Desktop Wallpaper: July 2023

By in Design

Desktop Wallpaper: July 2023

Austin, Texas-based URBS Studio is joining us for July’s Designer Desktop with a background that’s cool-tempered but energizing. Through her interdisciplinary design studio, Alyson Beaton explores the urban culture that surrounds her. The details and detritus observed all contribute to the whole of the studio’s work: grids, grit, signs, symbols, rhythm, scribbles, weeds, chaos, order, and more. URBS translates these visual tales of urban renewal and environmental sustainability through spaces, textile collections, children’s products, and more. The man-made environments that are part of our everyday lives are constantly evolving in different ways, and most of it’s nothing you or I have control over. But we’ll never tire of seeing creativity rise from the most unexpected of places.

For this month’s Desktop, Beaton shares her Glimmer design inspired by “The glimmer of light that reflects off the glassy buildings when the sun hits just right.” The trippy design is paired with the quote, “While you are looking, you might as well listen, linger, and think about what you see,” from Jane Jacobs.

Download yours with the links below!

Town Square Text

white fabric with green and blue abstract patterns

Whichway Cover

throw pillow with neon pink and green pattern

Metropolis

white pillow with neon orange stripe and green patterned envelope flap

Flaneur Cushion

sideways view of a throw pillow with a blue, green, and white cover

Facade

white fabric with green and bluea patterns

Glimmer

light-skinned woman with dark hair wears white coveralls while standing in her colorful studio

Alyson Beaton, URBS Studio

DESKTOP: 1024×768  1280×1024  1680×1050  1900×1200  2560×1440

MOBILE: iPhone XS  iPhone XS Max  iPad Pro

Learn more about URBS Studio here and follow along on IG here.

View and download past Designer Desktops here.

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

Photography: Thrice and HOLY FAWN

By in Photography

Photography: Thrice and HOLY FAWN

Posted: 3rd July, 2023 by The Editor

I think it’s safe to say that an anniversary tour many Thrice fans were hoping for would be for The Artist in the Ambulance, their third full-length album. When the album turned 10 in 2013, the post-hardcore band was on hiatus. A couple of years after that, the band returned and announced a couple of shows, which would basically take place in their hometown: House of Blues Anaheim (the old one before it got torn down) and The Glasshouse in Pomona. I don’t know how I managed to get tickets to both shows, but I am so glad I did. It was NUTS. Knowing they were back, I was amped up for whatever music they would go on to release.

Since then, we’ve been treated to 4 full-length albums, including The Artist in the Ambulance (Re-visited) and a 10th anniversary show for Beggars, a 15th anniversary tour for Vheissu, and 4 20th anniversary shows for The Illusion of Safety last December.

When Thrice announced the 20th anniversary tour for The Artist in the Ambulance, I was more than ready. This album was my introduction to the band as I was getting ready to start high school when the album was released. However, I didn’t learn about the band or album right away. I learned about Thrice halfway through my freshman year and eventually got my hands on my own copy of The Artist in the Ambulance. What an album. While I didn’t get to see Thrice live until I got to college, they’re a band that I’ve listened to ever since. After finally seeing them, they’ve been a band that I’ve seen on every tour or whenever they play a hometown show, so I knew this tour was not one to miss. When I made my way to the House of Blues in Anaheim for the last date of the tour, I was ready to rock.

Along for the 20-year celebration of The Artist in the Ambulance, Thrice brought rock band, HOLY FAWN, along for the ride. They were not new to Thrice fans for those that caught the Vheissu anniversary tour as they opened up for the band then. HOLY FAWN brought it as they delivered a 7-song set. Fans that already knew the band did not hold back as they played some of their more popular songs such as “Candy,” “Dark Stone,” and “Death Is a Relief.” The crowd was more than ready for Thrice once HOLY FAWN wrapped up their set.

As soon as Thrice stepped onto the stage and started playing “Cold Cash And Colder Hearts,” that was the queue. The crowd went straight to work as the singing and moshing kicked off. With just one song in, people had to be extra careful as the crowdsurfing commenced early. Thrice did not hesitate as they continued on with “Under The Killing Moon,” which is actually the first song I ever heard from them. Whether you were in the pit or on the sidelines, you felt the energy was in full force from the band and the fans. Whether it was songs that would be considered more radio friendly such as “All That’s Left” or “Stare At The Sun” or songs that leaned heavier such as “Silhouette,” “Paper Tigers,” “Hoods On Peregrine,” or “Blood Clots And Black Holes,” everyone was fully invested.

