Juried "How Simple Can You Get?" show opens Friday at Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
How Simple Can You Get: Hillary Charnas, Rebecca Murtaugh
Mar. 7—Apr. 3, 2014.
Opening reception: Fri., Mar. 7, 5—7 p.m.

Press release from Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) presents new work by Hillary Charnas (Glastonbury, CT) and Rebecca Murtaugh (Brooklyn, NY), prizewinners of the 2013 juried exhibition How Simple Can You Get? Robert Storr, Professor of Painting and Dean of the School of Art at Yale University, served as juror. The Prizewinners show will be on view in CAW’s Hilles Gallery from Mar.7 to Apr. 3, 2014. An opening reception is scheduled for Fri., Mar. 7 from 5—7 pm. The public is invited to attend.

The juror’s intent for the exhibition from which he chose Charnas and Murtaugh, was to assemble a collection of artwork in which "complexity has been reduced to its most essential and visually arresting expression." Open to any visual media, the juried show ultimately included pieces that ranged from minimalist forms to intricate constructions.

Multimedia artist Hillary Charnas presents a selection of work from her series In A New Light, a collection of photographs that feature found objects reimagined and resurrected into two-dimensional abstract forms. It appears to the viewer that the artist has discovered and examined overlooked and neglected items that might once have occupied a place of belonging. By depicting the objects as specimens, Charnas has stripped away the ephemeral nature of familiarity, leaving the audience with images to decipher as they will.

Hillary Charnas: "Stanton Twins"

Rebecca Murtaugh will exhibit a collection of sculptures from her project entitled Alluring Repulsions. The three-dimensional abstract forms are created using a variety of materials and techniques that draw from both painting and sculpture. Murtaugh describes her interest "in alchemy and the history of objects and materials for their transformative potential… improvisation and intuition drive my actions along with a strong desire and consideration of beauty, form and color." Similar to themes in Charnas' work, Murtaugh gives discarded materials a new life. With titles like "Aequalis: Sunburst and Russian Violet" and "Stand: Regatta and Reflecting Pool," the artist’s non-representational sculptures offer particular references from which the viewer can engage on an aesthetic and intellectual level.

Rebecca Murtaugh: "Aperture: Rain and Cool Lava"

Concurrent with Prizewinners: Hillary Charnas | Rebecca Murtaugh, the Creative Works Gallery will feature two exhibitions. Detroit Dalliance is a collection of photographs by Bart Connors Szczarba, on display from Mar. 7 through 21. An opening reception will be held on Mar. 7 from 5 to 7 pm. Following will be an exhibition sponsored by Susan Foshauer, featuring the work of multiple artists working across a variety of mediums. This group show will be on display from Mar. 28 through Apr. 11. The opening reception will take place on Mar. 28 from 5—7 pm.

"Inside Out New Haven" opening reception Friday at Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Inside Out New Haven
Aug. 2—Sept. 2, 2013.
Opening reception: Fri., Aug. 2, 5—7 p.m.
Artists' Talk: Wed., Aug. 7, 5—7 p.m.

Press release from Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) presents the much anticipated installation Inside Out Inside, a continuation of the 2012 public art project initiated by a group of artists and community organizers seeking to unite the New Haven community. Originally displayed under two highway overpasses, the large scale portraits will be viewable from outside the CAW Hilles Gallery throughout the month. An opening reception will be held on Fri., Aug. 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. CAW will also host an artists talk on Wed., Aug. 7, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Inside Out New Haven is a spin-off of the global art project Inside Out launched by JR, a French artist and 2011 TED Prize winner. Prompted to present "a wish to save the world," during his acceptance speech the artist stated: "I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art project and together we’ll turn the world inside out."

In New Haven the purpose of the project was to help bridge the gap between disparate communities separated by barriers both physical and psychological. Photo shoots staged on the spot initiated conversations and interactions between citizens who might otherwise never have crossed paths. In a documentary short film by John Belanger, community organizer Ben Berkowitz gets at the heart and the purpose of the project: "the beauty in the project is not what it looks like but how it got there."

After instances of vandalism lead to the removal of the photographs, Creative Arts Workshop now serves as the latest venue for the collection, making the inspiring images again accessible to the New Haven community. The installation features photos by Ian Christmann, Jeffrey Kerekes, Al Muzzi, Kelly Jensen, Anthony DeCarlo, Miles Lasater and Chris Randall.

Even after instances of vandalism occurred, artists and volunteers repaired the photographs and they remained on display. The poster-size images were eventually removed six months later due to weather damage, at the request of the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

Creative Arts Workshop is a non-profit community art center devoted to fostering creativity through participation in and appreciation of the visual arts, serving the Greater New Haven area since 1961. Each year, CAW offers a wide range of classes in fully equipped studios to more than 2,000 adults and 1,000 young people, and more than 30,000 people visit exhibitions in CAW’s galleries. CAW is supported by its membership, tuition, donors, arts-related fundraising events and a dedicated group of volunteers. Additional funding comes from the Connecticut Office of the Arts.

Friday reception for printmaking show at Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Chad Erpelding & Megan Moore—Prizewinners of the 2012 National Juried Exhibition Boundless: New Works In Contemporary Printmaking
Apr. 1—22, 2013.
Opening reception: Fri., Apr. 5, 5—7 p.m.

Press release from Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) features new work by Chad Erpelding (Boise, ID) and Megan Moore (Chico, CA), prizewinners of the 2012 exhibition Boundless: New Works in Contemporary Printmaking, juried by Anne Coffin, founder and director of International Print Center New York. The exhibition will be on view in CAW’s Hilles Gallery from Apr. 1—22, 2013. An opening reception is scheduled for Fri., Apr. 5, from 5—7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

While the core techniques of printmaking are centuries old, this medium continues to evolve and offer artists a wealth of opportunities for imagination, innovation and experimentation. The jurying process for Boundless was highly selective, with nearly 400 entries submitted by over 125 artists. From the forty-five artists featured in the show, Erpelding and Moore were chosen for the depth of concept and strength of technique in their work, ideal examples of contemporary printmaking.

In this exhibition, Chad Erpelding presents a selection of work from his series Sister Cities, a project that explores the complexity of communication and connectivity in our increasingly globalized world. The artist collects information from maps and satellite images and places the visual material regarding one city in the form of the respective sister city. For instance, a satellite image of Villa Carlos Fonseca, Nicaragua is cut into the shape of Moscow, Idaho. These images are then stacked between thick layers of resin, emphasizing a separation of place that is countered by the overlap of information. Erpelding describes his work as an investigation of "the physical and mental spread of culture on a global scale through references to maps and charts. I am interested in the movement of people, business, and organizations, and the effect this has on contemporary perceptions of place."

