On Friday, July 31, youngsters who are participating in the
Community Renewal Team's Craftery Gallery's Summer Art Camp assisted
artist Michael Borders in the creation of a new outdoor mural
at the Craftery building at 1445 Main Street.
The mural is on the east wall of the building, which stands at
the intersection of Albany Avenue and Main Street (the "Gateway
to the North End") and measures 15 feet high and 85 feet
long.
The art project is being supported by proceeds from the 1998
ATP Doubles tennis Championship, sponsored by Phoenix Home Life
Mutual Insurance Company.
Borders and the youngsters from the art camp have been working
on the project for several weeks. The mural should be completed
by mid-August. The summer arts camp program is supported by the
Community Renewal Team of Greater Hartford and funded by the
City of Hartford's Department of Human Resourses.
The CRT Craftery Gallery is the only African American visual
arts facility operating year-round in the State of Connecticut.
In addition to exhibits, the Craftery promotes art awareness
and other community arts programs.
"We are still going strong after twenty five years of artistry
and education in the heart of the African-American community
in Hartford our home. The dream of enhancing recognition of established
minority visual artists and to encourage aspiring artists by
providing them with an accessible quality exhibition environment
lives on with the newest outdoor mural. So many fine folks need
to be recognized for all their outstanding efforts for this latest
project. I send my deepest appreciation to the entire Hartford
community and to Artist Michael Borders," said Founding
and Current Gallery Director Jonathan Bruce.
