Blank Walls At Municipal Center Call Out For Local Art

By Kendra Bobowick

Where is the artwork?

As town personnel adjust to their new space at the Newtown Municipal Center at Fairfield Hills, the fresh paint and once open floor plan is now a maze of hallways, offices, meeting rooms, and broad, empty wall space.

“In the main entranceway across from my office is a large blank wall,” said First Selectman Joe Borst on November 3. “It would be a good place for artwork; it’s at the library, so why not display it here?” The action is one of his last as the first selectman. Hours later the municipal polls closed, and Republican Pat Llodra was declared the next occupant of the first selectman’s office.

Mr Borst wants to avoid marring the wall’s surface and insists on having some type of rods or thin poles to hang paintings, drawings, photography, etc. Already, he has heard from department members in adjacent offices: “They have mentioned they need something too.” He hopes the local art groups in town such as the Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN) or the more recent Newtown Cultural Arts Commission can coordinate the effort.

“It’s a perfect project for us,” said the art commission Chairman Jennifer Johnston. Part of her commission’s goals is to promote local artists and groups and to raise arts awareness. The first selectman had asked that she and the SCAN members and local artists work together on the initiative. “We’re excited and look forward to this,” she said this week.

SCAN chairman Marianne Scanlon had a positive reaction to the idea of using the new municipal building as another venue to display SCAN members’ artwork. “I am sure a lot of artists would want to display their work,” she said. Ms Scanlon had plans to discuss the options with the art society’s board this week. “It’s an interesting idea to consider,” she said.