The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Handmade stars mark town’s 1st large public art show
CHESTER — Chester Center will illuminate the sky with a special monthlong public art installation featuring 152 three- and 7-foot hand-fabricated stars beginning this evening at 5:45 p.m.
The event is part of the town’s First Friday Holiday Festival & Stroll, which runs from 5 to 8 p. m., sponsored by the Chester Merchant’s Association, according to a news release. Shops, galleries and eateries will be open for a festive and socially safe evening.
In Chester’s first ever large-scale public art installation, “Starry Nights,” the town will feature a display of large handmade stars wrapped in lights and hung along Main Street’s trees, storefronts, hillsides and buildings, according to the release.
“After local merchants and businesses endured double hardships from the COVID-19 lockdown and a grueling, months-long Main Street construction project that saw the sidewalks and streets torn up, Chester is finally free of the machinery and workmen, and ready to showcase the charming star-like town that it is with a joyful public art display of illuminated stars,” the news release said.
Chester artist Christopher Owens partnered with the Chester Merchants Association to hand-build the art installation and raise some spirits in the process, according to the town.
“This is a very strange year, with everyone looking for a little more hope and peace, and I wanted to do something to bring some light and joy in this crazy time,” Owens said in a prepared statement. “This is the largest installation I’ve done. It’s a huge undertaking, it will be magical.”
The event is also part of the town’s efforts to help “Chester Shine,” one of several initiatives that invites visitors to discover unique finds in Chester and encourage people to shop local. “Small businesses, galleries, shops, eateries and more are vital to communities and are the framework that help define Connecticut’s treasured small towns,” the release said.
“Starry Night” will be up throughout January, and visitors can sponsor and/or purchase one of the handmade stars. For information, visit VisitChester.com and ChesterCottageCT .com.