Special Jewelers event :
We welcome Jeffery Larsen and Robin Jopp who will be on hand with their full collections of Jewelry.

Jeffry Larsen works in fine silver as well as re-purposed antique silver and gem stones will be on hand to speak about his techniques as well as do minor adjustments to work.

Robin Jopp has a singular approach to making wearable art. Jopp combines found objects, hardware and unique items to create one of a kind statement pieces.

Both artists have very affordable prices and will have a full selection of work on display.
Please join us and have a glass of wine while getting that perfect gift.

Buy Local this Holiday!
Happy Holidays from the Gallery at Black Rock!

In late 2008 When I was readying to open the Galley at Black Rock. I had no idea how the community would receive it, for that matter I had very few friends or acquaintances in the gallery’s  home of Black Rock. The very first opening we had I met some of the best people our City had to offer and who unbeknown to me, would become some of my dearest friends.

Black Rock is arguably the most economically diverse part of Bridgeport. The harmonious mix of differing socio-economic backgrounds living and working in the area makes for an exotic stew studded with characters. I could not have asked for a better community to become part of.

Being in Black Rock has allowed the gallery to grow and find it’s footing. The community has been forgiving of missteps and has celebrated with us in the successes. I think we have become part of the fabric that makes Black Rock such a unique and special place.
Never has a day gone by in where we did not get a visit from some of the regular Fairfield Avenue people, some interested in art, some interested in politics, and some just looking to shoot the breeze and come in from the cold/heat.

One thing I have always been looking toward is ways to grow and to improve the ability of the gallery to bring a wide array of art to our city and the little Black Rock space would often limit that due to size and other constraints. The gallery worked at growing into larger spaces by showing in converted warehouse spaces and alternative venues which helped cement the resolve to create a space with more possibilities for what we could do with art.

Recently an opportunity came up to move the gallery to a space that will give us a way to amplify the work we are doing. The space will be four times the size of the space we have now. It will allow for a much wider array of arts to be shown including more large works, Sculpture, mixed media and new arts. It will allow us to add more to the cultural life here in Bridgeport than ever before. In short a dream come true.

The move is made bittersweet by the fact that we will be leaving Black Rock and Moving to Knowlton Street in Bridgeport’s East Side. The East Side, having a good portion of the bones of our manufacturing industry warehouse spaces is the natural place for finding large and affordable space for arts venues. The building we are going to be housed in is undergoing a stunning renovation that will help pioneer a major neighborhood revitalization process that I could not be happier to be a part of.

I expect to continue to be very active in the Black Rock Arts scene. As part of the NRZ Arts Committee, we are planning an Art fair this spring at the Captains Cove and will actively seek out ways to continue our very positive link with the Black Rock community.

THANKS Black Rock for allowing the gallery in, and I hope that you will all be part of the new space and continue to let the gallery be part of the fabulous, funky, and friendly community that is Black Rock!

Friends and gallery goers, one and the same.

The galleries TRUE saint Paul Arroyo, myself and Peter Konsterlie at his solo opening.

Cities that have mural programs and free wall space are able to add a beautiful asset to thier city for low cost. Cities who work against it get scrawling and urban blight. It does not go away.

Id like to take you on a visual journey to illustrate what kind of work we get when we work with artists and what we get when we dont.

New wall on Rampage.

This is a new work on the rampage building. It clearly has a theme, beautiful color, and interesting strong work. An asset to the area.

Here is what we get when we ignore and neglect young artists who are frustrated marginalized and bored.

Encouraged

Discouraged.

Bresky has a constantly updated wall.

The artists never attack this wall. There is a respect for the art that is done well.

If you feel no one notices you here is where you get noticed.

If you give this spot to the artists.

You deter then from working here.

or here.

Lets stop ignoring the 800 pound gorilla in the room, They are here, and clearly refuse to be ignored. Lets try and harness the energy and utilize some waisted resources. There are lots of ugly unused walls in this city and lots of lots of idle hands who would love to fill them.

Can we stop doing this?

and embrace some of this?

Our city has made steps to respect the arts in Bridgeport. Here are some artists we should start listening to and maybe work with them to create a more artful city .

Character and history are words that come to mind when speaking of the East Side.  Another word that comes to mind is potential.  Seeing one building restored, one can imagine if the whole neighborhood was so lucky. It would be a breathtaking place to see.

The other part of the east side I cant help but see potential in is the waterfront,  Knowlton Street area. The deserted manufacturing  buildings nearly scream out to become art space.  The  buildings were built at a time when even factories and corporate space were built with an eye for the aesthetics.

