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10/10/2018 08:30 AMCall it a full-circle moment. On Thursday, Oct. 18, Branford Arts and Cultural Alliance (BACA) invites appreciators of local art, music, and craft beer to come out and enjoy BACA at the Brewery at the Stony Creek Brewery (SCB), 5 Indian Neck Avenue, Branford, from 5 to 8 p.m. Local sculpture artist Susan Farricielli will show pieces crafted from objects salvaged from the historic Malleable Iron Fittings Company, which once stood beside the Branford River on the same land that’s now home to SCB. The event will be set to live music performed by Branford’s own Sal Annunziato with Sal Nunz & Friends.
For event chair Jeanette Mobeck, bringing together artistic and cultural aspects of Branford for BACA at the Brewery shows just what BACA is capable of creating. The non-profit organization is dedicated to supporting local artists and bringing arts and culture into the lives of Branford residents.
“It’s a smaller event, but it will be visually exciting, with Susan’s sculptures and Sal’s music upstairs at the brewery. It’s a great way for people to come and get exposed to more artists and get exposed to our organization,” says Jeanette.
Tickets, $25, will be available at the door or can be purchased by emailing jeanettemobeck@yahoo.com. Each ticket provides entrance into SCB’s exclusive celebration room overlooking the Branford River for a night of art, hors d’oeuvres, and beverages including SCB’s craft brews (cash bar).
In addition to Farricielli’s Found-ry sculptures on display, 13 Branford artists will each have one featured piece on exhibit, in media ranging from carvings to watercolors, oils, and more during BACA at the Brewery. Each artist is also donating a piece of his or her original artwork to the night’s BACA Silent Auction, Jeanette notes.
Jeanette calls BACA at the Brewery a “friend raiser,” which is an event that’s “inexpensive and accessible to residents,” she explains.
“We’re hoping they’ll come, and become aware of BACA, and more aware of the mission,” says Jeanette, who joined the BACA board two years ago.
Spearheaded by founding/current BACA Board Chair Frank Carrano, BACA is dedicated to promoting and supporting artistic events that specifically serve the Branford community and stimulate economic development in the town center, according to the BACA mission statement. BACA began in 2014, when Carrano led a group that sought the creation of a Branford Arts and Cultural Commission under the auspices of the Town of Branford. After the idea was ultimately rejected by a majority vote of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), all-volunteer BACA was founded and went on to become a 501c3 non-profit organization.
For several years, BACA has been providing opportunities for residents to enjoy art while also offering local artists opportunities to show their work in various town venues. BACA has brought several free shows to the historic Academy on the Green. The building is generally not open to the public and is made available to BACA with support of the Town of Branford. It was the site of BACA’s vintage Clock Show in March 2018 as well as several photography BACA exhibits featuring notable local photographers.
“I really feel we are touching the community in a lot of ways,” Jeanette says. “The use of the Academy for the vintage clock show for the photography shows is one way. By having the shows in the Academy, we’re also able to expose residents to the inside of that wonderful building.”
A lifelong Branford resident, Jeanette, with her husband Bob (who serves on the Branford Community Foundation board), raised three children here and love finding opportunities to support and enjoy their hometown. Jeanette is also a very active member of the Branford Garden Club (BGC). She notes BACA has partnered with BGC for past events (such as 2016’s Art in the Garden) and adds BACA would be willing to partner with any non-profit organization to continue its efforts.
Jeanette enjoyed her professional career as a speech and language pathologist with New Haven Public Schools, specializing in assisting preschool-aged hearing impaired children. A talented multi-tasker, she also simultaneously worked as a property manager of a senior housing complex in New Haven’s Westville section.
“The contrast of working with preschoolers and the elderly provided me with a wonderful and full career,” says Jeanette. “Now that I’m retired, at this stage of my life, its really about giving back. It’s about community service, and keeping this town a place where people like to come and walk through town and window shop, together with other viable activities that will bring people into our town.”
Bringing arts and culture into the community through BACA helps to create those important “viable activities,” she notes, adding one long-term goal for BACA is to find a permanent location here.
“One of the things my husband and I love to do is come into town on a nice evening and walk, but there’s got to be something that brings you in to town,” she says. “It has to be an interactive town center. I would like it to remain an interactive place where activities happen, and if BACA is able to get a home in Branford, we would be part of that process of bringing people into town, into our restaurants, onto our green.”
With a growing list of members (there’s a $20 annual membership fee), the organization is poised to begin the task of finding its first brick-and-mortar home. That’s one of the reasons Jeanette is hoping people will turn out to support the BACA at the Brewery friend-raiser.
“Our long-range goal would be to have an art center here in Branford that would be available to all,” she says, adding there’s one site that’s already on BACA’s wish-list.
“We’d love to have the town consider us for the use of the iconic Canoe Brook school building as the potential site for a Community Art Center,” says Jeanette. “We would then have an opportunity to transform this historical building into a thriving location for the arts, cultural development, and wellness.”
The former school is currently home to the town’s senior center. A new home for the senior center is being constructed as part of the Community House/Senior Center expansion and renovation underway at the former Branford Community House on Church Street. In an interesting twist, BACA has received a grant that will help place a sculpture by a local artist outside the new Community House/Senior Center. Jeanette notes BACA is also proposing a sculpture to be placed outside the expanded/renovated Walsh Intermediate School, also currently under construction.
“We have a grant to place a sculpture at the new Community Center, and we hope to do one at the intermediate school that’s got an educational aspect. I can see something like Susan Farricielli’s Sun Dial being moved there. It makes sense because it’s so educational,” says Jeanette.
BACA has also worked with the James Blackstone Memorial Library to bring about the installation of a public space sculpture program on the Blackstone grounds, which currently features the works of local artist Jonathan Waters.
“We have so many amazing artists, of all mediums,” says Jeanette. “That’s why we started BACA, to support the artists that we do, and to bring that awareness to the community so we can all appreciate their work.”
As a lover of the arts, Jeanette’s efforts as BACA board member continue to be very fulfilling and meaningful to her.
“This organization has provided me with the opportunity to become acquainted with many of the gifted artists, in all areas of expression, that we have in Branford,” she says.
Jeanette would love to see a big crowd come out to support BACA at the Brewery on Oct. 18.
“We hope to see as many people as the brewery can hold!” says Jeanette. “Come out to support our mission and enjoy the visual delights of some of Branford’s finest artists. Let’s do something wonderful for our town.”
To learn more about BACA, find Branford Arts and Cultural Alliance-BACA on Facebook (@BACACT). To Join BACA’s non-profit group of volunteers organizing cultural and arts events, email baca06405@gmail.com.