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Arts Paper

As the editorially independent arm of The Arts Council of Greater New Haven, the Arts Paper seeks to celebrate, explore, and investigate the fine, visual, performing and culinary arts in and around New Haven.

Blog Feature

See You Next Week!

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Young Readers Rejoice With A Book Or Two Of Joy

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Open Mic Surgery Keeps It Weird

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Sourdough Magic As Westville Baker Enters The Fray

Malby Rojas in her basement bakery. She is currently looking for her first brick-and-mortar storefront. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Shoreline Jewish Festival Brings Joy to The Guilford Green

Ruby Szekeres Photos.

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Hyphen-American Fireworks

The Fourth of July crew. Courtesy Ashley Makar. The second photo is Azhar Ahmed and her son, Kutti. Rachel Peet Photo.

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Artists Raise The Roof— And Their Voices—To Combat Femicide

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Audubon Arts Springs Into Session

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New Haven Remembers Aleta Staton, Arts Titan & Community Connector

Semi Semi-Dikoko, David Sepulveda, and Aleta Staton at the Arts Awards. Judy Sirota Rosenthal File Photo with permission from the Arts Council of Greater New Haven. The second photo in this story is from the photographer Leigh Busby, used with permission.

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Guilford Art Center Puts Ceramics In The Spotlight

Bianca Turner’s Untitled #11 (Pink Sphere) consists of multiple hollow pink spheres, each holding a smaller sphere within. At their centers, the miniature spheres are spindly and golden brown, disconnected from the shapes that surround them. Around them, speckled blue bowls hold it all together.

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Fireworks, Friendships Fuel A Festive Fourth

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New Doc Puts Reentry In Focus

Tabari "Ra" Hashim at a rehearsal for As We Emerge: Monologues of the Formerly Incarcerated in November 2023. Lucy Gellman File Photo.

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It's Thai Time Cooks Up Something New On Orange Street

Abraham Perez Orozco Photos.

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An Exhibition Seeks To Bring Peace To New Haven

David Judd Photos.

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In Edgewood Park, Seeing Sounds Hits Its Stride

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Meet Our New Crew: Welcoming YAJI 2024!

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Meet New Haven's New City Historian

Morand outside of the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Lucy Gellman.

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Birthdays & Bookjoy At Pride Month Community Dinner

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A Violin Virtuoso Graces The Green

Kamini Purushothaman Photo.

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Song and Dance at World Refugee Day

Olichka sings. Photos Kapp Singer. Sporting a long yellow dress, Olichka brought a microphone to her lips and began singing “Ukrayina – tse ty” (“Ukraine is you”), an upbeat pop anthem by Ukrainian artist Tina Karol. In the audience, dozens of hands started clapping alone. Then, one by one, members got to their feet. In the blink of an eye, a full-on dance party had broken out. “I know you don’t understand Ukrainian, but just feel it,” Olichka told the audience. On Saturday, a group of roughly 50 people gathered at United Church on the Green to celebrate World Refugee Day, coming together a week after several similar celebrations on the Green. Residents of the city old and new—from Syria to Sudan and Ukraine to Kenya—came together to share music, food, crafts, and stories. The event was co-sponsored by Havenly, New International Hope, Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS), Refugee Congress, and Elena’s Light. The United Nations’ official World Refugee Day was on June 20—due to scheduling conflicts, Saturday’s event was held a week later. 25 years ago, Olichka—whose off-stage name is Olga Borsh—moved from Odesa, Ukraine to Connecticut. She currently lives in Marlborough and works as a financial advisor. When Russia attacked Ukraine in February, 2022, initiating the ongoing war, she decided to start performing Ukrainian songs around the state to raise money for medical supplies in her home country. “It is my duty to use the talent that God gave me to help my people,” she told the audience in between songs. But beyond spreading her own heritage, Olichka asked the others in the room to spread theirs. “People love to hear your culture,” she said. Kallou Gindeel, a Sudanese immigrant, took the stage to speak about the civil war and famine in his home country and share a dance to a Nubian song. As he moved to the swirling sounds of the oud and tip-tapping of the tabla, the audience got right back on its feet to join him. Once again, the room burst into movement. Next, Brian Jarawa Gray got the audience bobbing their heads with his djembe drum performance. “This is a rhythm from the heart,” he said. Brian Jerawa Gray. Gray, who is from New Haven, said that he wanted to play the djembe to honor his ancestors’ West African heritage—but he also wanted to show the cultural reach of the instrument. He said that on his travels to Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Brazil, he heard all sorts of different djembe rhythms and techniques. “I left to check on something, and when I came back a lot of the room was up and dancing,” said Rebekah Sookdeo, PR coordinator at Elena’s Light and the emcee of the event. “That was not on the program,” she said. “It was full-on, intense-energy dancing.” A spontaneous dance party. As audience members settled back into their seats, Mohamd Shoaid offered a serene and mournful counterpart to the joyous dances. Shoaid sung a poem in Dari, the most widely spoken language in Afghanistan, wishing for war to end. He closed his eyes as he sang. His clear voice echoed, bringing a reflective quiet over the room. Nour al Zouabi, a medical researcher and recent graduate of the University of Connecticut who fled Syria due to the civil war in 2012, also asked the audience to embrace a sense of optimism. “Despite the darkness, I’m still hopeful,” she said. “I believe in our solidarity.” Nour al Zouabi. On Saturday, participants got a glimpse of that solidarity as they danced and ate together. “When I see people here, I get more hope,” said Fereshteh Ganjavi, the founder of Elena’s Light. The organization serves refugee women and children through advocacy and direct services. They provide English as a second language (ESL) tutoring, health literacy classes, and ‘know your rights’ workshops. The organization started in 2018, serving three women. Today, it serves over 100. “Depression is hard, being alone is hard, not having hope is hard for refugees and immigrants,” said Ganjavi, who came to Connecticut in 2011 from Herat, Afghanistan. “Cultural events like this make them alive again and tell them ‘you can build your community again.”