I have to say that when the tour was announced, I immediately thought about how they’d play “The Melting Point Of Wax” live. I don’t have any knowledge of them ever playing that song live prior to this tour, but I was ready to lose my voice while singing along to my favorite Thrice song. I eventually lost my voice once they played “The Artist In The Ambulance,” “The Abolition of Man,” and “Don’t Tell and We Won’t Ask.”

After the band played The Artist in the Ambulance, they continued on to play a variety of songs from the rest of their discography such as “Motion Isn’t Meaning” off If We Could Only See Us Now, “Summer Set Fire to the Rain” off Horizons/East, “Black Honey” off To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere, “Where Idols Once Stood” and “Deadbolt” off The Illusion of Safety, “The Weight” off Beggars, “Yellow Belly” off Major/Minor, and “The Earth Will Shake” off Vheissu. While we thought this would be the end, Thrice came back for an encore and covered “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” by The Beatles and finally, “The Long Defeat” off To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere.

Throughout the night, if someone fell in the pit, someone would help them up. Each fan in attendance sang along with over 1500 other fans. For one night, Thrice played an album that is dear and close to a lot of us. While they transported us back to a time period in our lives (with each of our journeys being different), in the present moment as we get older, we are able to appreciate The Artist in the Ambulance and the rest of their discography even more. Thank you Thrice.

Photos by Jazmin Lemus

The Alternative is ad-free and 100% supported by our readers. If you’d like to help us produce more content and promote more great new music, please consider donating to our Patreon page, which also allows you to receive sweet perks like free albums and The Alternative merch.

Native designer focuses on empowering young artists

By in Native

Native designer focuses on empowering young artists

After opening a vintage and upcycled boutique in Santa Fe, Amy Denet Deal wants to use her skills and connections to empower young Native artists.

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peyton alex 2.jpg

Artwork by graphic designer Peyton Alex. She focuses on Native women and skating in her designs. Alex spray-paints bags, T-shirts and jumpsuits on sale at 4Kinship.


Courtesy photo


How to Use Negative Space in Landscape Photography

By in Photography

How to Use Negative Space in Landscape Photography

A lot of landscape photography tends to be maximal, using intricate collections of elements in the frame to create lush balances that convey the grandeur of scenes at least partially through their sheer overwhelming nature. Of course, that is not the only way to approach the craft, however. Embracing negative space can help provide more balance in your images. This great video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer discussing negative space and how to apply it to photos.

Coming to you from Alister Benn of Expressive Photography, this insightful video tutorial discusses the use of negative space in landscape photography. I am a big fan of the use of negative space. We often think very additively in landscape photography, and this can lead to very complex photos. However, aiming for simpler, more direct images can often give your subject more impact, and one of the most straightforward ways to do this is to focus on creating negative space around your subject that gives it a little space to breathe. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Benn.

And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out “Photographing The World 1: Landscape Photography and Post-Processing with Elia Locardi.” 

Six Native Artists Share Their Honors and Burdens in This Year’s Renwick Invitational

By in Native

Six Native Artists Share Their Honors and Burdens in This Year’s Renwick Invitational
Alicia Ault

Alicia Ault

Museums Correspondent

Between Worlds is a masterpiece of Chilkat weaving, but it is not fully traditional. The fringed cape-like robe crafted by Alaska Native artist Lily Hope is made from a typical intertwining of cedar bark and mountain goat wool. Its design, however, renders traditional faces and figures abstract. The piece is dedicated to Hope’s mother, the renowned Tlingit weaver Clarissa Rizal, who taught her the craft. When Rizal died in 2016, says Hope, it was like an “elbow in the rib cage, of like, you’re it, this is your life’s work from now till your last breath.”

Hope and her sister, Ursala Hudson, are carrying on their mother’s legacy in “Sharing Honors and Burdens,” the 10th installment of the biennial Renwick Invitational at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery. For the exhibition, Native artists were asked to submit works that spoke to both honors and burdens—complex concepts with multiple meanings.

