Today's Toon
by | Oct 24, 2022 8:00 am | Comments (2)
Ted Littleford image
Arts & Culture
Institute Library Raises A Glass To Roof Repairs
by | Oct 21, 2022 8:46 am | Comments (12)
Allan Appel photo
Board Chair Maryann Ott with State Sen. Looney.
Institute Library Executive Director Jan Swiatek won’t have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning for much longer to worry about rain pouring through the historic Chapel Street bookspace’s roof — thanks to a major renovation-funding grant approved by the state.
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NHSO Takes Big Leap Into Right Now
by | Oct 21, 2022 8:41 am | Comments (2)
Joel Thompson.
The hints of boldness are scattered throughout the catalog for the New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s 2022 – 23 season. Maybe you only counted Brahms once. Beethoven three times, but two of them are concerti. You might have noticed the number of names a casual fan of the orchestra might not be as familiar with. But the boldness is especially apparent in this Sunday’s season opener, which features the New England premiere of contemporary composer Joel Thompson’s “To Awaken the Sleeper,” paired with Dmitri Shostakovich’s 11th Symphony — two works that show classical music’s ability to speak to the issues of its time.
Book Talk Uncovers Newhallville's Voices
by | Oct 20, 2022 11:35 am | Comments (3)
Thomas Breen photo
Dwayne Betts and Nicholas Dawidoff at public library book talk.
What makes a neighborhood unique? What makes a neighborhood “iconic”? What makes a neighborhood, well, a neighborhood?
After eight years of research and 500 interviews for his landmark new book about a Newhallville murder, author Nicholas Dawidoff found the answers to those questions in the many individual voices that — taken together — add up to something rich and profound.
Two Bands Break Out Of Pandemic Stasis
by | Oct 20, 2022 9:05 am | Comments (0)
Brian Slattery Photos
June of 44.
Early in June of 44’s set, after a strenuous number, two sound tech men rushed onto the stage to reattach drummer Doug Scharin’s drum mics. Vocalist and guitarist Jeff Mueller turned around with a smile on his face. “He’s hitting the hell out of them,” he said. To Scharin directly, he said, jokingly, “what are you doing?”
“He’s rocking out,” said someone in the audience.
Artists Post For Planned Parenthood
by | Oct 19, 2022 9:23 am | Comments (6)
Diane and Tim Nighswander
Uterus.
The poster isn’t trying to be subtle. It’s an expression of protest, and the anger underneath it. That the message is delivered so clearly is a testament to the people who made it — professional visual artists, photographers and graphic designers Diane and Tim Nighswander.
Columbus Statue Replacement Up For Review
by | Oct 18, 2022 9:26 am | Comments (21)
Marc Massaro design
Columbus statue replacement, now before the Board of Alders.
A new sculpture honoring New Haven’s Italian American community is one step closer to coming to Wooster Square now that the Elicker Administration has formally submitted plans to the Board of Alders for a public artwork to replace the long-gone Christopher Columbus statue.
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Olive Tiger Has An "Eye" On The Future
by | Oct 18, 2022 9:07 am | Comments (1)
Olive Tiger.
“Gather,” the opening track from Olive Tiger’s latest release, Softest Eyes: Side B, is well-named. Over a bed of tremulous tones, a violin issues a call, something like a hymn. A cello responds with a message of its own. Then there’s an abrupt right turn, into crunchy electronica, hard-hitting percussion. All the elements are brought together for an emotional peak, and then a long, glitchy fall. It’s the sound of people who have done some experimentation and know what they want. It also doesn’t sound quite like anything else.
Long Wharf Theatre "Comes Home" To Audubon
by | Oct 17, 2022 10:45 am | Comments (7)
Karen Ponzio photo
Long Wharf Theatre leaders at Audubon St. fest Saturday.
Lucy Gellman / New Haven Arts Paper photo
Bidding adieu to 222 Sargent stage on Friday.
Audubon Street burst into party mode Saturday as Long Wharf Theatre celebrated its move from a Sargent Drive stage to offices downtown — as well as the beginning of a new itinerant model of presenting works across various locations in Greater New Haven.
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Yale's Not Afraid Of "Virginia Woolf"
by | Oct 17, 2022 9:08 am | Comments (3)
Joan Marcus Photo
Emma Pfitzer Price, Nate Janis, René Augesen, and Dan Donohue.
