intention. Included are works by Oi Fortin and Liz Pagano. Through January 5. An artist's reception will take place November 9 from 5 to 7 pm.

HASKINS LABORATORIES GALLERY

Structure: Works by Members of Arts and Literaruture Laboratory will take place at Haskins Laboratories Gallery, Haskins Laboratories, 300 George Street, 9th floor, through January 12, with an artists' reception on thursday, November 2, from 5 to 7 pm. Gallery hours: Wednesday- Friday, 10 to 4.

Mixed media works by Melanie Carr, Howard el-Yasin, Laurie Grace, Lee LaForte, Lisie Orjuela, Liz Pagano, Sharon Steuer, David Raylor, Richard Taylor, Colleen Tully, Jennifer van Elswyk and Linda Zucker.

SMALL SPACE GALLERY

Artwork by Phil Foxx


Seniority Rule features works by area older americans. Feature artist include Ruth Blum, Phil Foxx, Jo Garguilo, Mary Grant, Brenda Harvey, Mary Lou Horan, Lee LaForte and Mary Lee Neale.

Small Space Gallery is located at 70 Audubon Street, 2nd floor. Gallery hours: Mondays through Fridays, 9 am - 5 pm.

Arts Council Announces New Executive Director

Dick Grossi, Board Member and Chair of the Search Committee for the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, today announced the appointment of Cynthia Clair as Executive Director.

“The Arts Council is delighted to welcome Cynthia as the new Executive Director,” said Grossi. “After an extensive nationwide search, she clearly displayed the passion and leadership our organization needs. Her accomplished track record and unique vision assures an exciting future for the Arts Council and the community.”

“The Arts Council has a wonderful tradition of strong leadership,” said Arts Council Board President Pat Sweet, “and we look forward to carrying on that tradition with Cynthia as the new Executive Director. She brings incredible experience and presence, having previously served as the executive director of two major arts service organizations and most recently as executive director of the Silvermine Guild Arts Center. Not only is she an experienced and widely respected leader in the arts community, but she also served in the Peace Corps in West Africa in the early ‘90’s, adding unique perspective to her background. We are thrilled to welcome Cynthia to the organization and we look forward to all that she will bring to our vibrant arts community.”

Clair brings extensive experience as an arts administrator, programmer, educator and presenter to her new role at the Arts Council. For the past nine years, Clair has served as Executive Director of Silvermine Guild Arts Center in New Canaan, a nationally recognized organization. Prior to joining Silvermine, Clair served as executive director at the Huntington Arts Council in New York, executive director of the Michigan Alliance for Arts Education in Grand Rapids, program director for the Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids, and teacher at the Arts Alternative School in Rockford, Illinois.

Cynthia Clair will assume her duties on November 1, 2006.

The Arts Council is a regional non-profit membership arts organization dedicated to enhancing, developing and promoting opportunities for artists, arts organizations and audiences throughout Connecticut and the Greater New Haven region.

DIGITAL IMAGES: WHERE TO BEGIN

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven presents “Digital Images: Where to Begin” at the Media Arts Lab at ACES Educational Center for the Arts, 55 Audubon Street, New Haven. The workshop takes place on Tuesday, October 3, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. It will also be held the following afternoon, from noon to 2 pm, at the Women and Family Life Center, 96 Fair Street in Guilford. Cost is $10 for Arts Council and Shoreline Arts Alliance members and organizations, $20 for non-members. Advance registration is required by Monday, October 2. Enrollment is limited.

In this workshop, Cynthia Beth Rubin will teach participants how to prepare digital images for email, web portfolios, PowerPoint and Keynote presentations. A limited number of computers will be provided, but participants are also encouraged to bring laptops of their own.

Cynthia Beth Rubin, an established digital artist, has been combining computers and the fine arts since the early 1980s. Her work is featured in several recent books, including Art of the Digital Age, by Bruce Wands, Painting the Digital River, by James Faure Walker, The Computer in the Visual Arts, by Anne Morgan Spalter, and the Painter Wow! by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis. Her digital prints, animated imagery, and interactive installations are exhibited internationally, including at the Jewish Museum in Prague, the Novosibirsk State Art Museum in Siberia, the State Museum of Fine arts in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the DeLeon White Gallery in Toronto, the Colville Place Gallery in London, and Ventrabren Art Contemporain, in Ventraben, France. The recipient of the first Connecticut Commission on the Arts grant in New Media, Rubin is a native of Rochester, NY and holds degrees from Antioch College (BA) and the Maryland Institute, College of Art (MFA). She teaches courses at the University of Massachusetts and at the Rhode Island School of Design.

