Arts Center East
@artscentereast
Description
Arts Center East is home to a rich artistic community. We are a place where visual artists from across the state – and beyond! – exhibit and sell their work through juried exhibits and members exhibits. Unique handmade creations of pottery, jewelry, wood crafts, and other gifts made by local and regional artisans fill our artisan craft fairs. Musical and theatrical performances delight audiences of all ages, and our classrooms hum with the joy of artistic creation and growth. We are the heart of the arts east of the river. Arts Center East hosts numerous exhibits and events throughout the year. We offer classes and workshops in drawing, painting of all mediums, photography, writing, and more. Our Mission is to advance the arts for everyone through education, exhibits, events, and performances. This includes embracing and showcasing the diversity of artists and their work. As our organization continues to grow, we strive to reflect the varied and vibrant community we serve. Our vision is to become a regional arts destination in Connecticut. All are welcome to enjoy the innovative exhibits, educational programming, performances, and events offered at Arts Center East. Join us today!
Organization Type
Arts NonprofitLOCATION
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES
Summer Artisan Show: All under $250
Celebrate creativity, accessibility, and the joy of collecting at our Summer Artisan Show, where every piece is priced at $250 or less. This vibrant exhibition brings together a diverse group of artists and makers offering original artwork, handcrafted goods, and unique finds—all within reach for new and seasoned collectors.
Open to all mediums, this vibrant exhibition brings together a diverse group of artists and makers working in painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, photography, woodworking, mixed media, and more. Visitors can explore original artwork and handcrafted goods that are both high-quality and affordable—perfect for new and seasoned collectors alike.
This curated exhibit will feature fine art and craft available for purchase and taken at the time of sale. Matted prints and items that do not need to hang are eligible for this exhibit.
America 250: A Creative Reflection
In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, America 250: A Creative Reflection invites artists and viewers alike to explore the rich, complex, and evolving story of the United States. This exhibit brings together diverse voices and perspectives that honor the nation’s past, examine its present, and imagine its future.
Through painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and other media, artists reflect on themes of identity, freedom, resilience, community, and change. From historical narratives to deep personal expressions, each piece contributes to a larger conversation about what America has been—and what it can become.
Artists are encouraged to consider a wide range of subject matter, including landscapes that capture the changing American terrain, portraits that honor the people who have shaped its history, and scenes of everyday life that reveal the lived experiences of communities across time. These visual stories—both grand and intimate—help illuminate the many layers of the American experience.
This exhibition celebrates creativity as a unifying force, offering a space for dialogue, reflection, and inspiration. As we mark 250 years of the American journey, America 250 reminds us that art plays a vital role in shaping our shared cultural legacy and envisioning the road ahead.
Elemental: Earth, Water, Air, Fire
Elemental: Earth, Water, Air, Fire is an immersive art exhibition that explores the four classical elements as forces that shape both the natural world and human experience. Through a diverse range of media—painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and mixed media—the exhibit invites viewers to reflect on balance, transformation, and our deep connection to the environment.
• Earth grounds the exhibition with works that evoke soil, stone, growth, and decay, reflecting stability, ancestry, and the cycles of life.
• Water introduces movement and reflection, exploring fluidity, memory, emotion, and the rhythms of change through imagery of rivers, oceans, and rain.
• Air opens space for lightness and breath, featuring works that suggest motion, sound, and the unseen—wind, atmosphere, and the invisible connections between us.
• Fire brings intensity and transformation, highlighting energy, destruction, renewal, and passion through bold color, heat, and dynamic form.
Together, the elements form a unified experience that considers how these primal forces interact with one another and with humanity. Elemental encourages viewers to contemplate resilience, interdependence, and the delicate balance that sustains life on Earth.
Shades of Silence: Black and White
Black and white art distills imagery to its core. Shadows become architecture, light defines emotion, and surfaces reveal their subtleties. This exhibition seeks work that explores monochrome not as a limitation, but as a creative strength—whether through bold graphic statements, quiet tonal shifts, or intricate material exploration.
We welcome a wide range of interpretations, from representational to abstract, conceptual to experimental. Artists may engage themes such as light and shadow, absence and presence, structure and gesture, time and memory, or purely formal investigation. Works may feel dramatic or restrained, minimal or richly textured, but all must rely solely on black, white, and grayscale values.
Joy in Color
Joy in Color celebrates the emotional power of color and its ability to uplift, energize,
and inspire. This exhibit invites artists to explore how bold hues, subtle palettes, and
unexpected combinations can express happiness, playfulness, comfort, and delight.
From vibrant abstractions to expressive landscapes and figurative works, color takes
center stage as a language of joy.