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Blog Feature

Caribbean Fest Dances Into A Decade

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Arts & Ideas Winds Down With Wonder

Top: Johnny Rivera and Elena Hogan-Perez. Bottom: The Queen gets her moves on. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Samara Joy Leaves New Haven On A High Note

Meredith Truax Photo, courtesy of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. In addition to Joy, musicians included Evan Sherman, Paul Sikivie, Donavan Austin, David Mason, Connor Rohrer, Jason Charos, and Kendric McCallister.

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Remembering Christina Spiesel

Defining Studios Photo. Courtesy Helen Kauder.

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CONTRA-TIEMPO Gets Down, Communally

Jayla Anderson Photos.

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"The Mailroom" Opens A Memory Portal

Abiba Biao Photos.

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Sherry Pocknett Brings Mashpee Wampanoag Flavors To Arts & Ideas

Esther Chiang (right), Melanie Barocas Mayer, and Sherry Pocknett (left) make corn cakes. Photos Kapp Singer. Esther Chiang added a few cups of cornmeal, some baking soda, and a touch of salt and pepper to a bowl. She slowly poured in water until the mixture was the consistency of thick pancake batter. After stirring in a few scallions and cranberries, she scooped it into a hot pan. “I want to cook, I want to eat, and I want to hear the stories,” said Chiang, the food justice education coordinator at Common Ground High School. As she made corn cakes alongside two other volunteers, Chef Sherry Pocknett looked on, giving them tips—a little more water, a little hotter pan, “too much oil!” On Tuesday, the two came together at an Indigenous cooking workshop and dinner with Pocknett, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and the first Indigenous woman to receive a James Beard award. Held at Gateway Community College’s Cafe Vincenzo as part of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, the event brought in roughly fifty people. Diners enjoyed samples of venison skewers, salmon bites, and turkey meatballs. As they ate “Indian tacos” with fry bread and beef, blueberry fritters, and quahog fritters, Pocknett told stories about Indigenous cuisines of the Northeast and her own journey to becoming a chef. Diners line up to try the food. Her first food memory came on a trip she took with her father when she was eight, to Washburn Island off the southern end of Cape Cod. Her father dropped her and her siblings off on the island, gave them some matches and fishing line, and told them to fend for themselves. She remembers picking blueberries and digging for clams, quahogs, and mussels. “There was an abundance of food,” she said. “I learned well, and I try to teach my children the same.” Back at home, after receiving a Suzy Homemaker oven, she began cooking. She remembers stealing all the food out of the fridge at home and making a meal for her brothers. “I knew then I was going to be a chef,” she said with a laugh. As she grew up, she learned to cook at The Flume, her family’s restaurant on Cape Cod. Her uncle was the chef and her grandmother the baker. She eventually became the food and beverage director at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center in Ledyard, Connecticut. There, she transformed a menu of hotdogs and grilled cheese into one with dishes like turtle soup, venison, and smoked fish. In 2023, she received the prize for best chef in the Northeast category for her Charlestown, Rhode Island restaurant Sly Fox Den Too. The restaurant, which she opened in 2021, was meant to be a simple stepping stone for a larger farm-to-table location that she is planning to open in Preston, Connecticut. But while she fundraised to open the larger restaurant, her food started turning heads. “I got nominated and I was like ‘what the heck is the James Beard Award?’” she said. Pocknett. With the restaurant she is developing in Preston, she hopes to bring new life to the traditional foods of the Northeast. In addition to the dining room and kitchen, her plans include a cultural center and a two-and-a-half acre farm, which she’s already begun planting with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and sassafras. “I’m hoping to bring the beach plums back,” Pocknett added. “I don’t notice so many on the Cape anymore.” Pocknett recounted that, since she grew up on Cape Cod, she’s seen the toll that environmental degradation takes on Indigenous food systems and traditions. The ponds she swam in as a child have since been contaminated by the area’s septic systems and fertilizer runoff from lawns and golf courses. Combined with warmer water temperatures, frequent blooms of toxic algae make swimming dangerous. “My grandkids can’t swim in that lake anymore,” she added. “It just makes me so sad what’s happening with the water.” Not only does the algae cause the pond to be unswimmable, but it also kills fish, frogs, and other animals and plants, disrupting traditional Mashpee Wampanoag foodways. “Instead of making that grass green, just plant some food. That grass is poison,” Pocknett said. Despite this, Pocknett’s visit to Arts & Ideas was one of hope. Just a week before coming to New Haven, she found out that she was cancer-free after a years-long battle with the disease. She is finishing her chemotherapy treatment next week, just as she turns 64. “I’m gonna live to see my new restaurant open,” Pocknett said, as tears welled up in her eyes. That hope found its way into the food on Tuesday. Diners scraped their plates clean and fresh corn cakes were passed around. “My mom always says you have to put love into your cooking,” said her daughter and business partner Cheyenne Galvin-Pocknett. “That energy goes into your food.”

