Blogs

The 2023 Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award competition is now open, and applications are being accepted through July 1, 2023.  The Community Partnership Award honors the outstanding contributions that nonprofit organizations, in partnership with public, private and other social sector organizations, make to our communities.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive a Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $50,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Applications are being accepted for the 2023 Community Partnership Award competition and I encourage you to apply with this link. To be considered, an organization must show exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders for the benefit of their communities.

Visit the official YouTube channel for the Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award to watch videos of each of the 27 national award-winning programs.

Upcoming Author Events for My Search for Meaning, The Myron Stories

A New Book from Hank Paper, Writer, Photographer, Former Owner of Best Video

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.

Paper will be reading some of his favorite stories, signing books, and charming the audience with his wit and good humor at a series of upcoming Author Events including:

Thursday, April 27, 7:15 PM
Temple Beth Shalom
1809 Whitney Avenue (across from Best Video), Hamden

Saturday, May 6, 4 PM
The Institute Library
2nd floor of The Institute Library, 847 Chapel Street in the North Square Historic District, New Haven.

Thursday, May 25, 7:30 PM
Atticus Bookstore Cafe

1082 Chapel Street, New Haven.

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. Paper was the founder and, for 35 years, the owner of nationally renowned Best Video, now the nonprofit Best Video Film and Cultural Center. 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 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 at the events, from Atticus Bookstore (1082 Chapel St, New Haven), from Best Video Film & Cultural Center (1842 Whitney Ave, Hamden) or by visiting www.hankpaper.com.

For artists Meg Bloom and Cyra Levenson, regeneration is the process by which the seen and the experienced becomes art. The exhibit, REGENERATIONS, is a conversation between the two artists, and an exploration of the common language they speak through experiences and image making. It will be on view at City Gallery from March 31 - April 30, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, April 1, 3pm - 5pm.

Meg Bloom is a sculptor, installation and mixed media artist. Finding beauty in the imperfect, acknowledging moments of change, and engaging with the process of transformation form the basis of her work. Her abstract art references nature, whether human or otherwise, often addressing broader social and environmental issues. Her works in this show are handmade paper and kozo fiber sculptures as well as 2D mixed media paintings. 

“As we each experience our surroundings and their visual-emotional-sensual effects, there is an external and an internal dialogue that takes place,” says Bloom. “There is a conscious process —a physical taking in of an experience, acknowledging it, witnessing the change, the deterioration, and then the regeneration, the re-creation, in the form of art.”

Cyra Levenson is an artist and an educator. She believes creativity is a birthright and works to help others believe that too. Her own practice is the recording of an experience of a place or a thing, most often found in nature. Her works in this show were made in response to a week spent in the northernmost town in Iceland on the Arctic Circle called Raufarhöfn. 

“These images were made from a place I didn’t know I was looking for and didn’t want to leave. Losing yourself feels good sometimes. Especially if it's in a tangle of vines, or the ghost of a winter garden, or the warm crater of a very old volcano,” says Levenson. “Meg and I look at things that other people might see as decay and find beauty.”

In that way, REGENERATIONS reflects the experiences of both artists in the (natural) environments of physical, emotional, and family spaces. It’s an exploration of a common language they speak through image making and an appreciation of each other’s unique voices.

The show is free and open to the public, and runs March 31 - April 30, 2023. An Opening Reception will be held on Saturday, April 1, 3pm - 5pm. 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.

Cultural stigmas and social taboos make mental health a difficult topic, creating barriers to seeking treatment and leaving communities vulnerable to suffering from mental health issues. Our Latine community is far more likely to face these barriers as well as inadequate access to culturally appropriate treatment.

To address this issue, the Progreso Latino Fund is making grants available to programs and services available to the Greater New Haven Latine community. Learn more and apply here.