Chad Erpelding: "Sister Cities: Port Townsend, Ichikawa"

Work in the exhibition by Megan Moore uses the technique of collage to re-examine and reconstruct images of plant material that has been visually distorted by the artist. Drawing on a small library of botanical images she has collected from various landscapes, Moore assembles micro images of plants into gorgeous abstract constructions that speak to the ephemeral nature of dreams and memory. She explains, "In some sense my process is an attempt to re- organize and contextualize the world while the conglomeration of images I use are the pieces of an unconscious narrative. In putting them together I seek to create an environment that is beautiful, richly layered and intricately woven."

Megan Moore: "Garland"

Concurrent with Prizewinners: Chad Erpelding | Megan Moore, photographs by Bart Connors Szczarba will be exhibited in the Creative Works Gallery. Box Shots! features photographs from Box 4A at the New Haven Open, capturing an instant in time when form and athletic elegance intersect.

Schiffer retrospective and Powers show open Sunday at Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Deirdre Schiffer: A Retrospective
Dorothy Powers: The women
Jan. 20—Feb. 8, 2013.
Opening reception: Sun., Jan. 20, 2—5 p.m.

Press release from Creative Arts Workshop

The first show of 2013 to open at Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) will be a joint exhibition of work by Deirdre Schiffer and Dorothy Powers. The exhibition will be on view in the Hilles Gallery at CAW from Jan. 20 to Feb. 8, 2013. An opening reception is scheduled for Sun., Jan. 20, from 2—5 p.m. and the public is invited to attend.

The first floor of Hilles Gallery features a collection of work by Deirdre Schiffer. This retrospective exhibtion encompasses a selection of paintings, drawings and works on paper that highlight her extensive artistic career up until the end of her life in 2011. Known for her understanding and use of light in painting, and often working from life, Schiffer’s portraits pursue an exploration of “a deep interest in the power of being, the ineffable sense of presence we experience in our everyday lives.” Free of intricate detail, a neutral palette and subtle brush strokes allow the emotional depth her paintings to resonate.

painting by Deirdre Schiffer

In 2006, Deirdre Schiffer was selected by the Aldrich Museum to exhibit her work as one of ten noteworthy artists from Connecticut and New York. A graduate of Cooper Union School of Art, Schiffer was awarded fellowships at the Vermont Studio Center and the Women’s Studio Workshop. Her work has also been exhibited at the Silvermine Arts Center, the Maryland Federation of Art, City Gallery in New Haven, CT and previously at Creative Arts Workshop.


Dorothy Powers is a Connecticut-based artist whose work addresses contemporary and sociopolitical concerns surrounding the human rights of women and girls, both within the culture of the United States and globally. The Women is a recent project of works that depict “burka clad figures as symbol or metaphor images for the gender inequality that I try to convey in this series.” Working with a variety of mediums—including painting, drawing, mixed media and digital imaging—Powers approaches gender issues from both an artistic and personal perspective.

Artwork by Dorothy Powers

Dorothy Powers is also part of the CAW community, as a former student and current faculty member. She has taught locally at Sacred Heart University and Albertus Magnus College as well. Her work is included in many private and corporate collections and has been reviewed by The New York Times, Art New England and the Connecticut Journal of Medicine. Fellowships and awards include the Pollock-Krasner Artists Fellowship, the Connecticut Commission Artists Fellowship and the Weir Farm Visiting Prize.

Jason Noushin installation opening reception Friday at Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Jason Noushin: UN{Common) Sense
Aug. 3—31, 2012.
Opening reception: Fri., Aug. 3, 5—6:30 p.m.

Press release from Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) presents an installation by New Haven-based artist Jason Noushin, titled UN(Common) Sense, from Aug. 3—31, 2012. The installation is viewable from outside the CAW Hilles Gallery throughout the month. An opening reception will be held on Fri., Aug. 3, from 5—6:30 p.m.

Jason Noushin’s current work explores the power, influence and impact of money in zones of conflict, specifically the Bosnian War. The site-specific installation UN(Common) Sense is a visually rich re-creation of the Bosnian conflict, as viewed through the intimacy of a gallery window. Comprised of drawings and sculptures constructed entirely of now-worthless Bosnian and Yugoslavian paper currency, the installation includes a map of the region made with nearly 900 bills; a table and chair; briefcases filled with cash and a bicycle leaning against a wall, poised for flight.

Says Noushin, “We are told from an early age that money is the root of all evil; all immorality and wickedness can be traced back to money.” By combining the powerful symbolism of money with the horrors of war, this installation investigates the way a common currency—generally seen as a symbol of a united nation—takes on new significance in the minds of both criminal and victim during times of political, civil and economic unrest.

Creative Arts Workshop is a non-profit community art center devoted to fostering creativity through participation in and appreciation of the visual arts, serving the Greater New Haven area since 1961. Each year, CAW offers a wide range of classes in fully equipped studios to more than 2,000 adults and 1,000 young people, and more than 30,000 people visit exhibitions in CAW’s galleries. CAW is supported by its membership, tuition, donors, arts-related fundraising events and a dedicated group of volunteers. Additional funding comes from the Connecticut Office of the Arts.

Photo show opens Friday at Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Seeing Seeing: Capturing a Moment
May 20—June 24, 2011.
Opening reception: Fri., May 20, 5:30—7:30 p.m.
Gallery talk: Wed., June 1, 12:30 p.m.

Press release

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) presents Seeing Seeing: Capturing a Moment, a national photography exhibition that focuses on how artists see and capture the world around them. Juried by renowned science photographer Felice Frankel, Seeing Seeing features 48 artists from across the United States.

The exhibition is on view in the Workshop’s two-story Hilles Gallery from May 20 to June 24. An opening reception will be held on Fri., May 20 from 5:30—7:30 pm. In conjunction with the exhibition, a gallery talk with participating artist and CAW Photography Department Head Harold Shapiro is scheduled for Wednesday, June 1, at 12:30 p.m. The exhibition, opening and gallery talk are all free and open to the public.

