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City Gallery is excited to be part of the annual Open Studios event being held throughout New Haven during the month of October. All 15 City Gallery artists will participate in OPEN STUDIOS @ CITY, on view from October 3 through October 26. There will be an Opening Reception on Sunday, October 5, 2-4 p.m., as well as Artist Talks featuring:

      Catherine Lavoie & Sheila Kaczmarek, Sunday, October 12, 2-4 p.m.
      Phyllis Crowley & Barbara Harder, Sunday, October 26, 2-4 p.m.

For more than 20 years, City Gallery has served as a collective of innovative contemporary artists from the New Haven area. It is a member-run gallery featuring a wide range of visual media: painting, sculpture, photography, papermaking, fiber art, printmaking, and mixed media.

OPEN STUDIOS @ CITY is a chance to see the work of City Gallery’s newest member, painter Beatriz Olson, along with:

• Judy Atlas - painter
• Meg Bloom - sculptor
• Joy Bush - photographer
• Phyllis Crowley - photographer
• Jennifer Davies - fiber artist
• Roberta Friedman - painter
• William Frucht - photographer
• Rita Hannafin - textile artist
• Barbara Harder - printmaker
• Rob Jacoby - painter
• Sheila Kaczmarek - sculptor
• Kathy Kane - painter
• Catherine Lavoie - textile artist
• Tom Peterson - photographer

City Gallery’s exhibits rotate on a monthly schedule, giving the community an opportunity to see works by many artists in a variety of styles throughout the year. In addition, the gallery occasionally hosts work by guest artists who help to make New Haven a vibrant regional center for the arts. These shows include the critically acclaimed SERVED: Wrongful Convictions & the Death Penalty with guest artist Toby Lee Greenberg, MOSAIC, featuring Yale School of Architecture graduates; and SPACES WITHIN, the 2023 Summer Invitational featuring artists Susan Clinard, Shaunda Holloway, and Linda Mickens.

The members of City Gallery are carefully selected for their accomplishments as artists, their ability to commit to maintaining a successful member-run gallery, and their fit with the group. All have distinguished resumes and have exhibited widely, and many also teach in the New Haven artistic community.

Additional Open Studios 2025 events are being held at Creative Arts Workshop, Eli Whitney Museum Barn, Ely Center of Contemporary Art, Erector Square, Highwood Square, Institute Library, Kehler Liddell Gallery, Marlin Works, NXTHVN, and in West Haven and Westville. Information on all of the events can be found at erectorsquarestudios.com.

The Open Studios @ City exhibit and events are free and open to the public. City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Gallery hours are Friday - Sunday, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. or by appointment. For further information please contact City Gallery, info@city-gallery.org, www.city-gallery.org.

IMAGES:

Meg Bloom, Cloud Hands, mixed media, handmade pigmented abaca paper, imbedded plant matter

Roberta Friedman, Second Thoughts, mixed media collage, cold wax, 12 x 12

William Frucht, Connecticut Yankee Mill Nos. 31, archival inkjet print from film negative, 15"h x 18.5" w

Rob Jacoby, Released, Acrylic, 48 x 36

Sheila Kaczmarek, Nazca Plate,  Mixed Media  24” x 24”

Beatriz Olson, Colorful Connections #1, acrylic, 30” x 30”

Tom Peterson, Uptown Girls 2, archival pigment print, 10" x 15”

**Applications Now Being Accepted from Greater New Haven Basic Needs Providers**

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s Basic Needs Fund is providing grants (up to $10,000) to organizations providing material basic needs in the primary areas of food security; shelter and housing stability; and clothing and hygiene. The Fund values the provision of material basic needs which center individuals’ dignity and promote well-being.

Eligibility Criteria
*Applicants must be organizations providing material basic needs to support individuals in the areas of food security; shelter and housing stability (including evictions support, cash assistance, furniture, energy assistance); and/or clothing and hygiene needs.
*Applicants must provide services in at least one of the following geographies: New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, East Haven, Ansonia or Derby. Priority will be given to applicants that have a reach into neighborhoods and areas that are underserved and have barriers to accessing resources.
*Applicants must have an annual operating budget under $2 million.
*Funding must support the provision of basic needs as described above and can also include staffing, infrastructure and other administrative costs which support service delivery.

