Artist Liz Squillace partnered with the Bridgeport Arts + Cultural Council to participate in the Waterfront Mini-Grant Challenge this past summer painting four canvases on the dock between the Port Jefferson Ferry and the Bridgeport Train Station. The paintings will be revealed on Friday, November 1st at 5:30-7:30pm in conjunction with Bridgeport Generation Now’s Member Happy Hour at the newly opened Grill II, 1020 Broad St. in downtown Bridgeport.

The Waterfront Mini-Grant was designed to help make public spaces along the water in Bridgeport more vibrant. For the months of August and September, Liz Squillace set up her easel and painted the views looking North, East, South, and West. Countless visitors and travelers stopped to converse as she took part in the waterfront residency. Squillace said, “I see these paintings as quintessentially Bridgeport because I am painting both the bridge and the port. I’m so happy to share them for the first time in this new space and in great company.”

This event is the perfect opportunity to mingle with members of Bridgeport Generation Now in a newly opened restaurant and bar in downtown Bridgeport. The establishment has a side venue that is primed to exhibit the waterfront paintings. Enjoy a drink special and delicious food as you mingle and enjoy the neighborhood and art.

The Waterfront Mini-Grant was made possible by the Trust for Public Land, the Waterfront Advisory Board, and the City of Bridgeport.

“Art is one of the most powerful tools we have for forming a connection with a place,” said Walker Holmes Connecticut State Director for The Trust for Public Land,”We’re thrilled to have played a part in making this exhibition a reality and are proud to be a part of the Bridgeport community.”

Additional support for the project was generously granted through the Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District and Callie Gale Heilmann who is the president of Bridgeport Generation Now.

From Bridgeport Generation Now “We are a nonpartisan, grassroots social action network that empowers and unites our communities by increasing civic engagement. We encourage residents and our youth to take an active role in strengthening Bridgeport. We are open to all residents of Bridgeport, and anyone can be a member if they get involved in the community and show that they care about the future of our city.”

Partnering group, Bridgeport Arts + Cultural Council is grounded in the abilities to create, curate and collaborate. They do this through empowering local artists, stimulating conversation, building leadership, supporting cultural expression, funding, spreading city pride and serving as a catalyst for creativity.