Mayor's Artwork Unites Norwalk's Past & Present

Thanks to the Norwalk Arts Commission, Mayor Harry Rilling has two new pieces of art in his City Hall office. Jeffrey Price, owner of the Artists' Market and Aleksander Rotner, Vice President of the Norwalk Camera Club donated two framed scenes of Norwalk past and present. Rotner found a view of South Norwalk's railroad bridge online, and Library Director Christine Bradley helped Price and Rotner find an original card in library's new History Room. Rotner then photographed the same scene today, and masterfully combined the two using Photoshop. They contributed their work to help set the standard for public art in Norwalk.

Given Price's interest in early 20th century postcards, the Artists' Market has produced many large-format prints based on antique photographs. "The two photographs we created for the Mayor's office capture the beauty of last century's Norwalk with the dynamic growth our city has achieved more recently. It is exciting for me to show Norwalk as a vibrant urban center with roots of the past anchoring modern development."

Mayor Rilling recently used the artwork as a teaching tool when he welcomed visiting third graders to his office. He invited the students to find the differences between then and now in the historic scene and pointing out the problematic railroad bridge in another.

With an emphasis on public art, the Norwalk Arts Commission partners with city departments, local cultural organizations, businesses, educators, and arts professionals to connect the arts with the community. The commission has been able to triple its available resources with a recent grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, along with donations from people like Jeff Price and Aleksander Rotner.