Salisbury Family Services to honor Danielle Mailer at Sept. 27 benefit

On Saturday, Sept. 27, Salisbury Family Services (SFS) will hold a benefit dinner and barn dance, honoring artist Danielle Mailer. Taking place at Stillwater Farm in Salisbury, this festive fundraiser will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, and lively barn dancing — all in support of the critical services SFS provides.

Founded in the mid-1930s during the Great Depression, Salisbury Family Services has been a lifeline for residents of Salisbury and the surrounding villages of Amesville, Lakeville, Lime Rock, and Taconic for nearly 90 years. What began as an effort by local women to mend clothes and provide food has evolved into a professional social service agency offering confidential support for housing, food, childcare, medical needs and more.

This year’s benefit celebrates Danielle Mailer, a nationally recognized visual artist and longtime local resident whose vibrant work and generous spirit have left a lasting impression on the Northwest Corner. Known for her bold, figurative style and large-scale public installations, Mailer has brought color and life to communities throughout Connecticut and beyond.

“I suspect that they honored me because they think I’ve given back to the community in various ways,” said Mailer from her studio in Goshen. Mailer just began her tenth year as a teacher at the Salisbury School. Prior to that, she taught at Indian Mountain School for 15 years. “So that’s, what? That’s 25 years of teaching in the community,” said Mailer with a laugh.

Alongside teaching, Mailer will also be honored for her artistic contributions to the area. If you’ve driven through Torrington and seen the undulating sea of fish on the backside of Staples (“Project Fishtales”) or delighted in her playful blue lion outside of the Scoville Library, you’ve seen her art do what it does best: transform public space into something personal and joyful.

Mailer has shown in major galleries, had retrospectives at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut, and helped shape The Tides of Provincetown, a traveling tribute to her hometown of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Currently, she’s getting ready for the unveiling of a large-scale ballerina she created for the Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory in Torrington on Oct. 3.

Some of Mailer’s work will be on view and for sale at the event on the 27th. Proceeds directly support the SFS’s ability to provide emergency assistance and essential services to those in need.

“I readily donate my art to lots of things because I think that’s something art can do — to support the different community events that are very necessary to keep the town humming, said Mailer. “And I am really flattered. It’s been really fun to be honored.”

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.salisburyfamilyservices.org