Artspace has new exhibition opening Feb. 7 in New Haven

 

Artspace will open the exhibition "Smart Painting",  curated by John O’Donnell, with an opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at 50 Orange St., according to a release.
The exhibit run through March 22 and there will be an artist talk at 6 p.m. March 7, with a reception starting at 5 p.m., the release said.

"Smart Painting" is "a show of paintings by artists who respond to the institution of contemporary abstraction.  These painting are sharp, quick, bright, amusing, elegant and are aware of their own limitations and forge on, in the familiar, but ambiguous territory of abstraction," the release said. "Confidently defining space through the use of line and structure these paintings challenge traditional notions of abstraction through rational constructions that challenge concepts of composition and depth."

"Smart Painting" artists are: Blake Shirley, Sharon Butler, Deborah Dancy, Zachary Keeting, Ben Piwowar, Jenn Dierdorf, Rob D. Campbell, Derek Leka, Clare Grill, Tatiana Berg.

John O'Donnell of Connecticut,  "is a multidisciplinary artist and has created performance pieces" for the Museum of New Art in Detroit, Proof Gallery in Boston, Flux Space in Philadelphia, and SOHO20 Gallery in New York City, the release said 

"Artspace's mission is to catalyze artistic activities; connect contemporary artists, audiences, and resources; and to enrich art experiences and activate art spaces. Artspace is a non-profit organization bringing communities together with emerging local and national artists," the release said.

Artspace is open from noon to 6 p,.m. Wednesdays & Thursday from 12-6pm, Fridays & Saturdays from 12-8pm.  The gallery is free and open to the public.

                          
Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed. Click one of the buttons below to share it. Image Credit: Blake Shirley      

New Haven celebrates creativity--and you can too--at Create On9 on Oct. 5

NEW HAVEN — Create On9 celebrates New Haven’s rich arts scene with a creative crawl through the historic Ninth Square on Friday, Oct. 5, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. On9, the first Friday open house, collaborates with Artspace and L.A.M.P. for an evening of innovative art, music and experiences.

The evening sounds off at Piazza On9 (created by closing Orange Street to vehicular traffic between Crown and Center Street) with Club Culture 360. The company will create and film a dance-party-like television show with a live audience, a DJ spinning Top 40 hits, dancers, and Aspen Powers hosting the event from 6 to 7 p.m. The production will be set up near the corner of Orange and Center streets.

Adae Fine Art will conduct free drawing and painting lessons from 5 to 7 p.m. on the piazza for anyone who wishes to create. Nine easels, drawing boards and art supply tables will be set up near Crown Street where participants will be challenged to render the storefronts on Orange Street. Instructor Kwadwo Adae will provide teaching assistance, but all are welcome to create whatever they wish. In the event of rain, participants are invited to the Adae Fine Art Academy at 817 Chapel St.

Also on the piazza, Plural Work/Shop, a Project Storefront initiative, has pouches available and provides stamps for kids and adults to print their own patterns on the pouches. The pouches are on sale for $20.

Elm City Market, 777 Chapel St., will host artist Daniela Balzano for a “Paint Away Hunger” event aimed at young families and children. Beginning at 3:30 p.m., a 30-foot community mural will be available for paint, pastels, craypaws, crayons and various mixed media creations. The event is free and all donations benefit FISH of Greater New Haven, a mobile food pantry serving children, elderly, and families with special needs.

Reynolds Fine Art, which celebrates its first anniversary at 96 Orange St., will present a two-person exhibition featuring the gallery debut of California native Mary Black, alongside new work by Robert Reynolds from 5 to 8 p.m. Painting exclusively in encaustic paint for over a decade, Black has mastered an often unruly medium and is available to speak about her encaustic process. Reynolds, the gallery owner and namesake, exhibits a new series of work derived from a collection of sketches made over the past 20 years.

Artspace, 50 Orange St., celebrates the 15th anniversary of City Wide Open Studios with an opening night party and crystal ball. Meet all the 250-plus artists and pick up the limited edition CWOS passport made by Dexterity Press while supplies last.

On display at The Lot, 812 Chapel St., is the new installation Playhouse/Beyond What Was. The Lot, a project of Artspace, is the 8,000-square-foot pocket park located between Chapel and Orange streets.

Art @ The Grove, 71 Orange St., will host an opening reception for David Ottenstein’s exhibit Almost Nowhere, which is also a City-Wide Open Studios event.

Yoga enthusiasts can get creative on the mat at Fresh Yoga, 49 Orange St., from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. This free yoga class with Heidi Sormaz begins with a brief warmup of the core and shoulders before working towards a pose to pose flow. About every five minutes during the class, a suggestion will be given and you will have the opportunity to create your own yoga pose and sequence! Find your own creative, organic flow as the room heats to 85 degrees. Capacity is limited to 40 students so be sure to arrive 10 minutes early!

Arpaia Lang, 806 Chapel St., will serve homemade cookies and, while supplies last, shoppers receive a free charm personalized with one initial.

green well Organic Tea & Coffee, 44 Crown St., presents “Essential Elements,” featuring natural stone jewelry creative designer Carolyn Foster, whose pieces are on display and for sale. Come adorn yourself with beautiful jewels while sipping a delicious latte and enjoying the creative stylings of musician Kyle Flynn. Companion business green well BEING, 38 Crown St., provides the opportunity to create a full day’s menu of delicious meals with mix and match healthy recipe cards created by Holistic Health Counselor Sarah Greenwell.

FITWEEK New Haven celebrates its weeklong event and the 10K Step Challenge sponsored by Fitbit offering a circular walking tour to take some steps around Ninth Square. Walkers meet at Elm City at 6 p.m.

The second annual L.A.M.P. (Light Artists Making Places) event projects throughout the Ninth Square of New Haven at 8 p.m., following Create On9 and Artspace’s opening celebration.
Come down to the Ninth Square and experience artists in action making a fun, bright night for people of all ages!

It's a science in New Haven. A Library Science

NEW HAVEN — New Haven Public Library is pleased to announce its participation in ArtSpace’s upcoming exhibition “Library Science.”
Curator Rachel Gugelberger has put together an exhibition featuring library-inspired works of 22 contemporary artists from across the nation in a wide range of formats, including drawing, photography, sculpture, installation, painting and web-based projects.
“Library Science” explores our physical, intellectual and personal relationships with the library, and how libraries are adapting to the digital world.“Library Science” seeks to encourage relationships between libraries and artists, connecting the creation of artwork with access to research assistance and information.
As part of the ArtSpace initiative, artist Heather Lawless has created a site and situation-specific project at the downtown branch of New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.