Marcella Nunez-Smith, M.D. Associate Dean for Health Equity Research Yale School of Medicine named chair and Fernando Muñiz, CEO of Community Solutions, Inc., named vice chair

Enola G. Aird, President and Founder of the Community Healing Network

New Haven, Conn. (January 31, 2023) – The Board of Directors of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the region’s largest grantmaker, has announced the appointment of Enola Aird, founder and president of Community Healing Network, to serve on the Board for a seven-year term (2023-2029). Aird was appointed by the Trustees’ Committee, which consists of representatives of The Foundation’s trustee banks. She succeeds Flemming “Nick” Norcott, Jr. who served the Board since 2016 and was the chair from 2021-2022.

“Enola Aird is a national and global leader in the work of emotional emancipation and community healing for people of African descent,” said Foundation President and CEO Will Ginsberg. “She is a truly original thinker and a very powerful voice in how we as a community and as a nation can and must confront racism at its root causes. I know she will add much to the work of The Community Foundation.” Continue reading here:

Exploring the themes of evolution and renewal through textile art, City Gallery’s February exhibit Life After Life reflects on the cyclical and regenerative nature of life. Featuring the work of artists Rita Daley Hannafin and Gwen Hendrix, the show will be on view February 3 - February 26, with an Artists’ Reception on Saturday, February 4, 1pm-4pm. The artists will also be in the gallery on Saturday, February 18 and Sunday, February 26.

This colorful collaboration between friends Rita Hannafin and Gwen Hendrix celebrates the beauty and resilience of the natural world, as well as exploring aspects of personal loss and renewal. The intricate details, vibrant colors, and tactile materials engage viewers, inviting them to experience a sense of connection and healing on a sensory level.

“My selections for the Life After Life exhibit explore the complexity and wonder of all living organisms,” says Hannafin. Hannafin tells stories — like an unexpected brush with mortality and healing seen in her HeartBeats series — by combining textiles, stitch, paint, collage, and digital imagery in her art quilts. A traditional quilter since the 1980s, she discovered the art quilt during her role as Exhibition Travel Coordinator for Studio Art Quilt Associates. Since then, her work has explored landscape, climate change, politics, personal stories, and abstraction.

She is currently a member of SAQA, the Black Rock Art Guild, the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County, and City Gallery. Her work has been shown at the Slater Museum, the Whistler House Museum of Art, the Bruce S. Kershner Gallery, and is included in the National Registry of Quilts. Rita now resides in Black Rock CT with her husband, Bob. Studio 2 is her attic space where, she explains, “the fun, frustration, and sometimes magic, happens.”

Gwen Hendrix left her work life of 33 years building Sikorsky helicopters to pursue her passion for making art. “As an abstract painter using textile pigments,” she explains, “I love to capture the translucent imagery of shapes, form and movement in vivid color on fabric and the microfiber material, Encaustiflex.” Formerly a machinist, she is currently exploring 3D forms in fiber, to create kinetic sculptures.

“The inspiration of my works for LIFE AFTER LIFE is macro photography — bringing the camera to the ground and discovering new emerging worlds during different times throughout the seasons. Observing their growth, life cycle, death, and rebirth is a continuation of ephemeral form and vibration,” says Hendrix.

Hendrix has studied with Graziella Patrucco de Solodow, Debi Pendell, Elizabeth Busch, Elin Noble and Jane Dunnewold. Her work is published in Creative Strength Training: Prompts, Exercises and Personal Stories for Encouraging Artistic Genius by Jane Dunnewold. Hendrix is a graduate of Dunnewold’s 2015 Art Cloth Mastery Program. Hendrix’ work has been shown at Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour, Jane Dunnewold Studios, San Antonio, Texas; City Lights Gallery, Bridgeport, CT; International Quilt Festival, Houston, TX; the Bruce S. Kershner Gallery, Fairfield, CT; Schelfhaudt Gallery, University of Bridgeport, CT; and at VIEW Center for Arts & Culture, Old Forge, NY. She is a member of the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County. A Connecticut native, Gwen lives in Oxford with her husband, Wayne, and is a full-time studio artist at Metro Art Studios in Bridgeport, CT.

Life After Life is free and open to the public, and runs February 3 - February 26, 2023. An Artists’ Reception will be held on Saturday, February 4, 1pm-4pm. The artists will also be in the gallery on Saturday, February 18 and Sunday, February 26. In case of inclement weather please call the gallery: 203-782-2489. City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Gallery hours are Friday - Sunday, 1pm - 4 pm, or by appointment. City Gallery follows New Haven City’s mask mandate policy. For further information please contact City Gallery, info@city-gallery.org, www.city-gallery.org.

Book Launch & Reading at Best Video Film and Cultural Center, Thursday, February 9, 7:00 p.m.

