New Haven
Connecticut
The Ely Center of Contemporary Art
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.
Recent News
Exhibition - Body's First Architecture at Ely Center of Contemporary Art
The Ely Center for Contemporary Art is thrilled to present Body’s First Architecture, a group show curated by the artists Tamar Ettun and Leeza Meksin, exploring the various ways in which fabric and clothing are being employed by contemporary…
Read More »Exhibition - Horacio Marquinez: America Unfiltered at Ely Center of Contemporary Art
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 »Exhibition - Lawrence Morelli: Remembrance at Ely Center of Contemporary Art
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 »Exhibition - Can Yagiz: Not Today Either at Ely Center of Contemporary Art
“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 »Exhibition - Stump-In-Situ at Ely Center of Contemporary Art
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 »Ely Center of Contemporary Art News - One Week Until the Great Give!
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 »Exhibition: Spring Heat at Ely Center of Contemporary Art
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 »Ely Center of Contemporary Art News - Introducing CurrentELY
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 »Ely Center of Contemporary Art - Local Artists Needed
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 »The Ely Center of Contemporary Art Open Call 2024 is LIVE
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 »Ely Center of Contemporary Art News - January 17, 2024
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…
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