Greetings,
Perhaps you have heard about this group which has been working on promoting the arts in Branford. I signed up to receive information, so I'm receiving their email reports. Here are the minutes from their January meeting, which may be of interest to you, especially if you are a Branford resident. For more information or to join their mailing list, contact Richard Blacher at dblacher@snet.net.
/j
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January 13 Monthly meeting (next meeting
Tuesday, February 10, 7:00 PM)
-
Bringing back the “ARTS” to the Branford Festival.
-
Gaining access to and establishing the Academy as a viable
venue for arts events initiated by BACA.
-
Planning the first Plein Air “happening” on the green in late spring (annual –
if it works as well as we expect).
DEVELOPMENTS:
The First Congregational Church on the
green is considering allowing us the use of their facilities for arts and
performance events. Our thanks to Rev. Heeckt for his enthusiastic support
(welcome [back] to Branford).
BCTV
(Branford Community
Television, Inc.) is
interested in taping and airing our events.
Nominations for BACA
officers:
Chair:
Frank
Carrano
Vice Chair: Robin
Sandler
Treasurer: Rosemary
Rubsam
Secretary: Richard
Blacher
IDEAS:
Branford Festival (June 20th):
- reserving a number of booths and linking
them, to be shared by several artists interested in showing and selling their
work. The cost (relatively nominal) of renting the booths would be shared by
the artists.
- having a “gallery” display of those
artists’ works at the same time at the First Congregational Church which could
remain on display that Sunday, June 21st (Branford Road Race – see:
http://branfordroadrace.net/events/) possibly attracting many of the thousands
of racers, other participants, and viewers.
Plein
Air:
- having an exhibition/display of
completed work(s) by these artists at the First Congregational Church or the
Academy while they are painting on the green.
- displaying the artists’ finished work
the following week in store fronts/windows all around the green. They would be
for sale, with the store receiving a commission for hosting the work.
In
our first news letter we asked for your suggestions/thoughts/ideas for possible
arts and/or performance-related projects or events for Branford. Several
excellent ideas were put forth. One idea was enthusiastically embraced –
creating a public sculpture park at the Branford Train Station. Needless to
say, this would be a MASSIVE undertaking, with all sorts of likely obstacles
(insurance, etc), but everyone agreed it would certainly be worth pursuing. If
progress is made, the person who suggested it will be thanked
publicly.
BCTV
- in-studio interviews with individual artists and performing groups, and BACA
members about planned or upcoming events.
Pursuing the idea of utilizing the huge
tent erected by the Blackstone Memorial Library for their annual book sale in
September, empty for several days prior to the sale. They have offered to let
BACA use it for art-related events.
GOALS:
Meet
with and establish an on-going dialogue with the Branford Economic Development
Commission.
Establish a dialogue with the Branford
Foundation for grants and/or fund raising.
We ask for your ideas/comments/feedback,
and names/e-mails to broaden our data base. PLEASE do forward this news letter
to any (and all) you think may be interested in the (hopefully soon-to-be)
burgeoning art scene in Branford. Suggest that they contact me if they would
like to receive these news letters and updates from BACA. My e-mail:
dblacher@snet.net
And, if you would like to be/get involved
in this exciting undertaking, please let us know.
Richard
