Sunday, April 20, 2-4pm

As part of our closing for the current exhibitions, artist Sok Song (in Tin There, Done That) will bring his Origami Vending Machine!

People can input a piece of paper and push a button and a get a free origami folded by the machine in under a minute!

Please join us for the reception on Sunday, April 13, 2:30-4:30pm, to see the completed installation followed by a discussion guided by photographer Elle Perez at 4:30pm.

Maidan & XX, a two part solo exhibition of photographer Amartya De. 

On March 9th, viewers are able to begin their investigation into the photographic installation in its starting point with only a handful of photos on view. Over the weeks leading up to April 13th, De will be printing negatives in the Ely Center Basement Darkroom that he spent the previous year creating as well as making archival digital prints. Viewers will get a glimpse into De’s process which has grown out of his years growing up in Kolkata and the time he has spent travelling across the United States. Highlighted in Maidan & XX is a juxtaposition of time and space so viewers have a longer spectral dimension that holds their time - forcing them to be in the moment and retrospective simultaneously.

The photographs in this exhibition were mostly taken in 2023 but the film was only processed in February of 2025. “This latency became an inevitable part of my practice over time as I learnt the capabilities of the medium and the underlying subject matter and its relationships with formal compositional strategies, capacity, and the theme of national identity, borders, friendships and alienation.”

Sunday, April 13, 1-3pm
51 Trumbull Street, New Haven
Free and Open to all. This is a drop-in event.

Join us Sunday, April 13th 1-3pm for the last of our Tin-themed workshops in celebration for our upcoming 10th Anniversary Benefit Gala!

Using recycled silk sari ribbon and metal washers, create a beautiful necklace inspired by Anni Albers- led by jeweler Luke Atkins.

Get your tickets and wear your necklace to the gala for a night full of fun and art!

A generous donation by the Albers Foundation, this print, by Anni Albers, along with one by her husband Josef Albers, will be up for auction at ECOCA’s 10th Anniversary Benefit Gala!

Weird Music Night Returns to Ely Center for Contemporary Art
Thursday, April 10, 2025
7:00 PM
Ely Center for Contemporary Art, 51 Trumbull St, New Haven, CT
FREE and open to all!

“An audacious manifesto of chaos, care, and catharsis.”
— Cafeteria, January 15, 2025

“Weird, wacky, and wildly entertaining.”
— New Haven Independent, August 9, 2024

Weird Music Night returns to the Ely Center for Contemporary Art, offering an eclectic evening of experimental music, performance art, and unexpected happenings. Curated by artist and organizer John O’Donnell, the event provides a space for musicians to push beyond the boundaries of conventional venues while introducing visual art audiences to experimental soundscapes. Drawing inspiration from the diverse punk scenes of the 1980s and the mythology of Japanese noise music, Weird Music Night embraces a radical, genre-defying approach to performance.

An Evening of Sonic Experimentation and Visual Synthesis Join us for an electrifying night of audiovisual exploration featuring Andrei Jay and Skull Tower 4E, two groundbreaking projects at the forefront of experimental sound and image.

Andrei Jay, a visionary artist, engineer, and educator, will present interactive video synthesizers inviting participants to engage directly with live, evolving visuals. With a background in mathematics and a passion for creative coding and analog video synthesis, Andrei creates systems that transform code into color, glitches into gestures, and signal into sensation. Their work offers a rare opportunity to play inside the circuitry of visual art.

Closing the night, Skull Tower 4E—the collaborative sound project of visual artists John O’Donnell and Peter Fulop—will deliver a live performance of spontaneous sonic composition. Responding to the imagery of silent film, Skull Tower 4E constructs immersive soundscapes using violin, guitar, circuit-bent toys, and analog tape loops. Their glitch-populated audio environments shift between melody and texture, inviting the audience into a space where experimental sound meets the ghostly flicker of early cinema.

This event celebrates the intersection of technology, improvisation, and art—where visual code becomes music, and noise becomes narrative.