A garage with personality

The empty space, and personality filled buildings give the area a drama that would work well with arts venues.

Knowlton Street at Congress st. "Bridge"

The East Side or The Old West?

Lots of room for sculpture, installations, video,film, events etc. in there!

Others have already caught on tho the idea.

The Derosa Brothers offered up their space to house Keith Rodgerson and Greg Iwaskiewicz’s Avant Garden. Both invest time in the East Side John with his development company restoring distressed properties. Mark teaching art at Bridgeport Academy.  Their space, formerly a boxing gym, is ideal for an art space, Plenty of wall space, perfectly distressed wood floors, high ceilings.  It took a fair amount of work getting it in shape.

It cleaned up nice.

Mark is also an artist who has a really unique and modern style.

Mark Derosa

The 305 Knowlton street Artist Studios are pioneering art use for the buildings.

305 Knowlton Street, Artist Studios

Th Knowlton Street studios have incredible light and are very affordable for artists who are struggling.

Dana Scinto works out of Knowlton st.

Dana is doing some very cool things with polymers. This is her egg series.

Nice big windows bring light.

Allen Wittert works there too.  some of his colorful work below.

Wittert in his studio

Some Chick by Allen Wittert I LOVE it!

My dream is to see this stuff multiply by 5 before 2011. Can we do it?

Is this YOUR gallery spot?

Avant Garden/Camelot Development

The opening of Avant Garden had at least seventy people at it. People will come if there is something to come to.

To see this dream come true is going to take some old fashioned elbow grease and some suspension of disbelief, but its already starting.  What it needs is Brains, hard work, and a little money. do you have any of these things?

Some pics of the art and good times on the East Side this weekend:

Karen, Israel,Liz,Sean at Avant Garden

Stunning photo of the Congress street "bridge" by Rachael Haymann

Greg Iwaskiewicz, Lighted shadow box.

My photo of Greg’s work is not really doing it justice it is one of the best works in the show.

Brilliant re purposing of a treadmill

Karen Sokalow and friend.

Dana Scinto Polymer Work

Frank Post, Hand Puppet installation

Iyaba Mandingo, Man of many talents.

Iyaba Sculpture with east Side Backdrop

A taste of what can be?   Maybe this can be your inspiration to do something  great.

A year ago I was hard at work painting and Spackling.

Ok, so I had help.

I got a sign put up, A window sign was all I could afford at the time. The Gallery was legit.

I Started getting the first show ready:

We measured every inch of that show every piece was hung in exact distance from the floor ceiling and any other measure point. This was the birth of a nice little obsessive behavior for me.

Jason Hayes Fabulosity Coach.

I needed some help making the place sparkle. In came the New York theatre possee.

The Gallery was ready for its close up!

The opening night was perfect. Lots of friends and family, and new friends.

Charlie Walsh , Mary Witkowski, Sharon Daveys

Truth be told when the gallery idea was first conceived I did not plan on it being a very serious endeavor. I just wanted to have a few shows and give some artists a cool place to hang their work.  It was when I started to reach out to the local artists looking for the next show that the avalanche of beauty came upon me. I had put out a few feelers as well as an ad on craigslist and my mail box was overflowed with  incredible and worthy work. I could not show all the work in ten years that fell out of the sky on me. Instantly I knew I was going to have  to rethink my attitude toward the gallery and what it needed to be.

The Lady of the Gallery

Lots of people helped along the way. The gallery would not exist without all those who were there to lend help and support.

Frank Post, Liz Squillace, me, Paul Arroyo

Annika Klein, intern

Liz, Dustin DeMilio, and Peter Konsterlie all showed at the gallery this year.

Karl Heine, KHyal, and Jim Hett at the Artist Brunch

One thing unexpected were the friends made along the way.

What?

Thanks Lennie Grimaldi! He helped me get the word out about the gallery.

Kyle McCarthy Bartender, auto, home, life-call for a quote.

Some friends were lost.

Moby best pal RIP

Dust Magnet

Art, Friends, and events!

Designer Show home, Weston CT.

Carolina and Paul.

Off the Grid

Linda Street representing for Newark!

Keith, Kevin, Marile

Cindy and Peter

A new sign!

Melissa and Joan

Kevin Robinson, Photographer, Artist, Good Guy

Ruth and Dot, contemplate Dante's Inferno

New floor and furniture helped a lot.

