The vibrant artists, audiences, staff and volunteers at Franklin Street Works are the driving force behind our explorations of innovative contemporary art. Located in downtown Stamford, Connecticut, this not-for-profit art space is a hub for exhibitions, programming and conversations about the arts.
At Franklin Street Works we value the role of artists in society. We support the dignity of artists and their artistic processes and give honoraria for commissioned artist projects whenever possible.
As a not-for-profit concern, we rely on contributions for the bulk of our income as well as in-kind donations to defray programming costs. Unlike many arts institutions, we do not charge admission fees. Your donation is fully tax-deductible and helps us present engaging, provocative exhibitions and programming in a welcoming environment. We even have a program that allows donors to sponsor an artist’s project of their choice!
There are many ways to get involved with Franklin Street Works:
Franklin Street Works is located at 41 Franklin Street in downtown Stamford, Connecticut. Our hours are noon to 5pm on Wednesday and Friday-Sunday; and noon to 7pm every Thursday. Between visits, our website, www.franklinstreetworks.org, is the source of our most up-to-date information and home to OPEN CIRCUIT, our public interface blog. We want to hear your ideas, thoughts, reviews, suggestions and critiques. You can also talk with us on Facebook.
Our memberships are moderately priced at thirty-five dollars for a one-year, individual membership. Being a member at Franklin Street Works means actively supporting the continuation of cross-disciplinary events, nationally recognized exhibitions, and engaging learning opportunities for youth and adults alike. Fostering a friendly environment in which to experience forward-looking, multidisciplinary approaches to art, media, design, and community development is central to Franklin Street Works’ mission. We are, consequently, uniquely positioned as a regional platform of exchange for creative people working in a variety of disciplines! At the same time, Franklin Street Works shines a light on emerging contemporary art and curatorial practices in its exhibitions, which have been positively noted in publications and media outlets such as ArtForum, ArtPapers, This is Tomorrow, The Stamford Advocate, Bomb magazine and more!
The benefits of being a Franklin Street Works member include, receiving member-only notices of specials at our café and other food-lover perks, greater accessibility to artists and curators through member previews, and an invitation to three “member meet ups” each year where we visit art spaces or studios with Franklin Street Works Creative Director and a guest curator or artist. When you sign up for a membership, you will receive two original, complimentary artist books/zines in the mail along with a cheerful note of gratitude from the Franklin Street Works team!
To become a member using a credit card or PayPal, click on the button below. To pay by check, please print and fill out this PDF of our membership form and mail the form and check to: Franklin Street Works Membership, 45 Franklin St., Stamford, CT 06901
If you are a contemporary art enthusiast, your dollar is well spent when you support this new, alternative space for flourishing and vibrant contemporary art. Contributions enable us to create top-notch exhibitions and programming, which allow our space to be an environment for exchange and dialogue about all kinds of cultural disciplines. Donations to Franklin Street Works are fully tax-deductible and all gifts are deeply appreciated! You CAN make a difference. Hit the GIVE NOW button below!
Franklin Street Works reaches a diverse, well educated community. Our space provides a place for people to engage with art and discuss their cultural interests over food and drink. Corporate donors and volunteers play a key role in supporting innovative artists in the creation of new works, increasing the visibility of our community and helping make Stamford a great place to live. We will work with you to create a customized package that meets your company’s needs.
Most of our exhibitions include original, commissioned projects by emerging artists. We are committed to providing these artists, whenever possible, with modest honoraria for their work. When you sponsor an artist you enable an original art project to become a point of pride for art lovers in Stamford and bring important contemporary artists to the community. Your sponsorship is tax-deductible and will be acknowledged in all media related to the project, such as press releases, opening event programs, website content, advertising, etc. To sponsor an artist’s project, contact Terri C. Smith: terri@franklinstreetworks.org
As a rapidly expanding start-up alternative art gallery and café space, Franklin Street Works provides an ideal opportunity for enterprising volunteers to learn first-hand the challenges and opportunities in producing top-level exhibitions and programs
JOIN AN EXHIBITION COMMITTEE
We encourage people in the community with areas of professional expertise to join an exhibition committee and support the Board and staff by contributing knowledge and time to our exhibitions and programs. Exhibition committees are formed to serve individual exhibitions and involve several months of volunteer service before the exhibition goes on view. Areas of experience that are particularly helpful include marketing/public relations, development, event planning, business, graphic design, blog and web platforms, photography and videography. Your participation adds brain and brawn to our efforts assuring our ambitious programming succeeds on a shoestring!
BECOME A DOCENT
If you are over 16 years old, we invite you to become a docent. We will teach you to give tours of our exhibitions, and will design talks and short lectures about contemporary art and alternative spaces as part of your training!
EVENT SUPPORT
We need extra hands for our events. If you are someone who likes to roll up your sleeves Franklin Street Works can use your help to greet visitors, encourage people to sign the guest book, keep an eye on artwork safety, answer questions, and help keep things tidy during and after our programs. Volunteering at our events allows you to engage with curators and artists on an intimate level while providing much-needed support.
