NEW HAVEN, CT— Yale University Properties welcomes the "mindful artistry" of Water Street Jewelers and the return of designer-owner Daniela Balzano to the city, which first nurtured her creative talent at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1094 Chapel St. at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Mayor Justin Elicker and Alder Christine Kim will join the festivities. Attendees are invited to enjoy light refreshments following the ceremony.
Balzano’s stunning, street-level jewelry gallery in the Yale Center for British Art building expands Water Street Jewelers to a third site, including her shops in Guilford and Madison. The New Haven location represents a heartfelt homecoming, Balzano said.
"For me, opening here feels like a true full-circle moment, because as a child, I lived right around the corner in Madison Towers," said Balzano. "I grew up going to Claire’s Corner Copia, and every day after school I would go to Creative Arts Workshop on Audubon Street—I was sketching there when I was eight years old. It was a huge part of my formative years as an artist."
As Patch noted in March, Balzano said the move to Chapel "feels less like expansion and more like evolution," where she's "writing her next chapter in gold."
Balzano is thrilled to have her daughter, Luna McCulloch, assisting with managing the New Haven location.
“We’re so excited to be in New Haven because it’s such a hub of culture, art, and creative energy,” Balzano said. “There are 12 of us, and we’re a passionate bunch. Everyone is so different. We’re all from different generations, different geographic and ethnic backgrounds, and we have very different experiences from one another in life. I love the diversity of thought.”
Opening on Chapel Street is more than just geographic expansion; she said on Chapel the shop is "surrounded by history, culture, and style; that medium has found a fitting home."
"Chapel Street has an energy," Balzano said. "It’s intellectual, artistic, and historic—and yet it’s constantly reinventing itself. That balance feels very aligned with how I design jewelry."
Alexandra Daum, associate vice president for New Haven Affairs and University Properties, said Balzano’s addition of Water Street Jewelers to The Shops at Yale further contributes to the district’s creative offerings to visitors and residents.
“We’re thrilled that Daniela is returning to New Haven and bringing her passion to the community. Daniela has an aesthetic that is both creative and also accessible to a wide range of customers. Her location in Yale’s Center for British Art is perfectly fitting for her artist’s approach to jewelry and means that many visitors to Yale will have the chance to stop by Water Street Jewelers while they’re in town and find their new favorite piece of jewelry,” Daum said.
About Yale University Properties & The Shops at Yale
The Shops at Yale is made up of the Chapel Street Historic and Broadway Districts in Downtown New Haven and includes a mix of retailers and restaurants, such as Apple, lululemon, Warby Parker, J.Crew, Claire’s Corner Copia, Villa Lulu, Sweetgreen, More Amour Boutique, Shake Shack, Raggs, and idiom Boutique. Yale University Properties manages Yale University’s commercial properties, including retail stores, office spaces, and residential units in New Haven. Enabled by Yale's community investment program, University Properties is committed to enhancing the quality of life in New Haven through the development of high-quality retail and office environments and investment in surrounding neighborhoods. As a result of University Properties’ community investment program, Yale University is one of the largest taxpayers in the city of New Haven. Learn more at TheShopsatYale.com and ONHA.Yale.edu.
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