The first year of the gallery has been an eventful, interesting, and wild year. What will the future hold? I can think of a few good things. I hope the gallery has brought more to you than my heinous spelling errors and I am so looking forward to another wonderful year in Bridgeport sharing art and friendship with you.

THANKS to all who have helped and supported along the way.

See you December 3rd for Charlie Walsh 2.0 6-9 pm

Holiday gifts Galore starting Dec 4th

RIP little guy.

Since opening my little Gallery, The Gallery at Black Rock I have learned to be somewhat methodical about putting together shows. Press releases done on a certain date, invites on another, postcards made 5 weeks prior. These are things that make the shows gears run smooth so I can save the energy for the work that matters.
I have always admired graffiti both for its beauty and for its pureness.
So when It was suggested that I do a show on street art i jumped on it.  I had one artist ready and willing but the subject needs a group to make sense. In keeping with my method I started the work getting it together.
I did research:

I asked for help:

Keith Rodgerson helped me find the art and the artists, I don’t think if I would have gained their trust without him.

From a LOT of people!

I found the artists.  Lost the artists.  I found them again. The phone numbers changed, the addresses changed. I had no jpegs and not sure who was going to produce work for the show. My type A personality was in a real state.  Something had to give!  I started thinking about the nature of the subject I was working on.  These artists already have a pretty good platform established to show the work.  They don’t need a gallery to do what they love. In fact the gallery as a system was one of the things they are working against. When I met with the guys they were excited to show, but when your life’s work pays nothing, and even more costs money, you have to be adaptable and willing to roll with the punches to get by and keep doing what you do. Here I had found a kinship with them.

What had to give was my expectations and ideas of how this was going to work. Once I rearranged my brain on this, It all started to fall into place. I asked the guys (yes, its all guys, I never was able to find a female although they very much exist.) to check in from where they were at, so phone numbers were updated. Surprise, they did, more so they kept me up to date on the progress and seemed understanding about my worrying.

I asked for more help:

Edward (Where's my bottle service?!) Powell came in from the city to help hang.

Liz Squillace gave 2 full weekend days to see that the show was hung right.

I am what I am.

Finishing touch.

Most of my self imposed rules were broken. It was all for the best.

Unfinished wall

After hanging the show Ed (wheres my Bottle service?!) Powell and I were able to spend the rest of the afternoon with 2 of the artists and it was like we were old friends. We talked Scooby Doo,  Artistic Philosophy,  and restaurants we like.  We talked about our dreams for the future, all remarkably similar. We talked about how the city of Bridgeport NEEDS free walls.  How easy it seems for people to accept being bombarded by advertising everywhere they look, but how many get upset by seeing artwork on the same walls and places.

Lessons learned: Be wiley and flexible in you pursuit of your goals.  Don’t let self imposed obstacles get in your way. Stop Worrying and learn to go with the flow.

If you are interested in seeing the show it opens on October 16th 2009 at The Gallery at Black Rock, www.thegalleryatblackrock.com

I grew up surrounded by girls. It was 4 against one in our house. How our father survived is beyond me but is a testament to the after work cocktail that did seem curiously ever present.
I had no exposure to extreme sports or much of any sports for that matter. In fact one of my greatest high school achievements was being let out of the gym requirement after repeatedly wearing 6 inch heels on Gym days.
Large groups of boys and their accompanying testosterone fueled fun are an unknown universe to me. I never knew what I was missing! I was exposed to a huge swirling vortex of it last night on Baldwin plaza. Oh, and fire breathing hula hoopers as well.
It was a bit of a free for all when I showed up, with a healthy dose of punk rock and speed metal to keep things going. There was a certain energy in the air that was contagious. Between skateboarders and BMXers The death defying feats were plentiful. Watching these guys seemingly unafraid of the possibility of grievous injury, the adrenalin does get pumping.

The event, another of the DCC Thursdays on Baldwin plaza was a collaboration with Day One Skate Shop’s Jeff Walsh and Keith Rodgerson.

Ring leaders

When Jeff offered a new deck to who ever won a race around the circle they went nuts.

It was a little cold but the barbeque fire was helping, as was the beer.

Peter Konsterlie acted as Sommelier

Starting Young.

Cute Skater boys who helped clean up.

Lessons learned, Go to the unknown you may find something new and exciting, and Testosterone can be fun, albeit dangerous.

I am posting pictures of places and things around the city of Bridgeport. Pretty much all of the neighborhoods are represented. E Mail the location of each picture in order that they appear here.
Who ever gets the most correct will win an original piece of art from the Off the Grid show (chosen by the gallery)
In the event of a tie the 1st correct responder will win.
Hint–Nothing is far off the beaten path.
Submit entries to:
thegalleryatblackrock@gmail.com
Please give street locations and if its a major thoroughfare give intersections.
See how many you know!

