Iconic Norwalk 2018

Creative placemaking; Norwalk 2.0 launches Concert Series at Constitution Park in Liberty Square

Art events in Constitution Park highlight waterfront

We’re back with the Iconic Norwalk Instagram contest. This year we’ve tweaked the categories and the #hashtag. So pay attention. If your account is private, we can’t see the entries. If you upload albums we can’t see all the entries, submit each photo individually. Follow the #IconicNorwalk2018 hashtag, and of course @norwalk2.

Norwalk 2.0 announces the launch of Iconic Norwalk 2018, the second year of the Instagram contest that resulted in over 900 submissions of iconic locations in Norwalk with 19 entries winning prizes in categories ranging from food to architecture. The winning entries of last year’s project are on exhibit at the Pink Containers.

HOW TO ENTER

The contest entry period is from June 1, 2018, through October 31, 2018, ending at midnight.

1) Take or upload a photo of your artwork or video to your personal Instagram account

2) Caption your image with either a location or description and include #IconicNorwalk2018

3) Follow @norwalk2  on Instagram

PRIZES

Grand Prize, The Grand Prize Winner will receive $300 cash.

First Place Winners in the categories listed below will receive $100 cash:

FOOD

HISTORY

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

LANDSCAPE

URBAN ADVENTURE

RULES

Contestant must be the creator/owner of the entered image(s) and must have the permission of anyone shown in the images to have their likeness published. Norwalk reserves the right request the original image file for any winning image to print for an exhibition celebrating Norwalk. This is a global contest and any person with an Instagram account may enter, but the photos posted to #icononicnorwalk have to be depicting a scene in Norwalk Connecticut that is easily identifiable in the photo. Photos submitted to the contest may be printed for exhibit and displayed in public venues in Norwalk, CT by Norwalk 2.0.

We ask that PRIVATE accounts are made PUBLIC during the contest in order to be entered. The winner will be announced on 11/14, 2018, we appreciate your patience while we verify all the entries. Good luck!

Per Instagram rules, we must mention this is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. By entering, entrants confirm they are 13+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s term of use.”

 

Join Us June 21

We’re celebrating the launch of the #iconicnorwalk exhibit on June 21st at the ArtWorks Gallery ont he Green from 6-8 PM. Please join us and see the project winners as well as over 840 images contributed to the project.

 

Iconic Norwalk 2018

With over 2500 images submitted over two years, this project has really highlighted the best places in Norwalk. Thank you to all the participants who submitted entries. Now the fun part, we are running the contest again in 2019. Come join us on May 17th at 6pm at the Norwalk Library to hear the details, and see the winning entries, plus all the rest of the entries.  See you there.

#iconicnorwalk

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“The Envelope” #norwalkct #iconicnorwalk #manresa #skybangerz #topdown #topdowndroneshots #djimavic2pro #droneporn #dailydrone #dronestagram #fromwhereidrone #longislandsound #coastal #nautcial #shoreline

“The Envelope”

#norwalkct #iconicnorwalk #manresa #skybangerz #topdown #topdowndroneshots #djimavic2pro #droneporn #dailydrone #dronestagram #fromwhereidrone #longislandsound #coastal #nautcial #shoreline ...

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It’s Christmas! 👊🏼 . . . . #topdown #topdowndroneshots #skybangerz #dailydrone #nautical #nautical_images #droneart #droneporn #fistbump #armycorpsofengineers #saltmarsh #westernlongislandsound #longislandsound #ayearinthesound #savethesound #norwalkct #iconicnorwalk #ocean #raw_drone

It’s Christmas! 👊🏼
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#topdown #topdowndroneshots #skybangerz #dailydrone #nautical #nautical_images #droneart #droneporn #fistbump #armycorpsofengineers #saltmarsh #westernlongislandsound #longislandsound #ayearinthesound #savethesound #norwalkct #iconicnorwalk #ocean #raw_drone ...

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Hanging out with the fam. #pizzatime #chickenparmpizza #foodstagram #foodpics #foodphotography #familytime #iconicnorwalk

Hanging out with the fam. #pizzatime #chickenparmpizza #foodstagram #foodpics #foodphotography #familytime #iconicnorwalk ...

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HOW TO ENTER 2019 VERSION

Head over here.

Connecticut’s Commission on Aging

Our field trip to the CT Main Street peacemaking workshop resulted in coverage over at the Connecticut Legislative Commission on Aging. Check out the article:

At their April workshop, the Connecticut Main Street Center featured these “placemakers” — cities developing public spaces that attract people, build community by bringing people together, and create local identity.

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In Norwalk, the folks from Norwalk 2.0  are the grassroots movers and shakers behind creative public spaces where people gather and connect. Using inexpensive strategies including a mural art trail, storefront dance, “fence art” and colorful adirondack chairs, Maribeth Becker and Jackie Lightfield have transformed places like littered, overgrown public parks to vibrant gathering places.

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SONO Beach

Its been a long road to get a site for Norwalk’s first mobile arts center. The two Norwalk 2.0 pink shipping containers customized to be anything from workspace, an exhibit venue or performance space turned out to be the easy part. Locating a site, and then working on making the site work proved to be a bit more challenging. But we did it, and while we hoped we would be up and running during the summer, we instead turn to the fall as our launch time.

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SONO Beach

Well it’s been awhile since we’ve updated our news feed with actual news. We have been busy building a beach. Yep, you read that right. We are in the process of creating an urban art beach, we’d like to think that it is the first of its kind in the world, but safe to say at least Connecticut and definitely Norwalk.

Stay tuned, and here’s something to whet the appetite.

 

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The arrival of the second container.