Deadline and Process
*The deadline to apply for funding is Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. *Applicants will be notified of funding decisions the week of November 25, 2025.
*The Basic Needs Fund Committee elected to prioritize the support of organizations addressing food security, shelter/housing, clothing and hygiene needs as the demand for these supports and services have significantly increased in the past three years.
*In 2025, an estimated $310,000 is available for Basic Needs Fund grantmaking, and organizations may receive grant awards up to $10,000.

Visit this link for more information and to apply.

Invisible Shores: Mixed Media and Clay Work by Sheila Kaczmarek

Inspired by a recent trip to the Galapagos Islands, artist Sheila Kaczmarek has created a fascinating collection of new mixed media and clay work for the September exhibit at City Gallery. INVISIBLE SHORES will be on view from September 5 - September 28, with an Opening Reception on Sunday, September 14: 3 - 5 pm.

“I was immediately struck by the unique, stark landscape,” says Kaczmarek. “Living in this rugged landscape of volcanoes, craters and cliffs are great tortoises, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants and penguins to name a few.”

She was most intrigued, she says, by the rippling layers of volcanic rock undisturbed by vegetation, and worked to capture the interplay of varied species and terrains, untainted by human interference, in her work.

Kaczmarek studied art at St. Martin’s School of Art, London; UCLA, California; and the Academie des Beaux Arts, Brussels. She apprenticed in the ceramic studio of the Guilford Art Center for five years. She has taught art for over 20 years to both children and now to adults. She worked with a collaborative group of women artists for 8 years, resulting in multiple shows in Connecticut and New York. She is a founding member of City Gallery, president of the Guilford Art League, and served on the Board of the New Haven Paint and Clay Club for many years.

INVISIBLE SHORES is free and open to the public. City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Gallery hours are Friday - Sunday, 12pm - 4 pm, or by appointment. For further information please contact City Gallery, info@city-gallery.org, www.city-gallery.org.

The right-wing educational resource is available for classrooms in ten states and wants to go ‘toe-to-toe’ with PBS Kids. Will teachers go for what the company has described as indoctrination?

https://prospect.org/education/2025-08-15-prageru-wants-to-capitalize-on-pbs-defunding/

In August, City Gallery presents SERVED: Wrongful Convictions & The Death Penalty by guest artist Toby Lee Greenberg, on view from August 1 – August 24.The Opening Reception will be held on Sunday, August 3rd, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., featuring an Artist’s Talk and Guest Speakers at 3 p.m. Guest speakers include Stefon Morant and Hannah L. Fitzsimon from the Innocence Project.

The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the organization is now an independent nonprofit. Its work is “guided by science and grounded in anti-racism.”

Toby Lee Greenberg is a conceptual, mixed media artist whose work is immersed in the criminal justice system, with a focus on the history and continued use of capital punishment in the United States. Her current work, Biography: Unwritten, is an ongoing, interactive series which considers the issue of wrongful convictions and the most egregious of erroneous judgments – the death penalty. Greenberg’s goal is to create a unique artist’s book, honoring each exonerated person included on the Death Penalty Information Center’s Innocence Database (200 to date). While researching Biography: Unwritten, Greenberg combs through numerous resources, gathering information on the men and women who have been wrongfully sentenced to death and later exonerated. The titles of her books imply they are biographies, with subtitles suggesting details about the person’s life, often prior to becoming entangled in the criminal justice system. But the pages are not only empty, they are also glued and cemented shut, suggesting the harshness of a prison cell and time lost on death row. The final page of each book, the epilogue, contains a simple paraphrased sentence, completing the prompt “Missed…”, as in “Missed building a credit history” or “Missed having a family. These personal “Missed” statements reveal a milestone or simple moment, which was lost while incarcerated, usually with lifelong consequences. Factual information regarding the subject’s time on death row completes each epilogue.

Viewers are encouraged to pick up a book, bearing witness to its contents or lack thereof. These are the empty biographies of innocent men and women, convicted and sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit and who, upon release from prison, struggle to find a place for themselves in a world quite different from the one they left behind. While holding a book, viewers may consider their own lives and the preciousness of these missed moments which become even more profound in their absence. Some viewers find themselves identifying, at least momentarily, with the subject of the biography, imagining the experience of an innocence denied and the helplessness of the wrongfully convicted. Displayed on floating shelves, each book sits upon a stack of untitled books, paying homage to the unknown number of people who were wrongly convicted but who perished on death row.

