Blogs

Emotions, Emotional Boundaries, and the Stories Your Mind Tells

I want to start by sharing something that happened a while ago. It showed me that the tendency toward rescuing and fixing doesn’t necessarily disappear just because we’ve done a lot of work.

But what does change is this:

We’re no longer compelled to act on it.

Here’s what happened. I live in a condo complex. My doors were open, and I heard a child outside on the phone. It sounded like he was telling someone his mom wasn’t home and he was going to be late.

And my first thought was: “I could drive him.”

Now. I have no idea who this child is. I’ve never heard this voice before. I don’t know the situation. And I needed to leave for a meeting in ten minutes.

But my nervous system moved toward rescuing immediately. That’s my first thought. And here’s a saying I learned early in recovery that came in really handy in that moment:

“I’m not responsible for my first thought, but I am responsible for my second thought and for what I do next.”

What changed in recovery wasn’t that the rescuing impulse disappeared entirely. What changed is that I can notice it without acting on it. And I can notice it without attacking myself for having it.

That right there is emotional boundary work. Because emotional boundaries aren’t just about other people’s feelings. They’re about how you relate to your own emotions.

Here’s what’s important about that story. My first thought was to move toward someone else’s discomfort. That’s what I used to do with emotion too. If I felt anxious, I didn’t stay with the anxiety. I moved away from it. Sometimes by rescuing. Sometimes by replaying the past. Sometimes by inventing worst case scenarios.

And this is the part that took me years to understand: All of those behaviors are attempts to manage discomfort.

When I heard that child, my system was trying to reduce anxiety by taking control. That’s what rescuing is. It’s control disguised as helpfulness.

And when I don’t act that impulse out externally, that same anxiety energy can turn inward. It can become rumination. It can become catastrophizing. Rescuing, ruminating, and catastrophizing are all attempts to manage emotion when we don’t feel steady inside.

They’re different behaviors. Same root.

Read the rest at your own pace here.

One of the most difficult parts of setting boundaries isn’t deciding what to say.

It’s dealing with what you feel. Sometimes even before you say it. And definitely after you say it.

In my experience, the number one thing that stops people from setting boundaries isn’t a lack of skill. It’s guilt and shame. It’s that tight, nauseous feeling in your stomach that says, “You’re being selfish.”

Let’s start by normalizing something.

If you feel guilt and shame when you set boundaries, that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you’re changing.

If you grew up in enmeshment, where everyone was in everyone else’s business, boundaries can feel like betrayal. If you grew up in emotional abandonment, boundaries can feel like you’re leaving someone alone the way you were left alone. If you grew up with both like I did, setting boundaries can feel even more overwhelming.

Healthy boundaries live in the middle. They’re not enmeshment. They’re not abandonment. They’re healthy separation with connection.

But if you’ve never experienced that middle, it doesn’t feel like healthy separation. It feels like abandonment.

So of course guilt shows up and shame flares.

The question isn’t how to eliminate those feelings overnight. The question is how to build the capacity to handle them. And eventually, how to reduce them at the root.

Here’s how.

Read the rest at your own pace here.

One of my clients recently asked me for concrete examples of emotional availability and vulnerability.

She said something like this: “I show empathy. I validate people. I listen. I’m curious. I really try to be there. So why do I keep ending up with emotionally unavailable people?”

It’s such an honest question. And it’s one I was perplexed by for years before recovery.

Back then, I believed emotionally unavailable men were attracted to me. That part was true. What I didn’t see at the time was the other half of the equation.

That I was not just attracting them, I was also attracted TO them.

What I eventually figured out was that the reason all that was happening was the *I* was emotionally unavailable. And that makes total sense, because what emotionally available person would be attracted to and stay in relationship with someone who’s emotionally unavailable?

This was completely subconscious, of course.

If this is stirring something, you can read the rest at your own pace here.

A quick note in case this connects for you — my live workshop Boundaries for Real Love is coming up later this month.

