Thursday evening opening at mARTket in South Norwalk

Gallery 305K
305 Knowlton St., Bridgeport, (203) 814-6856
Eye Candy
Through the end of July.
Opening reception: Thurs., July 21, 6:30 p.m.
Show is at mARTket, 136 Washington St., in Norwalk's SoNo area.

Press release

Gallery 305K, Norwalk 2.0 and TR SONO Partners are proud to present Eye Candy. Inspired by the candy store that once occupied the space that will be hosting the show on 136 Washington Street in Norwalk, the show will feature work that seems to view life through a child’s eye. Without naivete, but with an eye to the visually bold, magical, and simply fun.

The art explores the power of competing and vying color. It includes visual elements that speak to magical and improbable themes as well as the deliciously enticing. Artists reach the viewer on all sensory levels and we are tempted to consume the work on many levels.

Artists include Mark DeRosa, Liz Squillace, Frank Foster Post, Emily Habansky, Andrew Perkowski, Darrin Green, Jason Streater and E.S. Barraza. Eileen Walsh of Gallery 305K curated the show. The artists are all a large part of the creative bloom that is happening in Bridgeport. We are all very happy to bring a taste of our culture to Norwalk, a city that serves as an inspiration and example of how The Arts can invigorate a city.

Tom Rich of TR SONO Partners has donated the space to support emerging artists and incubate local produced talent. A strong supporter of the arts in Fairfield County, TR SONO Partners has donated space and supported programs throughput the county.

The show will have an opening reception on Thurs. July 21, with artists at 6:30 pm. The Space called the mARTket (former Sweet Rexies) is at 136 East Washington Street in Norwalk’s SoNo area. During the show Gallery hours will be Saturdays from 12 noon until 5 p.m. The show will run through the end of July and selected pieces will also be on exhibit during the Sono Arts Celebration, a weekend festival that runs through August 6 and 7 2011.

(Image: "Gods" by Mark DeRosa.)

Bicycle-themed art show opens this Saturday at Gallery 305K in Bridgeport

Gallery 305K
305 Knowlton St., Bridgeport, (203) 814-6856
Fresh Frames
Apr. 9—30, 2011.
Opening reception: Sat., Apr. 9, 3—30—6:30 p.m.

Press release

Gallery 305K is proud to present Fresh Frames, a show celebrating the enduring and inspiring bicycle. In this show bicycles have been designed, redesigned, reappropriated, deconstructed and customized. We will display a wide variety of Customized, Lowrider, motorized, antique, and unique style bicycles.

The show will consist of rare bicycles and some visual art that deals with the bicycle.

The bicycles that roam the streets of Bridgeport are as unique as the city itself. There are chromed out lowriders, tricked out BMX bikes, motorized cruisers, muscle bikes mountain bike and choppers. All will be featured at Fresh Frames.

Bridgeport bicycle culture is a much about the places to ride as the bikes. We will be showcasing Bridgeport’s bicycle friendliness with maps for self guided tours leaving from the gallery. There will also be guided theme rides leaving from 305K every Saturday at 2 p.m. Check Facebook for detailed information on these. We will wrap up the show with an Alley Cat race on April 29, leaving from the gallery and ending at the Nest Art Space Spring Arts Fest.

There will also be visual art that celebrates and explores the bicycle and it’s form.

The show will feature bicycles created by Chris Mandell, owner of Spoke-n-Wheel since 1984. Spoke is the most unique bicycle store in Fairfield County. A true hidden gem on E Main St in Bridgeport. Mandell is most known for being an incredible mechanic and having the largest supply of vintage bikes anywhere. As far as being a mechanic, he can handle anything from fixing a flat to a complete restoration.

We will also have a selection of custom motorized bicycles from Steve Richardson and antique and collectible bikes from private collections.

Visual Artists included will be Joe Quint, Michelle Beaulieu, Mark Derosa, Janet Habansky, Jason Streater, Eric Hup, Max Weiner, Liz Squillace, Mariza Ferrari and Charlie Walsh.

As part of the celebration of bikes, we will be sponsoring bike rides each Saturday from the Gallery. This Saturday, Apr. 9 at 2 p.m., join in the opening by coming on a tour of Bridgeport led by John Wilkins: Group ride at 305K Gallery located at 305 Knowlton Street, Bridgeport CT. Come see the Parks City's waterfront parks. Family friendly ride for older children or children in tow. 12 miles total plenty of stops 2—3 hours.

Bridgeport Arts and Cultural Council "Paper or Plastic?" show opens Thursday evening

The BACC Gallery in the Historic Arcade Mall
1001-12 Main St., Bridgeport, (203) 552-4154
Paper or Plastic?
Mar. 3—Apr. 8, 2011.
Opening reception, Thurs. Mar. 3, 5—7 p.m.

Press release

When we purchase something it is usually inspired by some combination of need and desire. The ratio between the two shifts depending on our relationship to the object or service. When we buy toilet paper, the needle leans toward need, when we buy a dress the action might be primarily linked to desire. Purchasing a car might fall somewhere in between, perhaps balancing the practical needs of a family car with our yearning for a lifestyle promised in a car company’s ad campaigns.

The artists in Paper or Plastic?, curated for the Bridgeport Arts and Cultural Council by Terri C. Smith and Eileen Walsh, are in tune with the range of activities and motivations surrounding consumer culture. Their works appropriate, reference, and harness materials, branding strategies, symbols, and themes found in the market. Artists in the exhibition include: William Corprew (Web), Mark DeRosa, Diane DiMassa (Web), Jahmane, Richard Killeaney, Marcella Kovac, Philip Lique, Alan Neider, Rita Valley and Kevin Van Aelst (Web).

