THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE ELY CENTER

For more than a decade, the Ely Center of Contemporary Art has created opportunities for artists and brought contemporary art into conversation with our community.

Now, we have an opportunity to build something lasting.

Help us transform a new space into a home for artists, exhibitions, and community.

FROM INDUSTRIAL SPACE TO CREATIVE SPACE

The property gives us the space and flexibility to create a home designed around the needs of contemporary artists and our community.

The flexible interior space with high ceilings has 5,082 sq. ft. of industrial flex space to hold galleries and studios.

The location has convenient access to Interstate 91 and Route 15; is close to the Dixwell Avenue retail corridor, close to the Lab at ConnCORP, around the corner from Whitney Center and across the street from ACES and in the same complex as The Learning Center & Common Vision.

This is more than a building. It is an opportunity to create a place where artists can work and be in community all while surrounded by inspiring art.

A PLACE OF OUR OWN

The Ely Center has grown through the commitment of artists, community, and supporters who believe in the importance of contemporary art.

Now we have an opportunity to create a permanent home for that work.

We have signed a purchase agreement for a 5,082-square-foot industrial flex property at 131 Leeder Hill Drive in Hamden.

With $500,000 already raised, we have taken the first major step toward making this vision possible.

The next step is transforming the building into a space that can support artists, exhibitions, programs, and the wider creative community.

We are raising the remaining $1 million to make that transformation possible.

IMAGINE WHAT THIS SPACE COULD BECOME

Our campaign will help us transform it into a welcoming contemporary art space with the infrastructure needed to support the Ely Center’s programs and the people we serve.

Campaign funds will support the work required to bring the space to life, including:

  • Construction and build-out

  • Permits and professional development costs

  • Gallery infrastructure and improvements

  • The systems needed to make the space fully operational

THE BUILDING IS THE FOUNDATION.
WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE IT IS THE FUTURE OF THE ELY CENTER.

For three years, The Ely Center’s Artist-in-Residence program has provided artists with something that is increasingly difficult to find: free space and time to make their work.

We currently host two cohorts of three artists each year. They receive free studio space for 4 months, studio visits from other arts professionals and a culminating exhibition.

A permanent home will allow us to build on this foundation, creating not just studio space, but an environment equipped to support artistic experimentation and possibility. With resources such as a darkroom, kiln, and specialized tools, we can give artists greater freedom to explore new processes and bring ambitious ideas to life. It is an opportunity to build a physical space that reflects the depth of our commitment to local artists and provides the resources they need to make work they might not otherwise be able to make.