ALSO: The New Haven, CT musician who goes by “Funkbucket will be playing a set. In a recent interview he said, “I am always delighted to play music.” So let’s see what that is all about! How Delightful.

ALSO: There will be a listening party for Pervertert Savant’s new album “Pretentious Detention,” not to be missed!

About Weird Music Night:
Each event features a diverse lineup of artists, from avant-garde musicians and experimental noise acts to theatrical performers and multimedia creators. Expect the unexpected in an evening where sound, performance, and visual art collide.

For press inquiries, interviews, or further information, please contact:

John O’Donnell |. weirdmusicnight@gmail.com | @weirdmusicnight

Join us for an evening of boundary-pushing performance and experimental sound!

March 30, 1-3 pm
This event is free and open to all but with limited space. Walk ins welcome, but to reserve your spot emailvaburg@elycenter.org

This one of many in a series of workshops to celebrate ECOCA turning 10!

Help the 10th Anniversary Benefit Gala crew create punched tin can lantern that will light up our Gala on April 26th! This workshop will teach you how to make your own tin can luminarie.

A special thanks to Alphabet Academy & The Nest for supplying us with their cans!

This is the 2nd in a series of workshops to celebrate ECOCA turning 10!

Guided by artist Emily Weiskopf we will be using found tin and copper in conjunction with printmaking processes such as embossments and Chine-collé to create paper and metal assemblages and collages. Come experiment to create 2D or 3D works.

March 16 @ 7pm

Please join us for an evening of art sounds organized by Channelle Allesandre!

Chanelle Allesandre

Connie

Rear Window (Rear Window is the collaborative project of Rex Morris, Max Hammel, and Zach Rowden)

Sunday March 9, 1-3pm

Join us fort he opening reception of the new exhibitions at the Ely Center!

Tin There, Done That, a group exhibition kicking off the celebration of ECOCA turning 10! Tin/Aluminum, the traditional material for a 10th wedding anniversary, represents ECOCA’s marriage of fostering contemporary arts in New Haven and the charitable legacy of Grace T. Ely in her Elizabethan mansion.

A Desire Path, inspired by the unplanned trails that humans create despite extensive planning. This group exhibition features the works of Jessica Bottalico, Annie Ewaskio, Jessica Fallis and Sydney Kleinrock. Each artist navigates their practice similarly to such a structure, finding moments in natural settings to get to their destinations; planned or unplanned, cyclical or straight.

Stone Screen, a solo exhibition of Anita Maksimiuk in the Flat File gallery. Maksimiuk uses migration and urban elements to represent her experience as a first-generation American. Maksimiuk uses imagery that includes parts of the American Southwest, Eastern Europe and everything that make up the five boroughs of New York City, which she calls home.

Maidan & XX, a two part solo exhibition of photographer Amartya De. On March 9th, viewers are able to begin their investigation into the photographic installation in its starting point with only a handful of photos on view. Over the weeks leading up to April 13th, De will be printing negatives in the Ely Center Basement Darkroom that he spent the previous year creating as well as making archival digital prints. Viewers will get a glimpse into De’s process which has grown out of his years growing up in Kolkata and the time he has spent travelling across the United States. Highlighted in Maidan & XX is a juxtaposition of time and space so viewers have a longer spectral dimension that holds their time - forcing them to be in the moment and retrospective simultaneously.

Pop Rivets! – A Hands-On Workshop in Box-Making with Aluminum

lead by Madison Donnelly

Limited to 8 participants- to secure your spot email aburg@elycenter.org

March 9, 11am

This is the 1st in a series of workshops to celebrate ECOCA turning 10!

This workshop explores the process of working with aluminum sheeting to create folded, unique riveted boxes. Participants will learn basic techniques for cutting, folding, and fastening thin-gauge aluminum, using pop rivets as structural connectors.

The session will cover:

-Snipping and folding aluminum into box forms
-Drilling and riveting to create secure connections
-Incorporating text and imagery by cutting letters from aluminum cans for collage

This free family-friendly workshop is designed for all skill levels and offers an introduction to aluminum as a creative material. No prior experience is necessary. Materials provided.