The jurying process for Seeing Seeing was highly selective, with nearly 350 entries submitted by well over 100 artists. Ms. Frankel selected a wide range of images for the exhibition, emphasizing photographs that offer unique points of view. “With the proliferation of cameras of all sorts, it’s no wonder everyone sees themselves as a photographer of one form or another,” explained Ms. Frankel. “But how many of those images introduce a new way of seeing something, perhaps even something familiar?”

Creative Arts Workshop holds a juried exhibition each year to showcase the work of both emerging and established artists from around the world, reinforcing its mission of fostering creativity through participation in and appreciation of the visual arts.

The participating photographers are:
Mary Abraham (New Haven, CT), Stephanie Anestis (Hamden, CT), Marcia Babler (Libertyville, IL), Ioana Barac (Meriden, CT), Susan Bender (Branford, CT), Mike Callaghan (San Francisco, CA), Susie Cappezzone (Guilford, CT), Donald Carlson (Deep River, CT), Lauren Casselberry (Ocean Grove, NJ), Isabel Chenoweth (Hamden, CT), Van Chu (Salt Lake City, UT), Pinque Clark (Boulder, CO), Jeremy Coleman (New York, NY), Julian Davie (Hamden, CT), Dwayne Ellis (North Haven, CT), William Frucht (Danbury, CT), Justin Ginsberg (Dallas, TX), Suzanne Grella (Milford, CT), Jackie Heitchue (Madison, CT),Sharon Hirsch (New Haven, CT), Dan Hittleman (Melville, NY), Lesley Holford (Branford, CT), Clara James (Ashfield, MA), Madison Marie Johnston (San Diego, CA), Steven Lindner (Woodbridge, CT), Jim Lustenader (Bonita Springs, FL), Mica McCann (New York, NY), Bob McDermott (Wallingford, CT), Roslyn Meyer (Guilford, CT), Art Murphy (Catskill, NY), Tony Murray (Cobleskill, NY), Sean O’Brien (Milford, CT), Martha Penella (New Hartford, CT), Penny Perkins (Delmar, NY), Tom Peterson (Hamden, CT), Jan Portwood (Lititz, PA),Christopher Randall (Bridgehampton, NY), Jerry Reed (Essex, CT), Eric Rennie (Cromwell, CT), Lawrence Russ (Southport, CT), Dawn Sanford (Durham, CT), Peter Schwartz (Hamden, CT), Michael Seif (Watertown, MA), Harold Shapiro (Guilford, CT), Alan Shulik (Guilford, CT), Pam Willmer (New Milford, CT), Marjorie Wolfe (Cheshire, CT), Stefan Znosko (West Haven, CT).

Creative Arts Workshop is a non-profit community art center devoted to fostering creativity through participation in and appreciation of the visual arts, serving the Greater New Haven area since 1961. Each year, CAW offers a wide range of classes in fully equipped studios to more than 2,000 adults and 1,000 young people, and more than 30,000 people visit exhibitions in CAW’s galleries. CAW is supported by its membership, tuition, donors, arts-related fundraising events and a dedicated group of volunteers. Additional funding comes from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.

(Top image: "Arctic Sun" by Roslyn Meyer. Bottom image: "Arch, Jerusalem" by Harold Shapiro.)

42nd Annual Celebration of American Crafts starts this Saturday at Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
42nd Annual Celebration of American Crafts
Oct. 30—Dec. 24, 2009
Special reception: Connecticut Artists’ Night: Thurs., Nov. 18, 5—8 p.m.

Press release

Now in its 42nd year, the Celebration of American Crafts at Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) presents an extraordinary range of fine contemporary crafts by more than 300 artists from across the country. The two-story CAW Hilles Gallery is transformed into a one-of-a-kind holiday shopping destination offering an array of items, including ceramics, decorative and wearable fiber, jewelry, furnishings, blown glass, handmade toys and more. On view between October 30 and Dec. 24, the exhibition and sale features handcrafted pieces to entice every taste and budget—from the discerning collector to the weekend shopper searching for a unique gift. Displays change daily as new items are introduced. A special reception, Connecticut Artists Night, is scheduled for Thurs., Nov. 18 from 5 to 8 p.m; screenings of the PBS series Craft in America are scheduled for Wednesday afternoons, Nov. 10 and 17 and Dec. 1, 8 and 15, at 12:30 p.m.

"As we celebrate our fiftieth anniversary in 2010, the Celebration of American Crafts is more meaningful than ever as a signature event and fundraiser for Creative Arts Workshop," says Susan Smith, Executive Director. The Celebration began in 1968 as a one-day craft sale that netted $1,000 for the Workshop. Today, the exhibition and sale runs for eight weeks, draws more than 10,000 visitors, and provides major support for CAW's programs. As the largest fundraiser for the non-profit visual art center, all proceeds benefit the Workshop's community programming, including outreach programs, scholarships, and other community-based activities not covered by tuition fees.

The Celebration is made possible by a dedicated group of volunteers who devote an enormous amount of time, care, and creativity to the selection, organization, and display of the thousands of items featured in the sale. The Celebration Selection Committee works year round to discover fresh new talent to showcase—from classic to whimsical to cutting-edge.

• SPECIAL EVENTS

Connecticut Artists Night will be held on Thurs., Nov. 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. "We are hosting this special reception to honor our state's outstanding craft artists who have made this show what it is," notes Smith. The reception will showcase the work of Connecticut artisans, offering visitors the opportunity to meet the artists as they shop.

Screenings of the television series Craft in America will take place on Wednesday afternoons at 12:30 p.m., November 10 and 17 and December 1, 8 and 15. In this Peabody Award-winning documentary, dozens of craft artists reveal what makes their work—and their lives—unique.

• CERAMICS

The Celebration highlights the incredible diversity of contemporary ceramics - hand-built to wheel-thrown, porcelain to stoneware. Delores Fortuna (Galena, IL) works in porcelain, using basic, wheel-thrown forms as her starting point. She then manipulates the clay by hand, shaping it like fabric into one-of-a-kind vessels. Showing at the Celebration for the first time, Paul Eshelman (Elizabeth, IL) creates functional pieces inspired by Japanese and Chinese crafts, European design and the simple, utilitarian objects produced by American Shakers. He works in red stoneware and contrasts glazed and unglazed surfaces to add visual and tactile interest. Also new to this year's sale, Paula Shalan (Stockbridge, MA) hand builds forms from white earthenware clay using a combination of pinch, coil, and slab techniques. The surface of each piece juxtaposes hand-impressed textures with smooth, polished areas.