For every 8 people executed, 1 person on death row has been exonerated. 1,630 people have been executed in the U.S. since 1973.

Equal Justice Initiative (eji)

“My current work on wrongful convictions and the brutality of the death penalty, pushes people out of their comfort zones, bringing viewers’ attention to an unpleasant topic — the sanctity and fragility of life and one’s own mortality,” says Greenberg.

Greenberg’s interest in the history and controversary regarding the use of the death penalty began in 1995, after hearing a report of a person’s requested last meal on the evening news. Working with ordinary objects, such as dinner plates and restaurant menus, she began researching the ritual and custom of offering a last meal of choice to someone about to be executed. The limited-edition artist’s book The Menu, is a compilation of 34 pages, bound within a luxury, gold foil-stamped cover. A constant throughout the years, has been the incorporation of text into her art, empowering appropriated words with another layer of meaning and messaging. Her work calls into question the dissemination of public information, such as state prison records and trial transcripts, and our voyeuristic nature. On display, The Menu encourages viewers to turn the pages, to read the options of what seems to be an elegant restaurant menu. Last Meal, a companion piece, consists of fine china dinner plates, displaying elegant words printed in the area which would ordinarily contain food. At the top of each plate appears the name of a person condemned to death, followed by their last supper, the meal they requested and were served just prior to their execution. The foods listed on the plates, which at first seem innocent enough, compel one to consider the finality of the meal and the destiny of these individuals. Why has this person who has been stripped of all freedom, now in his/her final hour, been afforded a choice?

The presentation of these ritualistic meals distances us from the institutionalized proceedings of which they are a part. These meals articulate a darkness about human beings and the positions each of us play as criminal, executioner, or simply the members of a society that puts people to death, but paradoxically allows them one last act of individual expression. The collection of meals presented in the Last Meal and The Menu subconsciously prompts us to consider what our own final request would be. This simple act momentarily compels us to identify with the helplessness of the condemned, as it simultaneously links them, guilty or not, with the rest of humanity. 1

Greenberg’s work on the death penalty can make people uncomfortable, leading them to consider their own feelings about this act and to consider something they would simply prefer not to think about.

“My goal is to share my art with a wide audience both within traditional art venues, as well as through alternative spaces and organizations. It is my hope that my art promotes conversation and brings awareness to wrongful convictions, the death penalty, mass incarceration, and the criminal justice system overall,” explains Greenberg. 

The SERVED: Wrongful Convictions & The Death Penalty exhibit and Opening Reception are free and open to the public. City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Gallery hours are Friday - Sunday, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., or by appointment. For further information please contact City Gallery, info@city-gallery.org, www.city-gallery.org.

Biography: Unwritten, Installation views from exhibition Books Undone, Penn College of Technology, 2024, © Toby Lee Greenberg 2024

The Menu, Cover, Installation View, © Toby Lee Greenberg, 1995

The Menu, Franco American Spaghettios with meatballs, Detail of Interior View, © Toby Lee Greenberg, 1995

Last Meal, Fried Rabbit, 10” Dinner Plate, © Toby Lee Greenberg, 1995

https://newhavenvision2034.com/ 

How to Purify the Well: From Negative Self-Talk to Loving Yourself

If you’ve heard me speak before, you may remember this metaphor: negative self-talk is like poison in the well. It seeps into everything. And when we stop the self-hate, the guilt, the critical voice in our heads, it’s like we stop adding more poison to that well.

But if we want to actually purify that well, not just stop the damage but actively heal it, we have to do more. That’s where affirmations come in. They act like a fast-track filtration system for your inner world.

I know. If you think affirmations sound cheesy or fake, I hear you. I used to think that too. But what I’ve learned in over a decade of recovery is this: just because I think something doesn’t mean it’s true. In fact, the opposite is often true, especially when it comes to what I think about myself.   Read more...

Featuring Work by Judy Atlas, Robert Jacoby, and Tom Peterson

New Haven’s City Gallery is an artist-run gallery featuring exhibitions of contemporary art by its 15 members throughout the year. DIVERSE VOICES showcases the distinct and varied work of three of its members: Judy Atlas, Robert Jacoby, and Tom Peterson. The group show will be on view from July 5 - July 27. The Opening Reception on Sunday, July 13, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. is free and open to the public.

