Branford | Arts & Culture | Youth Arts Journalism Initiative | Branford Arts & Cultural Alliance
Amelia Stefanovics Photos.
The familiar first bars of “Let It Snow” drifted merrily through the crowd, guitar humming as Bruce George lifted his instrument and started to play. Beside him, Bill Grimm joined in, and a second guitar wound through the air. Dusk was falling, and the sound ushered in the holiday season.
That scene unfolded in Branford last Thursday afternoon, as members of the Branford Arts & Cultural Alliance (BACA) welcomed artists, arts enthusiasts, and town residents to their 100 Main St. hub for a bimonthly “Gallery Walk,” themed appropriately for the winter. The event is intended to both bring artists together and show off the work of BACA members, who have been in the Main Street space since 2020, with a rotating slate of exhibitions since 2021.
“It is a meeting of community,” said Pam Morgan, a local watercolor and collage artist and volunteer at the BACA events. “It's a great place to come together and just relax and chat. I love BACA for its accessibility.”
Amelia Stefanovics Photos.
BACA has been doing its bimonthly gallery walks for two years, inspired in part by how the art changes in the space with the season, and occasions that call for specific work. This meeting, a winter theme filled with snow and holiday pictures hung all over the walls. Pictures depicted snowy forests of pines and quiet birch landscapes that come into focus as nature sleeps through the cold months.
As they walked through the space, artists were abuzz with news of BACA’s upcoming holiday market, scheduled for Dec. 10 at 100 Main St. Many had come to start setting up for the event, which was born last year as a way to introduce the town to the gallery and many of its artists. Without a brick-and-mortar space, many BACA artists have said that they wouldn’t have the opportunity to exhibit their own work, much less work by multiple artists and community members.
“It was a great success,” said BACA President Frank Carrano of the 2021 market. “It brings in artisans who create different types of art other than visual arts to come and show their crafts.” The market was very successful last year, and many cannot wait for its return.”
Amelia Stefanovics Photos.
This year, roughly 20 different artisans are on the roster to sell and talk about their crafts. Soaps, jewelry, scarves, pocketbooks, and other multimedia art will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday felt like the space was already prepared for it, there were collages of Christmas trees with fairy lights, images of red sleds on a white hillside, and little dogs in red and white.
As he looked around the space, Carrano said BACA is fortunate to have a home in the venue, the cavernous shell of an old Denali store. Before the alliance was there, he remembered seeing several businesses come and go in the space, never staying for very long. After BACA piloted their vision with a temporary holiday window display in 2020, it has become home.
In part, perhaps that’s because BACA blends arts and economic development in the centre of the town. This year, Carrano and members of the alliance received recognition from the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce as a “Hometown Hero.”
“We are very lucky to have such a great venue here,” Carrano said. “In the heart of Branford downtown with a large space to show all of the artwork. It is truly an amazing place.”
“We couldn't have asked for a better place for art,” added Jeanette Mobeck, who sits on BACA’s board. She added that she is looking forward to the holiday market.
Cycling through holiday standards, George and Grimm both praised BACA and its artists. The two had offered to play “because we know the artists here,” George said.
“We aren't true professionals, but we also enjoy to just unwind and play songs that everyone is familiar with.”
“We enjoy the atmosphere here at BACA,” Grimm agreed. “It's a very nice place and it's great that we have it here in the center of Branford.”
This piece comes to the Arts Paper through an extension of YAJI, or the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative (YAJI). YAJI is a program of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven through which New Haven and Hamden high schoolers pitch, edit, and write articles for the Arts Paper. Read more about the program here or by checking out the "YAJI" tag. Amelia Stefanovics is a senior at Hill Regional Career High School.