Rehabbed Jack’s Alley welcomes new art, music, fun
May 20, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti 
MK Monley and Sarah-Lee Terrat work on installing Peter Huntoon’s “Downtown Waterbury” print in Jack’s Alley. Photo by Gordon Miller
Now that the transformation of the alley on Stowe Street renamed Jack’s Alley is complete, it will take its place among Waterbury’s downtown venues for outdoor music, art and events this summer.
The committee that oversaw the project to refurbish the space beside Stowe Street Emporium remains in place through Revitalizing Waterbury, and its role now will be to coordinate activities for the space and continue to put some finishing touches on the project, according to Roger Clapp, executive director at Revitalizing Waterbury.
“We’re opening up Jack’s Alley for events, and the reservation page is live on the RW website,” Clapp said.
One of the first bookings is from TURNmusic and Blackback Pub to schedule their summer Music in the Alley concerts, Clapp said. They have reserved June 27, July 26 and Aug. 15 for live music performances. Artists will be announced soon, according to the organizers. The summer concerts have previously been held in the smaller alley between 1 and 5 Stowe Street, where The Phoenix Music Hall & Art Gallery, home to TURNmusic, and Blackback Pub are located.
New art was recently installed near the Stowe Street entrance to Jack’s Alley. Waterbury artist Sarah-Lee Terrat put up the first of what she hopes will be a rotating exhibition of art on a permanent display structure added as part of the alley refurbishment.
The image is an 8x5-foot print of an oil painting by Middletown Springs artist Peter Huntoon. The Stowe Street scene, titled “Downtown Waterbury,” is part of Huntoon’s extensive collection of Vermont scenes, including landscapes and townscapes.
Clapp said that RW and the Jack's Alley Steering Committee would like to pursue grant funding to engage local groups, from school students to seniors, to generate public art that could be exhibited in the alley. Terrat said she envisions workshops that could involve people and produce new art to display.
The project to beautify and transform the alley space into a park-like spot has unfolded over the past several years. Construction was done in 2024 following a fundraising campaign that included grants and selling engraved bricks included in the new surface to replace old asphalt.
The spot is now named in honor of Jack Carter, former owner of Stowe Street Emporium, local historian, volunteer and town official who died unexpectedly in 2021. Carter was affectionately known as “The Mayor of Stowe Street” and he for many years envisioned the alley as an attractive gathering spot. Plans to transform the space had begun at the time of his death – in fact, a memorial to honor Carter was the first spontaneous event held there.
Work to make Carter’s dream a reality proceeded in earnest afterward, involving multiple community organizations and the property owners. The spot was dedicated last fall once the major construction was completed on the brick surface and screens installed around various building equipment.
Terrat created a permanent mural with Carter’s likeness as an old-fashioned general storekeeper that was installed on one wall along the alley; she also restored a former advertising painting on the brick exterior of another wall. Plantings and benches have been added. Project plans still call for adding lighting and a few other features, Clapp said.
Heading into summertime, Clapp said individuals and organizations can apply to use the alley for events, parties, and other public gatherings. Rules and the application are online on the Revitalizing Waterbury website. There is no reservation fee, but the application says a donation is suggested to defray upkeep costs. Events scheduled in the space cannot have advertised admission fees, although they could suggest donations, it notes.
Find details about Jack’s Alley, scheduling events, etc. online at revitalizingwaterbury.org/alleyproject. See more about Peter Huntoon and his art at peterhuntoon.com.
New art installation goes up
Photographer Gordon Miller captured the process of installing Peter Huntoon’s “Downtown Waterbury” print in Jack’s Alley recently. It was a three-person job to affix the image printed on vinyl onto the new display panel at the alley entry. Waterbury artist Sarah-Lee Terrat got a hand from art teacher and MakerSphere chair MK Monley and volunteer Don Schneider.