Along with pieces by the two sisters, the exhibition includes works by Joe Feddersen (of the Arrow Lakes/​Okanagan tribes), Erica Lord (Athabaskan/​Iñupiat), Geo Neptune (Passamaquoddy) and Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe). All of these artists bring their cultural, spiritual and artistic traditions to bear on their crafts, though the works are also thoroughly contemporary.

“The relationship between tradition and innovation has to be much more explicit for Native artists,” says guest curator Lara M. Evans, a member of the Cherokee Nation who is the director of the Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “Makers who are working with acrylic or oils aren’t expected to explain in detail the nature of painting or the entire history of painting as a practice the way that Native artists are expected to explain, for example, the history of beadwork or basketry.”

mirrored cylinders with colored stick-like people on the exterior

Social Distancing series, Joe Feddersen, 2021, mirrored and blown glass, six vessels: approx. 16 × diam. 8 in

Anonymous, Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA, Gift of the artist; and Courtesy of the artist and studio e, Seattle, Washington. Photo by Mario Gallucci.

Feddersen makes a similar point in a video that accompanies his work. “It’s an honor to represent your people,” he says. But, he adds, “Sometimes it’s a burden to have to explain your culture to everybody.” His installation Social Distancing is a series of tall mirrored glass cylinders that feature traditional pictographs on the exterior. The figures do not touch—they are distant. Like other works in the invitational, it speaks to the Covid-19 pandemic and other diseases and contagions that have disproportionately harmed Indigenous communities. “Like his ancestors and earlier artists, Feddersen is communicating through symbols and signs about lived experiences and current events,” writes Anya Montiel, a juror for the invitational and a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian who is of Mexican/Tohono O’odham descent, in the exhibition catalog.

Along with themes like grief, trauma, community and personal loss, the works in the invitational also explore knowledge and wisdom gained from teachers and ancestors, fusing past with present. For Lord’s The Codes We Carry, the Alaskan artist transformed a type of elaborate embroidered blanket that sled dogs once wore in ceremonies. Called “tuppies,” these blankets fell out of use in the 1940s, but Lord was struck by them when she viewed them in historical collections. Each dog’s blanket is a beaded replica of the actual genetic code for one of seven conditions: diphtheria, smallpox, tuberculosis, diabetes, ovarian cancer and the SARS-CoV-2 virus. To make each blanket, Lord created a pattern board, using four-millimeter-square glass beads to match the color code of the genetic sample.

models of dogs wear colorful beaded blankets on their backs in the exhibition

Erica Lord’s embroidered “tuppies,” representing the genetic code for conditions including diphtheria, smallpox, tuberculosis, diabetes, ovarian cancer and the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Sara Snyder / Smithsonian American Art Museum

Similarly, Lord transforms burden straps—woven belts used to carry heavy loads or babies—into colorful beaded representations of DNA and RNA microarrays for various diseases, including leukemia, diabetes, breast cancer and multiple myeloma.

Thompson—a textile artist who learned quilting, knitting, crocheting and sewing while growing up in Minneapolis—also addresses community loss in a piece called On Loving. Created for the exhibit, it features three beaded star quilts sewn onto vinyl purposely shaped to look like body bags. The bags were created in honor of the Native Americans who died from Covid-19.

I Get Mad Because I Love You, Maggie Thompson, 2021-22, glass beads and filament, 48 × 72 × 1 in.

Courtesy of the artist and Bockley Gallery. Image courtesy of the artist.

Thompson’s I Get Mad Because I Love You, looks from a distance like a shimmery piece of fabric stolen off an haute couture runway. A closer look reveals the words “I get mad because” and “I love you” repeated as if written by a student in detention. The words “I love you” are fabricated with white beads, whereas the words “I get mad because” are fashioned from clear beads that appear a bit opaque. Thompson notes that she chose the contrasting colors “because when you’re in a psychologically abusive relationship it’s really hard to differentiate what’s actually being said and the intentions behind what’s being said.”