“I was never interested in portraying realism,” says Judy Atlas. “Instead I turned to abstraction; feeling, movement, light, dark, color, shape, my own story. Not all abstract artists paint this way. My process can be described as an improvisation, each mark is a response to the last one made. I may not have a specific image in mind, but, it is an incremental process, step by step. I experiment, explore and hope the result pleases and enlightens the viewer.” 

Unlike Atlas, Guilford painter Rob Jacoby started with representational drawing and painting, and transition to abstraction later in his career. This reset, he explains, “was prompted to express my interpretation of flamenco, as a seminal reflection of the human spirit. Over the past 15 years, my work has broadened to explore various aspects of that creative spirit through spontaneous, unpredictable dialogues between artist and canvas as each painting progresses. The outcomes are frequently, and gratefully, diverse.”

Photographer Tom Peterson’s work takes the concept of abstraction in a different direction. In a folio called No Place Like Home, he imagines a dystopian future caused by global warming. “I sought to create bold color by digitally inverting modern architectural images to portray a world turned inside out. The results represent a voyage from familiar cityscapes to the stillness and strangeness of the otherworldly.” 

“In this show,” Atlas explains, “Rob, Tom and I display diverse voices and stories to entertain and inform the viewers, to present the world in a variety of bold, new ways.”

DIVERSE VOICES is free and open to the public. City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Gallery hours are Friday - Sunday, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., or by appointment. For further information please contact City Gallery, info@city-gallery.org, www.city-gallery.org.

 Organization

The Bruce Museum, Inc. (the Bruce) is an American Alliance of Museums accredited institution that highlights art, science, and natural history in numerous permanent and changing exhibitions. Ahead of its time for taking this multidisciplinary approach over a century ago, the Bruce is a leader in bringing together art, science, technology, and creativity to generate moments of discovery and dialogue. The Museum plays an integral role in the cultural life of area residents and attracts approximately 100,000 visitors annually.

In April 2023, the Bruce opened its expanded facility following a transformative $68 million capital campaign. The three-story, 43,000-square-foot addition more than doubled the size of the Museum and includes cutting-edge exhibition galleries and new education and community spaces. The nearby Seaside Center offers seasonal maritime experiences. The Bruce cultivates discovery and wonder, engaging a broad audience through the power of art and science. Its vision is to be a center for inspiration and learning, where extraordinary art and science spark conversation, connection, and creativity.

Current major exhibitions include a retrospective of Passamaquaoddy weaver Jeremy Frey’s work and On Thin Ice: Alaska’s Warming Wilderness, which explores the startling impacts of climate change using taxidermy mounts and interactives. Art exhibitions currently on view include selections from the collection of William L. Richter, Hockney/Origins: Early Works from the Roy B. and Edith J. Simpson Collection, Isamu Noguchi: Metal the Mirror in the Sculpture Gallery, The Art of Work: Painting Labor in Nineteenth-Century Denmark from the collection of Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr., and landscape highlights from the Museum’s permanent collection. Permanent science installations include The Robert R. Wiener Mineral Gallery and Natural Cycles Shape Our Land.

The Bruce is governed by a 36-member board of trustees led by Co-Chairs John C. Hart and Karen S. Keegan, and the position reports to Dr. Mary-Kate O’Hare, the Susan E. Lynch Executive Director & CEO. There are 55 full-time and 20 part-time staff members. The total operating revenue in fiscal year 2025 was $8.2 million, including approximately 56% from contributions, grants, and special events, 6% from admissions and other programs, 9% from earned revenue, and 29% from municipal and investment income. The operating budget for fiscal year 2025 is approximately $10 million.

Position Summary

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will provide strategic and operational leadership for the Bruce and be an active and positive agent of change. This key leadership role offers a unique opportunity to join one of the region's most dynamic cultural institutions at an exciting moment following its transformative expansion. The COO will build strong relationships throughout and across the organization while serving as a strategic advisor and implementation partner to the Executive Director. They will be an important public face of the Bruce with the Town of Greenwich and neighboring communities. The COO will supervise a significant portion of the Museum's staff, with direct oversight of Finance & Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technology, Security & Facilities, Visitor Services, Museum Store, and Café. Peer Departments include Audience Engagement, Collections Management & Registration, Curatorial Art, Curatorial Science, Development, Exhibitions, and Marketing.