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Symphony, Hillhouse Get A&I Into A Groove

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At Third Space, Punq Noire Grows Its Voice

Dayne Bell Photo.

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Water They Doing In There?

The Whitney Water Treatment Facility. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Summer Dreaming At NXTHVN

Isaac Bloodworth's installation. Chris Gardner Photos Courtesy of NXTHVN.

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DakhaBrakha Brings Kyiv To New Haven

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Black Pride Celebrates Five Years And Counting

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Betsy Ross Students Dance Their Humanity

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Juneteenth Coalition Makes Unity A Vibe

Shayla Streater, Amayah Smith, Nevaé Brightly, Lilah Jackson and Santana Brightly. Abiba Biao Photos.

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"Super" John Tournament Keeps His Memory Alive

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Baldwin Set to Music at Arts & Ideas

The Kevin Harris Project performs at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

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At Fair Haven Library, a Troupe of Amateur Archivists

Jennifer Coggins teaches a workshop on “Preserving Your History: Getting Started with Your Own Archives" at NHFPL's Fair Haven Branch.

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Pride Month Brings Drag And Delight To The Library

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New Haven Academy Honors Every Graduate

Taylor Emma Brunson cheers as she receives her diploma at the New Haven Academy graduation. Photos Kapp Singer.

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“Better Than AI" As 120 Co-Op Grads Greet an Artistic Future

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“Amm(i)gone” Finds The Language Between Words

Curtis Brown Photos.

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Subversive Sewing: “Stitching the Revolution” Highlights Quilting As Radical Artform

Stitching the Revolution runs through August 25, 2024, at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury. Jacquelyn Gleisner Photos.

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Climate Artist-Activists "Ride The Wave" For World Oceans Day

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A Broken Umbrella Makes (A)Pizza A Family Affair

Remsen Welsh and Shane Quinn. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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LGBTQ+ Youth Conference Puts Empowerment Front & Center

Jacqueline Soares, Gabby F., Big Freedia, TJ, Khloé Lawson, and Mikayla Williams.

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In "Cease," Love N'Co. Probes The Possibility Of Hope

At first, the tone of the song is solemn and intense, with a slow intro that pulsates. A drum rises, overwhelming the audio, and immediately things feel more hopeful. A voice enters the fray.

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"We Pledge To Make It Brighter," As Amistad Graduates 147

Suhieb Ebrahim.

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Music Haven Fêtes A Year Of Growth & Transition

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After Four Years, New Haven Unveils Its Columbus Replacement

Marc-Anthony Massaro (front) and Mike Luzzi (back) reveal Indicando la Via al Futuro (Pointing the Way to the Future). Photos Kapp Singer.

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Dixwell Comes Out To Celebrate Summer

Reese Mcleod, Diane X. Brown, and Nick Wantsala take a moment to pose together in the midst of the celebration. Alisha Martindale Photos.

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Adult Ed Students Cross the Finish Line