Whether fighting an interloping bear in his basement, leading his irascible grandmother on a hair-raising tour of Old Jerusalem, or dreaming of alien body snatchers who may or may not be real, Hank Paper’s new book, My Search for Meaning, The Myron Stories, confronts the unexpected contingencies of life with humor, pathos, and, yes, even some speculative meanings for the reader.

Come hear more about Myron’s adventures at a Book Launch & Reading event on Thursday, February 9, 7:00 p.m.at Best Video Film and Cultural Center, 1842 Whitney Avenue in Hamden. Paper will be reading some of his favorite stories, signing books, and charming the audience with his wit and good humor.

My Search for Meaning, The Myron Stories is Paper’s first book of short stories, but he is no stranger to the craft. His stories have appeared in numerous literary magazines, including The Sun, Pulpsmith, Portland Monthly Magazine, and New World Writing. His articles have appeared in many newspapers and magazines, including Connecticut Magazine, The San Francisco Examiner and the L.A. Herald Examiner Sunday Magazine. He is also a photographer who, for the last 40 years, has exhibited widely at museums and galleries here and abroad. Both his writing and his photography have been featured in Italy Italy Magazine, Scottish Life, and Hadassah Magazine’s Jerusalem 3000 issue. He was the video columnist for the Meriden-Record Journal, Portland Monthly Magazine, as well as the Journal for the Video Software Dealers of America, and he has given many talks on film, led many film series, and wrote many articles on film.

Paper was the founder and, for 35 years, the owner of nationally renowned Best Video, now the nonprofit Best Video Film and Cultural Center. Today, BVFCC is a valued community gathering space serving Greater New Haven with its world-class film archive, performance space, screening area, and coffee bar. For more information, visit www.bestvideo.com.

Paper has often read his stories in New Haven and has been featured numerous times on Connecticut Public Radio. He also spent eight years in Hollywood as a screenwriter, but that’s another story. (Oh wait — that story’s included in this book!)

Copies of My Search for Meaning, The Myron Stories (6x9 Paperback, 162 pages, Fiction/Short Stories, $15.00) can be purchased the night of the event.  For more information, visit www.hankpaper.com.

City of New Haven RFP - Youth Career Pathways - Strategic Planning & Project Management 

Apply by Jan. 31 @11:00AM (EST)

The City of New Haven is committed to leveraging ARPA Phase 3 funds to enhance high-school age students’ and young adults’ workforce and entrepreneurial readiness, all leading to sustainable and well-paying careers. The purpose of this project is to strengthen career pathways available to New Haven’s high school students and young adults in key skill-based sectors to ultimately help reduce the city’s racial wealth gap, promote economic power, and facilitate school-to-workforce alignment.

To build capacity to develop new and transformative career pathways work, and to invest in long-term infrastructure for career pathways, the City is also focusing on the development of a “career-connected learning center” that would provide extended day learning opportunities for New Haven public school students in key sector career pathways, while having the flexibility to address young adults’ upskilling and sector- based training needs during the mornings and evenings. The driving principles for the development of this physical space are ensuring equity in access to the services provided and creating an agile space that can be adaptive to changing economic needs. The vision for this space, and the logistics of design and implementation, will evolve in the coming year as the City engages in this strategic planning process and becomes further informed by ongoing research.

As part of this work, the City seeks a strategic planning and project management provider to assist in (1) the development of a strategic implementation plan, as well as (2) the project management of this and other youth-related career pathway implementation plans.

Learn more and apply here. All proposals are due by January 31, 2023 at 11:00AM (EST).

The Alliance - New Haven & Middlesex Counites: Regional Legislative Session

Date: January 20, 2023

Time: 1:00-2:15pm, Zoom

Senator Martin Looney, Senate President is registered and expected to attend!

The Alliance invites community-based nonprofits to join this Friday, January 20 for the final Alliance Regional Legislative Meetings! Help to spread the word to have a record-setting member turnout!

This is an opportunity for legislators to hear directly from nonprofits about the impact of unprecedented inflation, growing workforce crisis, and skyrocketing demand for services.

As a reminder, there are 36 newly elected "freshman" legislators and almost a dozen new legislative committee chairs who may not be familiar with issues impacting nonprofits.

Learn more and register here.

How will you spend MLK Day? Reflection is part of the process. Join in.

All ages. Not limited to Wallingford residents. You can make it a family affair. 

https://patch.com/connecticut/wallingford/contest-place-yourself-history-nodx?

The article has links to example images with excerpts from essays on created during the past two summers' youth media program at WPAA-TV.

NEEDED!

School Readiness Education Coordinator

 Who We Are Looking For

Are you a talented early childhood professional looking to help programs across our city improve their quality? Are you good at working with teachers and directors to help them be the best they can be? Are you a self-directed individual who can help craft and implement a new position while working within a collaborative structure? If you answered yes to the questions above, this position may be an opportunity for you to use your talents as a force for good in our community!