AUDRA McDONALD: A Concert for Long Wharf Theatre, will be held on Southern Connecticut State University’s campus and feature a performance by the Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning artist

Long Wharf Theatre today announced the details of its annual benefit event entitled Audra McDonald: A Concert for Long Wharf Theatre. The event will take place on May 15, 2023 at Southern Connecticut State University’s John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, as part of the two institutions’ new formalized partnership.

Sponsorships are on sale now on Long Wharf Theatre’s website; performance tickets will
go on sale on April 20.

“I have long admired Long Wharf Theatre and their bold conviction to build a new, inspired vision for regional theatres across the country,” said Audra McDonald. “Long Wharf’s leadership has done the tough work of thinking outside of the box and reimagining what’s possible for artists and audiences alike. I am so eager to return to New Haven and share this moment with the Long Wharf community at such an important stage in their history.”

As a performer and singer, Audra McDonald has won a record-breaking six Tony Awards, in addition to two Grammy Awards and an Emmy Award. In 2015, she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and received a National Medal of Arts—America’s highest honor for achievement in the field—from President Barack Obama. On Broadway, McDonald is an accomplished musical, opera and drama performer, with roles in shows such as A Moon for the Misbegotten, 110 in the Shade, Carousel, Ragtime, Master Class, and Porgy and Bess. On television, McDonald has had major roles in series’ including ABC’s Private Practice, The Good Wife and The Good Fight. Her portrayals of Susie Monahan in Wit (2001) and Ruth Younger in A Raisin in the Sun (2008) led to two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. Audra was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role as Billie Holiday in the HBO film Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (2016). In 2015 McDonald won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program after hosting the program Live from Lincoln Center. She is also widely known for her film performances, including roles in Ricki and the Flash (2015), Beauty and the Beast (2017), and Respect (2021). McDonald is a seven-time nominee for the NAACP Image Awards. She previously performed at Long Wharf Theatre’s 2015 benefit event during the company’s 50th Anniversary.

“Audra is a true groundbreaker and we cannot wait to welcome her back to New Haven to help us celebrate this extraordinary moment as we embark on our next chapter,” said Jacob Padrón, Artistic Director, Long Wharf Theatre. “When I think of boundary-breaking artists, I think of Audra McDonald — more than just about anyone. Audra lives our values of artistic innovation and radical inclusion every day. We are truly honored she’s chosen to spend this evening with us. This event will celebrate everything that Long Wharf stands for and we welcome the community to join us and support our bold new works and vision for New Haven.”

This year’s gala comes at a pivotal moment for Long Wharf Theatre, marking the end of its first season in transition beyond the company’s longtime space at Sargent Drive. The event invites patrons, artists, community members and theatre lovers to gather together for an evening of music, socializing, food and drink.

AUDRA McDONALD: A CONCERT FOR LONG WHARF THEATRE will begin with a cocktail hour, silent auction and speeches from institutional leadership. This will be followed by a paddle raise to support Long Wharf Theatre’s vision to bring theatre, without barriers, to spaces and stages across the region. Audra McDonald will then take the stage with a pianist accompaniment to perform a selection of songs. The festivities will include hors d’oeuvres, dinner and drinks, and an after party.

“Since undertaking its new model, Long Wharf Theatre continues to demonstrate leadership in presenting world-class theatre with productions like Live From the Edge and attracting top-tier talent to New Haven like Audra McDonald,” said Adriane Jefferson, Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of New Haven. “More than ever, Long Wharf Theatre is open for business and at the center of New Haven’s cultural revitalization. I so look forward to celebrating with our community at this year’s benefit and appreciate the important role the institution plays in putting New Haven on the map for theatre-lovers nationwide.”

This concert replaces the benefit reading of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, which was originally announced as part of the 22/23 season lineup; the company looks forward to returning to this piece of Long Wharf Theatre’s legacy in a future season.

In December 2022, Long Wharf Theatre announced the launch of a new partnership with Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), formalizing a more than thirty year long relationship between the two institutions. This collaboration embodies Long Wharf Theatre’s core pillar of kaleidoscopic community partnerships, and jointly strengthens each institution, both of which have deep roots in Greater New Haven. In addition to SCSU hosting this year’s benefit event, the partnership also includes opportunities to engage the next generation of theatre artists and audiences through the formation of a new paid internship program and special student discounts to Long Wharf Theatre productions.