• FIBER

Fiber enthusiasts will be wowed by the stunning collection of wearable and decorative items at the Celebration. This year s show features the hand painted silk and velvet jackets of Gloria Lewis (Chatsworth, CA). Says Lewis, "I love the creative development of taking a piece of white silk or velvet, seeing it evolve and finally transform into a beautiful piece of wearable art." Another new artist, handweaver Rebecca Noble-Morales (Pittsburgh, PA) employs jacquard techniques to weave stunning cloth in an array of colors and textures. The material is further embellished by stamping and then pieced and sewn into tailored jackets and fluid wraps.

• WOOD

Each year, the Celebration presents hand-turned objects and hand-built wood furnishings that showcase the skill and artistry of the craft. Tom Raymond (Damariscotta, ME) has been turning wood for more than 50 years. Using contrasting wood grains and colors in segmented, geometric designs, Raymond forms functional bowls that are also true works of art. Woodworker Rich Dowin (Durham, CT) began making furniture as a hobby while working in an electron microscopy research lab. Now a full-time furniture maker, Dowin uses traditional, hand cut construction methods to craft elegant pieces inspired by Shaker and Arts and Crafts styles.

• GLASS

The glass artists featured in the Celebration explore the expressive forms and jewel-like colors of glass. One of this year's new artists, Jane Uzwiak (New Milford, CT) was initially drawn to fused glass by its endless color palette. Using transparent, opalescent and iridescent shades, she crafts vibrant plates, bowls and art pieces. Loretta Eby and Jeff Jackson of Loretta Eby Hot Glass (Watkinsville, GA) focus on mouth-blown glass techniques. They collaborate to create ornaments and vases with stunning swirls and spots of pure, deep color.

• JEWELRY

The Celebration is proud to present a stunning collection of finely crafted jewelry, ranging from high-end pieces to everyday wear. Sarah Katerina Suloff (Mill Valley, CA) works in gold, silver and precious stones to create narrative pieces inspired by the places she has visited throughout her life. By contrast, Armando Suarez (Onancock, VA) works with authentic horseshoe nails to craft unique earrings, pendants and necklaces. Each steel nail is hand tooled and then combined with recycled glass, handmade ceramics and pearls into contemporary pieces of jewelry. The jewelry of Andrea Janosik (Brooklyn, NY) explores interactions between very different materials—how leather lines rubber, how rubber protrudes from openings in silver, how wire and pearls can squeeze soft leather. "My work unifies opposites: soft materials and hard, smooth surfaces and rough, literal shapes and abstract," she says. Mindy Jackson-Jefferys of Stray Cat (Brookfield, VT) designs pieces in polymer clay that are inspired by the natural beauty of leaves, wood, animal skins and stones. Jackson-Jefferys describes working with the clay as sculpting with paint—the vibrant colors in her necklaces come entirely from blending shades of clay. For those preferring a more minimal style, Katherine Rudolph (Nashua, NH) crafts necklaces, earrings, brooches and cufflinks in simple shapes inspired by modernist design. Working mainly in precious metals, she unites geometric forms into larger compositions that are lightweight yet have a distinct presence.

• WHIMSICAL WONDERS

Whimsical toys, quirky sculptures and fanciful cards add to the overall air of fun and festivity during the Celebration. New to this year's sale are the remarkable mahogany puzzles of Jay Hollis of Bogarts Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles (Wayland, MA). Influenced by the early jigsaw puzzle makers of the Great Depression, Hollis strives to create the finest and most imaginative puzzles available anywhere today. Hand cut with a scroll saw, each puzzle contains several pieces cut in the shape of whimsical figures, including one signature piece—a silhouette of Bogart, the Portuguese Water Dog for whom the company is named. Sally Prangley (Bainbridge Island, WA) returns to the Celebration with her spectacular wire baskets. Incorporating wire, found objects and beads, Prangley compares constructing her ornamental baskets to "drawing elegant, three-dimensional pictures in air." Mixed-media artist Aileen Ishmael (New Haven, CT) presents a series three-dimensional figures and collages. Says Ishmael, "I love creating pieces that are drenched in colors and textures. I also like to throw in a dash of whimsy—it's important not to take ourselves too seriously!" Always a customer favorite, Janet Brodie (New Haven, CT) is back with her delightful paper cards and dolls. Collaged from a variety of papers and embellished with rubber stamps, these original and amusing pieces add the perfect finishing touch to a special gift.

• LOCAL ARTISTS WITH TIES TO CREATIVE ARTS WORKSHOP

Each year the Celebration is proud to feature work by local and regional artists, including many with ties to CAW. CAW Board member and renowned potter Hayne Bayless (Ivoryton, CT) collaborates with CAW Printmaking faculty member Liz Pagano (New Haven, CT) on an exceptional series of lamps. This collaboration, dubbed "Sideways & Askew," explores what happens when paper and clay collide. Each lamp is constructed with a ceramic base by Bayless and a shade by Pagano that incorporates papers, monotype and collage. Bayless' nationally recognized stoneware and porcelain, hand-built using slab techniques and extruded elements, are also featured in the Celebration. Jewelry instructor Connie Pfeiffer (Chester, CT) presents hand-hammered silver rings, bracelets and earrings. Her highly textural forms create an ambiguity of material, transforming metal or paper into peeled tree bark, skin, roots, and bones. Pottery Department Head Stephen Rodriguez's (New Haven, CT) hand-thrown stoneware and porcelain reveals a connection to nature and history. His vessels fuse his deep knowledge of contemporary ceramics and love of ancient Japanese and Chinese pottery. Pottery faculty member Anita Griffith (Madison, CT) creates brightly colored items with clever functions for daily use in the home or office. She uses a combination of wheel-thrown, coiled and slip cast parts, with hand-building and appliqué to add surface interest to the forms. Her signature face pieces stem from "the keen impression a human face leaves on the mind, the memory." Also on display will be handwoven pieces by Weaving instructor Lucienne Coifman (North Haven, CT), small watercolor paintings and monotypes by Painting instructor Judy Atlas (Orange, CT), and metal work by Sculpture Department Head and CAW founding member Ann P. Lehman (Bethany, CT).

Faculty show opens Friday at Creative Arts Workshop in New Haven

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
CAW Faculty Show
Sept. 17—Oct. 8, 2010
Opening reception: Fri., Sept. 17, 7—9 p.m.

