MERIDEN— Sandy Goodyear is the new Gallery 53 director.
“For the last five years, I have been volunteering,” Goodyear said this week. “So they asked me if I would move up to director. I was a teacher. I’m really excited about it and I’m excited about increasing the amount of people that take classes and the amount of activities we have.”
Goodyear replaces longtime former director Rita Sarris.
Her duties are varied.
“I do anything and everything from washing toilets, to scheduling shows, doing all the bookkeeping, running classes,” she said.
Goodyear has about three other art exhibits planned after the current Leap Year show ends on Feb. 29. The gallery is located at 53 Colony St.
“Our next show is Women Photographers of Connecticut,” Goodyear said. “It’s an online women photography group and this is the first show they are doing. So we have about 40 photos that will be coming in next weekend. I’m really excited about it.”
After that the gallery will offer an abstract showcase and a fiber art show.
Gallery 53 also lends out its art rooms to groups to host classes, such as Meriden Adult Education.
“We provide the space for them…’’ she said. “Every time they come into the studios, it costs us money. But I keep saying to myself that’s our goal to bring art to the community. So it's fulfilling that aspect of it.”
Gallery 53 is also in the midst of planning two other events — a Roaring ’20s fundraiser and a short film festival. The Roaring ’20s fundraiser will include some fun cocktail ideas. The short film festival will showcase six or seven films. After watching, the audience will be asked to rate them.
“We are trying to think outside of the box,” Goodyear said. “It seems like more and more, there’s so much positive energy being attracted to the gallery and a gentleman came in who’s involved with the short film industry and we are going to start doing a short film festival… So we are hoping, if we can get that rolling, that can be a monthly event.”
Founded in 1907, Gallery 53 is one of the oldest visual arts organizations in Connecticut. The gallery is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the cultural enrichment of the Greater Meriden community.
For more information, including donation and volunteer opportunities, go to www.gallery53.org.
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