New Haven Adult & Continuing Education Center's graduation. Photos Kapp Singer. Wearing a royal blue robe and matching graduation cap, Miguel Loor grasped the microphone and launched into the national anthem. The audience stood, hands on their hearts. As he sang the final few bars of the song, Loor embellished on the classic melody, drawing impressed whoops from the crowd. The anthem kicked off the 2024 graduation ceremony of the New Haven Adult & Continuing Education Center (NHAEC), held Thursday morning in the auditorium of the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). Loor was one of the 145 students graduating from NHAEC. “Honestly, it was so much better than expected,” said Loor, who received his High School Credit (HSC) diploma through NHAEC. “Usually when you come into places like this, it feels like you’re giving up on regular school and you’re lowering your standards, but it’s not like that at all. You go in there and the teachers treat you like human beings, like actual adults.” Miguel Loor and his mother, Maria Clark. Loor and his mother moved to New Haven seven years ago from Madrid, and Loor enrolled in Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School. He initially focused on visual art, but after one teacher told him he had potential as a singer, began pursuing music. In 2020, after starting high school at the Sound School, he released his first EP, Wolfcat. Loor’s music gained a small online following and he began performing at venues in the greater New Haven area, including the State House and Space Ballroom. To focus on his art, Loor ended up taking time off school. “One of the big reasons why I ended up coming [to NHAEC] was that my music stuff got serious,” Loor said. Going forward, he said he hopes to continue his musical career, but he wanted to finish his senior year of high school first. “I came into this country for a reason, my mom brought me here for a reason,” he said. “The least I could do was get a diploma for her.” On Thursday, Loor not only performed the national anthem to open the ceremony, but with other members of Tony Maron’s instrumental music class at NHAEC, he played guitar and led a singalong of the Black Eyed Peas’s “I’ve Got a Feeling.” Dion Joefield processes into the ceremony. This year’s graduating class included students between 17 to 60 years old. They participated across NAEHC’s numerous programs, including the High School Credit Diploma, General Educational Development Program (GED), and National External Diploma Program (NEDP). Six of this year’s students, two of whom were at the graduation, passed the U.S. naturalization exam and received their U.S. citizenship. Others gained their Certified Nurse Assistant certification, granted by NAEHC in partnership with Northeast Medical Institute. “Today we gather to acknowledge the transformative power of education at any stage of life,” said Michelle Bonora, the principal of NAEHC. “All our graduates come with a different story, but they have all overcome obstacles.” Michelle Bonora. For Christine Stewart Davis, the ceremony was a celebration of overcoming several of those obstacles. She began at NAEHC in 2018 after being told by Gateway Community College, one semester in, that she had to go back to high school. She enrolled at NAEHC and immediately connected with GED teachers Maureen Ryan. “She provided me with the most immense support and gave me the drive to complete my GED,” Davis said in a speech on Thursday. However, in 2019, a year after beginning classes, Davis was diagnosed with breast cancer. She dropped out to take care of her health. As she went through her treatment, the idea of school faded from her brain. Then, much to her surprise, she received a call from Ryan. Christine Stewart Davis. “She was caring, and understanding, and I heard the strength in her voice which convinced me to re-enroll back in adult education classes,” Davis said. And for Lachell Hall, it was her math teacher, Cara Mortillo, who was particularly memorable. “She was the best, kind-hearted, loving teacher,” Hall said. Hall, who was in and out of school since the early 2000s, decided to enroll in NAEHC two years ago. She is not quite sure what life will hold for her moving forward, but for now she wants to take some time to relax and celebrate her accomplishment. “I’m just excited right now that I finally received my diploma at the age of 42,” she said.

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Ladybugs, Literacy Take Flight At Mitchell Library

Top: The caged ladybugs waiting to be released Bottom: Sun Holland receiving a ladybug. Abiba Biao Photos.

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Mill River Dreams Take Root Beneath I-91

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In Photos: North Haven Celebrates Pride

Mars McCann takes special attention to the Pride flag as they carefully begin to hoist it up during the North Haven Pride Flag Raising Ceremony at the North Haven Public Library.

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Gateway Students to Bring Art Across the Street

Marisabel Sanchez sanding. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Freddy Fixer Gala Centers Community Connection

The Breed's Rashad "Snacks" Johnson and Aaron Rogers. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Trails Day Gets An Artist's Assist

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Library Launches Into Summer Learning

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Banned Books Spotlighted at the Institute Library

De-circulated: An Interpretation of Banned Books at the Institute Library. Photos Kapp Singer.

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In Westville, Refugee Artists Shine A Light On Afghan Voices

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Freddy Fixer Dances Down Dixwell Avenue

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Hamden Art League Brings It Back To The Barn

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At Hillhouse, "Africa Fête" Brings Dakar To Sherman Parkway

Destiny Cooper, Gianni Knox, Dr. Hanan Hameen, and Madison Ennis. Lucy Gellman Photo.

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Tinfoil Transforms Tradition at the Palestine Museum

Ensemble Phoenicia performs at the Palestine Museum U.S. From left to right: Insia Malik, Charlotte Loukola, Amer Hasan, Robin Park, and Noémie Chemali. Photos Kapp Singer.

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West Hills Kicks Off Summer In Song, Style

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Educators For Excellence Recognize "Rising Stars"

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In Year Four, Arabic Festival Pushes Cross-Cultural Dialogue At Cross

Hanan Elkamah. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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At HSC, Multicultural Night Travels The World From Water Street

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Retelling Resistance

Amistad: Retold at the New Haven Museum. Photos Kapp Singer.

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New Haven Academy Seniors Take Action

Kobe Ransome during his presentation. Grayce Howe Photos.

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Marty Isenberg Brings Wes Anderson To The MAC

The Quintet in action. Prince Davenport Photos.