On April 27, Live From the Edge will open at Space Ballroom in Hamden, and run until May 21. Created by Long Wharf’s Mellon Foundation playwrights-in-residence UNIVERSES (Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp), the show is the first by the institution since it left its former space on Sargent Drive late last year. In early 2022, Long Wharf Theatre announced the move, reimagining the relationship between artists and audiences by creating theatre, without barriers, in spaces and stages across the region. Over the next few years, the company will produce in-person and virtual programming in partnership with local civic, cultural, and public institutions.

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About Audra McDonald
Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actor. The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy, in 2015 she received a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. She won Tonys for her performances in Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, which also served as the vehicle for her Olivier-nominated 2017 West End debut. On television, McDonald won an Emmy as the official host of PBS’s Live From Lincoln Center; she stars as Liz Reddick in The Good Fight on Paramount+ and guest-stars in Julian Fellowes’s historical drama The Gilded Age on HBO and HBO Max. Her film credits include Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast and MGM’s 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect. A Juilliard-trained soprano, McDonald maintains a major career as a Grammy-winning = recording and concert artist. Her latest solo album, Sing Happy, was recorded live with the New York Philharmonic for Decca Gold. A founding member of Black Theatre United, board member of Covenant House International, and prominent advocate for LGBTQAI+ rights, her favorite roles are those performed offstage, as an activist, wife to actor Will Swenson, and mother.

The Lives They Lived, an annual New York Times Magazine feature, is devoted this year to the stories of 12 children killed by gun violence.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/16/insider/gun-violence-children.html

Alexandra Miller, consultant  01/23/2023

Tucked into an unassuming brick building in East Rock, a New Haven startup is fighting to replace the global recycling system. Protein Evolution, founded in 2021, has been quietly developing a new way to recycle plastic. It thinks it can eventually recycle polyester fabrics, rugs and other plastics that end up in overwhelmed landfills. The company says their primary competitor is the recycling system itself....

https://www.ctinsider.com/business/article/new-haven-protein-evolution-plastic-recycling-17827335.php

The Milton Fisher Scholarship Committee is looking for students who are creative problem solvers.  Do you know a high school student who has found a distinctive solution to a problem faced by his/her family, school, community, or the world?  Who has solved an artistic, scientific, or technical problem in a new or unusual way?  Encourage them to apply to the Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity!

This is a FOUR-YEAR SCHOLARSHIP for up to $20,000 (up to $5,000 per year for four years).  It is open to HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS and COLLEGE FRESHMEN in Connecticut and the New York Metropolitan area, as well as students from outside the region going to college in Connecticut or the New York City area.  More information and the online application can be found at mfscholarship.org.  Interested applicants must complete the online application on or before May 5, 2023. 

Questions? Contact info@mfscholarship.org.

Position Summary:  The New Haven Early Childhood Council (Council) is a citywide group of community members committed to ensuring that all New Haven children from birth to age eight have the opportunities, supports, and experiences they need to reach their full potential.  The Council includes parents, educators, government officials, health and social service agencies and other representatives from the community invested in the well-being of young children. 

The Council seeks a passionate and entrepreneurial Director to lead the Council’s work to expand access to and the quality of early care and education in New Haven.  The ideal candidate will have knowledge of the early care and education landscape in Connecticut and understand and embrace systems change work. The Director should have experience working on complex community change efforts, embrace work rooted in partnerships, and be a consummate communicator comfortable with varied audiences. The Director will drive the Council’s internal and external functions, including strategy development and implementation, communications, community engagement, fund development, and data collection and analysis. 

This is a 15-month grant-funded position, with the possibility of renewal dependent on funding.  The position will be housed at United Way of Greater New Haven. 