Press release

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) presents new work by its faculty of professional artists in the CAW Faculty Show from Sept. 15 to Oct. 8, 2010. The exhibition features a diverse selection of work including oil, acrylic, watercolor, collage, metals, fiber, photography, pottery, printmaking, sculpture and more with styles ranging from representational to abstract. An opening reception will be held on Fri., Sept. 17 from 5—7 p.m.

CAW faculty members include:

Judy Atlas (Orange, CT)
Paula Billups (Middletown, CT)
Michael Bradford (Orange, CT)
Alexis Brown (New Haven, CT)
Diana Brownell (New Haven, CT)
Helen Byler (West Haven, CT)
Judie Cavanaugh (Branford, CT)
Phillip Chambers (Seymour, CT)
Robert Church (Guilford, CT)
Susan Clinard (New Haven, CT)
Lucienne Coifman (North Haven, CT)
Linda Colman (New Haven, CT)
Luiz Cordeiro (Stamford, CT)
Peter Craig (Milford, CT)
Phyllis Crowley (New Haven, CT)
Jennifer Davies (Branford, CT)
Steven DiGiovanni (New Haven, CT)


Catherine Duffield (Guilford, CT)
Eileen Eder (Guilford, CT)
Nancy Eisenfeld (North Haven, CT)
Christopher Engstrom (New Haven, CT)
Roxanne Faber Savage (Fairfield, CT)
Joan Fitzsimmons (Shelton, CT)
Maura Galante (New Haven, CT)
Martha German (Woodbridge, CT)
Anita Griffith (Madison, CT)
Jane Gross (Hamden, CT)
Barbara Harder (New Haven, CT)
Violet Harlow (New Haven, CT)
Louise Harter (Bethany, CT)
Flo Hatcher (New Milford, CT)
Benjamin Hecht (New Haven, CT)
Lisa Hess-Hesselgrave (Stony Creek, CT)
Chris Highsmith (New Haven, CT)
Tung Hoang (East Haven, CT)
Charles Jones (New Haven, CT)
Jilaine Jones (New Haven, CT)
Naomi Kantrow (New Haven, CT)
Kelley Kapp (Guilford, CT)
Nancy Karpel (New Haven, CT)
Candace Klein (Hamden, CT)
Lily Kok-Forbush (Hamden, CT)
Jamie Kriksciun (Milford, CT)
Ann P. Lehman (Bethany, CT)
Catherine Lendler (Wallingford, CT)
Phil Levine (Stratford, CT)
Ann Lindbeck (Hamden, CT)
Willard Lustenader (Wallingford, CT)
Vanilia Majoros (New Haven, CT)


Corinne McManemin (Guilford, CT)
Ihrie Means (Brooklyn, NY)
Fethi Meghelli (New Haven, CT)
David Millen (North Haven, CT)
Meredith Miller (New Haven, CT)
Gisela Noack (North Branford, CT)
Ilene Omerso (Hamden, CT)
Liz Pagano (New Haven, CT)
Robert Parrott (Madison, CT)
Debi Pendell (North Adams, MA)
Connie Pfeiffer (Old Lyme, CT)
Dorothy Powers (Branford, CT)
Tina Re (Hamden, CT)
Rob Rocke (New Haven, CT)
Stephen Rodriguez (New Haven, CT)
Julia Rogoff (Bronx, NY)
Paulette Rosen (Hamden, CT)
Karen Rossi (Meriden, CT)
Jan Sacco (West Haven, CT)
Ruth Sack (Cheshire, CT)
Martha Savage (New Haven, CT)
Anna Scarff (East Haven, CT)
Eva Scopino (New Haven, CT)
Harold Shapiro (Guilford, CT)


Nellie Shevelkina (New Haven, CT)
K. Levni Sinanoglu (New Haven, CT)
Rebecca Strom (New Haven, CT)
Jeannie Thomma (Larchmont, NY)
Jennifer Van Elswyk (New Haven, CT)
Chris Volpe (New Haven, CT)
Kris Wetmore (Hamden, CT)
Karen Wheeler (New Haven, CT)

Opening reception for installation at Creative Arts Workshop this Friday evening

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Melanie Rose Peterson: Osculum
Aug. 6—31, 2010
Opening reception: Fri., Aug. 6, 5—7 p.m.

Press release

Creative Arts Workshop presents an installation by Boston-based artist Melanie Rose Peterson, titled Osculum, from Aug. 6—31, 2010. The installation is viewable from outside the CAW Hilles Gallery. An opening reception will be held on Friday, August 6, from 5—7 p.m.

Melanie Rose Peterson strives to create engaging spaces that break down the physical barrier between viewer and art. Her recent work explores biological and cellular forms -- particularly the forms of the human body - magnified to extreme scales. "I have always been fascinated by biological formations, from the patterns that develop on a cellular level to the shapes found in larger organisms," she says.

The site-specific installation Osculum employs plastic stretch wrap, inflatables, styrofoam peanuts and foam balls to create a monumental, mouth-like form inside the gallery, extending from the second floor balcony to the ground level windows. With these synthetic materials, Peterson evokes with startling accuracy the textures and colors of the human mouth's membranes and tongue. Says Peterson, "My goal is to transform the gallery into a place of exploration and reflection, one that transports the viewer into an imaginative state."

Melanie Rose Peterson (Boston, MA) is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. She is currently the manager of the Public Art/Sculpture Studio at Janet Echelman, Inc. in Brookline, Massachusetts. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions, including Creative Arts Workshop's juried exhibition Sky's the Limit, in which she was a Merit Recognition honoree. She is also an accomplished ice carver and has been awarded the coveted Golden Chainsaw in Boston's annual Chisels & Chainsaws Ice Carving Competition.

Friday evening opening of book arts show at Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Inventive Structures: Books Beyond the Codex
May 14—June 25, 2010
Opening reception: Fri., May 14, 5:30—7:30 p.m.
Artist Talk: Fri., Jun. 4, 5:30—6:30 p.m.

Press release

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) presents Inventive Structures: Books Beyond the Codex, an international book arts exhibition. The show focuses on the remarkable diversity of book constructions, exploring innovative alternatives to the familiar codex binding, in which a book's pages are attached to a single, central spine. Juried by renowned book artist and conservator Hedi Kyle, Inventive Structures features sixty-five artists from across the United States, as well as from Europe, Asia and Australia.

