Willimantic, Conn: — June Bisantz, professor of arts at Eastern Connecticut State University, produced a banner that has been installed on the exterior of McLevy Hall in downtown Bridgeport.
Bisantz’s banner was chose to be the first in a series of three 10 x 22-foot outdoor banners designed to celebrate Bridgeport’s history, and calls attention to the spectacular renovation and reclamation of McLevy Hall. Bisantz’s design celebrates H. Hubbell’s invention of the Pull Chain Light Socket in Bridgeport in 1896.
“June Bisantz’s submission for the SpaceXchange Banner Project, “Incandescent History,” professionally matched and beautifully fulfilled the principal requirement of the Call to Artists,” said Rod Frantz, director of CreateHereNow and lead consultant on the McLevy Hall SpaceXchange project. “By bringing to attention the amazing contribution of Harvey Hubbell and his family, Bisantz illustrated a chapter of Bridgeport history now little known to contemporary citizens of that city.”
Frantz said Hubbell opened his first manufacturing facility in a small loft on Middle Street in Bridgeport in 1888, and like his contemporaries — Edison, Ford and Westinghouse — contributed to both spheres of progress: new product design and manufacturing innovation.
According to Frantz, Hubbell Incorporated, with its headquarters located in Shelton, is an international manufacturer of quality electrical and electronic products for a broad range of non-residential and residential construction, industrial and utility applications. With 2013 revenues of $3.2 billion, Hubbell Incorporated operates manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the People’s Republic of China, Italy, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Australia.
Hubbell also participates in joint ventures in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and maintains sales offices in Singapore, the People’s Republic of China, India, Mexico, South Korea and the Middle East.
The downtown outdoor banner project is sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Economic Development’s Office on the Arts/Create Here Now. For more information on the project, contact Rodgers Franz, director of Create HereNow at rodfrantz@gmail.com or call (203) 692-5269. You may also visit Rod@createherenow.org; http://createherenow.org/ or
http://mclevyhall.org