The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Founder seeks art reflecting life during pandemic
MIDDLETOWN — A grandmother and her grandson walk through a warehouse’s garage door, tucked underneath the Arrigoni Bridge in the city’s North End.
The sun streams through the grid of the high, foggy, glass windows as the pair are greeted by the masked, smiling face of Kerry Kinsey, founder of Free Center, situated at the intersection of art, culture and community organizing.
The goal of Free Center is to act as a vehicle for elevating the intentions and actions of residents, according to its mission.
The two appeared comfortable at the 52 N. Main St. location, the former Gorilla Graphics site. The exposed beams, antique furniture and bold art make for a place begging for community members to bring their talents, artistic expressions, and unique characters.
“Come on in, sweet boy!” says Kinsey, who welcomes the duo into with an elbow bump. The grandson has been working on painting
signs for her to display at an upcoming farmers market. His creation is the next addition to Kinsey’s vision for the space.
“Free Center is a lot about trying to connect everybody,” Kinsey said. “Everybody wins when there’s something going on.”
Free Center provides a space for anyone and everyone to gather, share artwork, perform and reflect — free of charge. Community members can reserve the space or just wander in.
This is not Connecticut’s first Free Center. Richard Hollant, founder of the Free Center in Hartford, said he’s always had an “affinity” for Middletown
and its possibilities. It took Kinsey to bring them to life.
Hollant learned on social media about Kinsey’s idea to bring a healing and creative space to Middletown. In May, he decided to visit.
“In the midst of a pandemic, I decided to go see what was happening in Middletown,” Hollant said. “Not necessarily thinking it would be another Free Center — just supporting a kindred spirit.”
Every idea Kinsey shared about her endeavor aligned with the Free Center’s goals. She’s looking to build a spot for inclusivity, exposure and access. It’s intended as a place where people are free to be themselves, she said.
“This wasn’t for me,” Kinsey said. “It was for the community. And learning
that Richard had already kind of got the ball rolling with it, I said, ‘How can I extend this here?’”
Kinsey, who owned the one-time boutique Butter Curated Exchanged Goods, on lower Washington Street, invested a lot of her own money in getting the Free Center off the ground. Soon, people started to donate money to help her install drywall and for other construction costs.
Because of the pandemic, programming is limited. There is a stage for concerts, such as Afro-pop. Instead of in front of a lively crowd, these are livestreamed on Zoom. Kinsey still welcomes people to come in with masks to share their pandemicrelated art and feelings.
“Folks are coming and they are filling the space
with their gifts,” Kinsey said.
Hollant pointed out that while there may be other art- or expression-related venues around, they charge a fee. “The cost of entry to other venues prohibits folks in the community from seeing a celebration of things they believe in,” he said.
The Free Center is also designed as a place for members of the community to advocate for those things they believe in, Kinsey said. She hopes people will bring art and photos from the past several months of the pandemic, including protest signs, to adorn the mostly blank walls.
“There are all different ways people make calls to action,” Kinsey said. “And I welcome all of those. But, for me, I am about providing
that space to give that voice.”
Along with the blank walls, the wide-open area upstairs is unfinished. There are a few chairs up there, but Kinsey is waiting for the community to bring ideas and suggestions for what it can become.
“As we grow and evolve, so will the space that is above,” Kinsey said.
Kinsey hopes Free Center can be healing for a population reeling from two pandemics — COVID-19 and racism — as a place to reflect, share and learn.
Creating the center has been healing for Kinsey, who has been unable to do her job as an expressive arts practitioner and community psychology consultant for organizations, schools, hospitals and other
institutions. Without her usual purpose, she found herself craving the exchange of ideas and contact with others.
“I realized that it was essential to me, as well as those I worked with,” Kinsey said. “There’s sharing, there’s touching, and I was unable to do that. I was able to come in here, and make and create and build it for the communities that I serve, which became its own healing for me.”
She encourages anyone with artwork or photos they created during the pandemic or for racial justice protests to submit their creations via the website at freecenter.us. For information, check out Free Center on Facebook, call 860-9928665 or email book@middletown freecenter.org.