The exhibition is on view in the Workshop's two-story Hilles Gallery from May 14—Jun. 25. An opening reception will be held on Fri., May 14 from 5:30—7:30 pm. In conjunction with the exhibition, a gallery talk with participating artists Emily Martin and Paulette Rosen is scheduled for Fri., Jun. 4, from 5:30—6:30 pm. The exhibition, opening and gallery talk are all free and open to the public.

The jurying process for Inventive Structures was highly selective, with nearly 200 entries submitted by more than 100 artists. Ms. Kyle selected a wide range of forms, techniques and content for the exhibition to show many interpretations of the book as it is not generally known. "Even if the codex is a unique wonder of ingenuity, [I looked] for creative thinking, imagination and research to propel the book into new realms," explained Ms. Kyle.

Creative Arts Workshop holds a juried exhibition each year to showcase the work of both emerging and established artists from around the world, reinforcing its mission of fostering creativity through participation in and appreciation of the visual arts.

SPECIAL EVENTS RELATED TO THE EXHIBITION

In conjunction with the exhibition, CAW is hosting several special events. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, May 14, from 5:30-7:30 pm. A gallery talk, with participating artists Emily Martin (Iowa City, IA) and Paulette Rosen (Hamden, CT), will be held on Fri., Jun. 4, from 5:30—6:30 pm. Visiting artist Emily Martin will also teach a two-day workshop, "Magic Books, or Now You See It, Now You Don't," on June 5 and 6. (Please note that there is a registration fee for the Magic Books workshop. To register, please call (203) 562-4927.)

LOCAL ARTISTS WITH TIES TO CREATIVE ARTS WORKSHOP

CAW is pleased to note that participating artists Paulette Rosen and Nancy Eisenfeld are CAW faculty members, and Sandra Rhodes is a Studio Binder. Ann Langdon is Vice President of the Board of Directors. Elise Wiener is a former faculty member, and Joseph Saccio is former board member of the Workshop.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Alice Austin (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Pat Badt (Orefield, Pennsylvania)
Sara Bowen (Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia)
J. Penney Burton (Columbia, Missouri)
Peter Bushell (Mahomet, Illinois)
Mary-Ellen Campbell (Sparrow Bush, New York)
Jessi Cerutti (St. Louis, Missouri)
Julie Chen (Berkeley, California)
Laurie Corral (Asheville, North Carolina)
Katherine Crone (New York, New York)
Heather Crossley (Stretton Heights, Queensland, Australia)
Curt Dornberg and Isobel Lynne Carnes (Tucson, Arizona)
Nancy Eisenfeld (North Haven, Connecticut)
Bridget Elmer (Tallahassee, Florida)
Joshua Falconer (Ventura, California)
Alisa Fox (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Ania Gilmore (Lexington, Massachusetts)
Donna Globus (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Karen Hanmer (Glenview, Illinois, see image at bottom)
K. Nelson Harper (Fort Smith, Arkansas)
Nicci Haynes (O'Connor, Australia)
Barbara Henry and Barbara Mauriello (Jersey City, New Jersey)
In Young Hong (An-yang City, Kyoung-ki-do, South Korea)
Heather Hunter (Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, England)
Andrew Huot (Normal, Illinois)
Amy Jackson (Winchester, Virginia)
Paul Johnson (Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, England)
Peggy Johnston (Des Moines, Iowa)
Kumi Korf (Ithaca, New York)
Karen Kunc (Avoca, Nebraska)
Marianne Laimer (Romakloster, Sweden)
Ann Langdon (New Haven, Connecticut)
Roberta Lavadour (Pendleton, Oregon)
Gay Leonhardt (Willow, New York)
Erika Mahr (Astoria, New York)
Emily Martin (Iowa City, Iowa)
Pat Martin (Bethany, Connecticut)
Hanne Matthiesen (Malling, Denmark)
Anna Mavromatis (Houston, Texas)
Elizabeth McKee (Pasadena, Maryland)
Pamela Moore (Brooklyn, New York)
Melanie Mowinski (Cheshire, Massachusetts)
Janis Nedela (North Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia)
Kelly O'Brien (Alexandria, Virginia)
Sue O'Donnell (Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania)
Jan Owen (Belfast, Maine)
An Pham (Athens, Georgia)
Amy Pirkle (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
Ben Reynaert (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Sandra Rhodes (New Haven, Connecticut)
Paulette Rosen (Hamden, Connecticut)
Laura Russell (Portland, Oregon)
Regula Russelle (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Joseph Saccio (North Haven, Connecticut, see image at top)
Wilber Schilling (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Susan Share (Anchorage, Alaska)
Carolyn Shattuck (Rutland, Vermont)
C.B. Sherlock (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Jana Sim (Chicago, Illinois)
Erin Sweeney (Peterborough, New Hampshire)
S.C. Thayer (White Rock, New Mexico)
Susan Viguers (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Laura Wait (Steamboat Springs, Colorado)
Elise Wiener (Port Chester, New York)
Thomas Parker Williams (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

ABOUT THE JUROR

Hedi Kyle graduated from the Werk-Kunst Schule in Weisbaden, Germany and, after a brief career as a graphic designer, turned to book arts and book conservation. She recently retired as Head Conservator from the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. She continues to instruct students in the field of book arts at the University of the Arts Graduate Program in Book Arts and Printmaking, also in Philadelphia.

Over the past 30 years, she has taught numerous workshops in the US, Canada, and Europe. Her one-of-a-kind book constructions are exhibited internationally and are in numerous collections.

Hedi Kyle has had one person shows at the Center for Book Arts in NYC, the Minnesota Center for the Book and the James Michener Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She is an honorary member of the Guild of Book Workers and a co-founder of Paper & Book Intensive (PBI).

Department Show opens at CAW on Sunday

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery 80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Department Show I
Feb. 24—Mar. 17, 2010
Opening reception: Sun., Feb. 28, 2—5 p.m.

Press release

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW), New Haven's community art school, presents its first ever series of Department Shows, featuring new work by CAW faculty and students displayed side by side. The first show, featuring Book Arts, Drawing and Painting, Jewelry, Pottery and Printmaking, runs Feb. 24 to Mar. 17 with an opening reception and Annual Open House on Sun., Feb. 28, from 2—5 pm. The second show, featuring Design, Drawing and Painting, Fiber, Photography and Sculpture, runs Mar. 26 to Apr. 16 with an opening reception on Fri., Mar. 26, from 5—7 pm. Work from the Young People's department is on view throughout both shows.

