From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
Over the past few years, and particularly under Mayor Bill Finch, Bridgeport has worked hard not only to promote the arts, but to make the city more affordable for creative types to work, live and sell their goods here.
This weekend’s Bridgeport Art Trail marks the fifth annual celebration of those efforts. Visitors can take advantage of numerous free events at dozens of galleries, studios and other sites in the city.
To help kick things off Thursday night, organizers feted Chuck Close, a modern master of print making, at the Housatonic Museum of Art. The gallery is exhibiting five of his watercolor pigment prints.
Full story here.
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*** Looks like I missed a nice event! ***
What an amazing event. I started at City Lights. Cocktails and pickings. Great artwork from some local talent including art teachers from some of Bridgeport’s elementary and high schools. Went to the Housatonic gala event that had wonderful talented musicians from Roosevelt school and their mentors. The artwork was spectacular as always at Housatonic. The catering there was also quite impressive. Saw the Mayor there and of course that was it for local celebrities, other than JML at the City Lights. Final stop was the Arcade. Always a treat to walk through that spectacular historic gem. I had the opportunity to chat with Michael Moore, the head of the DSSD. I shared by enthusiasm for the City and we chatted about the less than stellar attendance at that venue, how nice Ripka’s bar was doing and the future of Marine Village Apt relocation to the area across the street from the arena at harbor yard and ball park. Other than that downer of a conversation that will be getting much louder, the arts trail was very exciting, great energy and so happy I still am committed to supporting the best Bridgeport has to offer.
Steve,
I too was impressed with the community presentation of the variety of ARTS locally. Nice talking with you and then a teacher in a local high school with lots of good info and opinions.
I went to McLevy Hall and talked with several of the exhibitors, and particularly interested in the puppet manufacturer. Many of you who know me will already be acquainted with my respect for lessons we can learn from studying the facts and lore regarding turtles and tortoises.
I am considering introducing “Turtle the Taxpayer” locally on TV and YouTube. What other puppets might we need to entertain and inform local voters and community leaders to our governance processes and failures? Your thoughts are most welcome. Time will tell.
The Reads Project did get things going. Things have been slow outside of the Arcade, Bijou and City Trust, however, in the ten-plus years since. Maybe the team that started it has dispersed? Vacant Middle Street Boys Club, Davidsons, Newfield Building, Theaters Jason Building, M & F Building. Restaurants that can’t make it. Time for new leadership. No capitalization on assets such as Arena and Ballpark. Steelpointe? waterfront, harbor, etc. These artists have to struggle to put on a decent showing that is very difficult in the context of lagging economic development and inefficiency of government, but have managed to put on a decent Arts Trail again this year.