Opening Reception for Preserving and Observing: Two Centuries of Norwalk Art

Celebrate the opening of the Norwalk Historical Society's new exhibit, Preserving and Observing: Two Centuries of Norwalk Art with a wine and cheese reception at Mill Hill Historic Park on Saturday, June 10, 2017 from 4:00pm – 5:30pm. Curator Sophia Gevas will lead a gallery talk at 4:30pm discussing the various artists and their work.  Mill Hill is located at 2 East Wall Street in Norwalk, CT. Follow signs for parking.    
 
Preserving and Observing: Two Centuries of Norwalk Art is curated by Sophia Gevas.  Presented in the recently restored 1835 Town House at Mill Hill, the featured works were created by artists who lived and worked in Norwalk. The exhibit is a survey presented in groupings of Portraits, Still-lifes, Scenes of Working Life and Nature, each capturing significant aspects and insights about Norwalk through the ages.  

WPA era art as well as works from the Silvermine Arts Guild are well represented in this collection. Also featured are numerous paintings and drawings that depict subjects of historical importance like the city's famous oyster industry, local notable landmarks, and the ocean, waterways and islands on Norwalk's eastern border.

Art work was drawn from the four separate collections that comprise the Norwalk Collection: The City of Norwalk, the Lockwood family, the Norwalk Historical Society and the Norwalk-Village Green Chapter of the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).  These works have been donated or generously purchased and contributed to these collections to help create a more complete record of Norwalk's rich history.

This opening is held in conjunction with the state of Connecticut's, CT Open House Day 2017, a unified celebration of the state's fascinating world of art, history and tourism.  It is also part of the Grand Re-Opening of Mill Hill Celebration, which will include various activities beginning at noon on June 10th. More info at www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org.

Curator, Sophia Gevas, is Director of Outreach Education at the Silvermine Arts Center in New Canaan, CT and has expanded the Art Partners Program to annually provide professional Teaching Artists to execute curriculum-based studio art projects for nearly 1,000 K - 12 students in under-resourced schools in Norwalk and Stamford. Gevas was the founding director of The Gallery of Contemporary Art at Sacred Heart University where, over a 23 year period, she curated over 100 exhibitions that included lectures, Artist Talks and the production of 15 catalogues. She also created a University Art Collection comprised of donations and valued at nearly $1M and administered the commissioning of seven site-specific sculptures and art installations for new buildings. A Co-founder of the Stamford Loft Artists Association, her works have been exhibited in many venues in the United States, Greece and Cyprus and are in numerous collections, including the Pepsi-Co Collection. She also teaches Art History courses at Housatonic Community College.
 
For more information: visit www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org, e-mail info@norwalkhistoricalsociety.org , or call 203-846-0525. The Norwalk Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.