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Silver Circle Gallery
Silver Circle Gallery
Curating Art. Inspiring Community. Enriching Creative Space. since 2008.
Founded in 2008, Silver Circle Gallery has been a cornerstone of the visual arts community in Northeast Connecticut for 18 years. Originally established as part of the Downtown Putnam Arts Renaissance, Silver Circle has evolved from a traditional storefront gallery into a more fluid and vibrant model—now located within BLOCK 134, a dynamic arts and wellness collective in Downtown Putnam.
While we no longer operate with fixed retail hours, our commitment to showcasing meaningful, contemporary local and regional art remains unwavering. We now curate the walls of BLOCK 134’s Community Event Room and Community Lounge, transforming the space into a living gallery that celebrates creativity and community. Exhibitions and rotating art displays are viewable during public events, workshops, and private rentals—or by appointment. Contact us to make arrangements!
Gallery Rental Opportunities
What we offer: Silver Circle Gallery provides a unique opportunity for artists to showcase their work in a beautiful gallery space with a rich 18-year history in downtown Putnam. Whether you’re an emerging artist or a seasoned creator, our flexible gallery rental options cater to solo exhibitions, group shows, art/craft workshops, artist talks, and more. Monthly rentals, pop-up exhibits, and more are welcome. The walls in our 1000 square foot event room at Block 134 are spacious and well lit, and provide the perfect backdrop to other private events, yoga classes, and community gatherings.
How to apply: All exhibitions are by application only. If you’re interested in showcasing your work, email us with a brief description of your work, your exhibition idea, and a portfolio or samples of your art along with bio and CV. All submissions are reviewed for quality and fit with the gallery before approval — we’ll follow up with next steps, including rental pricing and available dates.
Perfect downtown location — open space with exposed brick, natural light, overlooking the river
Access to docent services
Host an opening, artist talks, and/or workshops during your exhibition period
Supportive, established community
Apply now: info@silvercirclegallery.com (subject: “Gallery Rental Inquiry”)
Visit Us
Hours: By appointment or when Block 134’s doors are open — please email to make arrangements.
Parking: Available in front of the building or in nearby downtown lots (we suggest the large lot at the corner of Kennedy Drive).
Follow us: Instagram | Facebook
Whether you’re an artist looking to exhibit, a collector seeking local talent, or an organization interested in hosting an art show, Silver Circle Gallery at BLOCK 134 is a unique and inspiring space where art and community meet.
gallery exhibits
Contact us to see the current exhibit
Shirley Bernstein is perhaps best known for her accomplished reduction woodcuts and printmaking, but throughout her career, the sky has provided another enduring source of artistic exploration. Sky Stories: A Retrospective of Oil Pastels brings together a body of work inspired by years of looking upward—observing the shifting color, light, movement, and atmosphere of the skies above rural northeastern Connecticut.
Born in Philadelphia, Bernstein earned her BFA from the University of the Arts, formerly the Philadelphia College of Art, and her MFA from Indiana University in Bloomington, where she majored in printmaking and minored in painting and drawing. After spending much of her adult life in New York City, she moved to northeastern Connecticut and became captivated by the beauty of its landscape and expansive skies.
Bernstein describes her work as organic abstraction in response to forms experienced through both the visual and emotional observation of nature. In her oil pastels, recognizable elements of sky and landscape often become starting points for explorations of color, gesture, rhythm, atmosphere, and memory. The result is work that feels at once observed and deeply personal—less a literal record of a particular sky than a response to the experience of witnessing it.
Bernstein has exhibited nationally and internationally, and her work is held in numerous public, institutional, corporate, and private collections, including the Library of Congress Robert Blackburn Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Newport Art Museum, Slater Memorial Museum, Indiana University, University of Connecticut’s Dodd Center Special Collections, Eastern Connecticut State University, Wheaton College, and Fairfield University, among others.
Alongside her studio practice, Bernstein has had a distinguished career as an educator, teaching at institutions including the University of Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut State University, Cooper Union, Indiana University, University of the Arts, and Fashion Institute of Technology. She received the Teaching Excellence Award at Quinebaug Valley Community College, where she taught until her retirement in 2013.
A founding member of the Printmakers Network of Southern New England, Bernstein is also affiliated with the Los Angeles Printmaking Society, Boston Printmakers, and the Society of Wood Engravers. Her printmaking has received numerous distinctions, including a 75th Anniversary Award in a traveling exhibition in England.
Sky Stories offers an opportunity to experience another dimension of Bernstein’s artistic life: a sustained conversation with the heavens, recorded over time in the immediacy and luminous color of oil pastel.
contact us: info@silvercirclegallery.com
Visit us during BLOCK 134 public events or by appointment
Hours: *by appointment*
134 Main Street, 2nd Floor|Putnam, CT| block134community@gmail.com
Parking: Parking can be either in front of the building, or in one of the multiple parking lots in downtown Putnam