We’ll be looking at the quiet ways people override themselves in relationships and what supports staying present without force.

Details are here if you’d like to take a look.

When Other People’s Feelings Feel Like Yours

One of the most common themes I see with my clients and one I lived inside for decades is this experience of feeling other people’s feelings.

It’s hard to explain unless you’ve lived it.

It’s like being permeable. Like there’s no membrane between you and the emotional world around you. Other people’s emotions don’t just register. They enter. They move through you. They take up residence.

And when that’s your experience, there’s an unspoken rule running the show.

If they’re not okay, I can’t be okay. And if they’re not okay with me, I really can’t be okay.

Even if you don’t literally feel other people’s emotions in your body, many of us still act as if we’re responsible for them.

Someone’s upset and we rush to fix it. Someone’s disappointed and we scramble to soothe. Someone’s uncomfortable and we contort ourselves to make it better.

That impulse can look kind. And sometimes it is.

But not when they haven’t asked for support. Not when someone needs space to grieve. Not when discomfort is actually part of their process.

If you recognize yourself here, one simple and powerful pause is this question:

“Do you want to be cheered up right now?”

And another, even more important one:

“Am I responding to their pain… or am I reacting to my own discomfort that stems from their discomfort?”

Read the rest at your own pace here.

One of the most painful patterns I see, both in my own life and in my work with clients, is this
we often end up sabotaging the very thing we want most.

Nowhere is this more true than in romantic relationships.

We long for connection, security, belonging, intimacy.
And yet, without realizing it, we behave in ways that quietly undermine those very desires.

Let me show you what I mean.

First example.

I once worked with a client who was reflecting on his friendships with other young men when he was younger. What he wanted from those relationships was completely understandable
security, belonging, identity, validation. He was looking for models of healthy masculinity and hoping to feel anchored in a group.

What actually happened was the opposite.

Those friendships didn’t just fade. They ended painfully. He was bullied. Pushed out. Shamed. Everything he had hoped to gain was taken from him.

As he looked more honestly at his part, something important became clear. He wasn’t truly present in those relationships. He had an unspoken end goal. He was there to get something rather than to be something.

That wasn’t a moral failing. It was all he knew how to do at the time.

This is one of my favorite phrases from recovery
info, not ammo.

This awareness wasn’t something to beat himself up with. It was information. And it changed everything.

Second example.

A friend of mine in recovery often explains this pattern through the lens of our instinctual drives. We’re wired for things like security, reputation, and belonging. Those drives are not the problem.

But when they get out of balance, or when we act from fear around them, we often sabotage ourselves.

Take reputation, for example. If we’re desperate to be seen a certain way, we might exaggerate, embellish, or outright lie. And eventually, when the truth comes out, the very reputation we were trying to protect is damaged.

The thing we wanted most becomes the thing we destroy.

Third example.

This one shows up constantly in romantic relationships.

Many of us carry a deep fear of abandonment. We don’t want to be left. We don’t want to be discarded. We want to matter.

And yet, without realizing it, we abandon ourselves.

We ignore our needs. We silence our truth. We shape shift to keep the connection. And when we do that, abandonment is baked right into the relationship.

Because we aren’t really there.

The real us never arrives. And so we often find ourselves drawn to people who abandon us in familiar ways.

The very thing we fear becomes the thing we recreate.

Read the rest at your own pace here.

Featuring work by Beatriz Olson, MD

In Unmuted — The Return of Color, Beatriz Olson presents a body of work that traces her journey back to voice, embodiment, and the full spectrum of color that once lay quiet beneath the demands of culture, profession, and expectation. As a Cuban immigrant, physician, and woman shaped by systems that reward discipline and invisibility, Olson learned early to mute aspects of herself in order to navigate the world. These paintings reveal the moment of reversal—when inner wisdom rises, when color becomes medicine, and when the feminine body and spirit reclaim their place as sources of knowing. The exhibit will be on view from February 6 - March 1, with Opening Reception and Artist Talk on Saturday, February 7, 2–5 p.m. A Closing Reception and Artist Talk will be held on Sunday, March 1, 2–5 p.m.

