Get in touch
203-693-3301
Artfish42@hotmail.com
It started in late 2014 with three local artists and a regular MeetUp early Friday mornings at a coffee shop. Maybe it was caffeine, maybe it was the creative vice these three women had - Meg Giannotti (PinkParee) had the idea to bring together local artists in a retail setting they might not otherwise be able to afford and make a holiday season market. On little budget, little time and even less sleep, Meg brought this idea to fruition while the other two artists, Micki Cooke (BeachBumminGirls) and Liza Sivek (B. Enchanted Design) hustled leads on spaces, looked up paperwork and created spreadsheets.
With the work of several other artists, an art-filled holiday pop-up shop (a temporary retail store) called The Artist Collective became a reality with Meg as our visionary and heart & soul. It was located in the former Sobobo Art Gallery in Walnut Beach, Milford and filled with work from talented local artists who offered original and one-of-a-kind items. It was hugely successful and received an outpouring of support from the building owner, the neighborhood business owners, and a strong pull to stay from the local residents. So the "pop up" closed as planned after the new year. Then, with a new name and business model, Artfish42 opened for business April 1, 2015 in the same location!
The group of artists involved brainstormed the new name. Artfish42 is made up of "Art" for their purpose; "fish" representing the artists working in a "school" as a collective, as a place to teach and learn; and as a part of the beach neighborhood that has supported them; "42" represents their location at 42 Naugatuck Avenue.
Our shop is run by professional local artists who sell, show and work regionally and nationally. We create art, man the shop, teach classes and run events. Meg continues to be our fearless leader and each of us work together to make it successful. We would love to have you come browse what we are showing this week. It's always changing, always dynamic and aways worth a visit at Artfish42.