‘THIS IS A ROBBERY’ and so are these…

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On March 18, 1990, 13 works of art were stolen from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. A recent four-part Netflix documentary, This is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist, told the story.

Art historian Fran Altvater at her desk at the University of Hartford’s Hillyer College, where she is the associate dean.
Images of the stolen Gardner works and others over the decades

Film critic Richard Alleva, who writes for commonwealmagazine.org, sizes up the Netflix documentary, plus, for good measure, Mare of Easttown.

‘It’s like baking a cake’ — making Middletown an art destination

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Last in a three-part series: a walk downtown to look at what it would take to make way-cool Middletown even cooler by accentuating its considerable positives: its restaurants, classic Main Street, proximity to Wesleyan University, and creative community. 

One of a number of empty storefronts on Main Street
Kisha Michael, the city’s arts coordinator, left, and Sandra Russo-Driska, coordinator of the Downtown Business District, envisioning future arts activity.on city-owned property.
Russo-Driska has a downtown map in hand for checking off the flags and flower pots paid for by the Downtown Business Distrtict, which she says supports a livelier Main Street experience.
Making Middletown an art destination is like baking a cake, says Michael. It needs certain ingredients and the baking can’t be rushed.
Bringing foot traffic to the Main Street Marketplace indoor mall is a continuing challenge, says Russo-Driska.
A spot for a pop-up art exhibit?
Maybe art can fill the windows until a tenant is found?

What about something in here?