The Arts Resource Center is a technical assistance program for artists, arts organizations, arts administrators and Arts Council members. The Center offers a variety of services, including free access to computers and scanners, a resource library, an annual series of subsidized workshops and discussions, and one-on-one technical assistance with the Arts Council program staff. ARC is generously supported by grants to the Arts Council from The Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism and the NewAlliance Foundation.

To register for this workshop, please contact Kara Arsenault at karsenault.ac@cshore.com or (203) 772-2788.



Upcoming Digital Workshops:

All workshops will be held at ACES Educational Center for the Arts, 55 Audubon Street, New Haven, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

October 24—The Power of PowerPoint
Learn how to make promotional slide shows and presentations.

November 14—Podcast your Images and Thoughts
Showcase your art with cutting-edge technology.

December 12—The Wonders of Websites
Start and run a website to promote your work.

Artists Next Door: a new column

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven is pleased to announce the start of a new monthly column, Artists Next Door, premiering this month in ARTS! Each issue, the column will profile a regional artist, selected from a variety of artistic disciplines. This special initiative is made possible with support from Citizens Bank, an Arts Council Corporate Senior Partner.

The idea for the monthly profile column stemmed from the success of the award winning book " Artists Next Door." Edited by Cheever Tyler, the book celebrates the multitude of talented artists in New Haven- and through this new column, the Arts Council and Citizens Bank hope to further showcase the richness and diversity of the regional arts community.

The Arts Council welcomes suggestions of artists from any discipline, to be considered for a monthly profile. To submit a name for consideration, pleasebriefly describe the artist and his oher work and explain why the individual should be celebrated in ARTS! All submissions can be sent to Karsenault.ac@cshore.com.

Revealed/Concealed: Contemporary Mask Makers

An exhibit showcasing a variety of masks that reflect contemporary culture and values while paying tribute to tradition. Participating artists include: Bianca kaye Anderson, Suzanne Benton, Brad conant, Bob Gregson, Enoc Lion LaViera, Pedro J. LaViera, and Pacer.

The picture above is of Enoc Laviera next to one of his masks. Enoc is also featured in the september issue of the ARTS! publication.

This exhibit will take place at 70 Audubon street, 2nd floor from september 15 to October 31.

Arts Council bids farewell to Betty Monz

Elizabeth Monz stepped down as the executive director of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven at the end of July. In an effort to both spend more time with family and to persue additional professional interests, Monz will begin work as a major gift officer for Choate Rosemary Hall effective September 7, 2006. Development and marketing director Barbara Feldman, who will not be a candidate for the position, will serve as acting director until the search committee fills the position in the fall.

" It has been such a pleasure to lead this organization for the past four years," Monz said. " I am honored to have had the support, input and most importantly the friendship of our staff, the dedicated board and members of this wonderful arts community."

Betty Monz joined the Arts Council of Greater New Haven in the fall of 2000 as the head of the Regional Cultural Plan. In this position, she led New haven's revitalization through the arts and incorporated the goals of the Regional Cultural Plan into the Arts Council's strategy. In September of 2002, Monz replaced current Alderwomen Frances T. "Bitsie" Clark as the Arts Council's executive director.

" The Arts Council is extremely grateful to Betty Monz for her years of dedicated leadership," said Arts Council Board President Pat Sweet. " During her tenure, Betty has applied extraodinary vision and talent to this organization and has truly embodied the Arts Council mission fo expanding the arts and enriching the region.

"We are extremely fortunate to have had two amazing executive directors, and we look forward to finding the next person to carry on the tradition."

