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January 27, 2008 Artists, with their keen sense of color and light, always notice when things are brighter. So it wasn't long after moving into their new studios at 845 Canal St. this fall that members of the Stamford Loft Artist Association say they began seeing things from a new, more vivid perspective. Instead of complaining about the loss of the abandoned factory from which they were evicted last year, the artists are effusive about what they've gained in a move to a three-story refurbished factory that was updated by their old landlord, Greenwich-based Antares Investment Partners. "For one thing, the heat works now. In the old building you got it for an hour in the morning and an hour at night," says artist Nat Connacher, "but it's more than that." "It's not even that the light is better, it might even be a little greyer," says Shelly Denning, co-president of the Loft Artists Association. "But I think we are all invigorated by the freshness of the place." The artists certainly mention the fresh white paint on their walls, the new bathrooms with working sinks, their roomier studios as they welcome visitors into their new lofts, but it's their proximity to each other that has them praising their creative nooks most. Artists are used to solitary conditions, but now "it's kind of like we're living in the cool college art dorm," says Denning. In a new exhibition, "Art Moved," which begins with a reception Thursday, the Loft Artists open their doors to the community again, anxious to show off their art and new workspaces. They describe the show as a collective thankyou to Antares and Mayor Dannel Malloy for their efforts to keep the artists in the evolving South End. "I think we all feel at home," says Jody Silver, an Old Greenwich resident who is among the newest members of the Loft Artists. Silver recently left a similar group of artists' studios in Port Chester, N.Y., to join the Stamford group, drawn by the Loft Artists' commitment to creating a true artistic community. "For years I worked in a studio where I never even knew the people on the other side of the wall. Now, I pop my head out and invite people in for lunch. And they come. We talk about art, of course, and life." Many members of the Loft Artists, Denning among them, were crestfallen when Antares asked them to vacate the old Yale & Towne Lock factory where they had kept studios for more than two decades. The move had not been unexpected; Antares had long told the artists a move was inevitable as they pitched ambitious development plans that included the old factory to city planners. Still, when notice came, the artists worried the artistic community they had established in the South End would cease to exist. Many of the artists trace their roots back to the colony's beginnings, when the late sculptor James Jackson Burt moved into the office of the former president of Yale & Towne. Famed sculptor Ruben Nakian soon followed. And during the years, scores of artists moved in and out, many retaining membership in the LAA even when their work and lives took them elsewhere. When it was time to leave Yale & Towne, there was talk of moving to industrial spaces in Glenbrook and other parts of town. The artists packed up their studios uncertain about the future, worried that significant events such as the Loft Artist's annual "Open Studios" would cease. "And none of it felt right," says Lina Morielli, a mixed-media artist who is co-president of the Loft Artists Association with Denning. "You can't have a great community without the arts and we had established one. We always had this open-door policy, always loved sharing what we were doing with the people of Stamford. And through things like Open Studios, we really had become a cultural force. " Adds Denning: "And there was the sense of not wanting to abandon the South End. We envisioned ourselves as being part of the exciting things happening here, not being removed from them. We really believed something would be lost if we were gone." Jim Cabrera, co-founder and managing partner of Antares, says, "Antares was happy to step in to help as we recognize the importance of art and artists in the communities we are trying to build." Antares came through on a promise to help the artists find a new home, presenting them with a space that in many ways has exceeded their expectations. For one thing, the building has been gutted and upgraded with significant input from the artists on their needs. In the old factory, six gritty stories separated the artists, many of whom worked in far-flung studios. "There was a pocket of studios here, a pocket there; sometimes there were people you never saw," says Denning. So the artists say they are happy to be in a space where their studios are lined up, apartment style, in neat rows. "They listened to us and got it when something wasn't working in their plans and we said as much," says Morielli. "Initially, they were going to give us something more modest. There wasn't going to be air conditioning. But when we started to ask them if they would make our windows so they could accommodate window units, they just went ahead and put it in. It was like that throughout the process, they just kind of got it." Morielli is excited about her own space as she is of those of neighboring artist friends. "I like that the building is newish, but has just the right amount of industrial funk to it," she says. Hallways, for example are still only partially painted with base primer. The artists have their landlord's blessing to paint their walls any way they see fit, but some say they like the unfinished, industrial feel it creates. "I was terribly sad to leave the old building. It has been so important to me and my art," says Francine Funke, a painter from Stamford who often fills large canvases with her vivid work. There was no room for her large-scale visions at home and when she left Yale & Towne, she was certain, "I would never create the same haven I had in my old loft." Now, she says, "I think I'm actually happier here." Morielli left the lock factory equally skeptical, but now says she has more room to "spread out" in her new studio, where she likes to contemplate several projects in the works out on a series of tables, moving from one to the next. She often cuts out images from books and magazines to create provocative collages with her wry observations on life, "And I like to move stuff around. I thought my studio was going to be too big, but I find I like spreading out." Before they moved, many of the artists also worried about losing the intriguing perspective of the South End skyline, with its view of the city's office buildings, the gritty South End and Interstate 95. Painter Cate Leach of Darien is among those who adored the old skyline, but has found solace and inspiration in a new one. She has made herself a cozy nook in her studio, adding a loft with lounge chairs and hanging the curtains from her Yale & Towne studio to make the place "feel like home." She even used a salvaged painted screen to create a funky kitchen with a tiny fridge. (The artists are not allowed to live in their studios per the terms of their lease, but they often work odd hours and like to keep snacks and refreshments for guests.) "If you are here at the right time of day, the seagulls come in from a really cool angle," says Leach. "It's not my old view, it's a different one, but I like it."
Copyright © 2008, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.
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