Spring into Music, Art, Food & Fun with the Artist Village

Spring into Music, Art, Food & Fun with the Artist Village

Norwalk 2.0 unveils spring line up of downtown boosting programming

In a true sense of spanning all multimedia options, Norwalk 2.0 announces several projects due for release this spring.

As part of the kick off to all of the fun, Norwalk 2.0 will be showing the world premiere of the trailer for Norwalk’s Future: Right Here, Right Now, a documentary about the past, present and future of downtown Norwalk, filmed and produced by The Preferred Group. Norwalk 2.0 will debut the movie trailer next Thursday April 3rd, as part of a downtown focused FUNdraiser. The festivities will be held from 7-9pm at Fat Cat Wine Room located at 3 Wall Street. Tickets are $25 in advance via website; $30 at the door.

At the event, Norwalk 2.0 will also talk about the upcoming Freese Park Artist Village project. Between May 29th and June 14th, six shipping containers will form the building blocks to an exciting three weekend event in the heart of Norwalk’s downtown riverfront. There is an open call for ideas, soliciting individuals and teams to propose projects that will be part of creating the village. The deadline for applications is April 15. More details are available at the Norwalk 2.0 website: norwalk2.org.

Showcasing murals in City Hall and the Norwalk Public Library, banners depicting highlights of the artworks along with historical facts will be installed on the fences at City Hall, East Wall Street, Freese Park and the Library. This outdoor fence exhibit will encourage people to take a stroll through the downtown and visit the collections at City Hall and the Library.

Accompanying the installation, a guidebook to the history of downtown Norwalk will tell the story through the centuries of its development. Dorothy Mobilia, longtime Norwalk resident and author of How Jimmy John won his Cloak of Freedom, contributed research and authored the historical narrative for the initiative.

Both projects, the fence exhibit and guidebook, will include downloadable resources from the Norwalk 2.0 web site, including a self guided walking tour.

Norwalk 2.0 has raised approximately 60% of the budget of $75,000 needed for programming activities for the Freese Park Artist Village project. All money has been raised thus far from State grants, private foundations and individual donations.

Join Norwalk 2.0 and friends to find out how you can be in the movie, be a part of the Freese Park Artist Village, and have a role in shaping Norwalk’s future.

“We’re excited about getting past the winter so we can launch some of our initiatives,” said Maribeth Becker, co-founder of Norwalk 2.0. “This spring will be awesome with something for everyone.”

“The surprising thing about Norwalk Center is its strong community,” said Jackie Lightfield, co-founder of Norwalk 2.0. “We had such overwhelming support last year, that we’re bringing back the chairs, bringing back the music, and bringing back the fun.”

Norwalk 2.0 has been working in partnership with the City of Norwalk, Department of Public Works, Department of Recreation, Parks and Culture, Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, Norwalk Public Library, Norwalk Preservation Trust and Norwalk Historical Society in efforts to leverage the interests and activities of the organizations in the area.

Norwalk 2.0 is part of a growing national movement that leverages art, technology and culture to increase social engagement and participation in communities through creative placemaking. Becker and Lightfield founded Norwalk 2.0 in the summer of 2010 to address needs in Norwalk after extensive work as civic leaders.

Norwalk 2.0’s mission is to engage residents, businesses and community organizations to work together and create an authentic, creative, economically diverse and sustainable future.

Holiday Artists

We’re spouting up with our latest incarnation of the POP with a locally made and produced theme. Starting on Friday November 29th we are featuring pop ups with a local vibe. The lineup is below:

Friday November 29th 10 am – 7pm
The Kultjah Pop Up Shop
Saturday November 30th 10 am – 7pm
The Kultjah Pop Up Shop
Sunday December 1 10am – 7pm
The Kultjah Pop Up Shop
Wednesday December 4 5:30 pm
HoHo Yoga (free) with Melissa Slattery and Virginia Semeghini
Friday December 6
5:30 pm HoHo Yoga (free) with Melissa Slattery and Virginia Semeghini
1-5 pm gallery open The 11th Hour Show | Wrap it Up Sale – Mary Elizabeth Peterson & Elizabeth Nagle
“Wrap it Up” sale of 20% off art shown by Nagle & Peterson as part of The 11th Hour show; artists will gift wrap for free
Saturday December 7 1-5 pm
gallery open The 11th Hour Show | Wrap it Up Sale – Mary Elizabeth Peterson & Elizabeth Nagle
“Wrap it Up” sale of 20% off art shown by Nagle & Peterson as part of The 11th Hour show; artists will gift wrap for free
Sunday December 8 1-5 pm
gallery open The 11th Hour Show | Wrap it Up Sale – Mary Elizabeth Peterson & Elizabeth Nagle
“Wrap it Up” sale of 20% off art shown by Nagle & Peterson as part of The 11th Hour show; artists will gift wrap for free
Wednesday December 11 5:30 pm
HoHo Yoga (free) with Melissa Slattery and Virginia Semeghini
Friday December 13 5:30 pm
HoHo Yoga (free) with Melissa Slattery and Virginia Semeghini
Saturday December 14 11-5pm
Peace by Piece Quilt Pop Up with Lizzy Rockwell
Social Fiber with Margaret Bodell
Wednesday December 18 5:30 pm
HoHo Yoga (free) with Melissa Slattery and Virginia Semeghini
Saturday December 21 10am – 7pm
State of Makers info session and yarn event
The Kultjah Pop Up Shop
Sunday December 22  10am – 7pm
The Kultjah Pop Up Shop

Freese Park Concerts

A nice report on our Freese Park concert series. For 10 weeks Norwalk 2.0 sponsored live music in Freese Park. Thanks to David Lindsay, whose Tuesday Night Open Mic Jam brought musicians from all over Connecticut to perform in our downtown park.