Pop Art

As context for the news she's about to share, Helen Klisser During, director of Visual Arts at the Westport Arts Center, says, "This year's exhibitions at the Westport Arts Center have been a hybrid of local/global." She points to the recent show with Lynsey Addario, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who grew up here, and the upcoming exhibit Scent & Soul (June 13-September 7), which will feature the works of Connecticut artists Nina Bentley and Robert Cottingham. From that trend, an idea popped up: an Artist Collective-art exhibits by artists for artists. The founding members are Duvian Montoya, Nina Bentley, Miggs Burroughs, Tammy Winser and Jahmane West, and their pop-up exhibition is June 5 (one night only). It's like a flash mob for artists. One very intense, fun night," says Klisser During, who enthusiastically advocates for the artist collective, her most recent brainchild. "There's a real need for this, putting the spotlight on local artists-and this uber local," she says. "It's not just about the exhibition. These are artists who are practicing 100 percent of the time and want to grow and get together to talk about art. WAC gives them a safe, nurturing place to do that." westportartscent.org