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Hartford’s buried Park River is focus of exhibits at Real Art Ways, U of H

The Park River, near Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Hartford, Connecticut, about 1890, before the river was buried underground. This photo is not part of the exhibits at Real Art Ways and U of H.
File photo/courtesy Connecticut Historical Society
The Park River, near Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Hartford, Connecticut, about 1890, before the river was buried underground. This photo is not part of the exhibits at Real Art Ways and U of H.
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Carol Padberg and her poodle often walk in her Asylum Hill neighborhood. She can hear the roar of traffic on I-84.

“Would it be nice if it was the roar of the river? They follow the same path,” Padberg says.

Padberg is talking about the Park River, which winds its way through Hartford, largely underground since city fathers buried it and built I-84 on top of it. It pops above the surface here and there, including at University of Hartford, where Padberg is director of the NOMAD/19 interdisciplinary MFA program.

Padberg has developed an art class about the Park River, which was called the Little River by 17th-century Dutch fur traders and later was called the Mill River or the Hog River. Exhibits up for very brief runs at U of H and at Real Art Ways are the result of this class, which Padberg conducts with instructor Mary Mattingly.

This item, part of the exhibit at Real Art Ways, was found near the Park River in Hartford.
This item, part of the exhibit at Real Art Ways, was found near the Park River in Hartford.

“The river is a hidden gem of Hartford. I’ve never been to a city that hides its treasures this way. You would think it would be cherished. It’s magical and beautiful,” she says. “There is no access to it unless you cut through parking lots and fences and go to the trouble of going through the brambles.”

The exhibit in the Silpe gallery at U of H is a collection of archival documents, maps of the river and maquettes of bridges across the river and models of animal habitats. The maquettes are a proposed future project to enhance relationships between the university and the North End community, as well as between humans and wildlife.

At Real Art Ways, the items on exhibit will be examples from the U of H archives about the river, objects found along the banks of the uncovered portions of the river and artworks inspired by testimony given by local residents who have had some memorable experiences involving the river.

The project, Padberg says, is for the benefit of people who haven’t had memorable experiences with the river.

“I think 99 percent of people who live here never see the river because of lack of access,” she says. “My dream of Hartford is access to the beautiful river, to learn about the ecology and appreciation of the land that supports this city.”

River boosters have spoken in the past about “daylighting” the river, uncovering it in parts. This project and exhibits aren’t about that, Padberg says.

“The project isn’t designed to fix something. It’s designed to raise awareness about the river and the city, ponder who has access to recreational and natural environments and who doesn’t, to study the characteristics of urbanization.”

NOMAD/9 MFA: P.A.R.K.: BRIDGING COMMUNITIES at Silpe Gallery at University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Ave. in West Hartford, until June 22, closing with an artist reception on June 22 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the campus’ Joseloff Gallery. facebook.com/silpegallery.

Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor St. in Hartford, will show items from that exhibit from June 20, opening with a Creative Cocktail Hour from 6 to 8 p.m., until June 29. realartways.org.

On other walls

Waterworks: A Marine Show and Hudson Valley Art Association are two shows running until Aug. 2 at Lyme Art Association, 90 Lyme St. in Old Lyme. Opening reception is June 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. lymeartassocaition.org.

Quiescence, an exhibit of photographs by Alan Shulik, and Drawings with a Chance of Narrative, an exhibit of work by Amanda Walker, are at Kehler Liddell Gallery, 873 Whalley Ave. in New Haven, until June 30. kehlerliddellgalelry.com.

From Butterflies to Battleships, an exhibit of photographs by Margaret Bourke-White, Carl Mydans, Patrick Nagatani and Brett Weston, will be at Bruce Museum, One Museum Drive in Greenwich, from June 22 to Sept. 1. brucemuseum.org.

West Hartford Art League will hold its first ARTFair on the grounds at 37 Buena Vista Ave. on June 22 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain date is June 23. westhartfordart.org.

The Underground Gallery, 122 Main St. in the Collinsville section of Canton, will show mixed-media collages by Sally Stamos of Wethersfield from June 21, opening with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m., until July 8 theundergroundgallery.org.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.