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A Neighborhood Champion Gets His Due

Dr. Pamela Monk Kelley, Fred Harris, Sophie Edelstein, Lorena Mitchell and Myles Riley. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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In Photos: New Haven Celebrates The Hill

The family of community activist and former Hill Parents Association President Fred Harris poses for a portrait together in honor of the 40 years he has been serving the Hill Neighborhood. The International Festival of Arts & Ideas held its celebration of the Hill neighborhood last Saturday. Alisha Martindale Photos.

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Fans Fly at New Haven Night Market

Shirley Chock teaches Liz Celotto how to use a tai chi fan. Photos Kapp Singer.

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In "The View From Here," Student Photographers Capture Their Present

“The View from Here: Accessing Art Through Photography” runs through Nov. 22. at the Yale Schwarzman Center. Pictured in focus in Julie Hajducky's "From Here." Lucy Gellman Photos; all artwork by student artists.

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Springtime Emerges On Audubon Street

Molly Weinberg. Grayce Howe Photos.

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Student Photographers Put New Eyes On New Haven

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Artists Carve Out Space for Healing

Members of the "Reimagining Freedom" cohort. From left to right: Yaneth Aleman, Jeniffer Perez-Caraballo, Mary Cyriac, Vanesa Suarez, and Nika Zarazvand. Photos Kapp Singer.

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At Daedream, Young Actors Find "The Key" To Self-Expression

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In Westville, Whimsy & Wonder At ArtWalk

Heather and Choupette Powell and Patt Patterson (a.k.a. Lou Mangini) at ArtWalk. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Artists Make Magic At MakeHaven’s Spring Market

Elizabeth Nearing Photos.

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"The Far Country" Comes To Co-Op

David Shih, Joyce Meimei Zheng, Destyne Miller and Amy Boratko. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Water Is in the Air

Exquisite River at the Ely Center for Contemporary Art. Photos Kapp Singer.

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LGBTQ+ Panel Spotlights Queer Joy, Intergenerational Connection

Hayden Earnshaw, Maggie Goodwin and Juancarlos Soto. Grayce Howe Photos.

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"Black Book" Returns Collective Consciousness To Its Roots

Singleton (in baseball cap) and Ashford at a rehearsal Monday. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Comics and Cosplay at DiasporaCon

Maya Lwazi Rose dressed as the Mystery Machine. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Fair Haven Day Returns To Grand Avenue

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Students Show Semester’s Work at Gateway

Sculpture by Taina Jackson. Photos Kapp Singer.

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The Bitsie Clark Fund for Artists Will Award Two 2024 Grants, One Designated for a Black Artist

Bitsie Clark at a birthday party at Bregamos Community Theater last year. Lucy Gellman File Photo.

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Students Take The Train To Hadestown

J. Antonio-Rodriguez and-company in Hadestown. T. Charles-Erickson Photo.

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New Haven Public Schools Sponsors First LGBTQ Youth Summit

Fana Hickinson Photos.

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New Haven Academy Students Bring “In The Heights” Home

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Edgewood Dances Into The Week

Lucy Gellman Photos.

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"The Year Of Baldwin" Rolls Into Best Video

Danielle Campbell Photos.

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Strange Ways Brings The Flair (Fair) Downtown

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From a Drum Kit To Tap Shoes

Multidisciplinary musical storytelling group kamrDANCE performs "Addiction." Photos Kapp Singer.

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In "Layovers," Air Temple Stays Grounded

Eva Skewes Photos.

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In Photos: Artists Join The March For Palestine

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Hill Central Students “Stomp” Out A Musical Beat

Jayla Cajigas, Sophia Consolmagno and Francine Van Campen, all third graders at Hill Central Music Academy.

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Students Mix Art With Protest On “Occupied” Cross Campus

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Shades Of Support For Connecticut CASA

Mindi Rose Englart Photos.

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Orchid Gallery Blooms Into Being

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Life Lessons From Kelly Bigelow Becerra

Kelly Bigelow Becerra during a Zoom call with the Arts Paper.

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"Pride In Balance" Centers LGBTQ+ Wellness

Darnell Ray. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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A Student Alliance Bridges The Opportunity Gap

When Aleisha Luna started looking at colleges, she didn’t know where to start. For years, her parents had been supportive of her academic career, urging her to “seek horizons beyond anything I could actually see around me.” But when the New Haven student began her search for higher education, it was uncharted territory.

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Artists Join Beinecke Occupation

Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Frankensteins and 5-over-1s

The typical life of a "Frankenstein," illustrated by Zach Felder in the New Haven Building Newsprint. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Long Wharf Toasts A Season Of Partnerships

Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Culture Bearers Gather At The Orchid Gallery

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With Nod To Harlem Renaissance, NHSO Gets Spirits Soaring

Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Water Dance Returns To Long Wharf’s Shores

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Historic Heritage Among Blooming Blossoms

Cherry blossoms in bloom on Hughes Place next to Wooster Square Park. Photos Kapp Singer.

