Last Thursday, NXTHVN organized a free public event entitled “NXTHVN Performs: New Haven Jazz,” honoring the heritage of jazz musicians on Dixwell Street’s former Monetery Club. Residents came together to enjoy soulful music and complimentary wine. 

Rufus Greenlee founded the Monterey Club in 1934, and it became a home for the performances of huge names like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Charles Parker. Unfortunately, the jazz hotspot closed in 1991. The NXTHVN event featured New Haven and Connecticut-based artists, honoring the longstanding Black jazz history of the city. 

“This is amazing because it is two generations of jazz musicians coming together, and the rich history here in New Haven of jazz is incredible,” said Jay Kemp, NXTHVN’s student program manager. “You have all ages coming out for something like this.” 

Drummer Ryan Sands served as the program’s curator. The performance included bassists Eneji Alungbe and Jeff Fuller, drummer Jesse Hameen II, pianist Andrew Wilcox and Haneef N. Nelson on trumpet. These intergenerational jazz artists performed their compositions in a two-part series with a brief intermission. 

The first song performed was Fuller’s “Keep Hope Alive” and following this was Hameen’s “The Mission.” Later on, as a tribute to Valentine’s Day, “My Funny Valentine” was played. The event’s 91 attendants remained lively throughout the programming, clapping and cheering in between songs.  

NXTHVN was founded by Titus Kaphar, an American painter and Yale ART ’06, alongside Jason Price and Jonathan Brand. NXTHVN serves as an incubator for artists and curators nationally, offering a 10-month fellowship program in which creatives are provided quarterly stipends, subsidized housing and exhibition outlets. 

The arts center also provides a third space for New Haven residents through its high school apprenticeship program. Students interested in the arts work alongside the artist to gain professional and technical skills. 

“Apprentices work closely with the artist fellows and the curatorial fellows here at NXTHVN. We also meet together as a cohort and complete an end of year project,” said Lauriann Burt, a student apprentice at NXTHVN. “We’ve been able to meet so many fantastic people and artists from all over the place.”

Burt also told the News this was the organization’s second annual jazz event. 

She hinted at an upcoming spoken word event at the end of February, called “Black History NXT Future: An Open Mic Celebration.”

Kemp said he is focused on engaging young people with art. 

Currently, Kemp is working alongside the students to develop their end-of-year project, a mobile and community interactive exhibition, which will be completed this summer. 

“NXTHVN is the place to be,” said Loretta Tam, who is another student apprentice at NXTHVN. 

NXTHVN is located at 169 Henry St. 

The post Connecticut-based musicians honor Dixwell’s jazz history at NXTHVN  appeared first on Yale Daily News.

The New Haven Free Public Library Mitchell Branch, hosted Adae from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 12 as part of their gallery program.

Adae is a visual artist and muralist. After receiving a Masters of Arts in Painting from New York University in 2005, he started Adae Fine Art Academy, located on 840 State St., where he offers individualized instruction to students of any ability in their preferred medium, ranging from graphite to watercolor. The school’s pedagogy is student-centered, tailoring the curriculum to individual aspirations and pacing. 

Adae’s presentation focused on his work as a public artist, both locally and internationally, which he shared with attendees through projected photographs on Monday evening. He revealed a total of 13 murals he had painted, whose locations ranged from schools in Guatemala to New Haven’s Basset Street pavement. Adae focuses on centering his practice with the local community. 

“No matter where you are in the world, kids just want to create art,” Adae said. 

His public artwork titled “Elm City Footrace,” located on Farmington Canal Greenway in the Newhallville neighborhood, was commissioned by the City of New Haven and completed in 2016. The mural vibrantly depicts six three-legged runners on a lush, green pathway. Adae said that he would offer the brush to any pedestrian running by, accumulating 40 regular volunteers who worked alongside him on this project. 

In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the City of New Haven also commissioned Adae to tag Basset Street in support of Black Lives Matter. Adae said the “Bassett Street Black Lives Matter Project” required 40 gallons of yellow paint and had 60 community volunteers in total. Unfortunately, the mural has since disappeared due to heat and weather conditions on a majorly trafficked road. 