United Way is seeking a School Readiness Education Coordinator who is enthusiastic and organized to work with 21 early care and education center- and school-based programs that receive School Readiness funding. This person will work as part of a team with the School Readiness Liaison to identify program needs around meeting state quality standards and then help provide training, technical assistance, and resources to help programs improve their quality. Salary is $60,000-$65,000/year, commensurate with experience, and includes benefits. This is a two-year, grant-funded position.

What You Will Do

Ï   Conduct site visits and classroom observations of early childhood programs that receive School Readiness funds to assess program needs. You will also review records and other documentation provided by the programs to ascertain program quality.

Ï   Deliver training, coaching and support to help programs improve their quality. This could include intensive coaching (individual/group) related to teaching practices, providing support to staff about implementation of curriculum and ongoing assessments, and helping programs with planning around quality improvement.

Ï   Coordinating and connecting resources to programs tied to their assessed needs. You will help plan and coordinate professional development/in-service training needed by program staff, and develop and disseminate early childhood information and resources to support teachers, classrooms, and program quality improvement efforts.

Ï   You will work as part of a team. You will report to the School Readiness Liaison and work together as a team to support early childhood programs in centers and schools throughout New Haven. You will also work with the New Haven Early Childhood Council, a group of volunteers working to improve access to and quality of early care and education in New Haven. As a staff member at United Way, you will have supportive colleagues who are working on a variety of initiatives to improve lives in our community.

 What You Need

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or related field; Master's degree preferred
• 2+ years of relevant experience teaching in and/or directing early childhood programs
• Familiarity with classroom observation tools such as the CLASS and Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales is preferred
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills
• Thorough understanding of early childhood development
• Strong computer skills, with a preference for proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Community minded with high-level active listening skills and the ability to connect with people of different economic and ethnic backgrounds
• Ability to analyze data and develop concise, accurate reports
• Local travel is required

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.

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

United Way staff are currently working hybrid, with at least two days per week in our office in New Haven.

United Way is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To apply: www.UWGNH.org/careers

With awards season just around the corner, one New Haven-shot documentary is looking to take home the Oscar for "Best Documentary Short Film." 

"Shut Up And Paint" has made the shortlist for the award category with 14 other short documentaries. The 21-minute documentary follows artist and Yale graduate Titus Kaphar, whose newfound fame divides him as his buyers and galleries choose to overlook the outspoken messages of Black experiences that are prevalent in his artwork. As the art market clamors for his work, the documentary shows how Kaphar struggles with not having his artwork in the hands of those whose experiences he's trying to convey...

https://www.nhregister.com/entertainment/article/documentary-New-Haven-CT-Oscars-shut-up-and-paint-17696612.php

From the New Haven Independent today. Glad to see this: https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/yale_union_ballot_count

Three City Gallery artists — William Frucht, Ruth Sack, and Michael Zack — come together to present HORIZON, an appropriately named show for the start of a new year. The group exhibit will be on view January 6 - 29, with an Artists’ Reception on Saturday, January 28, 1pm - 4 pm (Snow Date: January 29.)

The word horizon takes on many meanings — where the earth meets the sky, for example, or the limit of a person’s mental perception, experience, or interest. In that same way, this group show reflects many interpretations of its title, both representational and metaphorical.

Photographer William Frucht looks at a place where our past meets our present. His photographs of the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital reflect its present condition: half abandoned and half saved, our feelings toward it as conflicted as our relationship with immigration itself. “Almost all of us are immigrants or descended from immigrants — voluntary or not — and as a nation we revere that history while trying to keep it firmly in the past. Yet the past was no different.”

Painter and sculptor Ruth Sack considers “horizon” both literally and conceptually. Her paintings, called Randoms, consist of free-floating forms in a painterly space. If anything, they are anti-horizon as they do not have a horizon line and are not grounded in a sense of a conventional landscape. “The sculptures in this exhibit are a new horizon for me, in that I am pursuing new directions. These works are multi-colored reliefs, a considerable departure from earlier work. In this context, I am broadening my horizons.”

In artist Michael Zack’s Prints on Black Paper, the concept of “horizon” comes in exploring technique and what happens when we take another step forward in the process. As he explains, “often after printing a monotype or mono print, there is enough ink on the plate to pull a second print which is a pale copy of the original and is therefore referred to as a ‘ghost.’ It is always an experiment and I sometimes use that ‘ghost’ as a first step in making an entirely new print, exploring what comes next.”

HORIZON is free and open to the public, January 6 - 29, 2023. An Artists’ Reception will be held on Saturday, January 28, 1pm - 4 pm (Snow Date: January 29). City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Gallery hours are Friday - Sunday, 1pm - 4 pm, or by appointment. City Gallery follows New Haven City’s mask mandate policy. For further information please contact City Gallery, info@city-gallery.org, www.city-gallery.org.