When Alexandra Davern Korry and her family moved to Westport in 2012, she was struck by the disparity in arts access. Her children's schools offered vast programs, a stark contrast to the limited opportunities in nearby communities like Norwalk. Wanting to make a difference, Alexandra, a lawyer, educator, and civil rights advocate, bought an old church in 2019 with the vision to create a space where kids could receive free art classes and local artists would have a place to create. Unfortunately, she passed away from ovarian cancer in 2020, just one year before The Norwalk Art Space officially opened its doors in 2021.
Since then, the space has honored Alexandra’s legacy by providing free, high-quality art and music classes to thousands of local middle and high school students. It offers residencies to under-recognized artists, including free studio space and exhibitions (four residents at a time, and they teach one class per semester). The space also features free art exhibitions for the community and a bustling cafe operated by restaurateur Bill Taibe of Kawa Ni and The Whelk fame. “Alexandra’s passion infuses every aspect of our organization. To pay homage to her enduring contributions, we’ve named our building ADK House, with her initials serving as a guiding light of inspiration for all who step through our doors,” Duvian Montoya, executive director of The Norwalk Art Space tells Westport Lifestyle.
While the space exudes the creative energy Alexandra dreamed about, the challenge is keeping all aspects of the programming free. It’s why The Norwalk Art Space’s third annual Arts Bash is more important than ever. This year it will take place on October 9th, 2025, with artist and jazz musician Melissa Newman as their honoree.
The theme is “Goin’ All Out” and the event's co-chairs Dale Najarian and Catherine Devine, supporters of The Norwalk Art Space from the beginning, promise the evening will deliver with curated exhibits, great music, dancing, and incredible food. Westport Lifestyle spoke with Duvian, Dale, and Catherine about what to expect from this incredibly special evening.
Westport Lifestyle: What can you tell us about the event?
Dale Najarian: It's going to be very vibrant and energetic. When you have a fundraiser for an art organization, you have such an advantage because we have creative people at our fingertips. We just want it to be a party. It’s going to be colorful. The food from Marcia Selden Catering is going to be incredible, over the top and artistic. As a nod to Melissa, we’ll have a live jazz band playing at the beginning of the night, and then later, Melissa's son will DJ.
WL: How was Melissa Newman chosen as this year’s honoree?
Duvian Montoya: When we opened, Melissa was one of the first to advocate for what we are doing here. She loved our mission. She loved the multiracial aspect of our programming, and that we're really helping the underserved communities.
DN: She brings people to the cafe all the time and is here at least three days a week. She's fully invested in every way. Closer to the bash, we’ll have an exhibition of her work.
WL: Will other local artists be part of the night?
DN: We ask about 50 local artists to create a one-of-a-kind, 5x7 piece of artwork. We have them on display, and they're up for silent auction. It’s special. Every artist I've ever asked has said yes, because they love to give back. The silent auction goes all weekend. We don't shut it down so that people who aren’t able to come have the opportunity to bid.
WL: Why is the Arts Bash so important?
DM: Things are a lot tighter than they've been in the past as far as grants and funding go. The kids need us more than ever because their programming and their cultural experiences are being cut. Being creative does wonders for learning, self-esteem, and attention. It’s essential—especially with kids being on devices. It makes a huge difference to provide them with a class where they get lost in the process of creating something with their hands for two hours.
WL: What do you want attendees to take away from the night?
Catherine Devine: We want them to have the same feeling we all had when we first came here. We want them to get hooked and come back to support the mission.
DM: Alexandra created something really beautiful in this space that has a unifying quality that we need more of in this world.
For tickets to Arts Bash 2025, visit norwalkartspace.org
"It's going to be very vibrant and energetic. When you have a fundraiser for an art organization, you have such an advantage because we have creative people at our fingertips."