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A Chitrāngadā For The Present

MarQuel Horton Woods Photos.

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At YUAG, A Career of Feminist Graphic Design

Sheila Levrant de Bretteville: Community, Activism, and Design runs through June 23 at the Yale University Art Gallery. Photos Kapp Singer.

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A Composer's Reckoning With Climate Change

Martin Hebel at a reception following the concert. Lucy Gellman Photo.

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How Refugee Women "Light The Future"

Azhar Ahmed with Elena's Light Award and certificate of special recognition by Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Rachel Peet Photos

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Student Spring Sing Captures Community Spirit

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Totality On Ella T. Grasso Boulevard

Harvey Gregory, a pastor at Faith Temple Revival Center on Dixwell Avenue. Lucy Gellman Photo.

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Miss Puerto Rico Crowns Two Cultural Champions

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Big Read Dives Deep On Migration, Motherhood & Identity

Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Freddy Fixer Weekend Takes Shape

Abiba Biao File Photo.

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Flower Power Drag Ball Gets Southern On Its Feet

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Star Student Steps Into Shakespeare Spotlight

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Arts & Ideas Takes Flight

Quiala talks about all things Arts & Ideas Festival 2024 at the kickoff reception. Markeshia Ricks Photos.

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At First Symphony, Students Hear A Starburst

NHPS' Ellen Maust, who will be retiring this year, receives recognition from NHSO Operations Director Jeremey Lombard. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Pride Center Poised For 30K In Proposed City Budget

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Sound & Sculpture Echo at NXTHVN

Photos by Chris Gardner/Courtesy NXTHVN. Lungiswa Gqunta’s quiet voice, pierced by a few soft coughs, narrates a dream as the artist slowly rolls along the clean floor of a large empty room. Spoken in isiXhosa, Gqunta’s words from the video projection fill the back half of NXTHVN’s gallery as she fills her chest with air. She raises her arms above her head, and her body tumbles closer to the viewer before exiting the shot, arms still outstretched overhead, as if bound by the wrist.

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Of Grounding, Wisdom in a Black Earth

Zion Jones of Gather New Haven and Nyzae James of BAMN Books curated a discussion of Leah Penniman's Black Earth Wisdom at Possible Futures. Danielle Campbell photos.

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Finding Zora in a Connecticut Niece

Lucy Ann Hurston is an author and niece of Zora Neale Hurston. Danielle Campbell Photos.

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"She Was A Life Force:" Remembering Emalie Mayo

Emalie Mayo. Blaq Pearl Photography for Elm City LITFest.

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The Institute Library Opens Up the Look Book

Dillon: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (left) and Tamara Torres (right) by Grace Graupe-Pillard.

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Deltas Recognize Five For Their 'Lighthouse Effect'

The members of the New Haven Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. staged a lighthouse themed brunch based on Steve Pemberton's book The Lighthouse Effect: How Ordinary People Can Have Extraordinary Impact in the World to honor five organizations that serve as beacons of light in their community.

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Sweet Treats Pop Up In Hamden

Adrienne Kane on a recent Sunday. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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New Haven's First Poet Laureate Has Influence

Sharmont "Influence" Little was inducted as New Haven's first poet laureate during a ceremony at City Hall. Markeshia Ricks Photo.

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Anything More Than Doom and Gloom?

Left to right: Vi (Mary Lou Rosato), Sally (Sandra Shipley), Lena (Rita Wolf), and Mrs. Jarrett (LaTonya Borsay) in the Yale Repertory Theatre's production of Caryl Churchill's Escaped Alone. Joan Marcus photo, courtesy of Yale Repertory Theatre.

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Black Entrepreneurs Share Wisdom, Passion for Business

From left to right: Michael Massey, Desiree Aidoo, Devonne Canady, Tanahe Edwards, Michael Martin Jr., Casey Ogman and Sean Reeves Sr. Danielle Campbell photos.

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CAW Taps Learned As New Executive Director

Trina Mace Learned speaks at the opening of Alchemy of Art: Ann P. Lehman and Creative Arts Workshop in December 2023. File photo Kapp Singer.

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Threads by Tea Launches Sartorial Journey with ETHOS

Designer Tea Montgomery is joined by his family, from left to right: his father David Edwards, his brother Devon Edwards, Montgomery, his mother Rachelle Edwards, and his son Haiven. Montgomery launched a new project called ETHOS at The Third Space. Mindi Rose Englart photos.

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Co-Op Students Ease On Down The Road

Laila Kelly-Walker as Dorothy, Aaron Steed as the Tinman, Jayla Bosley as the Cowardly Lion and Dakarai Langley as the Scarecrow in Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School's production of The Wiz. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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Wilbur Cross Goes ‘Under the Sea’

Ariel (June Lampher) and Prince Eric (Jahlil Coleman) at Thursday's production of The Little Mermaid. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Kids Get Crafty at Library Lego Club

Picking out the perfect piece. Photos Kapp Singer.

