Artist Spotlight: Vito Bonanno

You just never know when a blog post idea is going to hit you! As I was driving down Whitney Avenue toward Hamden, there was a colorful, happy looking truck headed the opposite direction that caught my eye.

Photo via vitobonanno.com

As I was driving, the name "Vito's Mobile Art Mart" had me intrigued. I wondered what exactly is a Mobile Art Mart? In my head, it was a mix of the Big Green Truck and The Clay Date. Curiosity had me to the point that I did a Google search on the name and found that this was a truck for local artist Vito Bonanno's mobile art gallery. You can learn quite a bit about Vito on his portfolio website. From his biography, I learned that he was diagnosed with PDD/Autism at a young age and uses art as a form of release from his disability.

Despite his every day challenges, Vito's work has been exhibited in places such as Eastern CT State University, an I-95 art project, and the Jacob Javits Center in NYC. His artwork generally consists of mixed media. However, my favorite piece is a compilation of still photos and video, seen below, entitled "Cellphone Memories". I know we all have photos and videos on our phones, but Vito took some of his "obsessions", threw in a catchy little tune and turned it into something pretty awesome. You'll see plenty of nods to New Haven, too. ;)

I have yet to meet Vito Bonanno, but I'd love to see his artwork featured around New Haven. I was intrigued by his truck and awestruck by his story. Wishing Vito the best of luck in his artwork and beyond!

Love Broccoli? Enjoy "Broccoli for New Haven" at Elm City Market

Ahh, broccoli. Our green friend that occasionally gets stuck in our teeth, and when we were kids, we swore up and down that we were eating miniature trees. (Humor me and say you did the same!)

Miniature trees or not, broccoli is a great nutritional resource to include in our diet. According to MindBodyGreen, broccoli is high in Vitamin A and Vitamin C and can help fight cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Lucky for us, Broccoli for New Haven is a health initiative that fights back against all of the junk food thrown in our faces every day. Elm City Market, at 777 Chapel Street (cross: State Street), is a participant in the initiative and fairly central to all New Haven residents. According to the ECM Facebook page, you can look forward to:

• 99¢/lb broccoli crowns (through 2.26)
• Eat To Love Your Heart: nutrition class and broccoli demo on Wednesday, February 26th at 6:30 pm with Serena Marie, RD
• broccoli recipes to pick up while shopping at the co-op
• broccoli recipes posted on the blog
• Broccoli vs. Kale Showdown: First Friday / On9 event March 7th from 6-8pm

Want to help our community get healthy? You can drop What's Up New Haven a comment, Facebook post, or tweet with your favorite broccoli recipe. Happy dining!