Principal Roles and Responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Implementation

• Collaborate closely with the Executive Director and COO's peers to create and implement an inspired multi-year strategic plan, as approved by the Board of Trustees.
• Translate strategic priorities into annual, concrete, actionable projects with defined leadership, budgets, staffing, special resources, and timelines; while conducting periodic, collaborative execution reviews.
• Guide the creation and management of the site master plan and related policies as governed by and in collaboration with Town of Greenwich officials.
• Make timely and effective decisions that advance institutional priorities and solve operational challenges, relying upon sound data and transparent dialogue with important stakeholders.
• Lead with a continuous improvement mindset, guiding change management consistent with the Bruce's culture to improve internal systems (streamline, eliminate duplication of effort, repurpose talent to higher value add), keeping an eye on balancing future needs and budget realities for growth.
• Embrace other strategic planning and implementation duties as needed.

Financial Oversight and Institutional Advancement

• Provide strategic financial leadership while managing the Director of Finance & Accounting and related teams.
• Guide the development of annual, coordinated operating budgets, capital budgets, and financial forecasts.
• Ensure best practices in financial systems, controls, and procedures.
• Participate in financial reporting to the Board, Finance Committee, Investment Committee, Audit Committee, and external stakeholders.
• Play a key role in an upcoming endowment campaign, providing operational perspectives, and supporting Development as a partner engaging with high level donors, corporations, and foundations.
• Embrace other financial oversight and institutional advancement duties as needed.

External Relations and Town Partnership

• Navigate complex political environments with diplomacy and strategic insight.
• Serve as a primary liaison with the Town of Greenwich to maintain relationships and secure ongoing support.
• Build and maintain productive partnerships with local businesses, cultural and educational organizations, community groups, and civic forums in partnership with peer leaders.
• Embrace other external relations and town partnership duties as needed.

Project Management and Cross-Functional Leadership

• Oversee the development and expansion of the Bruce’s project management system, serving as an expert advisor for departmental and cross-functional teams’ application to major initiatives and capital projects.
• Conduct comprehensive project planning, including critical path analysis, resource allocation, and prioritization/agile re-prioritization across the full suite of initiatives.
• Lead identification of pre-emptive project course correction and/or process improvement to free up valuable resources and eliminate duplication of effort/waste.
• Translate execution learnings simultaneously across all existing programs to strengthen departmental and cross-functional team performance as tracked by an internal metrics dashboard.
• Embrace other project management and cross-functional leadership duties as needed.

Direct Line Leadership of Operation Departments

• Manage the successful operation of the Museum Store by developing a sound business plan supported by staff and offerings consistent with the Bruce visitation experience.
• Lead the successful performance and value-add of the Cafe to the Bruce visitation experience, a part of the operation that is 100% provided by an outside partner.
• Oversee the management of the Bruce's newly expanded facilities, grounds, and total historically significant campus via sound environmental, health, and safety best practices.
• Ensure all People and Technology systems, including those that support emergency preparedness and business continuity, maximize visitor experiences while preserving the collection and all objects in the institution's care.
• Administer vendor relationships and service contracts to enhance skills/training and operational effectiveness.
• Make critical decisions and steward facility improvements, managing preventative and episodic maintenance priorities, and capital investments in a cost-effective way.
• Guide the development and implementation of a Digital Transformation Plan, providing contemporary technology (innovation investments, integrated common tools, shared file systems, etc.) that enhances each Department and the integrated Enterprise’s efficiency and effectiveness.
• Guarantee data security and privacy in all Museum operations, including the appropriate use and management of social media and internet platforms.
• Embrace other direct line leadership of operation departments duties as needed.