By representing the work of the professional artists who teach at CAW as well as that of students of all ages and experience levels, the Department Shows present a complete picture of the creativity that takes place at Creative Arts Workshop. All aspects of creating art are evident—from the exploration of materials by young people to the skillful application of technique by those who have practiced for years. The Department Shows also serve as inspiration for visitors to explore their own creative sides through art making at the Workshop.

CAW offers over 300 classes and workshops each year; areas of study include book arts, design, drawing, fiber, jewelry, painting, photography, pottery, printmaking, sculpture, and a young people's program. During the opening reception of the first Department Show on Sun., Feb. 28, from 2—5 pm, Creative Arts Workshop also hosts its Annual Open House. Visitors are invited to tour CAW's studio facilities, to take part in hands on demonstrations, to meet the faculty and even to register for Spring Session, which runs from Mar. 15 to June 5.

Creative Arts Workshop is a non-profit community art center devoted to fostering creativity through participation in and appreciation of the visual arts, serving the Greater New Haven area since 1961. Each year, CAW offers a wide range of classes in fully equipped studios to more than 2,000 adults and 1,000 young people, and more than 30,000 people visit exhibitions in CAW's galleries. CAW is supported by its membership, tuition, donors, arts-related fundraising events and a dedicated group of volunteers. Additional funding comes from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.

Friday opening at Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Sky's the Limit
Jan. 22-Feb. 12, 2010
Opening reception: Fri. Jan. 22, 5-7 p.m.

Press release

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) features new work by the prizewinner of the 2009 exhibition Sky's the Limit, juried by Janet Echelman, internationally recognized artist specializing in public art installations and sculpture. Recent work by Jennifer Kaufman (San Francisco, CA) will be on view in the first floor of the CAW Hilles Gallery from Jan. 22 to Feb. 12, 2010, with an opening reception on Fri., Jan. 22 from 5—7 pm. The public is invited to attend; admission to the gallery is free.

This show further explores the visual objectives of Sky's the Limit, which emphasized "the ability of a work to communicate an idea experientially to the viewer," according to Ms. Echelman. Ms. Echelman selected Kaufman from the 21 artists who were included in Sky's the Limit in 2009. More than one hundred artists from across the country submitted over two hundred entries for the show.

The work of Jennifer Kaufman is an exploration of line and mark-making. "With no site of origin or origin in time, a line continues forever," says Kaufman. "The middle of a room, a wall, or a piece of sturdy paper provide me with a good place to encounter a line, engage its impulse towards fragmentation, self-revision and continuity." For this exhibition, she will present a process-based piece that moves between works on paper and site-specific installation, using simple materials including tape, graphite and ink.

The exhibition will also feature installations by two Merit Recognition honorees from Sky's the Limit. Melanie Rose Peterson will transform CAW's elevator from a simple vehicle into an all-encompassing, imaginative experience. Using biodegradable packing peanuts and plastic wrap, she will apply a textured surface to the elevator walls, allowing the viewer to be entirely surrounded by the work for the brief duration of a trip between floors. Rachel Newsam and Vaclav Sipla will present Loom, an installation of wave-like forms mounted on the walls of the second floor of the Hilles Gallery. Inspired by the over-and-under motion of a weaving loom, the undulating forms will transform the space into a soft, biomorphic room, altering the journey the viewer takes through it.

"Cultural Passages" opens Sunday at Creative Arts Workshop in New Haven

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Cultural Passages: What's Art Got To Do With It?
Sept. 13—Oct. 9, 2009
Opening reception: Sun., Sept. 13, 1—4 p.m.

Press release

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) is pleased to announce its third biennial exhibition, Cultural Passages, this year entitled What's Art Got To Do With It?, which runs September 13 to October 9, 2009. Featuring fifty-seven artists from throughout Connecticut, this year's exhibition communicates the many ways that we define our culture today, revealing who people are, what they do, and how they respond to the world. An opening day celebration will take place on Sunday, Sept. 13, from 1—4 p.m. In coordination with the exhibition, a screening of the documentary The Billboard from Bethlehem is scheduled for Thurs., Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. as well as several I Break for Art! artist talks on Wednesdays at 12 p.m. on Sept. 23 and 30, and Oct. 7. The exhibition and coordinated events are free and open to the public.

In its third run, this year's Cultural Passages exhibition expanded to include artists from across Connecticut who were asked to explore the meaning of culture. The result is fifty-seven artists who use their work to tackle issues of identity, sense of place and locality, ethnic heritage, social and economic circumstances, familial histories and personal struggles, and responses to the tumultuous politics of our time. Seen as a whole, Cultural Passages: What's Art Got To Do With It? represents a complex and vibrant collection of individual viewpoints that work collectively to communicate across cultural barriers.

Artwork for the exhibition was chosen by a Selection Committee composed of local community art advocates Colleen Coleman, Joyce Greenfield, and Benjamin Ortiz. Beginning in March 2009, artists throughout the state were invited to submit work for consideration. In making their selections, the committee also considered a written statement discussing the theme with the artist's work, which will be displayed during the exhibition. Joyce Greenfield, artist and CAW Board member, commented, "The most striking thing to me about viewing the entries for Cultural Passages was how infinite the possibilities are to express ones cultural life experiences through art and how broad the definitions of 'culture' are. Ones culture and geography cannot be separated from who we are and how we view the world. It is wonderful to have this opportunity to explore these influences and experiences."

Cultural Passages: What's Art Got To Do With It? is part of the Workshop's efforts to connect the community art school with artists from New Haven and its neighboring communities. Creative Arts Workshop is committed to future exhibitions and ongoing programming designed to continue building and strengthening connections within the community.

Creative Arts Workshop Biennial Faculty Show opens Friday evening

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Faculty Show
May 29—June 26, 2009
Opening reception: Fri., May 29, 5—7 p.m.

Press release

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) presents new work of its faculty in the biennial CAW Faculty Show from May 29 to June 26, 2009. The exhibition features the over fifty professional artists that make up the CAW faculty with a diverse selection of work including oil, acrylic, watercolor, collage, metals, fiber, photography, pottery, printmaking, sculpture and more with styles ranging from representational to abstract (image of painting by Eileen Eder). An opening reception will be held on Friday, May 29 from 5—7 pm.

Blogging last Friday's openings

It was a busy Friday evening for your Connecticut Art Scene blogger, running from show opening to show opening in New Haven. I took in some comic book and cartoon art at the Small Space Gallery in the offices of the Arts council of Greater New Haven, the Faculty Show at Creative Arts Workshop, Dave Gagne's photos of the Connecticut hardcore punk scene at Hope Gallery Tattoo and Silas Finch's found object sculptures decorating Koffee on Orange and the Channel 1 skateboard shop. Herewith some short posts...