Cassandra Mulcahy, Adae’s partner and gallery attendant, said, “[Art] really helps us to make sense of everything that is going on and helps contextualize it.” 

Adae has also painted murals in local schools. He painted “The Three Graces,” figures from Greek mythology holding chalk-painted tablets, as an anti-gun violence memorial for High School in the Community in 2022. Last year, Adae painted “Progress Pride Chameleon,” funded by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, at Elm City Montessori School to create a welcoming environment for LGBTQ youth, allies and families.

“The work I do needs to be in conjunction with the community,” Adae said. 

Adae has also painted community-centered murals internationally. His mural “Creatures of the Garhwal Himalayas” is located at the Ashram Paryavaran Vidyalaya School in the Garhwal Himalayas of Northern India. Another project titled “Huipile Wall North” and “Huipile Wall South” were created in two weeks with local children at La Escuela Chu’ul in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. These murals were completed in 2016. 

Marian Huggins, the library’s branch manager, said the gallery displays the work of a local artist each month with an opening reception occurring on weekends. Currently, the artwork of Jill Harrington Nichols, a Connecticut painter, is on display. The gallery features 18 of her landscape paintings. 

The NHFPL Mitchell Branch is located at 37 Harrison St.

The post Kwadwo Adae captures community through murals in library talk appeared first on Yale Daily News.

The New Haven Flea Market hosted a pop-up at East Rock Brewing Company from 2 to 5 p.m. this Sunday. Across the Brewing Company’s beer hall, the flea market displayed over 70 items across three different vendors, ranging from second-hand designer tops and vintage wool coats to handmade mugs and unique glassware.

“I like to keep it colorful and eclectic,” Lauren Mallet, the founder of New Haven Flea Market, said of her collection.

Mallet said her home goods were sourced from around the world. Her yellow-clothed display table featured dishware and pottery from China, India, Ireland and Montreal. Mallet said she is traveling soon, where she is excited to acquire additional goods from India.

She began New Haven Flea Market after leaving her job in tech last year. Her love for second-hand vintage and memories of flea market trips with her grandmother inspired Mallet to begin her business.

On Nov. 18, she hosted her first pop-up event at Koffee? on Audubon Street, selling tableware and decor for Thanksgiving. Mallet later participated in the Holiday Bazaar in Hamden, CT and Anti-Robot Club’s Marketplace in Providence, RI. Alongside these pop-up events, the New Haven Flea Market has operated online since November.

 “The best part about all of this has been connection to the community,” Mallet said.

One of Mallet’s goals for New Haven Flea Market was combining community and sustainability. She said that she enjoys making connections with other small businesses and interactions with locals. To this end, her display table on Sunday was shared with two other New Haven vendors.

Mallet, who is currently operating the business out of her apartment, said she is hoping to have  a permanent location in the future. In the short term, she is looking to secure other venues for pop-ups between this spring and next fall.

Where Mallet exclusively sells homegoods, her friend and neighbor, Alex Corsello, sold second-hand designer and vintage clothing. Corsello is a Fashion Institute of Technology  graduate and a personal stylist, who said that she is enthusiastic about cultivating personal identity through clothing. After working at Roundabout Resale Couture in Greenwich, Corsello began her journey as a stylist. 

She described utilizing pre-existing items in her client’s wardrobe to clarify and understand their personal style. Through consultations, closet cleaning and sustainable sourcing, Corsello works against consumerism and fast-fashion.

“You need pieces that make you feel good and are good quality,” Corsello said. “That’s what makes me happy–helping people find what works for them.”

At the flea market, her display included recycled wool sweaters, designer corsets and imaginative outerwear.

Joy Ivy was the other vendor who participated this weekend. Ivy, who said they have not bought anything new in over four years, wore an entirely thrifted outfit beside their display rack. Born out of friendship with Mallet and passion for second-hand retail, Ivy began selling clothes with New Haven Flea Market. They said they enjoy giving life back to discarded pieces. 

“Everything has a story here and [they’re] waiting to create a new one,” Ivy said. 

The East Rock Brewing Company, a family-owned brewery, is located at 285 Nicoll St.

The post New Haven Flea Market hosts pop-up event at East Rock Brewery appeared first on Yale Daily News.