In June, the gallery is hosting a special show featuring 23 artists whose work has been censored or otherwise deemed too controversial for many area galleries or public exhibition spaces. LaBossiere considers himself lucky to have found a place in ArtSpace and for less money than he would pay elsewhere for a two-bedroom apartment of comparable size. I see it as my responsibility to be an active artist and, in my own way, show appreciation for this opportunity. As a muralist, LaBossiere shows his appreciation by brightening the walls of three Hartford recreation centers and currently is developing plans for a 60-foot mural of the Charter Oak Tree on a Talcott Street parking garage right in the center of Hartford. The city reaps the benefits of having artists on hand in more ways than one.
Many artists are committed to giving something back to the city.
Cherie Mittenthal, an artist whose studio is located on Arbor Street, for instance, is one of several artists who runs art programs for children at Hartford schools. And twice a year, in the winter and the spring, artists around the city open their studios to the public. While there are plenty of practical advantages to living in studio space, the real advantage, all these artists agree, is the opportunity to meet and mix with their peers. Here the neighbors are more likely to come 'round to borrow a cup of turpentine than they are to come looking for sugar. And artists are constantly trading information about materials, galleries and shows, not to mention trading with each other.