Human Resources and Team Leadership

• Foster a collaborative, inclusive workplace culture that embodies the Museum's values and is extended to all staff—full-time, part-time, contract, volunteer, and partner vendor services coworkers.
• Nurture an environment of trust, collaboration, and transparent communication to skillfully guide the organization through periods of change and growth with an eye on talent development for the future.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a talented team of operational staff, serving also as a visible, approachable sounding board, role model, and resource for peer leaders.
• Manage the staff recruitment, hiring, performance evaluation, professional development, and retention processes for the full institution.
• Make decisive personnel decisions in concert with Senior Leadership to maintain and advance total organizational health and excellence.
• Embrace other human resources and team leadership duties as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

The COO will be a collaborative and people-oriented professional who is receptive to new ideas and innovative approaches. Proficient in setting, pursuing, and achieving goals in a timely manner, the COO will be driven to support others while ensuring that organizational goals are met. They will be a results-oriented relationship builder who maintains an engaged professional profile. They will value community commitments and work internally and externally to ensure they are met. Highly versatile, the COO will be a change agent who understands and can successfully manage the challenges associated with organizations that have undergone major change, either positive or negative. They will have the ability to move from dialogue to timely decision-making and action.

Other key competencies include:

• Diplomacy and Personal Accountability – The integrity to effectively and tactfully handle difficult or sensitive issues, while taking responsibility for personal actions and decisions.
• Project Management, Planning, and Organizing – The ability to identify and oversee all resources, tasks, systems, and people, establishing courses of action to mitigate risk and ensure work is completed effectively.
• Self-Starting and Decision Making – The acumen to demonstrate initiative, analyzing all aspects of a situation to make consistently sound and timely decisions.
• Teamwork – The capacity to collaborate and cooperate to meet objectives, inspiring others to do the same.

Qualifications

A bachelor's degree with at least 15 years of progressive leadership experience in operations, finance, and administration in a multi-faceted customer/visitor and community-facing organization. Candidates from museums or cultural nonprofit institutions, as well as the private sector and academic settings encouraged. Advanced education and relevant certifications/licenses or relevant cross-sector expertise are highly attractive. Strong financial management experience, including budgeting, analysis, and reporting to enable timely data-driven decision making with measured risk, is essential. Proven managerial capabilities with significant experience overseeing a portfolio of independent yet integrated operations are crucial. Demonstrated expertise in program/project planning and execution, change management, organizational design, and cross-functional leadership is highly valued. A track record of decisive decision-making and effective judgment in complex organizational settings, including governance interfaces or board of trustees, is a plus. Experience with strategic planning and year-over-year execution experience with a proven history of implementing initiatives, and/or experience with process improvement methodologies and culture building is desired.

Leading candidates will bring experience with capital projects, ideally in a museum or cultural setting, as well as experience building relationships with government entities, donors, and community educational, business, and commerce partners. Proven mindset of continuous improvement, relying upon knowledge of contemporary organizational best practices and industry standards (functional and sector specific) required. A candidate who does not meet all the qualifications but possesses transferable or equivalent skills, relevant tangential leadership experience, and/or education (academic/continuous learning institution) is encouraged to apply.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation is anticipated to be in the range of $225,000 to $250,000. Employee benefits include group health and life insurance, an HSA account, vacation time, and a 401k plan. Relocation assistance is available. As a place-based institution, the position will have a hybrid work schedule available in accordance with museum policy.

Community

Greenwich, Connecticut, features outstanding cultural and recreational offerings, an active restaurant scene, charming shops, and scenic beauty, providing an enriching experience to residents and making it an ideal destination for visitors from New York City and surrounding towns. Known as the gateway to New England, Greenwich is a picturesque 50-square-mile town of over 60,000 residents on the shores of Long Island Sound in Fairfield County. In recent years, with the rise of work-from-home arrangements, Greenwich has experienced an influx of New Yorkers and others relocating to the community for its unique blend of suburban charm, vibrant Greenwich Avenue retail and restaurant district, outstanding schools, and community amenities, all a short train ride from New York City. Close proximity to major highways and four train stations makes Greenwich a very commutable town. Fairfield County has the fastest-growing population of any county in Connecticut and is the second-most diverse.

Immediately north on I-95 from Greenwich is Stamford, Connecticut’s second most populous city. It has a bustling downtown, quiet neighborhoods, and ample green space. Stamford, like Greenwich, boasts easy access to New York City, Upstate New York, and beach communities along the Long Island Sound. Known for events and festivals that celebrate its diverse community, Stamford offers a blend of urban opportunities paired with suburban charm.

