Annual Exhibition To Highlight The Power Of Art And Support Programming For Local Children In Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — ART06870, a contemporary art gallery in Old Greenwich, will put on its second annual exhibition that aims to highlight the power of art and support programming for local children in partnership with the Greenwich Alliance for Education.

An opening reception for the exhibition, titled Art Today-Futures Tomorrow, is scheduled for Oct. 25 at the gallery, located at 260R Sound Beach Ave., from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The event will feature musical guest Frank Kovac, and give attendees the chance to view this year's exhibit. Parking will be available on Sound Beach Avenue only.

Michael Manning, who runs ART06870 with Ben Quesnel and Christian Salvati, told Patch the exhibit will feature a diverse collection of artists, from about six to seven world-renowned names to 50 regional artists and local residents who simply have a passion for creating something.

Art pieces range in size from 3-by-3 inches up to 30-by-30, Manning said.

"This has really become part of the identity of the gallery," Manning said of the annual event. "This is something we're going to keep doing, and the results have been good both from the community and the artists."

The gallery opened in 2023 with an eye toward giving back to the community.

Last year, the first annual exhibition/fundraiser at the gallery funded 10 workshops for local children, which were led by professional studio artists at the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, local schools, museums and galleries.

Proceeds from this year will directly support visual arts, theater and music programming, and will help create access to music ensembles by providing free private music lessons for under-resourced students in grades 4-12.

Programming is expected to begin soon after the exhibit ends on Dec. 7.

"One of the really neat things is this is so full circle," Manning said. "Artists are involved with the work that's created in the show, the workshops are then provided by the funding from the exhibition to then give back to the kids who could be future artists."

The exhibition is being held in collaboration with the Greenwich Alliance for Education (GAE) and supported by the Developing Artist Program, made possible with grants from the Greenwich Alliance, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, the Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) and supplemental support for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

"They've just been a tremendous supporter for us," Manning said of the GAE. "It's just been a good relationship."

Manning said he believes art is connected to everything, and having access to the arts, especially at a young age, can be powerful.

"[Art] connects to culture, it connects to history. Everything we wear, the phones we're using, an artist had something to do with them at some point. It just expands the world to me. It just creates a rich, expansive view of what the world has to offer," Manning said, noting the arts are especially important in today's digital world.

"To physically create something is different than just playing on your computer," he added. "Making something with your hands is a way of relieving stress, there's a sense of accomplishment that you actually brought something into being."

The community can bid on pieces featured in the exhibition through this link, which will go live on Oct. 25, or they can contribute to the initiative with a donation.

Guests can also stop by the gallery to view and bid on the art in person.

For more information on the gallery and the exhibit, visit ART06870's website.