Neptune’s stunning and colorful baskets—woven from the branches of the disappearing black ash trees—are both firmly rooted in Passamaquoddy traditions and imbued with modernity. The nonbinary artist learned basketry from their grandmother, Molly Neptune Parker, a National Endowment for the Arts national heritage fellow. They have continued making baskets in their grandmother’s traditional style, but also they’ve branched out—literally, for instance, in Feast of the Hummingbirds, adding a small tree adorned with flowers to the top of a traditional basket. Neptune also uses commercial dyes to achieve purples, pinks, yellows and other colors not seen in prior generations’ basketry. “I am giving it a new birth,” says Neptune of the Passamaquoddy tradition.

a small bird sits atop a cylindrical basket with yellows, blues and purples

Apikcilu Binds the Sun, Geo Neptune, 2018, ash and sweetgrass with commercial dye, acrylic ink, and 24-karat gold-plated beads, 16 1/2 × diam. 9 in.

Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, ME, Museum purchase, The Philip Conway Beam Endowment Fund. Photo by Luc Demers.

a model wears a black shawl and wrap with white tassels, and a feathered headdress

Tideland Warrior, Ursala Hudson, 2021, headpiece: merino, feathers and mother of pearl; shawl: merino, silk, mountain goat fur, and mother-of-pearl; wrap: merino, silk, leather, and Tencel

Courtesy of artist. Photo by Kahlil Hudson.

Hudson, like her sister, Hope, draws on the skills and wisdom she learned from her mother, employing both the Chilkat and more geometric and mathematical Ravenstail techniques to create clothing that carries both symbolism and style. She also employs new materials—such as merino wool and commercially dyed fabrics—which she considers an evolution, but not out of keeping with tradition. “For the last 300 years, we’ve been incorporating trade materials coming from afar,” she says. “If we can get something from the other side of the planet, then it’s traditionally Tlingit to do so.”

Even so, Hudson acknowledges, she had doubts when she started displaying her work in galleries. “At first, I was really, really scared that I wasn’t doing the right thing—that I was taking the sacred art form and giving it to the wrong audience.” But she and her sister both say they’ve resolved such concerns. They want Tlingit works to be recognized as fine art, and they also want to see the tradition continue.

As curator, Evans agrees. She hopes that visitors will be inspired to think about “their own relationships with traditions”—how they’re preserved and passed on, as well as how they lead to new innovations. As she puts it, traditions are not “a frozen practice.” The works in the Renwick Invitational show how each generation can make age-old practices feel brilliantly new and alive.

“Sharing Honors and Burdens: Renwick Invitational 2023”  is on view at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum through March 2024.

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A guide to finding your photography style: Part two

By in Photography

A guide to finding your photography style: Part two

In the world of photography, developing a unique and captivating style is a key goal for many photographers. One of the fundamental steps toward achieving this is through self-reflection. By exploring your visual preferences and inspirations, you can uncover the elements, moods and themes that truly resonate with you. This leads to the development of a distinct photographic style. In this blog post, we will delve into the importance of self-reflection and provide practical exercises to help you discover your creative vision.

In case you missed it: A guide to finding your photography style: Part one

Explore your visual preferences

To begin your journey toward finding your photographic style, take the time to analyze your visual preferences. Start by collecting a diverse range of photographs that captivate you. These can be from renowned photographers, art exhibitions, or even images you stumble upon online. As you gather these images, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What attracts you to these photographs? Is it the subject matter, composition, lighting, colors, or emotions they evoke?
  • Are there any recurring themes or elements that consistently appeal to you?
  • How do these images make you feel? Do they inspire a sense of wonder, tranquillity, curiosity, or intensity?

By reflecting on these questions, you will also gain insights into the visual elements that resonate with you on a deeper level. This can serve as a foundation for developing your own unique style.

Create different Mood Boards on Pinterest for different projects or styles
Create different Mood Boards on Pinterest for different projects or styles

Identify your inspirations

In addition to exploring your visual preferences, it is important to identify the photographers, artists, or other creative individuals who inspire you. Look beyond the world of photography and explore other art forms such as painting, cinema, literature, and music. Seek inspiration from diverse sources and ask yourself:

  • Whose work resonates with you the most? What is it about their creations that captivate you?
  • Are there specific artists or photographers whose style you admire? What can you learn from their approach and techniques?
  • What themes or concepts from other art forms intrigue you and could be translated into your photography?

