a mano Year In Review: 2025
As we approach 2026, I have been thinking a lot about the year and a half since a mano opened back in April of 2024. Honestly, the only way I can sum it up is to say that it has been incredibly rewarding.
In that time, we have hosted sixteen openings, sixteen unique and beautiful shows. I have had the privilege of working with seasoned artists who have been exhibiting for years, as well as artists who used the space to try something entirely new or finally finish work they had been sitting with for a while. A mano has also been honored to host several artists’ first-ever shows, and we even pulled off an eight-person group exhibition that included an installation.
Last year, I worked with The Gilbert School on the Classroom to Gallery program, where a select group of ceramic students exhibited their work and received recognition for their dedication to their craft. This year, I am collaborating with Torrington High School on their STEM Guitar Project, where the woodshop and art departments partner to build playable electric guitars and transform them into art guitars. A mano will be hosting an exhibition of the 32 guitars created through the program. Thanks to generous community donations, a few guitars will also be turned into one-of-a-kind art pieces by local artists and raffled off to help keep the program running. It is still in its early stages, but I am very excited about what is ahead.
I was also grateful to continue my work with Primetime House of Torrington. For three years, I have been running an art therapy program with its members, and a mano recently hosted the exhibition “May Flowers,” which documented not only the artwork they created, but the eight-month process behind it. This work is deeply meaningful to me, and I was delighted to see it celebrated in the gallery.
If you have not been to the back space lately, we have also opened our boutique, featuring affordable, art-minded gifts. It offers another reason to come down to Water Street, support small businesses, and uplift the artists represented here. We currently feature work by nine artists and are looking forward to adding more.
I also want to mention our Friday Night Artist Table, which has grown into a kind of magic all its own. It began as a simple intention: to create a safe, open space where creatives of all levels could gather, collaborate, find conversation, and encouragement. Week after week, it has become something even deeper. That table offers me sustenance and a sense of grounding. I feel loved, seen, and welcomed by the growing group that continues to gather around it.
This year and a half has shown me just how generous this community truly is. People have given of themselves in materials, tools, time, and knowledge. They have helped hang shows, paint walls, set the gallery, and some of you have even helped cover costs when things were uncertain. I often speak about the power of creative community, and the story of a mano is the perfect example of that in action.
I am profoundly grateful to be held by a community that continues to show up in extraordinary ways. I cannot wait to see what the next year brings.
Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year from the a mano Gallery.
With gratitude,