After, stay for the opening reception of

Tin There, Done That, 1-3pm

Join us for another Weird Music Night (catch them here first! before they hit the road to SXSW)

Thursday March 6 @7pm!

Sounds by: INDIGAUX WORMMOTHER. ANDREI JAY DAVID CAPS CHRIS RUGGIERO
Hosted by: PERVERT SAVANT

Supported by: Ungrafted Selections & That Sound Game

Join the Fall ‘24 Keyhole Workspace Artists Scott Azevedo, Miguel Mendoza and Odette Chavez-Mayo for Wish Upon A Star.

Let’s come together as a community to celebrate revolutionary love and wish for a better future while making paper stars.

The stars will contain letters of love created during the workshop and will be placed into the Altar work that is part of their exhibition “Florenciendo en La Obscuridad” on view through February 23rd.

Join us for our second meet and greet for our friends and volunteers!

Please note in case of heavy snow: Storm Date of Feb 20, 7pm

February 13, 2025

FREE

Get Ready for The Night Before Valentine’s Day Costume Party!

Join us for a night of wild creativity, experimental music, and unforgettable vibes at Weird Music Night! Celebrate the eve of Valentine’s Day with costumes, art, and performances that will set your heart on fire.

Dress Code: Your weirdest & wildest Valentine’s Day costume!

Expect an eclectic lineup of sound-based projects, art performances, and surprises that embody the Weird Music Night ethos: experimental, unexpected, and unapologetically fun. Whether you’re a romantic, a rebel, or something in between, this is your night to shine!

Bring your friends, your creativity, and your energy. Let’s make this a pre-Valentine’s celebration to remember!

Phantasmata Traumata is a performance collective that crafts strange and compelling experiences, merging eerie aesthetics with a rough-hewn, otherworldly charm. Their work is steeped in 19th-century mysticism, evoking a haunting ambiguity that is as terrifying as it is captivating. Drawing on elements of costume, coded symbols, and conceptual storytelling, the group utilizes drapery, paper-mâché creations, and hand-crafted masks to construct immersive performances that blur the line between the real and the surreal. Through their enigmatic narratives and tactile, visual language, Phantasmata Traumata conjures a sense of the uncanny, leaving audiences entranced by the mysterious worlds they summon.

Logan Bishop is a Connecticut-based artist and poet who explores the intersections of personal experience, pop culture, and the raw beauty of everyday life. His poetry draws from observations, encounters, dreams, nightmares, humor, and desires, weaving fragments of dive bars, eavesdropped conversations, and music into vivid and striking narratives. Logan describes his poetic practice as akin to being a "word synthesizer vampire," extracting meaning and energy from the world around him. Deeply connected to his visual art practice, his writing and art feed one another, creating an honest dialogue about real places and moments. Whether through words or imagery, Logan's work aims to resonate with audiences, leaving them to think, “Dude, that’s cool—that hits hard.”

Nadine Nelson, a celebrated New Haven-based artist, chef, and community organizer, will present her performance, Love Letters for Bob Marley as part of Weird Music Night at the Ely Center of Contemporary Art. Known for her innovative approach to blending art, food, and social activism, Nelson has established a reputation as a visionary who uses her talents to engage and empower communities. Her performance at Weird Music Night promises to be a heartfelt and thought-provoking tribute to Bob Marley, blending her characteristic use of storytelling, community engagement, and artistic exploration.

Samuel Leaf is a Connecticut-based indie musician and songwriter whose work blends introspective lyricism with ambient, lo-fi melodies. Drawing inspiration from folk, alternative rock, and experimental soundscapes, Samuel crafts songs that explore themes of identity, longing. Known for his DIY ethos, Samuel writes, records, and produces much of his music independently, reflecting his commitment to maintaining creative authenticity.

Ryan Gurry & Red: Collaborative Performance, two distinctive voices in the experimental art and performance scene, are set to join forces for an unforgettable collaborative performance. Together, they will explore the intersection of sound, movement, and visual storytelling, creating a shared sensory experience that defies categorization.

