903 Main Street | Manchester, CT | 860.647.6029 | WORKSPACEmanchester.com
Private Offices & Month-to-Month Coworking for Entrepreneurs, Remote Workers, Students and those with a Side Hustle.
Please call to arrange a tour and/or free day pass. Can't wait to meet you and discuss how we can meet your needs.
Hello and Happy Friday!

On Monday I pulled into the parking lot and had a hard time finding an available spot. Back in the day (pre-pandemic) I would have been momentarily annoyed, but instead I was immediately excited to see that downtown is welcoming back more workers and visitors. We are still taking precautions with masks, physical distancing, and extra steps for sanitization, however, Main Street is once again becoming a beloved destination.

WORK_SPACE's new Gallery Shop is doing well, and we are giving more tours to potential members seeking to find a pleasant and productive place to work with less distractions and better wi-fi than their dining rooms. After an extended run, our impressive PERSPECTIVES OF A PANDEMIC exhibit will be ending on 3/31 and we are preparing for the ''fresh stART' exhibit featuring work artists are creating on the free 18x24 canvases we are giving out (you have until 4p on Monday to reserve yours, art is due back by 3/29.)

This Saturday we start our weekend hours and moving forward we will be open on the 2nd Saturday of the month from 10a-2p. Please come by to view our multiple galleries and coworking space and maybe purchase some art or merchandise made by local artisans.

Please scroll down to view our upcoming programs, which include an open-mic for poetry, a doodling class, an improv night and viewing a TED talk about identifying the fears that impede our goals. We also share some great resources for businesses, artists and anyone who wants advice on COVID recovery or to reconnect with community.

The first item below is our request that you vote for us for the CT Entrepreneur Awards. We are once again honored to be included as a finalist in the Space Category (3 yrs running) and really would appreciate you taking 2 min to register and vote for us. Although I'm biased, I truly believe that WORK_SPACE is special and we want to continue to build awareness so we can benefit more people and impact positive business growth and cultural activity. Thank you in advance for your support.

Be well and be kind,
Stacey Zackin, Manager
ps - Don't forget to set your clocks ahead this weekend.
We appreciate your support. Voting ends March 16th.
It just takes 1-min to register and vote. Click here to VOTE!
SUMMARY OF EVENTS
  • Galleries Open House - Sat. March 13th (10a-2p)
  • TEDtalk Tuesday - March 16th at 12:15p on Define your Fears before your Goals.
  • POEMS from the DOME Virtual Poetry Open-Mic - Fri. March. 26th
  • Dynamic Doodling Virtual Art Workshop - April 14th
  • Improv Show and Q&A - April 21st
  • Kindness Rocks Virtual Rock Painting Workshop - May 4th
  • Call for Artists:
  • April/May = fresh stART (we give you a blank canvas, you bring back a work of art)
  • June/July = JUNETEENTH: The Art of Independence
  • Aug/Sept = Staycation
PROGRAMS & EVENTS
Hosted by Ryan Parker and Matt Delaney
MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
PROUD ACHIEVEMENTS
- Learned Hangul and English simultaneously
- Traveled most of Asia before the age of 25
- Road tripped the US from coast to coast twice
- Self taught graphic design and illustration
- Illustrated Beer Labels for a CT Brewery
- Working with Seattle PRIDE and Seattle Mariners
- Taking a selfie with Jim Lee from DC Comics
- Joking with Alan Tudyk about Firefly
- Becoming the Social Media Coordinator at WORK_SPACE
Learn more about Michelle in this week's Human's in Manchester column. And stay tuned via social media @workspacemanch for posts about the other fabulous women of WORK_SPACE
CALLS FOR ARTISTS
Reserve your free canvas by 4pm Mon 3/15
Celebrating new beginnings, positive change and the possibilities of a blank canvas, fresh stART runs from April-May. We provide a blank 18” x 24” canvas (or you can create something that size on your own) and you fill it with your imagination and the medium of your choice. Reserve your canvas by March 15. ($10 refundable deposit collected) Pick up canvas weekdays 10a-4p or Sat. 3/13 from 10a-2p. Artwork due by March 29th.
Featuring art that honors independence, resiliency and Black lives and celebrates our nation’s second Independence Day, we invite artists to contribute to a dynamic JUNETEENTH exhibit to run in June & July. Submissions due May 17th. Click for info & submission form.
We often neglect to be tourists in our own backyard, missing out on experiences out-of-towners seek out. There aren't many silver-linings to quarantine, but one could be our enhanced appreciation of all things local. Local businesses, local parks, local walking trails, local Instagram-worthy sights. This exhibit will feature all types of art that features the activities, landscapes and moods of our recent staycations when we entertained ourselves within and close to our homes. Submissions due: July 19. Show runs in Aug/Sept in Gallery 901. Click for submission form.
Email or call for more information:
CURRENT GALLERY SHOW - closes 3/31/21
OPEN HOUSE - Saturday, March 13th (10A-2P)