Greenwich offers easy access to Westchester County and its cities of New Rochelle, Yonkers, and White Plains. Westchester boasts grand Rockefeller properties, well-preserved 18^th-century homesteads, world-renowned universities and colleges, and family-friendly attractions like the Long Island Sound amusement park, Playland. Outdoor adventurers are part of Westchester County, which has nearly 50,000 acres of open spaces featuring breathtaking vistas, nature centers, mountain bike trails, and thousands of acres of parkland.

Sources: greenwichct.gov; greenwichhistory.org; neilsberg.com; ctvisit.com; stamfordct.gov; visitwestchesterny.com

Application and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments, please click here or visit ArtsConsulting.com/OpenSearches. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Josyanne Roche, Vice President

Todd Ahrens, Vice President

292 Newbury Street, Suite 315

Boston, MA 02115-2801

Tel       (888) 234.4236 Ext. 245 (Roche) or Ext. 216 (Ahrens)

Email    TheBruceCOO@ArtsConsulting.com

The Bruce Museum is governed and administered in a manner welcoming to all who promote its Mission and Vision. In all dealings, the Bruce shall not discriminate against any individual or group for reasons of race, color, religion, sex gender identity, gender expression, age, ethnicity, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, economic status, disability, or any category protected by state or federal law.

The Bruce is dedicated to advocating for increased diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its activities, including, but not limited to, staff, partners, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, members, and exhibitions.

Please apply at Friends Center for Children

The city of Tulsa, Oklahoma is preparing to award its black community a $105m (£73.8m) reparations package to address the harms caused by the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, one of the largest and most violent racial attacks in US history.

The plan, by Monroe Nichols, Tulsa's first black mayor, focuses on community redevelopment and does not involve direct payments to descendants or the two remaining survivors of the attack.

Nichols made the announcement on Sunday during Tulsa's first ever official Tulsa Race Massacre Observance Day...

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dqnz37v1wo

Climate change should be considered a new core aspect of creditworthiness when prospective home buyers apply for a mortgage, a new report suggests.

The analysis from the climate risk financial modeling firm First Street is a groundbreaking nationwide look at the ties between the growing risks from extreme weather such as floods and wildfires, and a long-suspected spike in mortgage defaults in hard-hit areas...

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/19/climate/flooding-credit-homeowners-insurance

Make sure to check out the Arts Council of Greater New Haven's survey to capture the impacts that arts organizations are facing during these turbulent times. This survey will allow ACGNH to gather clear and accurate data about the impacts you are all facing. Please take 5-minutes to share your story about any funding cuts you face as a result of the current climate. Aggregated data will remain publicly available on this dashboard.

Thank you! 

The most important thing I want to offer you today is hope. Because when you have hope, you have a reason to keep going. And once you have even a glimmer of hope, I want to give you practical tools and mindset shifts that can help you change your behavior, so you can actually realize the future you’re starting to believe is possible.

I want you to have hope because I know what it’s like to be without it. I’ve been there. In fact, I’ve been there more than once. One particular time that stands out happened years before I found recovery.

I had met a man with the intention of casually dating—neither of us was looking for anything serious. He literally had a little black book. But somehow, we unexpectedly fell in love. At least, that’s what I thought at the time. Looking back, I can see it was a deeply codependent relationship. I was rescuing him from his emotional turmoil, and that dynamic felt familiar.

After several months together, we were talking about spending the rest of our lives together. And then—out of nowhere—he dumped me. I was absolutely devastated. At 38, I had never experienced heartbreak like that. I pined for him for months. And then, just as unexpectedly, he came back. He apologized, said he’d done some soul searching, and I took him back. I even told him, “Don’t you ever f***ing do that again, because I won’t take you back a second time.”

Well… a few months later, he proposed. I said yes. And a few months after that, he dumped me again.

That second time, as painful as it was, actually hurt less. And here’s why: the first time, I had hope. Hope that he’d return, hope that we’d fix things, hope that my aching heart would be made whole again. The second time? I had no hope. I knew he wasn’t coming back because I had told him so. And that absence of hope allowed me to start healing faster.

For years, I carried the belief that “hope sucks.” That hope was what hurt me. But eventually, I saw the truth: it wasn’t hope that hurt me—it was heartbreak.

So how did I go from believing that “hope sucks” to making hope my mission?

