Valley Art Gallery Seeking Your Scariest Work

 

Downtown Art Gallery Hosting High School Artists

New Exhibit to Debut

Gingerbread Baking Contest Underway

Valley Arts Council Grand Opening

Learn How to Paint with Watercolors

Veterans' Artwork on Display at Valley Gallery

Calling All Artists and Photographers!

Vendors Wanted for Holiday Marketplace

Calling All Artists, Photographers & Sculptors

Water Color Painting Workshop in Derby

 

DERBY-  The Derby Public will host another popular Water Color Painting Workshop on 

 

February 27 at 6 P.M.  Ages 18 and over are invited to enjoy this fun evening resulting in

 

fabulous art!  Participants will go home with new friends, great memories, and a newly-created

 

masterpiece that will show off your “inner-artist.”  No experience?  No problem!  Local artist,

 

Rich DiCarlo, from the Valley Arts Council, will guide you step-by-step on this creative journey

 

as you learn the ins and outs of creating your own water color painting.  No previous artistic

 

experience necessary – great for beginners or seasoned professionals. Snacks will be provided.  It

 

is promised to be a surprisingly easy and fun way to spend an evening!  Registration is required. 

 

For more information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St. or call 203 736-1482 or

 

visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.   

 

(This is a press release from Derby Public Library)

 

  

Valley Arts Council serves up 'Delicious' exhibit at Derby restaurant

The Valley Arts Council offered a bounty of food-themed artwork at its "Delicious II" reception Thursday at Marco Pizzeria and Restaurant in Derby.

The Valley Independent has the full story here.

Sculpting classes slated in July at Derby Public Library

DERBY - The Derby Public Library invites young adults ages 12 to 17 to the Summer Sculpture Series from 4-5:30 p.m. Thursdays in July, led by Valley Arts Council President Rich DiCarlo.
All materials are provided. 

This program is part of the DPL 2014 “Spark a Reaction” Teen Summer Reading Club. 
Registration is requested.
For more information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St., call 203-736-1482, or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.   

This is a press release from Tony DeLos, young adult/reference librarian, Derby Public Library. 

Ansonia artist creates sculpture of assassinated Albanian leader hailed as hero

(Mara Lavitt — New Haven Register) February 27, 2014 Derby Albanian-born Vasil Rakaj of Ansonia, in his Derby studio at the Valley Center for the Arts, has been commissioned to create a bronze memorial sculpture of Ded Coku, an Albanian patriot, for installation in Albania.

By Patricia Villers, New Haven Register

Posted: 03/02/14, 10:03 PM EST | Updated: 3 hrs ago

DERBY >> An Ansonia artist who is a native of Albania is creating a sculpture that honors the memory of a patriot from his homeland.

For the past several weeks, Vasil Rakaj has been painstakingly working on a 5-foot clay sculpture of longtime Albanian political leader Ded Coku. He was hailed as a hero and was assassinated in 1945 at age 75 by communist dictators.
Rakaj is working on the sculpture in a studio in the Valley Center of the Arts in Derby, which is run by the Valley Arts Council.
When the work is completed, Rakaj said, he will make a plaster cast of it. He will cut the plaster cast into pieces and ship it later this year to a foundry in Albania, where it will be cast in bronze.
Rakaj is working from several photos of Coku, seen dressed in a traditional ethnic costume.
The sculpture will be mounted on a stone pedestal, he said, and erected outdoors in the northern city of Lezha, Albania, where Coku served as mayor for 32 years.
Rakaj said Coku owned a big farm and employed many people. “A lot of people respect him.”

Rakaj said Lezha has beautiful architecture, and the sculpture will be placed “in the middle of the city.”
The current mayor of Lezha, Viktor Tuska, asked Rakaj to create the sculpture.
“I change many times how the sculpture looks, (to decide) which form is better or which modeling is good,” said Rakaj, who has lived in the United States since 1998.
He is using oil-based clay on the piece. He said it’s easier to use than water-based clay because he doesn’t need to spray the sculpture with water. “It’s ready all the time because it’s oil-based,” Rakaj said.
He will use 800 pounds of clay by the time he finishes the work.