Edward Albee’s 1962 play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a classic of American theater. Its depiction of a middle-aged academic couple at a New England university joined by a younger couple for a night of nonstop drinking seems tailor-made for Yale, where James Bundy, the dean of the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale and artistic director of the Yale Repertory Theatre, directs a revival both respectful and gripping, through Oct. 29. It’s a play full of shifts in sympathy and understanding, as we realize — somewhat uncomfortably — that unlikeable people may have earned their manner from deep hurts and sorrows.
New Blockbuster Book Explores Backstory Of Newhallville Murder Case
by | Oct 14, 2022 1:25 pm | Comments (6)
Aliyya Swaby Photo
Bobby Johnson walks out of Church Street courthouse to freedom in 2015 after nine years of false imprisonment.
The individuals who murdered an innocent man, who framed an innocent teen, who copped a fake confession all made choices. So did Nicholas Dawidoff when he told their story — and he has now left New Haven with a choice of our own.
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120-Yr-Old Haberdashery Finds New Home On Elm St.
by | Oct 14, 2022 10:00 am | Comments (4)
Allan Appel photo
Robert Squillaro shows off J. Press's classic three-button roll.
Back in 1902, Richard Press’s Latvian immigrant grandfather Jacobi knocked on the doors of Yale dorm rooms to sell the students custom-made clothing.
Word spread about the stylish jackets with their unpadded shoulders and snazzy vents.
J. Press was born.
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Ely Center Draws A "Full House"
by | Oct 14, 2022 9:09 am | Comments (0)
The Queen's Artillery
Ascension to the Throne — Wassup and Coronation Day — Sequel to the Queen.
The paintings are as entertaining as they are provocative. It’s not just in the mixed materials that give each of the canvases three-dimensional elements, and bring the clothing to dazzling life, nor is it just in the knowing glances on the subjects’ faces. The titles of the paintings — Ascension to the Throne — Wassup and Coronation Day — Sequel to the Queen — give a clear sense of the inspiration behind the paintings. The old order, the paintings say, is coming to an end. A new aristocracy is coming; one that’s younger, Blacker, and, well, maybe more fun, too.
Today's Toons
by | Oct 14, 2022 9:04 am | Comments (0)
Reinaldo Goyenechea/La Voz Hispana cartoon
"We are fighting inflation ... A 'mild recession' is possible but I don't think so!!"
"This Is Our Continent": ULA Honors Indigenous Peoples' Day On Green
by | Oct 13, 2022 9:39 am | Comments (19)
Noel Sims photos
Scenes from ULA's Indigenous Peoples' Day gathering Wednesday.
“Our people live without borders,” John Lugo said in Spanish to a small crowd gathered on the corner of Church and Chapel to celebrate both migrants and indigenous people who call this land home.
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Tiny Ocean Shoots Straight On New Album
by | Oct 13, 2022 9:04 am | Comments (0)
Tiny Ocean
“Culling of an Ache,” the first song from Tiny Ocean’s latest album, Shot by My Arrow, starts with a fingerpicked guitar, sketching out a harmonic structure that the rest of the band — electric guitar, bass, and drums — unexpectedly slides into. Together the three instruments create a slow, swinging sound, a little bit country, a little bit lounge, and a lot of vibe. There’s a sense of space, a tinge of menace. “There’s a red ribbon in my bedroom,” the vocalist sings. “graceful, hideous, without a face.” The lyrics paint a mysterious picture. Then the chorus opens up, following the singer’s voice: “When it’s loud,” she sings, and the music swells; “it makes me quiet,” she finishes, and the music calms. “Culling of an ache,” she adds, and the guitar responds. The music pauses, and moves on.
Biotech Boss, Mayor Cook Up Civic Recipe
by | Oct 12, 2022 5:21 pm | Comments (8)
Paul Bass File Photo
Arvinas's John Houston adds oregano in the BAR kitchen.
A taste of next-generation New Haven corporate philanthropy emerged Wednesday — from a brick oven.
Institute Library Show Gets Into "Waste Management"
by | Oct 12, 2022 9:16 am | Comments (0)
Leila Daw
Beech Leaf Disease (detail).