Across three interwoven series, Olson explores the architecture of womanhood, the atmospheric spaces of interiority, and the luminous power of abstraction. Anatomical echoes, meditative figures, and fluid portals of color invite viewers into a space where the body is sacred, intuition is intelligence, and spirituality emerges as a form of healing. Her palette—at times bold, at times tender—maps the emotional terrain of a life spent caring for thousands of women, listening to their stories, and witnessing the resilience held in their bodies. 

In these works, color becomes a conduit for transformation. Through abstraction and symbolic form, Olson creates pathways for reflection, stillness, and generative discomfort—the kind that expands rather than contracts, that illuminates rather than obscures. Unmuted is both personal and universal: a declaration that the feminine, in all its complexity, radiance, and depth, deserves to be seen, honored, and held in the light.

Beatriz Olson is Cuban immigrant who evolved to be an artist, physician and author. Her work involves holistic approaches to healing the body mind and soul distress by using color, form and lack thereof to process emotions. Art has a way of soothing us and giving language to that which we cannot name consciously or unconsciously but affects us deeply. She has been a performance artist at Pechkucha Events in New Haven, and been part of CWOS for more than a decade.

The Unmuted exhibit 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.

I once had a conversation with a sponsee who was sitting with a knot in her stomach. That conversation has stuck with me for years, and I’ve used it in coaching sessions with my clients.

She’d gifted a significant amount of money to one of her adult children. Her older child had always been financially independent. Paid their own way through college. Came up with their own down payment. Never needed rescuing.

Her younger child had a very different history, including mental health issues. Over the years, my sponsee spent a lot of money getting the younger child out of trouble. Bailing them out. Saving them. Trying to help.

What she was worried about wasn’t the money itself.

It was this question: What happens if my younger child finds out I gifted the money to their sibling?

That question opened the door to a conversation that feels especially important when we’re talking about romantic relationships too. The difference between privacy and secrecy.

At first glance, they can look the same. Both involve not telling someone everything. But emotionally, they come from very different places.

Read the rest at your own pace here.

In January, City Gallery present FRAGMENTS, a group show featuring Meg Bloom, Joy Bush, and Phyllis Crowley. The fragments — echoed in the constructed poem above — include the visual perspectives seen in each of the artist’s individual works but also as they relate to each other and to the visual experience of the whole, of being and creating in this world. FRAGMENTS will be on view from January 9 - February 1, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, January 17 from 2-4 p.m. (Snow date: January 18, 2-4 p.m.)

Meg Bloom, Joy Bush, Phyllis Crowley are long-time members of City Gallery. Meg Bloom’s artwork, past and present, consists of handmade paper sculptures from kozo and abaca fibers. Some have added pigment, many have embedded plant matter, or anything else she can get her hands on. Additionally, 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 her work. Her art references nature, whether human or otherwise, and attempts, metaphorically through layering process and form, to address the broader social and environmental issues.

Joy Bush is a photographer based in Connecticut. She grew up near New York City and as a child she loved family excursions to NYC museums and theater productions. After graduating from college she discovered the magic of photography, and bought herself a Pentax Spotmatic camera. Eventually employed as a university photographer, she documented life on college campuses while developing personal bodies of work. Her photography practice involves gathering evidence: weaving autobiography with fiction. Through her personal wandering, many series have emerged, yet the one overall thread of her trajectory is paying attention to easily overlooked, obscure circumstances that have occurred prior to her arrival. In her exploration throughout the day, she captures circumstances that curiously suggest something happened or is going to happen and while humans are not physically present, traces of their actions are intriguingly omnipresent. For decades she has witnessed, embraced, and communicated joy, solitude, peace, disruption, abstraction, and irony through the photographic image.