Artists working in all media are encouraged to submit work that highlights color as a
primary element—whether through dynamic saturation, thoughtful contrast, or nuanced
tonal relationships. Pieces may reflect personal moments of joy, seasonal brightness, or
simply the pleasure of color itself.
During the darker months, Joy in Color aims to fill the gallery with warmth and optimism,
offering visitors a visually rich experience that sparks connection and celebration. We
invite artists to share work that radiates positivity and reminds us of the simple, powerful
joy found in color.
Summer Artisan Show: All under $250
Celebrate creativity, accessibility, and the joy of collecting at our Summer Artisan Show, where every piece is priced at $250 or less. This vibrant exhibition brings together a diverse group of artists and makers offering original artwork, handcrafted goods, and unique finds—all within reach for new and seasoned collectors.
Open to all mediums, this vibrant exhibition brings together a diverse group of artists and makers working in painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, photography, woodworking, mixed media, and more. Visitors can explore original artwork and handcrafted goods that are both high-quality and affordable—perfect for new and seasoned collectors alike.
This curated exhibit will feature fine art and craft available for purchase and taken at the time of sale. Matted prints and items that do not need to hang are eligible for this exhibit.
America 250: A Creative Reflection
In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, America 250: A Creative Reflection invites artists and viewers alike to explore the rich, complex, and evolving story of the United States. This exhibit brings together diverse voices and perspectives that honor the nation’s past, examine its present, and imagine its future.
Through painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and other media, artists reflect on themes of identity, freedom, resilience, community, and change. From historical narratives to deep personal expressions, each piece contributes to a larger conversation about what America has been—and what it can become.
Artists are encouraged to consider a wide range of subject matter, including landscapes that capture the changing American terrain, portraits that honor the people who have shaped its history, and scenes of everyday life that reveal the lived experiences of communities across time. These visual stories—both grand and intimate—help illuminate the many layers of the American experience.
This exhibition celebrates creativity as a unifying force, offering a space for dialogue, reflection, and inspiration. As we mark 250 years of the American journey, America 250 reminds us that art plays a vital role in shaping our shared cultural legacy and envisioning the road ahead.
Elemental: Earth, Water, Air, Fire
Elemental: Earth, Water, Air, Fire is an immersive art exhibition that explores the four classical elements as forces that shape both the natural world and human experience. Through a diverse range of media—painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and mixed media—the exhibit invites viewers to reflect on balance, transformation, and our deep connection to the environment.
• Earth grounds the exhibition with works that evoke soil, stone, growth, and decay, reflecting stability, ancestry, and the cycles of life.
• Water introduces movement and reflection, exploring fluidity, memory, emotion, and the rhythms of change through imagery of rivers, oceans, and rain.
• Air opens space for lightness and breath, featuring works that suggest motion, sound, and the unseen—wind, atmosphere, and the invisible connections between us.
• Fire brings intensity and transformation, highlighting energy, destruction, renewal, and passion through bold color, heat, and dynamic form.
Together, the elements form a unified experience that considers how these primal forces interact with one another and with humanity. Elemental encourages viewers to contemplate resilience, interdependence, and the delicate balance that sustains life on Earth.
Shades of Silence: Black and White
Black and white art distills imagery to its core. Shadows become architecture, light defines emotion, and surfaces reveal their subtleties. This exhibition seeks work that explores monochrome not as a limitation, but as a creative strength—whether through bold graphic statements, quiet tonal shifts, or intricate material exploration.
We welcome a wide range of interpretations, from representational to abstract, conceptual to experimental. Artists may engage themes such as light and shadow, absence and presence, structure and gesture, time and memory, or purely formal investigation. Works may feel dramatic or restrained, minimal or richly textured, but all must rely solely on black, white, and grayscale values.
Joy in Color
Joy in Color celebrates the emotional power of color and its ability to uplift, energize,
and inspire. This exhibit invites artists to explore how bold hues, subtle palettes, and
unexpected combinations can express happiness, playfulness, comfort, and delight.
From vibrant abstractions to expressive landscapes and figurative works, color takes
center stage as a language of joy.
Artists working in all media are encouraged to submit work that highlights color as a
primary element—whether through dynamic saturation, thoughtful contrast, or nuanced
tonal relationships. Pieces may reflect personal moments of joy, seasonal brightness, or
simply the pleasure of color itself.
During the darker months, Joy in Color aims to fill the gallery with warmth and optimism,
offering visitors a visually rich experience that sparks connection and celebration. We
invite artists to share work that radiates positivity and reminds us of the simple, powerful
joy found in color.