Current Exhibitions

New Haven, CT – Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) will launch a commemorative exhibition on Sunday, December 3, celebrating the body of work of artist, teacher, mentor, and founding member Ann Lehman. Occupying both levels of the Susan B. Hilles Gallery, the exhibition will feature objects from Lehman’s sixty-year career including sculptures, paper sketches, photographs, and small models that served as studies for later artistic creations. The opening reception will be held at CAW’s building at 80 Audubon Street and will begin at 3 PM. This event is free and open to the public.

Ann Lehman, who passed away in December 2022 at the age of 94, was part of a group of women artists who saw the need for an arts-based educational center in New Haven that served the needs of the city’s underserved populations. Through her efforts and those of its founding members, CAW was established to provide art instruction to the city’s young people and area art enthusiasts.

The retrospective exhibition, designed and developed in collaboration with Lehman’s family and curated by local arts advocate Thea Buxbaum, will run through January 27, 2024. All objects on display, previously held by family members, will be offered for sale through an online auction that will culminate at the end of the show. Proceeds from the sale will support the mission of CAW–bringing arts and people together to connect to that which is fundamental to us all: creativity.

Another highlight of the reception will be a panel discussion of movers and shakers from New Haven’s vibrant art scene. Frank Mitchell, local historian and curator, will moderate a panel discussion on Lehman’s impact on the New Haven’s artistic community and her legacy as an artist and teacher.  Bitsie Clark, former head of the Arts Council, Susan Smith, former CAW executive director, Ted Salmon sculptor and former Lehman student, and Peter Lehman, son of Ann Lehman will all participate in the panel discussion.

“Creative Arts Workshop endures today as Ann’s dream realized. Visitors see children as young as three and adults well into their nineties make pottery, weld sculptures, paint, draw, photograph, bind books, craft jewelry, make prints, design digital art, weave and sew, and assemble collages,” remarked Trina Learned, interim executive director.  “CAW is a place where artists can inspire, and community members can learn and grow.”

Other planned events will include an Elm City Party Bike tour of Lehman’s public art in New Haven on Saturday, December 9 beginning at 11 AM. The two-hour tour will include a lunch from Haven Hot Chicken and a choice of Black Hog beer or hot cider. Tickets are $60 per person. On Saturday January 20, CAW instructor Beth Klingher will offer a mosaic art fabrication class using Italian tiles from Lehman’s studio. The one-day workshop will cost $125 and will begin at 10 AM. A gourmet lunch with a choice of wine and beer is included in the fee. Visit creativeartsworkshop.org for additional information and to purchase tickets.