By broadening your sources of inspiration, you can infuse different influences into your work and develop a style that is truly unique to you.

Create a mood board

A mood board is a powerful tool for visual exploration and self-reflection. Start by collecting images, textures, colors and any visual elements that evoke emotions and align with your creative vision. Arrange them on a physical or digital board, allowing them to interact with one another.

As you curate your mood board, pay attention to the connections and patterns that emerge. Notice the recurring themes, color palettes, and moods that you are drawn to. This visual representation will provide a visual road map to guide you in developing your photographic style. It can be as simple as starting with some color.

Experiment and repeat

Finding your photographic style is an ongoing process that requires experimentation and iteration, repeating and modifying. Use your newfound insights from self-reflection as a guide to explore different techniques, compositions, and editing styles. Embrace the freedom to try new approaches, even if they feel unfamiliar at first.

As you experiment, pay attention to how each new technique or style aligns with your visual preferences and inspirations. Reflect on the results and identify elements that resonate with you and contribute to your unique style. Remember, this process takes time and patience, so allow yourself to grow and evolve as a photographer.

Final thoughts

Self-reflection is a vital step in finding your photographic style. By exploring your visual preferences, identifying your inspirations, creating mood boards and embracing experimentation, you will gradually uncover your creative vision and develop a style that is truly your own.

Remember, the journey to finding your style is a personal and unique one. Embrace the process, trust your instincts, and let your photography reflect the essence of who you are as an artist. As with any new process, there is always a learning curve with ups and downs. Likewise, finding your own unique style doesn’t just end once you have identified it. Your style will probably evolve over time.

Happy self-reflecting and capturing your unique vision!

A few tips

  • I really like scrolling through Instagram and then saving images in a folder that grab my attention
  • Try creating a Finding Style Mood Board on Pinterest
  • Don’t forget art books and Photography magazines. Many online libraries like Cloud Library have digital copies that can be looked at too.

Growing pains with a Hartford arts and innovation district. Without parking, ‘we’re dead in the water’

By in Art World News

Growing pains with a Hartford arts and innovation district. Without parking, ‘we’re dead in the water’

HARTFORD — A $50 million redevelopment of a historic, but decayed factory in the city’s Parkville neighborhood — a remnant of Hartford‘s industrial past — could further boost an unfolding, next generation arts and innovation district in the area with more housing and start-up incubator space.

Owner and developer Bob Hussain and his family see beyond the broken windows, rotted floor boards and even a few trees growing inside the former Hanson-Whitney Co. factory. A sturdy underlying structure could support 100 apartments on the upper floors of the 3-story building on the southern end of Bartholomew Avenue with business incubator space on the ground level.

The plant, at 169 Bartholomew, is a familiar sight to motorists on nearby I-84 west, some of the upper story windows are painted blue, yellow and red.

A rendering shows how a former factory on Hartford’s Bartholomew Avenue would look if converted to apartments and business incubator space. (Courtesy of GRHUSA Properties)

“We are committed to this project,” Hussain said. “We will get it done.”

The Hussain family’s factory conversion plan comes as the Parkville neighborhood is making steady gains in building on a base of arts and culture that has existed for years, anchored by Real Art Ways, the independent film theater and live performance space, on Arbor Street. But the area’s gains also come with the growing pains of parking and problems with perception.

The city’s strategic plan of development includes the Parkville Arts & Innovation District as one of the 10 projects that could transform Hartford by the time the city turns 400 in 2035.

Hanson-Whitney factory, Hartford
The decayed Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville neighborhood of Hartford (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

A major focus of the district is creating innovation space to form startups while providing space for them to grow and creating jobs at all skill levels. While the plan rests heavily on encouraging innovation, it also seeks to create new housing, after-hours dining and entertainment, and a thriving arts community —all aimed at revitalizing a long impoverished area of the city.

The district also seeks to tap into the roots of the Parkville neighborhood, once a hub of manufacturing turning out bicycles, typewriters and automobiles. Bartholomew Avenue is envisioned as the “spine” of the district.