I honestly believe it was my daily gratitude practice. At the time of that breakup, I was less than two years into it—it was still new for me. But it was this consistent focus on what I was grateful for, day after day, that slowly transformed my mindset. Gratitude helped me see good things even when life felt unbearable. It shifted the way I saw the world. And over time, it helped me fall in love with hope again.

Here’s what I know now: hope is not dangerous—it’s life-giving. I once heard a poem that described grief as a cave. But the truth is, grief—and pain in general—is more like a tunnel. You may not be able to see the light on the other side, but it is there. You’re not stuck. You’re just in a place that has another way out.

A cave has no exit except the way you came in. A tunnel has an end—even if it’s out of sight. That’s hope.

So if you’re feeling lost, broken, or stuck—whether it’s from heartbreak, grief, or life just not turning out the way you hoped—I want you to know: you’re in a tunnel, not a cave. Keep going.

And one of the best ways I’ve found to keep going? Cultivating a gratitude practice.

Start small and repeat it. Make it a routine—maybe listing five things you’re grateful for every morning or evening, or every time you brush your teeth. If consistency feels out of reach right now, begin by making a gratitude list whenever you're upset. It shifts your focus and trains your brain to look for the good.

You can also try an A-to-Z gratitude list—write all the letters of the alphabet in a column, and list something you're grateful for next to each one. I have more detailed suggestions in my podcast episode #11, my gratitude journaling article, and the 6-minute video I made for Toastmasters.

I promise you—if you practice gratitude regularly, it will cultivate an attitude of gratitude. And that attitude will sprout hope in your life. It will give you real, tangible evidence that good things exist—even in the hardest times.

You’ll start to see that you’re not in a cave. You’re in a tunnel.

And when you go as far as you can see, you’ll get there—and see further.

Martin Luther King Jr. said it best: “Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase—just take the first step.”

You don’t have to see the whole path. Just believe it exists.

Let my story be a reminder that transformation is possible. You can change. Your life can change. You just need to take the first step—and hold onto hope.

Featuring Work by Meg Bloom and Cyra Levenson

In life, as in nature, surviving requires a mix of holding together and letting go. This is also true collectively, as a society, and individually as artists and creators. BREATH AND BONE, a new installation by artists Meg Bloom and Cyra Levenson, explores this idea at City Gallery from May 2 - June 1. The Artist Reception on Saturday, May 10, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m., is open to the public.

“The work in the show is very much about our process — how we are trying to move in the world and move as creators,” explains City Gallery member Meg Bloom. This is the second time Bloom has collaborated in an exhibit with Cyra Levenson. “We have a shared aesthetic,” says Levenson. “For both of us, the things we make have a life of their own, and they have a conversation with each other.” 

Levenson, new to weaving, is inspired by weavers who work in all kinds of materials — metal, willow, driftwood, fibers, even weavers of people and stories. She has been studying at the Brooklyn (NY) studio Loop of the Loom which teaches a Japanese technique called Saori weaving. “The work in this exhibition is what came from the practice of allowing the loom, the fibers, the movements of the warp and weft to guide me,” she explains. “My hope is to be a clear channel for images and ideas to come through. I am listening for textures, lines, and felt sensations. The smell of the wool, my gratitude for the sheep, the plants, and the other weavers are all in the work.”

No stranger to working with fibers and textures, much of Meg Bloom’s current artwork consists of handmade paper sculptures from kozo and abaca fibers. “Some have added pigment, many have embedded plant matter, or anything else I get my hands on,” she says. She also creates mixed media collages and installations. 

“Finding beauty in the imperfect, acknowledging moments of change, and engaging with the process of transformation form the basis of my work,” Bloom explains. “My art references nature and attempts, metaphorically through layering process and form, to address the broader social and environmental issues we face.”

Similar to Levenson, Bloom says “I desire to go with the flow but more. I think of the changes as a floe, and I want to be part of the changes constantly taking place, so I am deliberate in allowing the work to reveal itself. Thus the warped, bent, tangled, frayed, torn, smashed, shattered details, and the art’s insistence/persistence on survival, regrowth, and transformation.”

BREATH AND BONE is free and open to the public. City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Gallery hours are Friday - Sunday, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., or by appointment. For further information please contact City Gallery, info@city-gallery.org, www.city-gallery.org.

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