Mission & Origins of ECOCA
The Friends of John Slade Ely House of Contemporary Art, Inc. (Friends) was formed out of a crisis in 2015 to preserve an important and essential New Haven institution known as the “John Slade Ely House Galleries” (JSEHG) at 51 Trumbull Street. For over 55+ years it had served as the hub that generated New Haven’s art-centric identity as a cultural center and nurtured the start-up of many organizations in its large interior. It is well known to the region as generations of artists—young and old—have exhibited within its beautiful Elizabethan interior.
This gift to New Haven was the vision of Grace T. Ely whose testamentary intention was to leave her fortune in Trust to support a contemporary public arts center in her New Haven residence. The non-commercial- and non-commodity-based aspects of the JSEHG fostered a deep set of expectations, traditions, and practices for the local arts community. Its primary mission in the 1960s–70s was to present the art of local and regional art clubs and artists in juried and competition-based shows.
In the mid-80s under approval of the Trustees, new leadership proposed a revitalization and closer interpretation of Mrs. Ely’s testamentary wishes. A broader, more inclusive approach to address a broader cultural context of interests was initiated to present art in dialogue with challenging, conceptual, and provocative social issues with inclusive, interdisciplinary organizations. Curatorial practices exploring the human condition emerged and subsequently, at the time of its closing in 2015 and transition in 2016, its mission and Trust-supported operations had remained relatively unchanged though diminished due to real estate neglect and market forces. Branded as the Ely Center of Contemporary Art (ECOCA) in June 2016, the Friends seek to ensure the continuation of Mrs. Ely’s vision for the JSEHG by preserving its essential identity as a strong and vibrant arts center bringing together and collaborating with its community.
Now a self-governed and independent 501(c)3— positions previously unsanctioned by the Trust—ECOCA’s mission is to support and instigate social dialogues that explore emerging “i’s”: issues, ideals, and innovations—and to welcome the collisions inherent in this approach—by developing and producing art exhibitions and programming that contextualizes local and global issues of social justice and culture.
At the height of the pandemic, two immigrant filmmakers - one from Panama, the other from Russia – journeyed across the United States uncovering an unfiltered, unflinching portrait of America. What if we could better relate to one another and…
Read More »When Morelli decided to downsize his space, he became creative in where and how to work. No longer using models for large scale paintings, Morelli has been sitting at G Café in New Haven, painting outside in small notebooks. He has been…
Read More »“Similar to the first cold day of the year, when you grab a coat you haven't worn in a while and put your hands in the pockets, and find a piece of a receipt, a used tissue, a caramel wrapper, and a band-aid, also used. And not recognize who…
Read More »Some of the prints created from this event, along with other works by the artists will be on display in the flat file. This is a merging of performance, printmaking and public art to activate an awareness of ecological issues happening here and now.…
Read More »Help us meet our goal of $7,500 during the Great Give Fundraising event! Every donation goes directly to supporting our programs! What is the Great Give? For 36 hours on May 1st and 2nd The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven hosts an online…
Read More »ECOCA is pleased to present SPRING HEAT, a group of exhibitions that kick off a year of ECOCA's Environmental Leadership for Artists programming. Climate change is more than just weather patterns–it connects and affects every aspect of life.…
Read More »Welcome to CurrentELY, the first of a new, semi-annual letter from ECOCA’s Board of Directors. We write to you in the spirit of reflection, acknowledging the challenges that 2023 presented to our organization, while also looking ahead with…
Read More »SPACE At THE KEYHOLE If you haven’t heard yet, we are getting ready to launch the Keyhole Workspace Residency in the fall of 2024! We ran a pilot version this past fall with 3 artists (Amartya De, Lesley Finn & Vera Wu) whose work…
Read More »OPEN CALL ECOCA Open Call 2024 IS LIVE Alex Santana is the guest curator for the ECOCA OPEN CALL 2024 exhibition! Click HERE for more information about Alex Santana, submission link, submission details and what other opportunities are…
Read More »We couldn’t have asked for better crowd at our Closing Reception and Paste Modern workshop this past Sunday! Thank you to all who made it such a joyous occasion! OPENING @ PERSPECTIVES GALLERY One Thing Becomes Another January 19 - May…
