Art & Politics Mingle At Lamont-Artspace Meetup

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.

That took place Friday evening at the nonprofit contemporary art gallery at 50 Orange St.

“I’ll tell you what my dream is,” Lamont declared during a short speech delivered to a crowd of artists and other working professionals who had gathered for the networking event. ​“My dream is what I’m looking at right now… I love this Artspace. Every race, color, creed, gender identity… you are welcome here in the state of Connecticut!”

Lamont, a Democrat, is running for a second four-year term as governor against Republican challenger Bob Stefanowski. In recent weeks, both major-party candidates have stepped up their campaign visits to New Haven, which historically has provided the largest Democratic voter turnout of any city in the state. 

Admiring the ​“energy” in the audience and the art lining the walls, Lamont said, ​“I’ve noticed in life that talent is widely distributed, but opportunities are not. If I have one goal as a former entrepreneur and business guy and now governor, it’s to give people that opportunity,” he said.

Lamont said the state should help individuals looking to ​“become their own boss” grow the skillsets needed to run small businesses and noted that his administration is focused on providing entrepreneurs in historically underserved communities with financial resources. For example, Lamont announced a $150 million program back in July that will provide loans to small businesses and nonprofits in low-income areas to access working capital. 

“This stuff doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because we deeply care about each and every one of you who you are where you want to be. Give you the resources, give you the opportunity you need,” Lamont said. 

Leaders at Artspace, like Gabe Sacco, a visual cultural producer with the art gallery, said he supported Lamont’s visit to the community space and saw Lamont’s campaign values as ​“in alignment with what Artspace is doing and committed to the cultural equity plan of New Haven specifically.” (Read in the Arts Paper about the work New Haven is doing as a municipality to grow the arts while confronting systemic oppression and racism here).

Laurel McLaughlin, the director of curatorial affairs at Artspace, said she was pleased that Lamont visited the gallery because it further marked the organization’s commitment to ​“having deep political conversations” as part of its work to support ​“experimental artists that promote civic discourse in particular.”

Many of the individual artists who attended the event did so not just to hear the governor’s pitch, but to connect directly with other creatives.

Farihah Begum, a 29-year-old food blogger, said she decided to drop by the event to connect with other food photographers. ​“If I can find people who have similar interests, I’d love to have a conversation with them,” she said.

While Begum and other professionals milled around the room, making new connections and showcasing one of the ways Artspace seeks to build community and creativity, politicians continued to take turns underscoring Lamont’s dedication to supporting places like Artspace. 

“Without you in this city, we will not be who we are,” Board of Alders Majority Leader and Amity/Westville/Beaver Hills Alder Richard Furlow said to the crowd of artistically minded individuals in front of him. 

He then turned his attention to the governor, and the upcoming election on Nov. 8. He described Lamont as an elected official ​“who supports small business, who supports the arts, who supports creativity — because this is the group that brings life and vitality to the city.”