Crowds Hail New Housatonic Museum Of Art Exhibit Worth The Wait

Press release from the Housatonic Campus News:

November 10, 2021

The long-awaited exhibition “Drip-Drop, Tick-Tock, Here + Now”, opened at the Housatonic Museum of Art (HMA) on October 28 with a packed house. Crowds gathered to view the stunning, yet suggestive multi-media sculptures and paintings by Weston, CT artist Joseph Fucigna after a two year wait thanks to a fire, flood and a pandemic.

“It’s finally happened,” said Fucigna. “Drip-drop was the fire and flood, tick-tock was Covid, and here and now is what it is. I’m so happy to be here, how often do you get to do a do-over on a show?

The delays gave Fucigna time to experiment. In addition to his Drape Series offering sculptures of entwined industrial materials creating an illusion of fabric, and his Drip Series work inspired by silicone putty sliding down a wall, Fucigna now also presents Hose Series forms, stirred by the everyday garden hose.

Fucigna transforms everyday objects–metal fencing, chicken wire, cable ties, and garden hose–into elegant, provocative and erotic abstractions.

“I want viewers not to be afraid. I want it to be approachable, but I also want them to scratch their heads and say, ‘huh, I think there’s some other stuff I need to find out about this.’ Hopefully they come away with some answers, some discoveries, but some questions too,” said Fucigna.

Some of those questions can be answered at an upcoming gallery talk with Fucigna on November 13 at 1pm. The talk will take place at the exhibit in HMA’s Burt Chernow Galleries in Lafayette Hall on the Housatonic Community College campus, located at 900 Lafayette Blvd. in Bridgeport. The talk is presented as part of City Wide Open Studios.

“Joe Fucigna’s work is rooted in the rich soil of art history and emerges as something brand new,” said Robbin Zella, Director of the Housatonic Museum of Art. “It engages the audience through his choice of materials and through humor.”

A closing reception for the exhibition will take place on Wednesday, December 8 at from 5:30 – 7:30pm.

Visitors must be prepared to comply with social distancing rules and wear protective face masks. To plan a visit, please call 203-332-5052, or check the museum’s website, www.HoustaonicMuseum.org.

Joseph Fucigna lives and works in Weston, Connecticut. An art professor at Norwalk Community College and Chair of the Studio Arts Program, Fucigna holds a B.F.A. from Alfred University, and an M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts. His work has been exhibited throughout the Northeast and New York and he is a 2018 recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship from the CT Commission on the Arts.

The Housatonic Museum of Art (HMA) is located at 900 Lafayette Blvd. in Bridgeport, CT and is home to one of the premier college art collections in the United States. Its collection offers students and the community the opportunity to view works that span the history of art from the ancient to the contemporary. Visit www.HousatonicMuseum.org to learn more.

This press release was produced by the Housatonic Community College News. The views expressed here are the author’s own.