Celebrating Bridgeport Creatives
Artists / Designers / Photographers / Musicians / Composers / Chefs / Imaginators
Creative Companies
Bridgeport-based or Bridgeport Resident-owned
Artful Eating
Bridgeport-based
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WHY I CREATED THIS WEBSITE IN 2019:
As a Connecticut native raised in Glastonbury, who moved to New Haven after attending college in Boston, living in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, I was introduced to Bridgeport by my long-time friend and art dealer Margaret Bodell in the mid-80s. In the mid-2000s, Margaret and I reconverged in Bridgeport where she wanted me to see the former Nun’s bookbindery she hoped to turn into a gallery. We also had a tour led by Phil Kuchma of the apartments above the old Schwerdtle Stamp Co. when they were just being renovated, and we considered each getting one so we could be next-door neighbors (like Lucy and Ethel) as we had been on Chapel Street in New Haven.
As a journalist looking for a creative scoop, I wrote a story in 2006 about the then (seemingly) burgeoning scene in downtown Bridgeport. I interviewed Phil Kuchma, Eric Anderson of Urban Green Builders (who had taken control of 17 “Downtown North” properties) and Phil Hartman the founder of Two Boots. Phil Hartman and I became friends and he offered me a retail store in part of the space he rented in the Bijou Theater building, and I politely declined. (Later, he had to close Two Boots, which was my favorite thing about downtown back then.)
In 2007, I met Karl Heine, a Bridgeport resident, and we bought a house in Black Rock together. Although I already had an international art career, I was excited about my new city and did my best to contribute to making things happen in the arts, which ultimately was unsuccessful. That included having registered a number of related domains and launching “Black Rock Culture” and “ART Bridgeport” a bit before their time.
Twelve years later I have solidified friendships with talented local creatives. However, most of them are not about hyping themselves and many of them have national and international careers so may not be known in the area. Because of this, I find myself sharing their information repeatedly with new people I meet at places like Harborview Market (the heart of Black Rock). There is a richness here that is largely undiscovered that I hope to help shed a little light on. It is not meant to exclusivize some over others, it is built purely out of passion, friendship, admiration, and pride — it’s profoundly personal and somewhat random. Enjoy!