Small Space Gallery
70 Audubon St., 2nd floor, New Haven, (203) 772-2788
EXTRAordinary: Contemporary Comic Books and Cartoons
Ends Oct. 31, 2007

Curated by comic book historian Prof. William H. Foster III, the show features a lot of contemporary work by mostly local comic book (or cartoon-style) artists. There was a good crowd in the aptly named Small Space Gallery—the center hallway and conference room of the Art Council's offices. A couple of the artists, cartoonist Jerry Craft and recent School of Visual Arts graduate Raheem Nelson, spoke about their art and what the comics form means to them. The erudite and ever-enthusiastic Foster also talked briefly about comics and, in particular, about the participation of African-Americans in the comics business (and the long term white-ness of the medium). Foster is the author of Looking For a Face Like Mine, a selection of essays, articles and interviews surveying and analyzing the representation of Black people in the comics medium.

I felt some of the work was uneven. But I was taken with the grotesqueries of Paul Timmins and also enjoyed Jackie Roche's well-executed pencil drawings and oil. The steroidal superhero bamalama of Rob Stull with Ken Lashley or Mike Wiering were muscular examples of contemporary comic book art style. While I prefer the less cluttered draftsmanship of the comic book artists I grew up with—Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Carmine Infantino, Jack Kirby, Curt Swan, Wally Wood—Stull's imagery makes sense in our hyper-technological, dehumanized era. Jerry Craft offers a classic cartoony style that seems a throwback to the funny pages of the 1950's. And James Polisky, who got a mention in our review last fall of the City-Wide Open Studios main show, is represented with four macabre technically excellent silkscreen panels.

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Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Faculty Show
Ends Oct. 12, 2007.

I kind of stumbled on the Creative Arts Workshop opening. I didn't know it was happening but I was in the neighborhood for the Small Space opening and, well, there it was. The upstairs and downstairs of the Hilles Gallery are filled with work by the CAW faculty. CAW is known for the exceptional artistic talent gathered among its teachers.

I hope to get back there to comment more fully on the show but wanted to note one work in particular that really struck me. When I wrote about Steve DiGiovanni's River Street Gallery show back in June, one of the works I addressed was "Festival of Floats (Handa City, Japan)." The painting was a departure for DiGiovanni in two senses: it was painted with acrylics not oils, and it was more gestural than studied. DiGiovanni's "Portrait of My Son" in the Faculty Show takes this approach to the next level. On unstretched canvas, it is an explosion of imagery, shapes, figures, symbols, color and text. It seems unfinished, an appropriate metaphor for a painting of a child, or, childhood in general. It looks like a breakthrough.

•••

Hope Gallery Tattoo
817 Chapel St., Suite 2F, New Haven, (203) 752-0564
CT Hardcore: The Way We Were
Ends Sept. 23, 2007

The gallery room was packed at Hope Gallery Tattoo Friday night for the show of Dave Gagne's photos. There were dozens of black and white 8x10's as well as one wall with a slew of 5x7 prints. Along with the plethora of images—crowded on the walls like a moshing crowd at a hardcore show—were testimonials to the scene from various participants: band members, audience members (sometimes both). The images were shot in venues like Rudy's and the late lamented Daily Caffe but most particularly at the Tune Inn, the cavernous club that used to be on Center Street in New Haven.

According to Gagne, the photos were taken from roughly 1987 through the late '90's.

"I wanted to show more of the crowd interaction than tight shots of the bands," Gagne told me at the show. "It wasn't just about the music. It was about the people and the scene in general."

With a couple of hundred images to display, he chose putting the bands in alphabetical order as the default organizing principle. As the crowd took in the images-and connected with old friends and scenesters—an iPod played music from as many of the bands as Gagne could find recordings of. He said that aspect of the show was probably more challenging than getting the photos together.

It took about two months to gather the reminiscences, Gagne said.

"I had the concept in my head for a while. I wanted to involve other people. I called up about a dozen people I'm still in contact with now that I knew back then," he said.

Damon Lucibello wrote:

Most of the hardcore and punk shows at the Tune Inn were completely chaotic.

...At some shows, the stage was packed with so many audience members that it became virtually impossible to actually see the performing musicians.

...The breakdown of the barrier between the bands and the audience was a major part of the Tune Inn's charm.

These are images of exultation. Delighted grimaces on the faces of the performers. The gesturing and eyes-closed, open-mouthed shouting like at some tent revival meeting of an underground pagan religion. The full-bodied trust inherent in crowd surfing and stage diving.

There is a starkness to the black and white imagery. For the most part, this was a crowd that gathered at night. I noted one daytime image, of a protest against the closing of the Daily Caffe coffeehouse on Elm Street near the corner of Park. Tarn Granucci holds a sign reading, "In the great tradition of the 9th Square, less culture, more empty buildings."

The essence of what the scene meant to many of the participants is captured in this reminiscence from Kevin Decker:

The most important part of the scene was the camaraderie between friends. You stood by your friends and they stood by you. Twenty years later, I haven't forgotten those lessons. In fact, they play a major role in my life as a union organizer, husband and father. Hardcore has guided me from an angry teenager into a man who stands up for what he believes in and holds his head high with dignity.

•••

Channel 1
220 State St., New Haven, 1-888-SHOP-CH1
Fragments: Sculptures by Silas Finch

Over at the skate shop Channel 1, Silas Finch's sculptures were decorating the walls. Finch uses his old skateboard decks as they canvas or base, which is then decorated with found objects. Finch has a gift for creating effective compositions.

"Always a Part of Me" has a skateboard deck covered with leather. Under the leather there skateboard trucks—essentially the axle mechanism for the board—almost pushing through the leather. One part of the leather is stitched up. Finch had cut into it to perform "surgery" (adjusting one of the trucks) and stitched it up. It reinforces the sense of skin and organism.

The sculpture "8:46 AM" is covered with printing press letters. Two clocks are also mounted on the board, one set to 8:46 and one to 9:03. Those were the times that the two planes struck Towers 1 and 2 of the World Trade Center. The letters, most in reverse, spell out "WTC," "2001" and other references to the terrorist attack.

Finch also has several similar pieces decorating the walls over at Koffee on Orange.