Connecticut

Wesleyan: Proposed fine arts center a ‘resource not only for Middletown but for all of central’ CT

Published

2 years ago

July 23, 2023

Wesleyan: Proposed fine arts center a ‘resource not only for Middletown but for all of central’ CT

Wesleyan University is preparing to renovate a building just east of its main campus as a fine arts center, and hopes it will build stronger connections between its arts students and Middletown residents.

“We see this site as a really excellent place to invite the Middletown community in for our performances and our art exhibitions,” said Roger Michael Grant, dean of arts and humanities. “This we hope will be a resource not only for Middletown but for all of central Connecticut.”

Wesleyan wants to renovate and expand a roughly 12,000-square-foot building on Hamlin Street just south of College Street and turn it into the Wesleyan Integrative Arts Lab. The university also proposes to do away with a deteriorating and little-used parking lot on the site, and replace it partly with new green space.

The existing building on Hamlin Street just south of College Street in Middletown. (Courtesy of Town of Middletown)

In a presentation to Middletown’s planning and zoning commission last week, the university said the work would be an aesthetic improvement. The former Mohawk Manufacturing Co. building on the site is rundown and has several broken windows, while the pavement of the parking lot is cracked and broken.

Joe Banks, Wesleyan University’s director of construction, said the university’s contractors plan to fully refurbish the roughly 12,000-square-foot building as a fine arts and performance center. They also will put on about 7,000 square feet of additional space.

Wesleyan University's rendition of what a remodeled, expanded building would look like. (Courtesy of Town of Middletown) — Wesleyan University’s rendition of what a remodeled, expanded building would look like. (Courtesy of Town of Middletown)

The work will improve conditions for students, faculty and staff, and also benefit the community, according to Wesleyan.

“We have about 3,000 students, about a third of them in some way focus on the arts,” Grant told commissioners. “The vast majority take at least one arts course before they graduate: That’s bucking national trends. We’re really an arts-focused and creative institution.”

A new arts center would serve those students by adding classroom, performance, exhibition and office space, Wesleyan said. But maybe its biggest value would be to the approximately 100 students a year who complete a senior thesis in the arts, school officials said.

Wesleyan's plan for its Integrative Arts Lab. (Courtesy of Town of Middletown) — Wesleyan’s plan for its Integrative Arts Lab. (Courtesy of Town of Middletown)

“The students need a space to get their hands dirty, to assemble their materials for rehearsals, to bring people together and try things out and experiment,” according to Grant.

Wesleyan built 11 arts buildings in 1973, but now needs more space, he said.

“That was the year that Wesleyan first admitted women, so our arts facilities were designed for a different time,” he said. “Our student population has more than doubled. We are currently over-spilling the capacity of these famous and fabulous buildings.”

Grant also noted that the 1973 buildings were individually designed to serve students in a particular arts discipline.

“We don’t have a single building that brings together the different arts forms,” Grant said. “We find students are interested in working across artistic media to create something that’s distinctively their own. That’s exactly what we have in mind for the Wesleyan Integrative Arts Lab.”

The university told town planners that it would use the space for a drawing studio, design studio, faculty offices, room for visiting guest artists, and what it called “flexible interdisciplinary space” for performances and exhibitions.

During regular days in the school year, the building would mostly host classes, Grant said. On weekends there could be occasional showings and performances, and during the winter break and summer vacation the space could be a location for guest artists.

“We’re looking at this building situated halfway between our art campus and downtown as a really distinctive opportunity to bring together the Middletown community with Wesleyan faculty, staff and students,” Grant said. “It’s in a very special location to do that.”

The commission could decide at its July 26 meeting whether to approve Wesleyan’s site plan application.

Source link

Click to comment

Connecticut

Connecticut to send 13 high school teams to compete at Hoophall Invitational in January

Published

9 hours ago

October 22, 2025

Press Room

Connecticut to send 13 high school teams to compete at Hoophall Invitational in January

Ten Connecticut boys basketball teams and three girls basketball teams will be playing in the second Panini Hoophall Invitational on Jan. 17-18, 2026 at several locations in the Springfield, Mass. area.

A total of 76 squads (56 for boys, 20 for girls) were invited from eight states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont) for a weekend at the Birthplace of Basketball. That is up from 64 teams in the inaugural event.

“I think, frankly, if we had more space in Springfield, we could have gone bigger than that,” said Greg Procino, the Vice President of External Events & Partnerships for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“There are a couple reasons why this kind of works. One, it gives teams an opportunity to play teams they don’t normally see. Second, it’s an opportunity to bring teams to the Hall of Fame, something teams don’t normally do. Third, you can be part of a big weekend of so much basketball. It’s an opportunity to feel like a part of something special.”

A few Connecticut teams are back for a second try. The New London boys and girls return, and are playing consecutive games at High School of Commerce on Jan. 17. The boys face Providence Central (R.I.) and the girls take on Albany (N.Y.).

St, Bernard, a Division I boys finalist the last two years, also returns and will battle Barrington (R.I.) in the first game Jan. 17 at Pope Francis Preparatory School, followed by the Bristol Central girls vs. Barrington. The last game there pits the East Hartford boys against Pope Francis (Mass.).

The Glastonbury girls are also back, facing Pittsfield (Mass.) at Springfield Central. The Staples boys follow Glastonbury, taking on Taconic (Mass.).

Bunnell, the two-time CIAC Division III boys state champion, will face KIPP Capital (N.Y.) at Putnam High in Connecticut. At the High School of Science and Technology, the St. Joseph boys face Stony Brook (N.Y.), and two games later, the Stonington boys face Minnechaug.

The Springfield International Charter School will host the Ridgefield girls vs. Minnechaug (Mass.) and the Tolland boys against Springfield International Charter.

The Weaver boys will take on Berne-Knox (N.Y.) at High School of Commerce

All Connecticut teams will either play a championship or consolation game Jan. 18 at the same site.

Running the same weekend, the Hoophall Classic (Jan. 15-19) field is expected to be announced Thursday, Procino said. All games will be played at Springfield College.

Source link

Connecticut

Emergency call takes unexpected, ‘cat-astrophic’ turn in Middletown

Published

1 day ago

October 22, 2025

Press Room

Emergency call takes unexpected, ‘cat-astrophic’ turn in Middletown

A Middletown fire engine found an unusual surprise while responding to a home in town on Tuesday.

It came as a shock to the crew when they arrived and found a cat with its head stuck in a chair.

The cat, named Ozzy, was carefully set free by crew members.

The cat refused further medical evaluation, but is expected to be just fine.

Source link

Connecticut

Connecticut high school girls soccer top performances, games to watch (Oct. 21)

Published

2 days ago

October 21, 2025

Press Room

Connecticut high school girls soccer top performances, games to watch (Oct. 21)

Housatonic’s Madeline Mechare (14) and Terryville’s Taylor Freimuth (13) collide while both trying to get control of the ball during their Berkshire League game Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at Terryville High School.

Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media

Here are the top girls soccer performances from last week. Email nominations each week to joseph.morelli@hearstmediact.com.

Taylor Allan, North Branford, Soph.: Had two goals and four assists in North Branford’s 11-3 win over Platt Tech.