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Artspace, New Haven

Coordinates: 41°18′15.6″N 72°55′30.9″W / 41.304333°N 72.925250°W / 41.304333; -72.925250
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Artspace
Founded1987
TypeExhibition
Focusvisual art
Websiteartspacenewhaven.org

Artspace (founded 1987)[1] was a contemporary art gallery and non-profit organization located in downtown New Haven, Connecticut. Artspace closed its physical location in June 2023 and announced plans to operate remotely.[2]

Teen program

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Artspace hosted an annual Summer Apprenticeship Program (SAP) for high school students to work with a professional artist. In 2001, the program's founding year, Artspace partnered with artist Sol LeWitt to create a series of wall drawings.[3]

Past SAP projects have included:

  • 2001: Wall Drawings with Sol LeWitt[3]
  • 2002: On the Day I Was Born with David Pease[4]
  • 2003: View From Here with Lee Boronson[5]
  • 2005: Organic Bending with Shih-Chieh Huang[6]
  • 2008: Hawaii with William Downs[7]
  • 2009: Babel Collections with Carolyn Salas[8]
  • 2011: Trellised Bench with Boris Chesakov and Ryan Wolfe[9]

The Lot

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The Lot is Artspace's pocket park and public art space. It is located near Artspace at 812 Chapel Street, the site of a busy bus stop. Artspace has presented temporary art installations here since 1999, and redeveloped it as a dedicated art space in 2005 in collaboration with local and federal agencies.

Early history

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The Lot began as an empty lot. It was formerly the site of the Phoenix Building, which was torn down in the late 1990s because of safety concerns, leaving a rubble-filled lot.[10]

In 1999, Marianne Bernstein of Artspace's Visual Arts Committee, asked Mayor John DeStefano for permission and organized the inaugural project in the Lot, "New Haven Labyrinth." A team of local artists led by Sharon Kurland created a maze, inspired by a Cretan labyrinth, made out of local river rocks painted by over 2500 local residents.[11][12]

Renovations

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In 2001, a community charrette focused on the Lot was organized by Artspace, the International Festival of Arts and Ideas and Project for Public Spaces. There, artists and neighborhood residents developed ideas for renovating the site, including plantings, pathways, benches, and a new bus shelter.[10] The design, anchored by benches of stone recycled from the Phoenix Building, was honored by the American Society of Landscape Architects.[13]

Exhibitions

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Exhibitions at the Lot included:

  • Deborah Hesse (curator): Line (2001), a large group sculpture show [14]
  • Christopher Fennell: Tree Dome (2005–2006), a contemplative space made of foraged lumber[15]
  • DeWitt Godfrey: Pamplona (2006), one of three projects in Public Art Moving Site, giant rusty loops of sheet metal filling the Lot's Orange Street gateway[15][16]
  • Colin McMullan: A Lot in Our Lives (2007), interactive sculptures including outdoor libraries for books and objects[17][18] This exhibition was home to McMullan's first Corner Library, a project which is ongoing at various locations in New York City.[19][20]
  • William Lamson: Long Shot (2009–2010), basketball court of massive proportions[21][22]

References

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  1. ^ "About". Artspace. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  2. ^ Zaretsky, Mark (2023-06-21). "Artspace, a New Haven arts institution since 1987, closes gallery; will continue 'remotely' for now". New Haven Register. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  3. ^ a b Battista, Carolyn (12 Aug 2012). "Inside Four Walls, a Surge of Creativity". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  4. ^ "Born Artists?". Yale Bulletin and Calendar. 26 July 2002. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  5. ^ Liu, Victoria (12 Sep 2003). "After years in operation, Artspace settles in at last". Yale Daily News. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  6. ^ Banks, Summer (16 Sep 2005). "Artspace Previews PBS Series; Gallery Hosts Screening as a Prelude to 'Organic Bending' Exhibit". Yale Daily News. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  7. ^ Young, Mitchell (1 Sep 2008). "ART September 2008". New Haven Magazine. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  8. ^ "The Lot shows just what student artists can do". New Haven Register. 10 Aug 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  9. ^ Cohn, Jacob (12 July 2011). "Student-Built Benches Enhance Pocket Park". New Haven Independent. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  10. ^ a b Bromage, Andy (June 8, 2005). "City bus stop getting a face lift" Archived 2012-03-12 at the Wayback Machine. New Haven Register.
  11. ^ December 13, 1999 - January 17, 2000. "Community invited to help build labyrinth" Archived 2009-07-08 at the Wayback Machine. Yale Bulletin and Calendar.
  12. ^ Simpson, Jim (2000-01-09). "Vacant Lot Is a Canvas For Art in New Haven". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  13. ^ Bosak, Chris (September 1, 2006). "Norwalk landscape architect companies honored by Society" Archived 2010-10-25 at the Wayback Machine. The Hour, Page C5.
  14. ^ Rovzar, Chris (January 26, 2001). "Unconventional art overlooks bus stop" Archived 2012-09-21 at the Wayback Machine. Yale Daily News.
  15. ^ a b Genocchio, Benjamin (2006-01-22). "ART REVIEW; In, Under And Around". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  16. ^ "Public Art Moving Site" Archived 2010-06-04 at the Wayback Machine. Cambridge Arts Council. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  17. ^ Genocchio, Benjamin (2007-07-29). "Steal That Book, Bash That Drum". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  18. ^ McMullan, Colin. "A Lot in our lives" Archived 2011-01-26 at the Wayback Machine Emcee C.M. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
  19. ^ Halpern, Ashlea. "Guerrilla Librarians Make Noise Around New York". WSJ. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  20. ^ McMullan, Colin. "The Corner Libraries" Archived 2012-01-12 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Kobasa, Stephen (September 16, 2009). "Object lesson #29". New Haven Independent. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
  22. ^ "Long Shot" Archived 2011-03-17 at the Wayback Machine. Artspace. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
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41°18′15.6″N 72°55′30.9″W / 41.304333°N 72.925250°W / 41.304333; -72.925250