The Director will report to the Council Co-Chairs and Executive Committee. 

This position can be 30-40 hours/week and is benefit eligible. The salary range for this position is $100,000 - $110,000 for full-time, depending on experience.

Responsibilities include:

Strategy Development and Implementation

• Provide leadership and support to the Council in its identification of strategic priorities and avenues for implementation.
• Research and promote best practices related to early care and education through advocacy, partnerships, and influence.
• Develop and implement the Council’s advocacy priorities and coordinate supporting activities of partners.
• Create an annual scope and sequence of Council agendas that align with the mission and strategic goals of the Council.
• Collaborate with the School Readiness Liaison and School Readiness fiduciary to ensure program viability and success.

Capacity-building

• Organize and sustain an inclusive, collaborative network of constituents focused on systemic efforts to improve outcomes for young children.
• Build capacity of Council leadership by recruiting and orienting new Council members and helping to bring newer members along in leadership roles.
• Support the Council by attending Council and committee meetings, working with Chairs to continually build trust and pay attention to group dynamics to ensure work is progressing.
• Coordinate all Council meetings and communications and ensure adherence to public meeting requirements for noticing and recording meetings.
• Supervise additional Council staff/interns/consultants.

Communications and Community Engagement

• Conduct marketing and outreach to engage constituents in the Council’s work.
• Develop content for the Council website and social media to ensure beneficiaries are engaged.
• Represent the Council at statewide meetings and forums.
• Manage relationships with partners.

Financial Management & Fund Development

• Create an annual Council budget under the direction of the Council and maintain, manage, and report budget income and expenses related to the Council monthly.
• Identify potential funding sources to support the Council’s goals and priorities and work to secure those funds.

Data Collection and Analysis

• Work with the Council and its committees to develop outcome measures and collect, analyze and report data to determine progress.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree preferred or an equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Minimum 5 years work-related experience in leadership roles
• Strong interpersonal skills
• In-depth knowledge of early childhood development and education
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively
• Demonstrated experience working in urban areas and working with government agencies and officials
• Strong background in data collection and utilization
• Proficient technology skills
• Proven leadership and management skills
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to multitask
• Experience in fundraising, grant writing, and fiscal management
• Ability to work flexible hours
• Spanish language fluency helpful
• Proficient with MS Office365 and demonstrated comfort in learning new software/ online tools as needed.
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of the Council. 
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation 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.

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!

DataHaven, Fairfield County, Greater Hartford and Greater New Haven Community Foundations Release Landmark Reports on Connecticut’s quality of life, public health, economic development, and civic vitality.

In Connecticut and throughout the country, Black and Latino residents, as well as other communities of color, face persistent disparities which negatively impact health, wellbeing and wealth-building. These disparities did not happen by accident. They are the result of historical systemic barriers to opportunity and disinvestment in urban communities, many of which are still woven into the fabric of our institutions. Read more and access report.

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven's Fund for Women and Girls has once again released its Pathways to Economic Security Grants. The focus of this funding is for nonprofit organizations serving women and organizations that support women entrepreneurs and business owners. Grants will range from $1,500 to $20,000. Apply by Monday, April 3, 2023. Please share with your networks! #NHV #philanthropy #economicsecurity #women

Learn more and please share with your networks. 

https://www.cfgnh.org/articles/community-fund-for-women-girls-fund-grant-opportunity-pathways-to-economic-security-for-women

Always on the cutting edge of her craft, photographer Phyllis Crowley explores language in water in LEXICON, her new exhibit at City Gallery, on view March 4 - March 26, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, March 4, 2pm - 5pm and an Artist Talk at 3:30 pm. Crowley will also be in the gallery on Sunday, March 5 and Saturday, March 25.

Influenced by an image of photographer Harry Callahan, Crowley sought to explore the trajectory of light on water. What she discovered was something very different from the expected. “I seemed to be reading an unknown language that consists of signs and symbols that evoke ancient glyphs or pictographs in caves or on stone tablets. These were drawings made by the sun on the water. They were true ‘light drawings,’ the name given to the very first photographs in the 19^th century.”

