Commission Advocates Arts In Newtown

By Kendra Bobowick

Colors and textures pull meaning from a blank canvas. A low note and slow tempo give expression to sound.

“Art adds another dimension,” said Marina Moscovici, a member of the newly established Newtown Cultural Arts Commission. “I feel it balances and enhances people’s lives.”

Naming sculpture, photography, and music, she said, “There are so many beautiful expressions of creativity and it is under the surface here in town.” Artists and observers alike can benefit from a spotlight directed at Newtown’s artistic side. “I feel we can pull it out and expose it to more people.” Along with a handful of others, Ms Moscovici has joined the commission, which has been established to promote art awareness.

According to the ordinance creating the commission, “It shall serve as an information center and focal point in the community for activities in the arts.”

Ms Moscovici said, “There are so many talented people in town — people who are musicians, who have experience in the dramatic arts and fine arts, they’re painters and sculptors.” Through the commission she hopes to reach these people. She also wants to see greater communication with other commissions in town. “I think we can help each other,” she said. “I think it is important to a community to get organizations working together.”

Seeing an opportunity to weave together the threads of artists and groups in town, among other benefits, Ms Moscovici said, “This will make it a richer community and expose students and citizens to it.” In the future she hopes the commission can provide a showcase for the arts. “We would like to be a venue where we can have concerts, lectures [etc],” she said. “Hopefully we can find a venue for events to take place and cultivate the arts.”

Members’ reasons for joining the commission are honed by experience, background, and an understanding of what they want to bring into the community. Ms Moscovici has seen cultures whose architecture and history is etched with art. She grew up in Europe, she said, and pursued the arts in school as an art history major in Florence, Italy.

“Art is all over the place — easily accessible,” said Ms Moscovici, who added that Newtown needs a place for sculpture, music, photography, and other forms of art. She joined the commission as a way to become more involved with the town. Looking for something new, she learned more about the commission.

Lending his practiced hand to the commission is Joseph Grasso, who served as the Newtown High School Music Director from 1957 until 1992. A musician for much of his life, Mr Grasso also brings his musical experience to the commission. From rock and roll sounds to jazz instrumentals and classical notes, he said, music provides recreation. Thinking of the students, he said, “It is nice to know students are getting an appreciation for music so they can enjoy music the rest of their lives.”

As a member of an ad hoc committee that organized roughly two years before the commission formed, Mr Grasso had been aware that “a lot of things are going on in town regarding the arts,” he said. One of the commission’s first initiatives had been to identify all the arts factions in town. Since its first meeting back on July 26, Ms Moscovici explained, the commission has an emerging list of groups assembled.

“We would like to be the umbrella group to connect to the community,” she said. Commissioners are currently trying to assemble a community calendar to post upcoming events.

Commission Chairman Jennifer Johnston, who owns Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet, said that the website www.newtown-ct.gov should soon have a link to the cultural arts calendar, possibly as soon as the end of this month. She also hopes that the arts commission will someday have its own home.

Already, Parks and Recreation Commission members have been speaking with representatives from the Commission on Aging regarding new activity space. Both groups need more space for recreation and senior programming, and are considering a multipurpose building, which would provide both shared and dedicated spaces. The arts also may fit into this facility.

“I would love to see the arts have space as well as a center,” said Ms Johnston. She is aware of the Parks and Rec ideas, but her commission is still early in its organization stages, and has not concentrated yet on a future home. Contact Ms Johnston at 426-9299 for more information about the commission or to find out about joining the commission.