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East Rock Breads Rises on State St.

Bill Frisch, founder of East Rock Breads, readies a batch of bagels for proofing. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Everyday Angels Get Their Wings

Everyday Angels (from left to right) Erica G. Bradley, Kia Levey Burden, Dori Dumas, Juanita Sunday Austin, Regina Mullings and Shaunda Holloway at Possible Futures. Karimah Mickens Webber phots.

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One Love, One Tent

Barnum Festival 2024 Ringmaster Dr. Camelia Lawrence at a screening of the Bob Marley biopic "One Love." Markeshia Ricks photos.

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An Atomic Blast from the Past at Ordinary

Ordinary Manager Ben Zemke and Owner Tim Cabral under the glow of vintage Christmas lights that are part of the Atomic Era vibes. Mindi Rose Englart photos.

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Love N’Co Gives Tiny Desk a Shot

New Haven-based band Love N'Co. Photo courtesy Love N'Co.

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Collection Takes Books Beyond the Binding

Destination Moon by Karen Hammer. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Jazz Greats Pass the Torch at NXTHVN

New Haven and Hartford jazz icons and future musical legends unite at NXTHVN for Black History Month. Mindi Rose Englart photos.

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Lunarfest 2024: The Year of the Dragon

Lions and dragons, oh my, at Lunarfest 2024. Linda-Cristal Young Photos.

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Little Free Library Helps Reading Stay Fresh & Clean

Lauren Canalori's third grade class at L.W. Beecher with LaundroMax's Chris Walker. Photos Kapp Singer.

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The Juncture of Sorrow & Delight with Ross Gay

Ross Gay in conversation with Yale University Chaplain Maytal Saltiel at Battell Chapel. Dominic Warshaw photos.

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Network Launches for Survivors of Violence

Leaders of the Network Without Borders for Survivors of Violence from left to right: Ana Hernandez, Camila Guiza-Chavez, Caterina Passoni and Denisse Cruz-Contreras at the organization's launch. Lisa Reisman Photos.

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NHFPL Fundraiser Gets Festive

Andy Rubenoff, who managed the design for the Mardi Gras event. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Exhibit Shines Truth on the HBCU That Wasn’t

"Shining Light on Truth" at the New Haven Museum. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Betsy Ross Students Bring Black History to the Stage

Melanie Tohom Cruz sings Sam Cook's "A Change is Gonna Come." Kapp Singer photos.

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Branford's Legacy Theatre Gets ARPA Boost

Beauty and the Beast being performed at Legacy Theatre in Branford last year. Photo courtesy Legacy Theatre.

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Couples Say 'I Do' at Hamden City Hall

Marlene Johnson places a ring on Donovan Johnson's finger while Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett officiates. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Protesters Call for Ceasefire at IRIS Run for Refugees

Protesters criticize U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro before IRIS's Run for Refugees 5K. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Local Zine Gets Dancey

People dance at a Club C*nt in December. Photos courtesy Zoe Jensen.

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Long Wharf Embraces A View from the Harbor

The set of Long Wharf Theater's forthcoming production of A View from the Bridge. Photos Kapp Singer.

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SWANA Keeps the Flame Burning for Black History

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‘Science Evangelist’ Brings The Good News of Black Inventors

Kids at the “Black Inventors Who Made the Stuff Around Us” workshop at the Ives Main Library on Saturday. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Weston Makes Belonging Visible at CAW

Top photo: Kim West0n. Bottom photo: Fethi Meghelli and Weston in front of “Man with Oud” by Palestinian artist, Mohamed Saleh Khalil, during the opening reception of "Made Visible: Origins in Belonging at Creative Arts Workshop. Mindi Englart Photos.

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Farayi Quartet Kicks Off MAC Jazz Series

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Dixwell Celebrates 'Forever' Constance Baker Motley

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A Decade of Impact for ‘African American Connecticut Explored’

Frank Mitchell, Fiona Vernal, and Camesha Scruggs (from left to right) discuss the impact of African American Connecticut Explored at the New Haven Museum on Thursday. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Church Merger Leaves Community Art Space With No Home

The former Saint Aedan’s Parish school building, where the Westville Performing Arts Center was located until last month. File photos Lucy Gellman.

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Local Women Leaders Talk Taking Charge

From left to right: Arati Pandit, Julie Greenwood, Randi Rubin Rodriguez, Linda Lindroth, Ilona Somogyi, and Hope Chávez at the Yale University School of Management for the "Women in Charge: A Conversation about Leadership." Mindi Englart Photos.

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Pride Center Hosts 1st Dinner in New Home

Diana Henderson singing "Happy Birthday." Photos Kapp Singer. Diana Henderson carried a big chocolate cake covered with sparklers. With gusto, she sang “Happy Birthday” to all those born in January in the room.