The series featured in LEXICON was made by standing in various ponds in Cape Cod, and slowing the camera shutter to capture the silent voice of sunlight writing messages on the water. For Crowley, there are many variables in making the work: the quality of the sun, the movement of water, camera settings, depth of water, color and time of day. As photography pioneer William Henry Fox Talbot said, “it is a little bit of magic realized – of natural magic.”

Crowley has a distinct way of blending her understanding of photography with her innate sense of wanting it to do more.  In LEXICON, she explores the elements of visual language: letters, characters, pictographs, glyphs, drawings. “I see this as a language for a new generation.  Our world is now so divided that we, even in our own country, no longer speak the same language. We cannot talk to each other. Our ideas, values, belief in reason and fact can now only be heard by those who agree. This is an appropriate language for another generation. A language that can convey beauty and feeling, evoke memories of things known and unknown, a language that we can all share and understand with our hearts, but never be able to translate.”

A photographer from a very young age, Crowley is a well-known local artist with more than 40 years of professional and fine art experience. She taught photography at Norwalk Community College and the University of Bridgeport, and now teaches at Creative Arts Workshop in New Haven. She has exhibited across the country and has twice been awarded an Artist Fellowship from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts.

LEXICON is free and open to the public, and runs March 4 - March 26, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, March 4, 2pm - 5pm and an Artist Talk at 3:30 pm. Crowley will also be in the gallery on Sunday, March 5 and Saturday, March 25. City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Gallery hours are Friday - Sunday, 12 - 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.

New Haven está creando su Comprehensive Plan para los años 2025-2035. El Comprehensive Plan es un guía por la visión de la ciudad para el futuro y una guía de políticas para lograr los objetivos de planificación. ¡Únase a nosotros para una reunión en español sobre el proceso de planificación del Plan Integral el 23 de febrero de 2023 a las 6:00 p.m. Registrarse aquí.

Public information meeting about the Comprehensive Plan planning process in Spanish on February 23, 2023 at 6:00 PM. Register here.

Source including list of organizations through which you can donate: Connecticut insider

Emergency teams search through the rubble for people in a destroyed building in Adana, Turkey, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. A powerful quake has knocked down multiple buildings in southeast Turkey and Syria and many casualties are feared.Khalil Hamra/AP

More than 3,400 people have died after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated Turkey and Syria early Monday. 

The earthquake, one of the region’s strongest in over 100 years, has left mounds of wreckage and thousands injured, as rescue efforts go underway amid a winter storm. Strong aftershocks were felt throughout the region hours after the first earthquake, reaching as far as Northeast Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.  

Written By

Abby Weiss

Reach Abby on

Abby Weiss is a Connecticut native and a features reporter at Hearst Connecticut Media. She graduated with a B.S. in journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in 2022. She has written for InsideClimate News, The New York Post and Callaway Climate Insights.

©2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC

The New Haven City Plan Department seeks proposals to assist with the 2035 Plan of Conservation Development, Equity and Resilience. Services are divided into two Requests for Qualifications, one for Communications and Outreach and one for Plan Development. Cooperative proposals are encouraged, however the City retains the right to choose whichever which consultant or combination of consultants which present the highest qualifications. The consultant(s) shall be engaged until a final Plan draft is complete.

Request for Qualifications: Communications and Outreach

Scope: Develop and implement a feedback gathering and engagement effort that seeks to glean opinions of residents and workers. Manage specialized feedback teams. Create necessary materials. Coordination with community outreach partners. Synthesis of feedback findings. 
Click here for RFQ web page

Request for Qualifications: Plan Development 

Scope: Build a data book to inform the plan visioning process. Analyze existing plans. Conduct a visioning process wide enough to encompass citywide policy but granular enough to cover neighborhood needs. Draft Plan and implementation strategies.  
Click here for RFQ web page

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.