The successful Parkville Market food hall is expanding and its developer, Carlos Mouta — a major landowner in the area — also is embarking on the $92 million conversion of the vacant Whitney Manufacturing Co. factory into apartments and business incubator space.

‘Security is the key’

There is now a push to form a business improvement district in Parkville, patterned after the one in downtown Hartford. Such a district would help oversee security, keep the area clean of litter, launch marketing campaigns and promote events in the neighborhood.

Parkville Market, Hartford
Patrons shop the food vendors at the Parkville Market. The market is in the midst of expanding into two neighboring buildings. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

The plans are still in the early stages. But with the help of a $30,000 grant from the Capital Region Development Authority, which has invested in projects in the area, the improvement district could be formed by the end of the year. Hands on Hartford, the 54-year-old neighborhood nonprofit, will oversee the spending of the CRDA grant as efforts go forward to form the new district.

An early supporter of the new district is the Hartford Restaurant Group, the operator of 10 Wood-N-Tap restaurants, whose headquarters has been on Bartholomew Avenue since 2012. The first Wood-N-Tap was established a decade earlier in the neighborhood, at the corner of Sisson and Capitol avenues.

Phil Barnett, co-owner of the restaurant group, said the improvement district is important for the businesses that are located in Parkville but it is also critical for attracting visitors by creating a positive perception of the neighborhood.

“Security is the key to so much stuff,” Barnett said. “If you ask anybody in the suburbs, for the most part, why do they or don’t they go to certain places? It usually comes down to parking and security. And cleanliness is another part of it.”

“So, the perception is that you want to go somewhere that’s clean, safe and you have parking,” Barnett said. “Parkville has so many great opportunities right now, but we’re lacking a little bit of the safety and security feeling, the perception for the people.”

Business Improvement District, Parkville, Hartford
This map shows properties, shaded in the purple, that could be included in a business improvement district in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood. Plans for the district are in the early stages and would require a vote of property owners. (City of Hartford, Office of the Assessor)

An improvement district can only be formed if more than 50% property owners within the district boundaries approve of the district in a referendum. Becoming part of the district means paying higher property taxes to fund the district, including the staff to run it. The city council also must pass a specific ordinance creating the district.

Mouta, a major developer in the neighborhood, said a half dozen businesses and property owners in the neighborhood have tried informally to assume the role that would be filled by the district.

  • Mike Hussain carries his nephew Caleb Hussain, 11-months-old, as he...

    Mike Hussain carries his nephew Caleb Hussain, 11-months-old, as he enters the third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. The Hussain family has plans on converting the property to apartments and business incubator space. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Andrew Hussain, left, talks with his brother Mike Hussain and...

    Andrew Hussain, left, talks with his brother Mike Hussain and their mom Gladys Hussain as they walk through the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. The Hussain family has plans on converting the property to apartments and business incubator space. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Gladys Hussain, center and Lisa Lazarus, from Girls for Technology...

    Gladys Hussain, center and Lisa Lazarus, from Girls for Technology listens as Steve Hussain, holding his son Caleb Hussain, 11-months-old, talks about some of the plans for the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. The Hussain family has plans on converting the property to apartments and business incubator space. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Inside one of the bathrooms at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory...

    Inside one of the bathrooms at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Hanson-Whitney Co. factory in Hartford's Parkville.

    A view of Bartholomew Avenue and the Parkville neighborhood from the third of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • The rooftop area on the second floor of the Hanson-Whitney...

    The rooftop area on the second floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Graffiti from over the past years covers the walls and...

    Graffiti from over the past years covers the walls and glass on the second floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Plans are to turn the area into apartments. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Parkville, Hartford

    Graffiti from over the past years covers the walls and glass on the second floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue. The space could become apartment in a conversion plan.(Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Graffiti from over the past years covers the walls and...

    Graffiti from over the past years covers the walls and glass on the second floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Plans are to turn the area into apartments. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Andrew Hussain, talks about the space on the second floor,...

    Andrew Hussain, talks about the space on the second floor, which will be turned into apartments at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. The Hussain family has plans on converting the property to apartments and business incubator space. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Graffiti from over the past years covers the walls and...