Everything from a historic figure to an ecosystem can be branded. With Jahmane’s "MLBK JR" and "Malcolm Exxon," images of historic figures (who are often appropriated to brand political causes, campaigns, etc.) are combined with the logos and slogans of Burger King and Exxon, reading “Malcolm Exxon” and “Martin Luther Burger King.” As a graphic designer, Marcella Kovac rebrands found artworks with stenciled letters. In the shoreline community of Connecticut, seaside paintings abound as a reaffirmation of that region’s environmental appeal. With Kovac’s piece, the word “Porn” is spray painted on a reproduced seascape painting. Through this juxtaposition the human desire to capture, possess and objectify beauty—whether the female figure or a picturesque landscape—is highlighted.

Sensitivity to the metaphorical and formal power of materials also weaves its way into Paper or Plastic?. In Rita Valley’s beaded credit cards, a seamstresses craft meets purchasing power – a durable plastic rectangle meant to be swiped, stored and swiped again becomes a fragile tapestry. With the title "Fur: Coat," artist Philip Lique cites a soft luxury item made from animals. Lique’s coat, however, is made out of the synthetic material of mass-produced insulation. It is not luxurious (in texture or look) or rare, creating a tension between naming and the formal qualities of the object itself. Richard Killeaney’s pillows are made of recycled men’s tweed suits. With these household comfort/design objects, public (work) and private (home) are joined through reattribution.

With Paper or Plastic? the signs and symbols of consumer culture are torqued, critiqued, appropriated, and recontextualized, providing new lenses through which to see the everyday activities of consumption. Of course, art is also a consumer product, as are art institutions and exhibitions, making it impossible to fully separate these artworks or this exhibition from the very systems it addresses.

There will be an opening reception for this show on Thurs., Mar. 3, from 5—7 p.m.

Upcoming events at new Gallery 305K in Bridgeport

Gallery 305K
305 Knowlton St., Bridgeport, (203) 814-6856
Upcoming events:
Sun., Jan. 23, 3 p.m.: Historical talk with Mary Witkowski and Charles Brilvitch.
Tues., Jan. 25, 7 p.m.: Views on Bridgeport's future.
Sun., Feb. 5, 3 p.m.: Grand Opening Show reception.

Press release

The New Gallery 305K, Art and Cultural Center. (formerly the Gallery at Black Rock) announces it’s move and grand opening event schedule.

In celebration of the gallery’s move to the City of Bridgeport’s vibrant East Side we are having three grand opening events. The gallery’s move is part of its mission to bring arts and culture to Bridgeport Residents. The historic factory space at 305 Knowlton Street has considerably more space so that we are able to show a much more broad array of arts, music, film, dance, etc. The building, a newly renovated and restored 19th century bicycle and automobile factory, houses the studios and workspaces of architects, filmmakers, fine artists, fine furniture makers and decorative painters as well as the new gallery. The gallery aims to become an integral part of the east side neighborhood and plans to provide programs and art events that will serve and be of interest to its residents, as well as the wider Greater Bridgeport area.

Sun., Jan. 23, 3 p.m. • Charles Brilvitch and Mary Witkowski will speak on the history of the east side of Bridgeport and the Armstrong factory in which the gallery is housed. Mary Witkowski runs the Bridgeport History Center at the Burrows Library. She is the current Bridgeport City Historian. Charles Brilvitch is a past Bridgeport City Historian and a noted expert in the architectural history of the city of Bridgeport.

Tues., Jan. 25, 7 p.m. • The gallery will host students from the University of Munich in coordination with Nils Weisenmuller of Bridgeport Design Group who will showcase their views for Bridgeport’s future including ideas on sustainable development.

Sun., Feb. 5, 3 p.m. • The Grand Opening Show reception! The show will feature a sampling of art from the Black Rock gallery artists, as well as some artists work who we will be featuring in the future. It is an open themed show that will allow our artists to show their newest and best work and will set the tone for the gallery’s future exhibits.

Some artists included will be Joan Fitzsimmons, Liz Squillace, Marcella Kurowski, Felipe Soltero, Mark DeRosa, Jessica Bajoros, Michelle Beaulieu and more.

The gallery will have regular Business hours beginning Thursday Feb. 10, Thurs.—Sat. from 11:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m.

Futurism show opens Saturday at Gallery at Black Rock

The Gallery at Black Rock
2861 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport, (203) 814-6856
Futuria
Oct. 16—Nov. 6, 2010
Note: Show will be at 51 Crescent Ave., Bridgeport
Artist reception: Sat., Oct. 16, 3:30—7:30 p.m.

Press release

The Gallery at Black Rock is proud to present Futuria, a contemporary look at futurism. The show is being held at the gallery at 51 Crescent Avenue on with an artist reception on Sat., Oct. 16, from 3:30—7:30 p.m.

The future seems more uncertain than ever. The environment, political tensions, economic worries make contemplation of the future a sometimes scary exercise. The gallery asked artists to do just that.

The show will look at the differing visions of artists ranging from the darkly lonely paintings of Harrison Love to lighthearted Science fiction-influenced work. Futuria will include installation, painting, 3-d design, sculpture as well as drawings and music.

Participating artists include, Harrison Love, Mark Derosa, Allan Wittert, Liz Squillace, Michael Johnson, Marci Kovaks, Allan Neider, Robert Beam, and Donald Mctonic.

The show will open with an artist reception on Sat., Oct. 16 from 3:30—7:30 p.m. The Show will be held at the Gallery at 51 Crescent Avenue in Bridgeport’s East side. The show will run for 4 consecutive Saturdays at the space from 12 noon—5 p.m. and by appointment.