The TSETSE, So Much More Than Just a Gallery

The started up in the early nineties in Nashua, New Hampshire by founder Theresa Lavalle (Tsetse) as a project by the Tsetse printing company to be more involved in the community. By 1995 they moved to Providence, R.I. and dropped the printing company aspect by 1998.  Now there is a beautiful second art gallery in New London (since 2008) dedicated to using “art as a tool to educate the community.”

The gallery showcases everything from work created in their middle school art program to world class art by nationally acclaimed artists and everything in between. Artists with disabilities are also featured in the gallery and usually features work giving some insight to the artist’s disability.  The main requirement for an art show at the TSETSE Gallery is that the show must serve or educate the community in some way.

Tsetse tries to keep the gallery a “small, local, fairly independent franchise with a local board,” corporate chairman Mark G. Roberts tells Patch.  The board of directors and gallery manager are dedicated and mostly local people. Tsetse tries to run the gallery this way so the voice of the community is directly involved in its day to day processes.

One way the gallery serves the community is by running art and literacy programs at , and elementary schools. The program serves approximately 80 youths in the schools, many of whom are eagerly returning students. Gallery manager Leyden Pavlovics meets about twice a week with students from each school.  The result of the programs is a student show displaying their work at the end of the school year.  These programs help to empower and build self-esteem in at-risk youth.

Most recently on display by the young artist’s were journals made of homemade recycled paper containing songs, poetry and daily journal entries.  The next youth project will focus on geography, map making and time zones. These too will be on display at the gallery.

Pavlovics became involved with the gallery because she knew she “wanted to work in a gallery and be involved in the arts,” but the selling point for her was that the TSETSE was not just a gallery.  She was very impressed by its community activism, in particular the roundtable discussions which allowed kids to sit down with veterans and people with disabilities and have open discussions. These discussions really open the youth’s eyes and make them reevaluate their lives and how they view others.

Often the gallery will produce a show that focuses on an underrepresented group in the community. Recently, the exhibition " was displayed in collaboration with the Colombian-American Cultural Society, Inc. and featured twelve contemporary artists of Latin American descent. This exhibition was a mix of colorful and expressive paintings, collages, photography and sculpture.

The gallery also collaborates with artists by going back to its printing company roots. The current display is a gift show called “Artistic Gifting” featuring the work of various New England Artists printed on gift items such as ties and ceramic tiles.  The printing on the various gift items was very high quality and did justice to the impressive works that they represented.

Some of the more unique work was produced by artist Elizabeth Arseneau who makes one reconsider the possibilities for macaroni art. Her work pushes the boundaries of a canvas by using various objects, often food items to make her paintings into stunning and unique 3D art. She adds dimension to her “Mermaid” piece for example with lasagna, mango seeds and shrimp tails.

The TSETSE Gallery remains dedicated to educating and supporting the community and is working on plans to open a third gallery, possibly New York City or Worcester, Mass. in the next couple of years.  The gallery remains dedicated to making strides in New London  as they make plans and raise funds to open up a series of community centers across the city.

“When your work is heart centered there’s nothing like it,” says Roberts “I've never had this much fun in my life…and its extremely rewarding.”