>> LOCATED IN A HISTORIC DOWNTOWN BUILDING FIVE POINTS
GALLERY IN TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT IS A NONPROFIT
CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY SHOWCASES PROFESSIONAL REGIONAL,
NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL VISUAL ARTISTS.
PRODUCER DAVE FRASER VISITED THE GALLERY RECENTLY AND TALKED WITH
ITS FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JUDITH MCELHONE TO LEARN HOW
THIS GALLERY IS SHINING A LIGHT ON THE ARTS AND HELPING TO BRING
A NEW ENGLAND MILL TOWN BACK TO LIFE.
>> MIGHT HAVE POINTS IS A NONPROFIT -- FIVE POINTS IS A
501C3.
WE DO NOT KEEP A STABLE OF ARTISTS.
WE ARE NOT A COMMERCIAL GALLERY BUT WE ARE A GALLERY THAT
EMBRACES CHAMPIONS AND NURTURES ARTISTS AT ALL STAGES OF THEIR
CAREERS.
>> WE DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE AT ALL, A RENTAL PLACE, UNTIL THE
FIRST OF JUNE, 2012.
THIS WAS EMPTY.
IT WAS RUN DOWN.
THEY HAD A ROTTED FLOOR AND BRICK WALLS AND PIPES AND IN ONE
MONTH THEY DID WHAT YOU SEE HERE, AND MOST OF MY FRIENDS AT
THAT TIME WERE VERY MUCH RESPECTED ARTISTS, SO WHY WOULD
I COME TO TORRINGTON AND I SAID BECAUSE I ASKED YOU TO AND I
HAVE DONE YOU FAVORS, AND SO THEY CAME, AND IT WAS A
TREMENDOUS SUCCESS.
AND SO FROM THAT POINT ON AS WE CALL AT NO TIME PERFECT STORM,
GOOD PEOPLE COME TOGETHER FOR GOOD REASONS.
AND IT'S RIGHT AT THE FIVE POINT INTERSECTION IN DOWNTOWN
TORRINGTON.
A TERRIFIC LOCATION.
SINCE FIVE POINTS HAS OPENED, OUR GUEST BOOK SHOWS VISITORS
FROM ALMOST EVERY TOWN IN CONNECTICUT.
15 STATES AND 17 COUNTRIES, AND WE'RE THRILLED.
AND THE ARTS IN TORRINGTON ARE -- THE ARTS WERE ALREADY HERE,
THE NUTMEG BALLET HAS BEEN HERE FOR 45 YEARS AND A WORLD
RENOWNED SCHOOL FOR BALLET.
THE WARNER THEATER RENOVATED, ART DECO THEATER, AND THIS OLD
MILL TOWN IS GETTING A NEW IDENTITY, AND AN IDENTITY IS THE
ARTS.
FIVE POINTS GALLERY HAS GROWN BECAUSE OF THE CALIBER OF THE
ART THAT WE SHOW HERE.
IT'S EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL ART.
ARTISTS WANT TO SHOW, AND THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF PLACES TO SHOW.
WE DON'T -- WE'RE NOT A COMMERCIAL GALLERY SO WE CAN
SHOW ART THAT MAY BE COMMERCIAL GALLERIES WOULDN'T SHOW.
AND WE LOVE TO SELL, BUT THAT'S NOT OUR MAIN MISSION.
AND RIGHT NOW, THE GALLERY IS AN ARTIST IN DENMARK AND THE OTHER
TWO ARE CONNECTICUT ARTISTS SO WE ALWAYS KEEP AT LEAST ONE OR
USUALLY SEVERAL CONNECTICUT ARTISTS SHOWING IN THE GALLERY.
AT THE BEGINNING I THOUGHT WE WERE ABOUT SHOWING ART IN
TORRINGTON.
ISN'T THIS WONDERFUL?
WORLD CLASS ART IN DOWNTOWN TORRINGTON AND EVERYBODY COMES
IN HERE AND SAYS THIS COULD BE IN CHELSEA AND IT COULD.
BUT WE THEN DISCOVERED THAT OUR, AT LEAST I HAVE, IT'S NOT JUST
ABOUT THE ART BUT ABOUT THE ARTIST.
SO WE CHANGED OUR MISSION STATEMENT AND WE KNOW THEM AT
ALL STAGES OF THEIR CAREERS, AND WE HAVE UPSTAIRS OVER THE
GALLERY WHAT WE CALL THE HARTFORD ART SCHOOL SAT FIVE
POINTS LAUNCH PAD, AND THERE ARE NOW 15 YOUNG ARTISTS AND
RESIDENTS THAT ONLY PAY 65 A MONTH IN SHARED STUDIO SPACES,
AND IN TWO YEARS THEY HAVE A SHOW IN FIVE POINTS, WHICH IS
HUGE FOR THESE YOUNG ARTISTS NOW BECAUSE OF THE REPUTATION THAT
WE HAVE BUILT, AND IN TWO YEARS THEY WILL REVOLVE AROUND, AND
THEY ARE ALL GRADUATES OF THE HARTFORD ART SCHOOL SO WE ARE A
CHAMPION IN NURTURING ARTISTS AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
DO SO, LAST YEAR WE SHOWED 72 ARTISTS IN FIVE POINTS.
THERE ARE NOT MANY PLACES THAT DON'T HAVE A STABLE OF ARTISTS
AND HAVE A SPACE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THIS ONE.
WE DRAW VERY HEAVILY IN FROM THE HARTFORD FARMINGTON AREA, BUT
ALSO THE RICH, VERY RICH, CULTURALLY RICH LITCHFIELD
HILLS, SO WE ARE STRANGELY ENOUGH, ALTHOUGH IN TORRINGTON,
IN A PERFECT SPOT TO BRING ARTISTS TOGETHER AND HELP THEM
TO NETWORK AND INRICH THE COMMUNITY WHILE DOING IT.