Phyllis Crowley grew up in New York City and started photographing when she was eleven years old. She learned by taking pictures, looking at pictures, experimenting, attending workshops and reading everything she could get her hands on. She began her career working with film in a traditional black and white darkroom. The new digital technology made it much faster and easier to work with multiple images, a major interest, and move between color and black and white. She has taught at Norwalk Community College, the University of Bridgeport, and now at Creative Arts workshop. She is a member of City Gallery in New Haven and Silvermine Guild in New Canaan. She exhibits nationally and has twice received an Artist Fellowship from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. Her work is in public, corporate, and private collections.

The FRAGMENTS exhibit 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.

I had a conversation recently that reminded me of something I learned the hard way. A man in recovery told me he finally understood that his expectations were the very thing upsetting him. But he didn’t know how to stop having them. He couldn’t imagine moving through the world without them.

I remember feeling the same way. People in recovery would say, "expectations are premeditated resentments." I agreed with them (in theory) and had absolutely no idea how to live that way in practice.

How do you walk through life, especially with family, and not expect people to act a certain way? How do you let go of the exact outcomes you’re sure would make things easier?!

What I’ve learned is that peace never comes from controlling other people. It comes from...Read more

by Barb Nangle, Boundaries Coach, Speaker and Podcaster

photo credit: Liana S.

Room 17 Math, Inc. is a growing nonprofit mathematics education organization seeking passionate, community-minded individuals to join our Board of Directors.

As our programs and partnerships continue to expand across Greater New Haven, we are increasing our board membership to strengthen our leadership, support our growth, and deepen our community impact.

Our Mission

Room 17 Math is dedicated to spreading the joy of mathematics, eliminating math fear, and increasing access to high-quality math learning experiences for all children.
We partner with schools, families, and communities to make math playful, accessible, and empowering through tutoring, enrichment programs, family math nights, and teacher support.

We believe every child deserves to see themselves as capable mathematical thinkers — regardless of zip code.

Why We Are Expanding Our Board

Room 17 Math is growing.
Our reach, programming, and partnerships across Greater New Haven continue to increase, and we are seeking additional board members to help guide this next phase of organizational growth with intention, vision, and community voice.

Who We’re Looking For

We are seeking board members who:

• Care deeply about educational equity and access to opportunity
• Believe in fostering confidence and joy through math
• Are excited to support a community-based nonprofit in its growth phase
• Bring diverse perspectives, experiences, and skills
• Want to contribute ideas, insight, and strategic thinking

Educators, community leaders, parents, nonprofit professionals, and engaged community members are all encouraged to apply.

Board Commitment

Board members are expected to:

• Attend and actively participate in four quarterly board meetings per year
• Engage in mission-driven discussion and strategic decision-making
• Serve as ambassadors for Room 17 Math within the community

This is a volunteer position with meaningful impact.

Interested?

If you or someone you know would like to support the growth of Room 17 Math and help bring joyful math to more children across Greater New Haven, we would love to connect.

📧 Contact: team@room17math.com
🌐 Learn more: www.room17math.com
📍 Serving: Milford, West Haven & Greater New Haven

As many know, Youth Continuum is closing. They have furniture and office supplies available to other non-profits in the area. Items will be available until 11/13/25, as they have to vacate both locations before Thanksgiving.

Here is general list of what they have:
• Desks
• Chairs
• Tables
• Bookcases
• Side tables
• Bunk beds
• Dressers
• Desk chairs
• Waiting room chairs and couches
• Conference room tables

• Office Supplies
o Binders
o Folders
o Paper clips, etc

• PPE
o Masks
o Hand sanitizer

• Other donated items
o Clothing
o Shoes
o Bags (bookbags, purses, duffle bags)
o Hygiene supplies
• Home/Office Decor

They have items at two locations:
1. 315-319 Winthrop Avenue, New Haven, CT
For items at this location, please call/text 203-836-4732

2. 943 Grand Avenue, New Haven, CT
For items at this location, please call/text 203-824-4366

Items will be available until 11/13/25, as they have to vacate both locations before Thanksgiving. Items left after this date will need to be discarded.