Photo credit : Harold Shapiro

A New Song For New Haven

On July 27th, Leadership Greater New Haven, Image New Haven Team and Market New Haven launched "New Day In New Haven", original song and video at Firehouse 12. The project was created by eight recent graduates of the Leadership Center, a program of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce. The mission is to celebrate the spirit and energy of the city as well as the culture, arts and the history New Haven has to offer. The Image New Haven Team consists of Todd Nicotra of Olympia Properties, Stephanie Barnes of Youth at Work, Jose Monteiro of the Arts Council, Sherese Ward of Bank of America, Roye Anastasio-Bourke of Casey Family Services, Carol Bajoros of the Regional Water Authority, and Bernadette Hollodak of the Yale New Haven Hospital. For more information on the Leadership program please visit http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2006/06/post_231.php. You can view the video and hear the New Day In New Haven song at www.infonewhaven.com/newday.

ARTISTS' HOUSING SYMPOSIUM: The Arts Council Needs YOUR Help!

On March 5, 2007, the Arts Council will be holding a symposium on affordable artists' housing in the Greater New Haven Region. We will be inviting a dynamic variety of speakers from both the art and real estate development industries. Our hope is that both area artists and local developers will attend and engage in constructive dialogue to begin tackling this important issue.

In anticipation of the symposium, we're trying to gather as much information as possible about the current housing status and needs of area artists. We have compiled an online survey and ask that all area artists (visual, performing, and multimedia) give us five to seven minutes of your time to tell us a bit about where you live and work, how you pay for the spaces, and what amenities you'd like them to have.

You can access the survey by visiting http://www.artscouncilgnh.org/survey

Your answers will be of great use to us as we go about planning the event and making progress in developing new affordable spaces. If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to contact us at (203) 772-2788.

JULY ARTSPOT! AT THE NEW HAVEN FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY A HIT

On Thursday, July 13, more than one hundred New Haven professionals and arts supporters joined the Arts Council of Greater New Haven for ArtSpot!,our monthly happy hour "with an arts twist." Graciously hosted by the New Haven Free Public Library, our patrons enjoyed an abundance of food from such New Haven eateries as Claire's Corner Copia, Royal Palace, The Playwright, Cafe George by Paula, TK's, and Hot Tomato's. Music was provided by New Haven artist and deejay Dooley-O who spun a great set all night long. We hope you'll join the fun next month on Thursday, August 24th at Edgerton Park for a special evening with the Elm Shakespeare Company and their production of "Robin Hood."

ARTS COUNCIL WELCOMES YALE PRESIDENTIAL FELLOW AND SMITH INTERN

The Arts Council is excited to welcome its latest Presidential Public Service Fellow from Yale University, Scott Chaloff. Scott, a rising Yale junior, will be working at the Arts Council through August as an intern. A History and Theater Studies double major, Scott is greatly excited to work with the New Haven arts community. He is holding summer self-marketing drop-in hours for local artists whose marketing materials need some refurbishing on Tuesdays and Fridays. Call the Arts Council at (203)772-2788 to schedule an appointment.

Also joining the Arts Council staff part-time this summer is Elizabeth Wallach, a rising junior at Smith College. Liz is an Architecture and Art History major and is looking forward to being a part of the New Haven arts scene. A native of Madison, Connecticut, she'll be heading out to Scotland for all of the 2006-2007 school year.

LEGAL MATTERS

On June 14th, the Arts Council was happy to host another in our series of Artists Resource Center workshops, this one focused on Legal Affairs. Attorneys Joan Channick (just recently named managing director of the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven) and Marguerite Laurent led a large crowd in an informative discussion about the legal issues of which all artists ought to be aware. The workshop provided an excellent opportunity for members of the New Haven arts community to hear from and interact with two widely-respected industry professionals.

JUNE ARTSPOT! AT THE PEABODY A BIG SUCCESS!

June's ArtSpot was located at the Peabody Museum of Natural History on June 8th. Under the mammoth dinosaur skeletons, young professionals and artists gathered to eat, drink and explore the wonders of Machu Picchu! Food was provided by Anna's, Sidebar, Funki Munki, Brian Averna Catering, and Nica's. Music came courtesy of Brass, a Yale student band. More than a hundred people enjoyed our night at the museum; we hope to see you next month at the New Haven Free Public Library on July 13!

Photos by Judy Sirota Rosenthal