The Contest ends October  17th I will post the answers on that day.

Seaside Park Near Bathhouse.
Under I95 exit 27
Connecticut ave. at East Main street
Beardsley park Zoo
Captains Cove
Little Liberia, South Main Street
Greek Orthodax Church Upper Park ave.
Mattys Corner, Fairfield Ave.
Al Bennet fishin pier Seaside Park
Main Street, Downtown
East Main Street, East side.
University of Bridgeport
Fairfield Ave Black Rock
Harborview Market
St Marys by the Sea
Old Black Rock Art Center, Fairfield ave.
Main Street Downtown
Seasview ave at Newfield.
Bagel King Main Street North End

Howe statue Seaside ParkPolice horse barn Seaside ParkHelados Vasquez Fairfield ave Black RockEllsworth Street, Black RockPark ave Near University of BridgeportPleasure Beach BridgeHouse on St Marys by the SeaStraford AvePowerbox Main street North ave. Art by SketchMens Clothing store, Main Street DowntownOld town and Madison North endModel of previous House same location

Tom Thumb's Grave Mountain Grove Cemetery

Mechanics and Farmers Bank Building, Main Street DowntownOldest House in Bridgeport, Brewster Street, Black RockDolfins Cove, Seaview Ave.Main Street at East Washinton ave, North EndCity Trust Bank Building, Main Street Down Town

From left, Casey Laird, her Painting, Wendy Nylen

The Gallery looked so inviting. Click on this to get a better view.

Back to Home turf Liz Squillace Had an Exhibit of her paintings called Roadwork at Day One Skate Shop in Black Rock. She had a great turnout for the show.  Liz paints in a bright easygoing style that mixes a comic element with clean ,bright, brushwork. I really like a view of the desert from the road. I could imagine that road trip.  I felt I was seeing the desert through Squillace’s eyes.

This image from Paradox Ink website.

There was a mix of paintings and Boards that were done by Liz at the show.  I think the space complemented the mix very well.

Paintings and Boards by Liz Squillace

About Day one, I have seen some really excellent stuff there since I have been going to the openings. Jeff Walsh and his partner often give opportunities to younger and edgier artists and It really pays off. One show I really liked this year was a show of painted illustrations on travel by Daniel Yagmin Here is a link to his site.

http://www.danielyagminjr.com/DanielYagminJr/HOME.html

Jeff Walsh, Day One Skate Shop owner

Jeff is a great guy and the shop is one of Bridgeport’s more interesting Art spaces as well as having a really cool selection of skate stuff, sneakers, and clothes.

I Bumped into Frank Post at the show. Frank is an  artist who showed at my Gallery this year. He was doing a set with his band The Watusi Kings at the acoustic cafe that eve so I went over. I rarely go to the acoustic but I need to make a point of getting there more. Its a friendly place and they have running art shows. That night there were a few paintings by Looketha. I have admired Looketha’s work for a while. She has a very unique personal style that becomes quickly recognizable.  I was waiting for Frank to start and looked around. Its not the best lighting as one would imagine being a nightclub and all. I Think this may be a collection of some older work of the artists because it differs from some recent work I have seen but I was taken by a creature and I had to bring him home with me.

My new acquisition. A creature who is now greeting me at my front door.

Thanks to Looketha my place has a gargoyle keeping watch!

The band was in good form they play funk covers and had a new sax player. A very good addition to the sound. If you like funk, try and catch Watusi Kings.

Dark Photo of Watusi Kings but what do you want I have a cheap camera and its a night club!

I ran over to two Boots for the after party of  the Roadwork show where the Bordloards were playing. Two boots is the place in Downtown Bridgeport consistently brings interesting music to us. The covers are always under $10 and you often get 3 bands. We need music downtown for it to keep plugging along as a good nightspot and Two Boots is raising to task on this. They have a wide array of music from Latin night, to burlesque shows, to surf night(my fave). They need a Brazilian night but that’s another story.

Dustin was to provide one of his mind bending Video projections to open studio’s in New Haven Saturday night I was so sorry to have to miss it. I was told It was great and made good use of the space it was in.

Liz Squillace, Always Photogenic.

Bob D'Aprile and Brad keeping the music going downtown.

If this Friday is an indication the “season” is kicking in. I better take some more vitamins.