Special Thank You’s to Ungrafted Selections & That Sound Game for sponsoring this programming

Please join us Sunday, February 2, 2pm for an artist talk between Perla Mabel guided by artist/educator Howard el-Yasin.

Join us in conversation with Marissa Del Toro and the Keyole artists!

Sunday, January 26 @2pm

51 Trumbull St

New Haven, CT

Free and Open to all

Serendipity emerged throughout the residency, as the artists found unexpected moments of overlap in their work and life, especially through their shared heritage. Mendoza was born and raised in Mexico, only moving to the States in adulthood; Chavez-Mayo was born in Mexico and raised in Texas, and Azevedo is American-born and has been chipping away at the mysteries of his Mexican grandparents.

Date & time: Saturday, January 18th, 12-4PM
Location: The New Haven Pride Center at 50 Orange Street, Downtown New Haven

Start your new year right and don’t miss the first WEIRD MUSIC NIGHT of 2025!

Featuring the sounds of: Brian Ember, Fluffy Kitten, Bent Light

7 pm - Always Free and Open to All

The Ely Center of Contemporary Art invites you to the next installment of Weird Music Night, a monthly event curated by artist, performer and professor John O’Donnell. On Thursday, January 9th, 2025, at 7:00 PM, join us for an evening of experimental sound, performance art, and puppetry that challenges conventional boundaries and celebrates the unexpected.

Featured Performances:

● Black Metal Pac-Man by John O’Donnell: Opening the night is an innovative multimedia performance featuring a live projection of O’Donnell playing the iconic Pac- Man video game, accompanied by a driving drum track. This piece explores the intersections of nostalgia, sound, and new media, while paying homage to the cultural significance of the 1980s.

● Brian Ember with Mara D. Batts on Cello: Experience the emotive and genre-blending artistry of Brian Ember as he delivers a captivating performance of original compositions. Joined by cellist Mara D. Batts of Mara and the Dead Batteries, their collaboration promises a deeply resonant musical journey, blending classical influences with experimental innovation.

● Fluffy Kitten presents "Keep it Down Up There!": A delightful puppet show by Kimberly Van Aelst, this performance combines puppetry, performance art, and materials like paper and wood to tell the story of a two-story apartment building, a new neighbor, and a very disgruntled cat. Expect humor, creativity, and unexpected twists.

● Bent Light: The duo of Michael Slyne and Russell Linder crafts immersive soundscapes that bridge experimental and melodic worlds. With atmospheric audio maps and guitar-based explorations, Bent Light’s performance is a transformative experience that invites audiences to journey into warm corners of mystery.

Refreshments provided by Ungrafted Selections

Created/Curated by John O’Donnell

Join us for the closing reception of all the current exhibitions and the Summer Apprenticeship Program’s Mural that has been displayed since August!

January 5, 1-3pm, Free and open to all

Just In Time for a Valentine’s Dates!

WEIRD MUSIC NIGHT is Back this Feb 13th!
NOT TO BE MISSED

Curated by John O’Donnell

Refreshments provided by Ungrafted Selections

2025 continues the monthly tradition that is
Weird Music Night
at the Ely Center!!

Don’t miss the first one of the year- Curated by John O’Donnell

Refreshments provided by Ungrafted Selections

Join us for a tactile, family friendly printmaking workshop
Sunday December 8, 1-3pm - free drop in event

Using flat lego pieces and a 5” x 5” base plate we will easily and safely create amazing relief prints- inspired by Beth Klingher’s mosaics and Ronnie Rysz’s linoleum prints from “To The Touch” and “No Relief”

All materials provided- but we recommend wearing clothes you don’t mind getting a little bit messy!

WEIRD MUSIC NIGHT on the road AGAIN!

If you happen to be in Miami…John O’Donnell and Satellite Art Show are hosting Weird Music Night Miami Beach!
December 5, 8pm

Don’t worry though- they will be back to us soon enough with performances
Dec 12, 7pm back at the Ely Center!