    Graffiti from over the past years covers the walls and glass on the second floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Plans are to turn the area into apartments. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Graffiti from over the past years covers the walls and...

    Graffiti from over the past years covers the walls and glass on the second floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Plans are to turn the area into apartments. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Factory conversion in Hartford's Parkville neigbhorhood.

    Andrew Hussain, shows Lisa Lazarus, from Girls for Technology, the second floor, which will be turned into apartments at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford. The Hussain family has plans on converting the property to apartments and business incubator space. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Andrew Hussain, shows a section that could be used for...

    Andrew Hussain, shows a section that could be used for a business area at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. The Hussain family has plans on converting the property to apartments and business incubator space. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Hanson-Whitney factory, Hartford

    A notice about the elevator in one of the elevator shafts at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Graffiti and broken windows on the second floor of the...

    Graffiti and broken windows on the second floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Plans are to turn the area into apartments. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section...

    Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • The first floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew...

    The first floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Bob Hussain shows a courtyard area at the Hanson-Whitney Co....

    Bob Hussain shows a courtyard area at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Bob Hussain, is silhouetted as he walks along the first...

    Bob Hussain, is silhouetted as he walks along the first floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville neighborhoodsection of Hartford. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • The first floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew...

    The first floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Parkville, Hartford

    A view of Bartholomew Ave and the Parkville neighborhood from the third story of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville neighborhood of Hartford (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • A view of I-84 from the third of the Hanson-Whitney...

    A view of I-84 from the third of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • The third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew...

    The third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • The Hussain Family on the third floor at the Hanson-Whitney...

    The Hussain Family on the third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Left to right; Mike Hussain, Gladys Hussain, Bob Hussain, Socheata Hussain, Steve Hussain with Caldeb Hussain and Andrew Hussain. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • Hanson-Whitney factory, Hartford

    The decayed Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville neighborhood of Hartford (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • The third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew...

    The third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • The third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew...

    The third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • A view of Bartholomew Ave and the Parkville neighborhood from...

    A view of Bartholomew Ave and the Parkville neighborhood from the third of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • The third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew...

    The third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • A view of Bartholomew Ave and the Parkville neighborhood from...

    A view of Bartholomew Ave and the Parkville neighborhood from the third of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • A view from the third floor of the rooftop area...

    A view from the third floor of the rooftop area and I-84 at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • A view from the third floor of the rooftop area...

    A view from the third floor of the rooftop area and I-84 at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • A view of I-84 from the third floor at the...

    A view of I-84 from the third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • A view of I-84 from the third floor at the...

    A view of I-84 from the third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

  • The third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew...

    The third floor at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

“It’s been the same five or six of us representing everyone,” Mouta said. “We just don’t have the time. We’re not doing 75% of the things that we could be doing. So, we absolutely need this.”

‘Constraint to growth’

At the same time, the city is seeking to ease another issue in Parkville: parking.

Mouta is asking the city to enter into a public-private partnership to redevelop a surface parking lot that the developer owns near the corner of Bartholomew Avenue and Park Street, diagonally across from the Parkville Market.

Parking garage site, Parkville, Hartford

Kenneth R. Gosselin / Hartford Courant

A parking lot near the corner of Park Street and Bartholomew Avenue in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood, shown in this file photo, would be developed with housing wrapped around a parking garage.  (Kenneth R. Gosselin/Hartford Courant)

The development would include a $11.6 million above-ground parking garage with as many as 400 spaces on the rear of the parking lot and a new building of several stories with 57 apartments over storefront space near Bartholomew Avenue.

“There’s no question that parking is a constraint to growth there, which is why it is part of our plan,” Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said.

The housing, with 30% pegged as “affordable,” or restricted to certain incomes, is expected to cost $17.9 million to build, partly funded with a $5.5 million CT Communities Challenge Grant. The state grant program aims to help fund revitalization projects that will help spur job growth.

The plans for the mixed-use development include a proposed agreement to phase in taxes over 15 years on the housing; splitting the existing lot in two with the city taking control of the rear portion for the garage; and then signing a long-term lease for the parking structure. The proposal still must be approved by the city council, and it is likely Mouta and the city would share in the revenue generated by the garage. The garage also would provide parking for the new apartments.