Leila Daw’s Beech Leaf Disease may be a work in progress, but in its assemblage it packs a powerful punch.
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Lary Bloom Takes New Haven
by | Oct 11, 2022 9:20 am | Comments (0)
Paul Bass Photo
Author Lary Bloom at WNHH FM.
Lary Bloom’s parents retired to a gated community in Florida that didn’t allow anyone under 55 inside.
City Gallery Opens Up For "Open Source"
by | Oct 11, 2022 8:59 am | Comments (0)
Rita Hannafin’s quilt, front and center on the back wall of City Gallery, is at first glance a piece immersed in a folk tradition. But look closer and Hannafin’s more playful nature comes out. The first of the nine boxes in the center is full of patterns and colors — among the more abstract shapes are prints of cars, glasses, leaves, and helicopters. In the next box over, one of the sections of the box is replaced by a white box with a square peephole in it, from which a small pattern peeks out. In the next large box over, another white box appears. This plan repeats all the way through the piece; there’s a sense of those peepholes taking over, each iteration making it more geometric and more abstract. And in veering away from old patterns of quilting but establishing a new one, Hannafin is stretching the form without breaking it. She’s showing what else can be done.
Art & Politics Mingle At Lamont-Artspace Meetup
by | Oct 10, 2022 2:05 pm | Comments (4)
Artspace coordinators Gabriel Sacco, Laurel McLaughlin and Steve Roberts.
A Ninth Square art gallery transformed into a networking arena for local creatives and a political podium for the state’s governor — as Democratic incumbent Gov. Ned Lamont visited Artspace to promise support for Black and brown artists and small business owners.
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Healing Drum Finds The Heart
by | Oct 10, 2022 8:32 am | Comments (1)
Brian Jawara Gray.
Halfway through Brian Jarawa Gray and the Healing Drum’s set at Best Video on Saturday night, the musicians had settled into a deep set of rhythms centered around three big beats. Drummer Michael Mills looked up and out into the audience. “Heartbeat! Heartbeat!” he began to chant. “Heartbeat!” The audience joined him as Mills set up a chair in front of him, facing the band, and put a drum next to it. He got someone from the audience to play it. Soon he had turned the semicircle of the band into a full ring, of moving hands, steady rhythms, and smiling faces.
Film Festival Keeps Documentaries In Focus
by | Oct 7, 2022 9:07 am | Comments (2)
Official Trailer - Greatest Radio Station in the World from Cob Carlson on Vimeo.
The broadcaster the New Yorker called “the greatest radio station in the world.” A musician who sounds like three musicians. The history of a certain bivalve in New Haven. The trial of a Black Panther. Climate change and air guitar. Films about all these and more will be finding their way to screens for 10 days this month as the New Haven Documentary Film Festival, now in its ninth year, returns to the Elm City from Oct. 13 to 23, screening feature films and shorts, hosting several musical performances, and featuring a student film competition — 116 films in all.
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Seth Adam Creates Album In "Fits And Starts And Stops"
by | Oct 7, 2022 9:01 am | Comments (0)
Casee Marie Photo
Seth Adam
Seth Adam recalled the feelings that bubbled up inside of him after the release of his remastered EP East Rock back in 2019: “I thought to myself … there’s a lot going on in the world, especially the U.S., and I was like, I have a lot to say, I have a real lot to say.” Three years later, the New Haven-based singer-songwriter is singing those words loud and clear on his latest full-length record, the energetic and emblematic Fits and Starts and Stops. Available on CD since September and released today digitally, the album features 10 songs that not only showcase Adam’s straightforward yet poetic lyrics, but also his hard-hitting and harmonious hooks. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, Adam asks his listeners to ponder what they hear.
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In Latest Show, NXTHVN Tells The Truth
by | Oct 6, 2022 9:37 am | Comments (1)
A large red empty speech bubble stands on the sidewalk outside NXTHVN in Dixwell. Its object lies in “inviting visitors to rest, contemplate and reflect,” as an accompanying explanation puts it. But as it stands on Henry Street, it also feels like a portal, setting expectations for what’s in store for the rest of the show. Through it, one can see people milling about in the foyer of the gallery space — and beyond that, a commotion of mylar, and anyone who’s in it moving around like they’re in a snowstorm. What’s happening in there?