Fosnot Art Gallery

THE FOSNOT ART GALLERY

An ode to the former hidden gem of downtown New London

WRITTEN BY KENDRICK HAWKINS

When it came time to pick a spot for Gray Area's next photoshoot of the year, I knew it had to be inside The Catherine Fosnot Art Gallery and Center. Located inside Harris Place (its atrium pictured on the right), the Fosnot Gallery holds a special place in my heart. I was the assistant to the owner, Cathy Fosnot, since September of 2020 up until a few weeks ago when she had close the physical space. Luckily, GAM captured the secret beauty of the gallery and the building it was in to prove the enormous potential New London holds.

Harris Place Atrium, 165 State Street New London, CT 06320

Fred Gutzeit. Tree, Field, and Minnows, 1966. Oil on canvas. As a premier contemporary art gallery in New London, CT, the Fosnot Gallery promoted and showcased the work of a variety of artists. Situated between Boston and New York, it provided the work of new and emerging artists alongside classic, well-established pieces. The gallery provided a space that facilitated a network for local and nonlocal artists. The space was used to encourage and foster connections within the New London community and beyond.

At the time of this shoot, a retrospective of artist Fred Gutzeit's work from 1966 to 2021 was on display. Unfortunately, he passed away in January. Gutzeit was an incredible artist living in NYC who had been painting and drawing since he was in his teens. I was lucky enough to be a part of the curatorial process for this show. Gutzeit had me at his studio in the Bowery where I saw his vast collection of pieces. The gallery ended up consigning 50 paintings and drawings for the retrospective as well as hundreds of prints.

Fred Gutzeit. Lacoste Oak No. 2, 1984. Watercolor and ink on paper.

The show aimed to capture Gutzeit's many stages of his work over a 55-year span. From early detailed landscapes to wild, vibrating, folded spaces, the exhibition spoke to the artist's search for pattern and structure. “All my life, ” Gutzeit explained, “I’ve worked to see

'form' as poetry in my 'findings' .

Fred Gutzeit was never satisfied with capturing the realism we “see“ in nature. He continually sought a realism through abstraction to capture the hidden complexity of nature. Using contemporary physics models and speculation about “multiverses, ” Gutzeit presented us with new visions of space, interaction, and human identity. His use of color and dimensionality are bold and wondrous, providing us with images of deep nature unfolding in space/time.

Fred Gutzeit. Barbara's Falls, 1999. Acrylic on canvas.

Fred Gutzeit. Otter Falls No. 24 and 25 Binary (Matter and Antimatter), 2007. Acrylic on paper on two canvases.

Serving as Cathy Fosnot's assistant for almost two years gave me an entirely enhanced appreciation for art and the necessity of it across all towns, no matter how small. The experiences I had throughout my time working in the gallery are ones that will shape my entire future. From meeting artists like Fred Gutzeit to curating entire shows with my boss (and mentor), I came away with more knowledge than I could have hoped to gain in all my time at college.

Although the Fosnot Art Gallery may no longer hold its spot at 165 State Street, its former presence will continue to be felt and remembered. The connections that were made because of the gallery's existence will continue to grow as time goes on.