Visit our new Gallery Shop - featuring art and products created by local artists. Open M-F, 10a-4p and each 2nd Sat, 10a-2p.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS & WRITERS
Submit your fiction, nonfiction, and poetry before April 15th. The book will be published for the 2021 Festival. Published and emerging writers (of all ages) are encouraged to apply. Click for Details.
Artists are invited to celebrate spring with a butterfly sculpture or art piece in the medium of your choosing. The Downtown Manchester Special Services District will be selecting 15-20 artists to create beautiful art pieces to be displayed on Main Street on Saturday, 5/22 from 10am to 4pm. This installation will be a part of other special events taking place Downtown that day. Join us in celebrating the resilience and strength of our Downtown businesses as we leave winter behind and flutter into a brighter future!
COMMUNITY EVENTS OF INTEREST
RACISM AS LIVED EXPERIENCE
Please join these community conversation where we will share feelings and observations, learn about others and seek ways to bring about more healing in our town of Manchester.
Conversations will take place from 6:30-8pm via Zoom.
Facilitator: Valerie J. Payne
Monday, March 15th
Doug Edwards,
longtime Manchester resident.
Monday, March 22nd
Keren Prescott, resident and Community Organizer.
Contact John Ryan at jfryan@cox.net to register.
Sponsored by New Wineskins Community, an intentional community in St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish
VACCINE ELIGIBILITY DATES
EFFECTIVE MARCH 1st RESIDENTS 55+, EDUCATORS, AND CHILDCARE PROFESSIONALS ARE ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER FOR COVID-19 VACCINATION APPOINTMENTS. For more details, please visit: ct.gov/covidvaccine
  • March 22, 2021: Expands to age group 45 to 54
  • April 12, 2021: Expands to age group 35 to 44
  • May 3, 2021: Expands to age group 16 to 34

CT Vaccine Appointment Assist Line: 877-918-2224 (8am-8pm everyday)
Downtown Manchester is excited to launch Curb Local! The Downtown District has designated 15 Curbside Pickup Spots on Main Street.

The GREATER MANCHESTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE hosts First Responders & Essential Personnel going head to head for bragging rights, & a chance to win money for local non-profits. Airing on March 16th Click here for info and to watch.
BLOOD DRIVES ARE HAPPENING REGULARLY ACROSS CONNECTICUT


March 17 - 9:00am-2:00pm
Ambulance Service of Manchester, 275 New State Road.
1-800-RED CROSS
BUSINESS RESOURCES
Do you know any dislocated workers in the fields of Construction, Healthcare, IT, Manufacturing, or Transportation/Logistics? Some grant money for training and job placement support is available.
CWP has also opened applications for their Summery Youth Programs.
Contact Tim Geary, Business Services Representative via tgeary@capitalworkforce.org for more information about Capital Workforce Partners and the American Job Center.
The Small Business Administration and the CT Small Business Development Center offer a wealth of great public programs and private advising for businesses to help with issues related to the pandemic and general business development support. Below are a few upcoming programs of interest.

Apply for Paycheck Protection Program by March 31st - CLICK HERE for guidance from SBA.

CT Small Business Development Center Resources

COVID Relief Legislature Highlights
https://ctsbdc.com/newcovidrelief/

March 18 - 12-1PM - Paycheck Protection Program - Where Are We?

Denise Whitford, CTSBDC Operations Team Lead and Business Advisor, will review what you need to know about competing for Federal Government contracts.
 
March 25 – 10AM - Meet Your Women Business Advisors: An Interactive Panel Discussion
Hear more from this experienced panel of advisors, including CTSBDC Business Advisors Tammy Eldredge and Sade Owoye.
 
March 30 – ASCENT, A Digital Platform for Women in Business 
Moraima Gutierrez, Assistant District Director for Economic Development with the SBA Connecticut District Office, will demonstrate the learning and networking tools available in this new resource from the SBA.
CBIA - CT Business and Industry Association has many links to updates and resources including signs to post at your workplace about staying safe, healthy, and physically distant. Click here.
The CT Bar Association has created a FREE Legal Clinic offering 45-min phone or video calls for small businesses and entrepreneurs seeking limited-scope legal guidance. Click here.
WORK_SPACE WORKINGS
GET & GIVE FEEDBACK while
GROWING YOUR NETWORK
WORK_SPACE is hosting industry specific "Feedback Loops" - part networking, part pitching, part professional development. If you are interested in participating in one related to your field, please contact Stacey at manager@WORKSPACEmanchester.com.
FEEDBACK LOOPS
WORK_SPACE
903 Main Street
Manchester, CT 06040
860.647.6029
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