Westville Brings The Heat With Open Studios

The last weekend of October finally gifted the city a warm and sunny Saturday, but nowhere was it hotter than Westville, where a two-day neighborhood event — part of the artist-led City-Wide Open Studios — encompassed everything from galleries, creative collectives, and private residences to Edgewood Park and even pods on Central Avenue.

At 11 a.m. sharp, Mistina Hanscom of Lotta Studios was outside her space hanging Open Studios banners on Whalley Avenue and greeting the many people who were ready and waiting on the sidewalks to take in all the art their hearts could stand. She noted that over the past two years Westville had seen a surge in foot traffic. 

“Our weekend foot traffic is what we were experiencing just on event weekends before,” she said. The combination of more restaurants, more artists, and no vacant storefronts has given the area a ​“good flow” of visitors. Add in this event, which people looked forward to annually, and ​“it just feels good.”

“In the years past, even when Artspace was hosting it, Westville still kind of stood on its own with all the programming it has. It’s not any different for us,” Hanscom said.

Lotta Studios — the working space of Hanscom, her husband Luke, digital animator Marsha Movshovich, videographer Travis Carbonella, and the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance — is downstairs from West River Arts, where a multitude of creatives offered visitors a look inside their work and workspace as well as plenty of good conversation. Artist David Sepulveda had a steady stream of visitors who hung out in the area of his space, where overhead, his UPcycled Mobiles danced and dazzled everyone who entered the room. A variety of comfy chairs welcomed anyone who wanted to hang out and chat.

Sepulveda began making his mobiles while still an art teacher, using empty detergent bottles in a variety of colors. Once he retired, he began using other plastic materials, such as storage bins in multiple sizes and shapes, that he still gathers from Goodwill in bulk. 

“I’ve always been conflicted about taking a good bin and slicing it,” he said. ​“My friends assured me that it’s an upcycled process that is for a higher purpose.”

That higher purpose includes their meditative value, to those who purchase them and to their creator as well.

“They’re really therapeutic to make and therapeutic to watch,” he said. ​“When you place them in an area where you get a breeze it’s like watching sea grass.”

Sepulveda was thrilled with Westville’s participation in this month’s events – noting that it ​“pretty much has always been artist driven” — and with the Erector Square event last weekend.

“I was super happy to see my colleagues over at Erector Square doing a bang-up job promoting that,” he said. ​“The crowds were amazing, and so it was a good spirit of return and a good spirit of resurrection.”

Each space in West River Arts offered an array of art, including stunning stone and mixed metal jewelry pieces made by Kate Stephens and bold and soul stirring paintings from Dooley‑O Jackson, located next to the studio of Don Wunderlee, who was showing his paintings and the paper-based creations of his wife, artist Janet Brodie, who shares the space with him. A participant in Open Studios since its inception — and former owner of Wunderlee Arts, which used to be across the street — he spoke of the resilience of the creator through time and changes.

“Artists are determined, we’re experienced and have been around a while doing this … so, we carry on,” he said. ​“It speaks to the reputation of Open Studios itself, how that’s a long tradition. No matter whether there’s an agency or something behind it, as long as its organized and advertised it’s going to continue.” He also said he hoped more art events would continue to evolve. ​“Westville is just developing and growing, just a great community.”

Tea Montgomery also praised the community as he prepared his mannequins to show his Threads by Tea creations which included both clothing and bags. He noted that he preferred to display his work ​“more exhibition style in a gallery setting than fashion shows.” 

“I like to focus on the art side of it,” he said. ​“I just like to give people more time to actually look, touch it, feel it, connect with it, and so that’s how I present it.”

“When I go fabric shopping, I shop with my hands and my eyes,” he added with a smile. This reporter, as well as others, spent time on this day doing the same with his pieces.

A feast for the senses was also available at various locations along Whalley Avenue, where Artists Lofts West invited attendees to peruse the private studios of Steve Giovanni, John Keefer, and Michael Angelis, DaSilva Gallery and Kehler Liddell Gallery offered their latest shows, and Pods were set up on Central Avenue to showcase the work of a variety of artists. 

Off Whalley the private studios of Jessica and Joseph Smolinski, Gar Waterman, and Frank Bruckmann were opened for art lovers to have another type of experience. Set back at the end of a flower studded path, Bruckmann’s studio and paintings, as well as the tools used to create them, felt like an art installation unto itself, a cozy respite off the main drag. As he spoke to visitors, he also recommended they travel into Edgewood Park to visit his wife, Muffy Pendergast, who was helping to lead the creation of puppets at Coogan Pavilion for the Giant Puppets and People Making Mayhem Parade. (Please note: due to rain this Sunday, the parade has been rescheduled to Sunday, Nov. 5 at 11 a.m.).

Pendergast praised the space, which has been the home to the puppet workshops and preparations for the parade for the past two years.

“It’s ideal, and it’s community,” she said. ​“It all makes sense that we’re here.” 

Both children and adults worked diligently on their pieces, one group painting the planets to make a solar system, another two working on a chicken. There were even the makings of a troll that Pendergast said was ​“from the West Rock that comes down just for Halloween.” There is typically no one theme, so people can make whatever they like. 

“What we’ve noticed over the years is, people will come in not sure what they want to do and not sure if they want to be here, and then there’s this surrendering into the work and they get creative and using their hands and making something from nothing,” Pendergast said, noting that many find solace in the work of creation as well. ​“Some people show up curious and don’t know if this is going to be fun, and they try it and really open up and soften.”

Lizzy Donius, executive director of Westville Village Renaissance Alliance, also came down to the pavilion to see the progress with the puppets. Donius, who earlier Hanscom had praised as ​“a force in generating events for Westville,” was ​“thrilled” about the weather and the lineup of artists for the weekend.

“It feels very organic,” she added. ​“it’s a big weekend here.”

She also noted the camaraderie with which the whole month of activities unfolded across New Haven. 

“I took all my postcards over to Erector last week and they put us on the website, so it’s really nice to have the connections and the force of this idea, of these citywide collective artists saying, ​‘OK October, look for it, we’re going to be open.’” 

“What we’re hoping is that people will come and see the art and also experience all the other things that are happening in Westville, which has grown over the years,” Donius said, including getting people ​“deeper in to the park” and ​“this incredible community space.” 

Artist Noe Jimenez, who Donius mentioned was integral in getting the weekend coordinated, and artist Isaac Bloodworth, who was also helping lead the puppet making, spoke about the excitement of participating in the weekend and the community connections as well. 

“I’m just a supporter that comes in and helps people with the little bit of knowledge that I have with the puppets,” said Bloodworth. ​“I’m just a community member who love art.” 

And he loved what this weekend was all about.

“When I was driving here, I thought, ​‘Oh my God, our city is special. No one else is doing this.’”

He noted that Covid had restricted so much activity for so long, and now people seemed more comfortable coming out again.

“I’m excited to see old faces again, and new faces, and telling people about this from all over. I love the vibe today. It’s like the farmers’ market on another high.”

Jimenez agreed and was happy to reconnect with other artists as well.

“It’s been great, it’s nice seeing artists from across the city come see us,” he said. ​“We don’t get to see each other that often, so it’s good to have visitors again. And like Isaac said, we were pretty shut off for years, so we’re trying to get back to being together as a community.”

Donius wanted everyone to know that though this event is unique to this weekend, it is one of many events Westville has to offer, and the vibe it generates permeates the village day in and day out.

“There are always wonderful things going on here in Westville,” she said. ​“Just come up anytime and walk around. The spirit of this event, that spirit is here on normal days.”