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Kultrally Lit Launches Baldwin Centennial Celebration

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Cozy Tea Party & Chill on Edgewood Ave.

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Bridges Captivates at Yale MLK Commemoration

Civil rights icon Ruby Bridges with William Johnson, director of educational strategy for the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, and Yale senior, Stephanie Owusu, at the 2024 Yale MLK Commemoration event. Lisa Reisman Photos.

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Hamden DIY Venue Gains New Life as Studio

Austin Traver in The Shop's recording studio. Photos Kapp Singer.

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A Feast of Senses at The Table & Gallery

From left: Frank Brady, IfeMichelle Gardin, Royale Jamison, and Tea Montgomery (on the far right) with The Table & Gallery owner, Sonal Soveni, for the Chapel Street gallery's first immersive art and fine dining event of 2024. Mindi Rose Englart photos.

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Poet Chapman Grapples with History in New Memoir

Danielle Chapman (right) and the Rev. Jack Perkins Davidson at Best Video Film & Cultural Center.

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Zines Make A Scene

Zinesters of all ages gathered at Possible Futures for the most recent New Haven Zine Scene meetup . Danielle Campbell Photos.

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Confronting the Everyday with Bananas and Buttons

Bananas, Bananas, Bananas by Howard el-Yasin. Photos Kapp Singer.

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The Way We Gather

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NHA Students Shine in Winter Arts Showcase

New Haven Academy dance students perform at the Winter Arts Showcase. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Latincolors Magazine Illuminates, Connects

Recent editions of Latincolors Magazine. The 27th edition launched in late December. Lisa Reisman photos.

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Defending Slam Champ Reigns Supreme

Victor Rodgers (aka Slangston Hughes). Photos Kapp Singer.

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In Hamden, MLK Celebrated Through Song and Sermon

Penelope Stewart. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Stetson Readies for MLK Keynote

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Little Lion Collective is Ready to Roar

Cara Santino is the founder of the Little Lion Collective. Mindi Rose Englart Photo.

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Día de Los Reyes Closes Out Holidays in the Hill

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West Haven Arts Advocates Press for Funding

Lara Morton, co-founder of Fuse Theatre of CT, leads a chant outside West Haven City Hall. Photos Kapp Singer.

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Three New Commissioners Report for Duty

IfeMichelle Gardin. Photo Lucy Gellman.

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Poetry On Palestine Envisions A Freer World

Adrian Huq Photos.

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Three Kings Deliver for Zulay

Zulay Rodriguez at the Wilson Branch Library. Photos Lisa Reisman.

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Downtown, Artists Paint Outside the Box

A traffic box on Chapel Street painted by Elizabeth Taylor. Photos Kapp Singer.

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A Lamp-Side Stroll Around Spain

The following photoessay comes from Youth Arts Journalism Initiative (YAJI) alum Emma MartinMooney, who graduated from Wilbur Cross High School last year. For the first time this year, a generous grant from the City of New Haven's Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism allowed the Arts Council to offer a series of fall mentorship classes, including a six-week photo class with Chris Randall. Here is Emma's final project from that class, using the framing devices that she learned in New Haven while on a trip abroad.

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How Mi Lupita Sweetened Up Grand Avenue

In Mi Lupita’s warm Grand Avenue kitchen, 54-year-old Yolanda Guzman Elias and her sister Batriz Guzman Elias were making culinary magic, cutting fresh strawberries and slicing thin meat before a morning rush. The smell of dough hung low and thick in the air, wafting from the storefront to its street-facing front door and windows. The bakery was ready for another day.

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Orchestra New England Plays Into Its 50th Year

Photo courtesy of Orchestra New England.

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Conceivable Abandon

The following photoessay comes from Youth Arts Journalism Initiative (YAJI) alum Jayla Anderson, who is currently a senior studying dance at Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School. For the first time this year, a generous grant from the City of New Haven's Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism allowed the Arts Council to offer a series of fall mentorship classes, including a six-week photo class with Chris Randall. Here is Jayla's final project from that class.

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Stetson, Q House Transform Into A Winter Wonderland

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Changes Coming To The Arts Paper In 2024

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Our 2023 Top 10: They Bounced Back

Harmony The Valkyrie at Pride New Haven, a block party in the Ninth Square that took place in October. Lucy Gellman File Photo.

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At 101, A Peace Activist Passes On

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Artists of the Year: They Spoke Out And Called In

Some of the artists who made waves this year. Top row: Martha Lewis, Semilla Collective, Eric March. Middlr Row: Vanesa Suarez, Ruby Gonzalez Hernandez, Alasdair Neale and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. Bottom: Black Lives Matter New Haven's Ala Ochumare-Harris, MiAsia Harris, and Sun Queen, Roya Mohammadi, Destiny White, Erin Michaud and Jeremy Thanes. Lucy Gellman Photos.

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