Read More »Thank you to everyone who came out for our fall opening reception. Please join us for a 45-minute tour of the Ely House to see our two new fall shows and our whimsical Selfie Room. Meet in the foyer, 12:30pm. Free and open to all! More…
Read More »Our gallery is open starting today for these two new exhibitions. Join us next weekend for the opening reception on Sunday September 10, 3-5pm. eMOTION Sept 3 - Nov 5 eMOTION offers a fresh take on sequential art, with work by rising…
Read More »The Ely Center is delighted to announce that artist Aimée Burg has joined as its new Gallery Coordinator. Aimée holds a BFA from Pratt and MFA from Yale (both in Sculpture) and is a builder and developer of objects, people, and…
Read More »SAVE THE DATE The Board and staff of the Ely Center of Contemporary Art invite you to join us to kick off our fall season Sunday September 10, 3-5pm. EMOTION offers a fresh take on sequential art, with work by rising illustrators and…
Read More »Ely Center of Contemporary Art Welcomes Six New Board Members The Ely Center of Contemporary Art is pleased to introduce you to our six new members who will strengthen our organization and chart a dynamic path forward. Bridgeport native Vesta…
Read More »TWO NEW DIGITAL EXHIBITIONS Announcing the first two digital exhibitions featuring artists from our 2023 Open Call. More exhibitions will debut throughout the year. Other Worldly Does Life Exist Elsewhere? How do our dreams inform our daily life,…
Read More »OPENING SUNDAY, JUNE 11 Embodied Knowledge June 11 - July 30 Opening Reception: Sunday, June 11, 3-5pm - featuring DJ Dooley-O and sweet treats from Katalina's Bakery. Free and open to all. This far-reaching exhibition–curated from the…
Read More »EXHIBITS OPENING TOMORROW, JANUARY 22! Stop in tomorrow, January 22, from 1 - 3 pm for the Opening Receptions of our latest on-site exhibits! Featuring a 1:30 pm Artist Talk from Kit Hung, and a 2 pm Zine Workshop from Alice Prael. Masks…
Read More »APPLY NOW! Deadline this Sunday, January 15! Apply to the Ely Center of Contemporary Art's Open Call 2023! Submissions will be considered for a special exhibition guest curated by nico wheadon, running from March 12 - April 30, 2023; submissions…
Read More »CURRENT EXHIBITIONS Planning to visit? Please note our special holiday hours: Thursday, December 29 - 12 - 6 pm Sunday, January 1 - Closed for New Year’s Wednesday, January 4 - 12 - 6 pm Thursday, January 5 - 12 - 3 pm Make sure you see…
Read More »OPEN CALL 2023 APPLY NOW! Deadline: January 15, 2023 Apply to the Ely Center of Contemporary Art's Open Call 2023! Submissions will be considered for a special exhibition guest curated by nico wheadon, running from March 12 - April 30,…
Read More »OPEN CALL 2023 Deadline: January 15, 2023 Apply to the Ely Center of Contemporary Art's Open Call 2023! Submissions will be considered for a special exhibition guest curated by nico wheadon, running from March 12 - April 30, 2023; submissions…
Read More »APPLY NOW! Deadline: January 15, 2023 Apply to the Ely Center of Contemporary Art's Open Call 2023! Submissions will be considered for a special exhibition guest curated by nico wheadon, running from March 12 - April 30, 2023; submissions will…
Read More »UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS Join us Sunday, Nov 13 from 1 - 3 pm when we reopen for the opening receptions for… Primal Affinities @ ECOCA On-site at ECOCA November 13 - January 5, 2023 Steven DiGiovanni - Linda King Ferguson - Donna Forma -…
Read More »THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS We want to offer a special thank you to our Block Party Sponsors as we reflect on all of the fun we had last Sunday! JOIN THE ECOCA TEAM Volunteer with us! Come to the next volunteer meeting tonight, Thursday,…
Read More »Thank you for making our first ever block party such a huge success! We rocked it… Check out our episode with LoveBabz Lovetalk, where Babz Rawls-Ivy catches up with the SomethingProject’s Suzan Shutan & Howard El Yasin, and…
Read More »The ECOCA Neighborhood Block Party. We will have music, food, create-and-take art, and our latest exhibit to celebrate the future of ECOCA. We will shut down Trumbull Street for the first time to commemorate the purchase of the John Slade Ely…
Read More »Primal Affinities Perspectives Gallery @ Whitney Center 200 Leeder Hill Drive, south entrance Hamden, CT September 16 - January 5, 2023 Steven DiGiovanni - Linda King Ferguson - Donna Forma - Becca Lowry - Greg Slick - Kim Weston Artist…
Read More »THIS WEEKEND @ ECOCA GENESIS Window Paintings & Letterpress Prints by Jonathan Weinberg September 11 - January 5, 2023 Opening Reception: Sunday, September 11, 1 - 3 pm Celebrate our latest exhibition, GENESIS, with artist Jonathan Weinberg…
Read More »