Hands on Hartford, the planned Petrolhead Cafe, the motorsports-themed coffee shop and bar, plus the expansion of the Parkville Market are just a few businesses that will need more parking — and that doesn’t even count restaurants and other businesses that will open in the future, Mouta said.

“With the expansion of the market — I mean, without the parking — we’re dead in the water,” Mouta said.

Collecting support, approvals

Mouta’s ambitious factory conversion, at the corner of Bartholomew and Hamilton streets, is next door to the Hussain family’s project.

Factory conversion in Hartford's Parkville neigbhorhood.
Andrew Hussain, shows Lisa Lazarus, from Girls for Technology, the second floor, which will be turned into apartments at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford. The Hussain family has plans on converting the property to apartments and business incubator space. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

The Hussains and their development company GRHUSA Properties have gathered support from neighborhood organizations and, so far, an approval from the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. But the financing plan for the 90,000-square-foot structure, is still in the early stages. The family hopes to secure historic tax credits and state environmental clean-up grants.

The family also is partnering with the Hartford-based nonprofit Girls for Technology, which seeks to create economic opportunities for women of color, to apply for a state Community Investment Fund grant. The grants are targeted for economic development in towns and cities with an emphasis on traditionally underserved communities of people of color.

Lisa Lazarus, the non-profit’s board chair, said the organization is interested in occupying some of incubator space that would fit in well with the nonprofit’s entrepreneurial goals.

Bob Hussain, is silhouetted as he walks along the first floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville neighborhoodsection of Hartford. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
Bob Hussain, is silhouetted as he walks along the first floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville neighborhood of Hartford. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

“So when we partner with them, we’re not just lending our name, we’re actually going to be helping them develop ideas for how to use the space to meet the needs of the community,” Lazarus said, during a recent tour of factory led by the Hussains. “And, of course, we want to have an innovative space.”

Lazarus adds: “We’re hoping that it will be a full-blown, live, work, play type of space.”

Since acquiring the property two years ago in a city tax deed sale, the cost of converting 169 Bartholomew has nearly doubled, rising from $28 million to $50 million.

Hanson-Whitney factory, Hartford
A notice about the elevator in one of the elevator shafts at the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue in the Parkville section of Hartford. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

The family also had hoped for $4.2 million from a larger $50 million grant through the state’s innovation corridor grant program, which has not gone forward. The state Department of Economic and Community Development has said applications had not met requirements, which include matching private sector funding.

“So that kind of set us back in one sense, but there are other routes and that’s what we’re exploring now,” Steven Hussain said, on the tour. “And I think we’re making some headway there.”

His brother, Michael Hussain, said the family would considering joining with another development partner, if the fit was right.

‘This is his legacy’

Bob Hussain, a former pharmacist from Ridgefield, has been buying and rehabilitating blighted residential and mixed-use structures in Hartford for two decades, including a recent project on Garden Street. The conversion of the Hanson-Whitney factory would be the largest, and the family acknowledges seeking public funding is new to them.

The plans also have changed from creating expansion space for small- and mid-sized businesses to primarily residential. The proposal calls for 69 “efficiency” units, 16 studios, and five, one-bedrooms, all market-rate, with monthly rents ranging from an average of $1,263 to $2,175. An additional, 10 “affordable” units would have an average rent of $1,125, according to the Hussains.

Parkville, Hartford
Graffiti from over the past years covers the walls and glass on the second floor of the Hanson-Whitney Co. factory on Bartholomew Avenue. The space could become apartments in a conversion plan.(Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

The factory, long on the city’s radar as one of Hartford’s problem buildings, is also strategically located next to a former metal scrapyard now owned by the city that’s also targeted for future development.

“This is a large historic factory that’s currently severely blighted and a detriment to the neighborhood,” Bronin, Harford’s mayor, said. “We would love to see this building rehabbed and restored, and we want to make sure that it’s done right.”

Increasingly, Bob Hussain’s sons, including Andrew Hussain, are taking over the day-to-day responsibility for the conversion project — and they are pushing optimistically ahead.

“My dad wants it,” Andrew Hussain said. “This is his legacy.”

Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.

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