Renovations on the new “Valley Center of the Arts” (formerly the Hotchkiss Hose Co. firehouse on Caroline Street) are progressing at a fever pitch.
Volunteers from the Valley Arts Council have been spending countless hours finishing up the work in time for an open house taking place on Saturday Sept. 26, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Rich DiCarlo, Valley Arts Council President, has been at the forefront of the push to get the work completed on time.
“Several members of the Arts Council have devoted many long hours to finishing the last of the painting and cleaning” DiCarlo said. “We encountered many setbacks which delayed us, but worked through them all.”
Leaky pipes and water damage caused several delays for the all volunteer membership who have been doing the majority of the work themselves over the past few months. New flooring, a fresh coat of paint, some new fixtures and a lot of elbow grease have transformed the 85-year-old building, which also housed the Spooner House homeless shelter for 28 years, into a clean, bright studio and teaching space.
DiCarlo added, “The rooms are bathed in natural light, so they are perfect for working artists and the whole place has a very creative vibe to it, we are very excited about infusing more art into the community, and we hope the neighbors are too”.
New signage for the front of the building is scheduled for installation in time for the open house. The bright green banners, similar to that on the VAC’s Gallery@37, will be visible from downtown.
The upcoming open house, designed to introduce the Arts Center to the Community, will give artists, art lovers, art teachers, and general community members the chance to tour the space and see first-hand the transformation it is undergoing.
In addition to tours of the building, visitors will get to see artists at work, artists will be able to view rentable studio space and community members can see samples of artwork from the types of classes which will be offered.
Potential art teachers can get information about teaching at the center while public and parochial school art teachers are invited to speak to the membership about how the VAC can help in their classrooms and what programs they would like to see offered at the Art Center.
Make it and take it art projects, music and refreshments will also be on hand.
DiCarlo’s excitement about the project and the opportunity to finally introduce the Art Center to the public is infectious.
“This is another huge step forward for our organization, as well as another positive stride in re-developing the downtown area into an art and cultural center.”
To contribute to the project, please send donations to:
Valley Chamber of Commerce
Valley Arts Council
2nd Floor
900 Bridgeport Avenue
Shelton, CT 06484
Contact Rich DiCarlo for information about volunteering or renting studio spaces at: 203 – 906-4343 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