For more than 60 years, Roberta Friedman and Stanley Friedman have created memories — literally and in their respective artwork. LIFETIME/LIFELINE: A COLLABORATION is an exhibit of their complementary works and will be on view from October 31- November 30. There will be an Opening Reception on Sunday, November 2 from 2-5 p.m., and an Artists’ Talk and demonstration of creating an encaustic monotype on Sunday, November 16 at 2 p.m.

Roberta Friedman, a long-time member of City Gallery, continues her work in encaustic monotype, cold wax and collage. She has recently had her work included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Encaustic Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Stanley Friedman is adept at, and enamored by, technologies and their creative potential. His photographs exemplify his tireless interest in the universe and its secrets.

“This work, exhibited together for the first time, is our way of acknowledging a lifetime of connection and parallel paths,” says Roberta, “All of which has been honed from shared and individual journeys.”

The exhibit poster includes a photo of two wine glasses, taken by Roberta’s father, Harold Schwartz, around 1945 at the end of the war, and brings the idea of memory into full focus.

The exhibit, LIFETIME/LIFELINE: A COLLABORATION, and the 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.

Position: Director of Education Initiatives

Location: New Haven, CT (Hybrid)

We Love What Makes You Unique

Your perspective fuels our mission-driven work at United Way of Greater New Haven. Consistent with our organizational values, we are committed to building a team that is inclusive across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and lived experience and believe that diverse perspectives are fundamental to the work we do.

Who We Are Looking For

Are you passionate about building equitable systems that support children and families from birth through college? United Way of Greater New Haven (UWGNH) is seeking a Director of Education Initiatives to lead our work across the early childhood and school-age youth continuum. This strategic role provides leadership for whole-child initiatives, builds strong collaboratives with community partners, and ensures measurable impact through grantmaking, engagement, and program oversight. The ideal candidate is a relationship-builder, systems thinker, and equity champion who thrives in dynamic, community-centered environments.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Lead Early Childhood & Youth Initiatives: Shape and implement a variety of birth-to-college strategies; partner with schools, providers, nonprofits, and funders to strengthen outcomes; elevate family and youth voices; oversee Secure Start Initiative.

Build & Strengthen Collaboratives and Partnerships: Convene coalitions and working groups; cultivate relationships with organizations, leaders, and caregivers; represent UWGNH at events and forums; collaborate on outreach strategies to increase visibility.

Grantmaking, Reporting, & Resource Development: Manage RFPs and contracts; conduct site visits and gather impact stories; support fundraising efforts; ensure timely and effective grant reporting.

Organizational Leadership & Cross-Team Collaboration: Contribute to UWGNH’s Education and Community Impact teams; share insights and best practices; foster a culture of equity and collaboration; support special projects as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred or equivalent experience
• Minimum 7 years of experience in nonprofit, education, youth development, or early childhood initiatives
• Demonstrated success leading complex community collaborations and partnerships
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Skilled in relationship-building across diverse communities
• Proficiency with Microsoft products including Word, Excel, and other Office 365 applications
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required.

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:  

• Experience with grantmaking, program evaluation, and impact storytelling
• Comfort navigating cloud-based systems and collaborative platforms
• Strategic thinking and ability to align initiatives with broader community goals
• Demonstrated comfort in learning new software/online tools as needed
• Ability to work with diverse staff and volunteers
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of UWGNH

JOB RELATIONSHIPS WITH:

• Vice President of Education
• Secure Start Consultant
• Early childhood providers, school leaders, nonprofit partners, city officials, and funders
• UWGNH Education and Community Impact teams
• Marketing & Engagement, Resource Development, and Finance teams
• Families, youth, and community leaders

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

WORKING CONDITIONS:       

• Normal office environment with little exposure to dust, noise, or temperature.
• Hybrid position, expected to work 2 days/week in our New Haven office
• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds.
• Extended viewing of computer monitor.  
• Minimal local travel to events within the region.   
• Regular evening and some weekend responsibilities.  