Rakaj is a member of the Valley Arts Council. Rich DiCarlo, Valley Arts Council president, has been watching the progression of the artwork.
He said Rakaj “has captured the romanticism behind the hero” with the sculpture. “You don’t see this kind of sculpture around,” DiCarlo said. “Most of the statues you see are stoic.”
DiCarlo said the features Rakaj has sculpted depict “a proud face.” He said Rakaj “has a pride for his native country and it shows in the craftsmanship.”


Have questions, feedback or ideas about our news coverage? Connect directly with the editors of the New Haven Register at AskTheRegister.com.

Derby Public Library to host painting workshop

DERBY - The Derby Public Library invites young adults ages 12 to 17 to a four-session Freestyle Painting Workshop from 4-5:30 p.m. Thursdays in March.
 
Valley Arts Council President Richard DiCarlo guides participants in nurturing their inner artist.
Registration is requested.

For more information, stop by the Library at
313 Elizabeth St., call 203-736-1482, or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.


This is a press release from Cathy Williams, Director, Derby Public Library.

Artist to teach clay workshop at Derby Public Library

DERBY - The Derby Public Library invites young adults ages 12 to 17 to a two-session Working with Clay Workshop from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 21 and Dec. 5.

Valley Arts Council President Richard DiCarlo of Derby will guide participants first through ornament sculpting, followed by painting of the holiday-themed sculptures.

Registration is requested.

For information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St., call 203-736-1482, or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.


This is a press release from Derby Public Library.

Arts council readies Thursday opening at Derby restaurant

Marco Pizzeria & Restaurant in Derby has joined with the Valley Arts Council to host 'Delicious!' a food-inspired art exhibit.
The opening reception - featuring pizza - will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday. The event is free and open to the public.

About 40 works will be on display, from paintings to photography and sculpture.

The restaurant is tucked into the far corner of the Walmart Plaza, 656 New Haven Ave.

Local TV show to feature arts council prez, Derby gallery owner

I'm sharing this from a "Looking Up: A View from the Valley" Facebook posting.

"Please be sure to tune in for tonight's episode of "Looking Up: A View From The Valley" at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast Channel 10 as both Valley Arts Council President Rich DiCarlo, and "Gallerie Chartier" Proprietor Russell Chartier, discuss how and why arts, music and culture are alive and vibrant in the Valley. Thank you for watching, and enjoy the show."

Young and young at heart enjoy Ansonia's festival of bikes

Ansonia resident Thomas Perrin and his children enjoy the Sunday morning sunshine at the third annual Festival of Bikes in downtown Ansonia. Here they are riding in Veterans Park.

His children are, from left, Tamia Perrin, 3, Brianna Perrin, 5, and Thomas Perrin, Jr., Tamia's twin brother.

Perrin said he was pleased they had just received new bike-safety helmets from the Griffin Hospital Valley Parish Nurses. The nurses had 300 free helmets to give out at the festival.

Hamden resident Rich House, left, joins New Haven resident Matt Feiner, owner of The Devil's Gear Bike Shop in New Haven riding high wheelers down Main Street, Ansonia.

Matt Feiner seems to be having a lot of fun pedaling around Main Street. 
 

New Haven resident and avid cyclist Laura Burrone, who organized the commemorative ride from New Haven to Ansonia for the third consecutive year, speaks to the crowd gathered Sunday at Veterans Park.

Valley Arts Council President Rich DiCarlo of Derby works in Ansonia Sunday on a mural depicting the first bike ride taken by Pierre Lallement, inventor of the bicycle.

Lallement lived in Ansonia when he invented the bicycle in 1865. Tim Schmidheini, 14, of Ansonia, helps DiCarlo with the painting.

Wines of Italy topic of Valley adult ed course

DERBY - Valley Regional Adult Education will hold "Wines of Italy" enrichment classes starting Feb. 25 at the Valley Arts Council's Valley Center of the Arts, 119 Caroline St.

Cost is $94; $60 materials fee is due the first night. Bring a wine glass.

The seven-session course begins Monday. Hours are 7-8:30 p.m. 

Register at www.vrae.org, with a MasterCard or Visa, by mail at VRAE-Enrichment, 415 Howe Ave.,  Shelton, CT 06484, or by calling 203-924-6651. 

For information about enrichment courses visit http://www.vrae.org/