Former Factory Gives New Life to Hamden Artists

For Kristina Zallinger, art runs in her blood. In addition to Zallinger, her parents and all of her siblings are artists. Her father painted the murals at the Peabody Museum in New Haven and worked for Life Magazine. Her brother is a professor at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts and has art permanently featured at Yale. 

Prior to moving to Highwood Square, the town's new artist colony located in a a former factory on Dixwell Avenue, Zallinger took various non-artistry positions to make ends meet while living in less than ideal situations in New Haven.

Looking for somewhere to focus on her art, as well as affordable housing, Zallinger moved to Hamden because of this “wonderful building.”

 “I love my apartment and this [studio] is really incredible,” Zallinger said. She works in her studio, which also happens to be her first, for a couple hours each day. The only Highwood Square resident that also rents a studio, her work was recently on display at the New Haven Public Library..

An open house, complete with a cookout and tours of  the residential and commercial spaces at Highwood Square, recently celebrated the $10 million dollar mixed-use project located in the heart of the Highwood community. 

NeighborWorks New Horizons and the Hamden Economic and Community Development Department collaborated on the event, a celebration of the new found vibrancy for the area. 

The idea behind it was to share the progress of the development with the public, to celebrate and acknowledge the participation of all of the funders and to show what opportunities remain at this important location. There is approximately 8,000 square feet available for lease.

Highwood Square, formerly the home of the Johnson Perfume Factory, had become a blighted and abandoned property after a devastating fire. After nearly 10 years of planning, grants funding and redevelopment, the artist housing and commercial space at Highwood Square opened two years ago. The second chance afforded to this area is now doing the same for its residents.

Currently all 27 residential spaces are taken at Highwood Square. In addition to the residential spaces, there are two commercial businesses: Hamden Family Dental and Frontier Financial Group, as well as several spaces leased to working artist spaces for painting sculpture etc. Several of the residents also produce art from within their apartments.