SALARY RANGE: $70,000-$80,000 annual salary plus competitive benefits package

In accordance with organizational policies, this position requires a criminal background check as a condition of employment.

About United Way

United Way of Greater New Haven brings people and organizations together to create solutions to Greater New Haven’s most pressing challenges in the areas of Education, Health, and Financial Stability grounded in racial and social justice. We tackle issues that cannot be solved by any one group working alone. We operate according to these organizational values.

United Way is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. United Way of Greater New Haven is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

To Apply: Please submit your cover letter and resume at United Way of Greater New Haven Inc - Job Opportunities 

Position: Early Start CT Liaison

Location: New Haven, CT (Hybrid)

We Love What Makes You Unique

Your perspective fuels our mission-driven work at United Way of Greater New Haven. Consistent with our organizational values, we are committed to building a team that is inclusive across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and lived experience and believe that diverse perspectives are fundamental to the work we do.

Who We Are Looking For

Are you passionate about improving early childhood education through coaching, monitoring, and collaboration? United Way of Greater New Haven is seeking an Early Start CT Liaison to support the implementation of Early Start CT by conducting site visits, ensuring program compliance, and providing training and technical assistance to funded providers. This role plays a key part in helping programs meet high standards and access the resources they need for continuous improvement. If you're committed to equity, cultural responsiveness, and strengthening early childhood systems, we’d love to hear from you.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Site Visits & Monitoring: Conduct regular program visits and classroom observations; review documentation to ensure compliance with Early Start CT standards.

• Training & Technical Assistance: Provide coaching and connect programs with relevant resources; coordinate professional development opportunities tailored to provider needs.

• Data & Reporting: Collect and maintain program data; support compliance and impact reporting for the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) and United Way of Greater New Haven.

• Cross-Team Collaboration: Work closely with other members of the Education team to integrate family and provider perspectives into program improvement efforts.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a related field (Master’s preferred)
• 3–5 years of experience in early childhood settings (teaching, coaching, or program management)
• Familiarity with classroom observation tools such as CLASS or ECERS (strongly preferred)
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• Commitment to equity, cultural responsiveness, and continuous improvement
• Proficiency with Microsoft products including Word, Excel, and other Office 365 applications
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required.

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:      

• Experience delivering coaching or technical assistance to early childhood providers
• Ability to build trusting relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Comfort navigating compliance standards and documentation
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
• Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic, collaborative work environment
• Demonstrated comfort in learning new software/ online tools as needed.
• Ability to work with diverse staff and volunteers.
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of UWGNH. 

JOB RELATIONSHIPS WITH:

Early Start CT Director, other members of the UWGNH Education Team, community partners, early childhood providers

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

WORKING CONDITIONS:       

• Normal office environment with little exposure to dust, noise, or temperature.
• Hybrid position, expected to work 2 days/week in our New Haven office
• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds.
• Extended viewing of computer monitor.  
• Regular local travel to program sites and events within the region.   
• Regular evening and some weekend responsibilities.  

SALARY RANGE: $60,000-$70,000 annual salary plus competitive benefits package

In accordance with organizational policies, this position requires a criminal background check as a condition of employment.

About United Way

United Way of Greater New Haven brings people and organizations together to create solutions to Greater New Haven’s most pressing challenges in the areas of Education, Health, and Financial Stability grounded in racial and social justice. We tackle issues that cannot be solved by any one group working alone. We operate according to these organizational values.

United Way is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. United Way of Greater New Haven is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

To Apply: Please submit your cover letter and resume at United Way of Greater New Haven Inc - Job Opportunities

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”