Panel Discussion Moderated by 06880 Founder Dan Woog
Westport, Conn. (Oct. 27, 2026) — FLB Law’s ninth annual Real Estate Outlook, set for Nov. 17 at The SoNo Collection in Norwalk, will explore how the arts give select Fairfield County properties a second life while enriching community culture, attracting foot traffic and increasing real estate values.
The program, “Second Acts: Real Estate and the Arts in Fairfield County,” begins at 8 a.m. and brings together leaders of The Norwalk Art Space, The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts, the Levitt Pavilion and Manresa Island Corp. FLB Law is hosting the event in partnership with the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce and the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce.
Panelists will discuss the artistic uses of these unique properties and why they matter to the real estate market, local businesses and community members.
Dan Woog, founder and publisher of the Westport community blog 06880, will moderate the panel, which includes:
· Eric D. Bernheim, Managing Partner, FLB Law
· Darcy Hicks, Director of Education, The Norwalk Art Space
· Danny Loftus George, President, The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts
· Jessica Vonashek, Executive Director, Manresa Island Corp.
· Carleigh Welsh, Vice President and Executive Producer, The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts
“Some of the strongest cultural assets in Fairfield County exist because of a creative vision for the property,” said Bernheim, who founded the Real Estate Outlook in 2017. “Arts organizations add real value to the real estate and communities around them.”
Bernheim, whose clients include developers, landlords, restaurant groups and property owners, said the topic is also a personal one. “My family has been shaped by the arts here, from visits to the Art Space to concerts at the Levitt to shows at the Norwalk Conservatory,” he said. “We need these spaces now more than ever not only to protect and preserve the arts but also to offer engaging, tech-free community connection.”
According to the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study by Americans for the Arts, nonprofit arts and culture generated nearly $1 billion in economic activity in Connecticut, including roughly $606 million spent by organizations and about $348 million in event-related spending by audiences on dining, parking and lodging. The panel will share insights on what this activity means for neighboring retail, restaurant and mixed-use owners, and how communities can support the arts.
Learn more about the Ninth Annual Real Estate Outlook and register here.
About FLB Law, PLLC
FLB Law, PLLC is a full-service firm dedicated to providing clients with peace of mind. Many of its attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers and have earned AV ratings from Martindale-Hubbell. The Westport-based firm also supports small businesses and nonprofits through Accelerate, its philanthropic program. Learn more at flb.law.
About our panelists and moderator:
Eric D. Bernheim
Eric D. Bernheim is managing partner at FLB Law and one of Fairfield County's most sought-after real estate attorneys. A Fairfield County native practicing in Westport, he represents developers, landlords, tenants, lenders and municipalities in acquisitions, leases, financing, and zoning and land use matters.
Bernheim was appointed special counsel to the City of Norwalk for the largest redevelopment project in the city's history, The SoNo Collection. He has guided national restaurant groups such as bartaco and Barcelona Wine Bar through their nationwide expansion and has worked on local projects including the Westport Weston Family YMCA and the Hamlet.
He founded Fairfield County's Real Estate Outlook in 2017 and is recognized by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers and Connecticut Super Lawyers. A committed supporter of the arts, he serves on the board of directors of MOCA Westport, the advisory board of The Norwalk Art Space and the board of directors at the Westport Downtown Association.
Darcy Hicks
Darcy Hicks, M. Ed., MFA, is the Director of Education at The Norwalk Art Space. For the last thirty years, she has taught children and teachers in Norwalk, Westport, Bridgeport, and New Haven, where she was a Visual Literacy specialist with the Yale Center for British Art.
The mission of The Norwalk Art Space (TNAS) is to increase opportunity and equity in the local arts community. In addition to a gallery and an award-winning cafe (run by Bill Taibe), TNAS provides free art and music courses to students who often don’t have access to creative learning. Darcy’s educational approach focuses on creativity as a means of building the communication skills students need to effectively engage in their communities.
Darcy has published and presented her research on art, literacy, and community engagement through Yale Press, the West-East Conference for Humanities, and the National Council of Teachers of English.
Danny Loftus George
Danny Loftus George is the President of The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts. The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts (NoCo) is a not-for-profit performing arts college in Norwalk, Connecticut, offering Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees designed to prepare the next generation of artists for careers in musical theatre, dance, and television and film.
With an acceptance rate of just 3%, NoCo has quickly become one of the top performing arts colleges in the country. In 2023, NoCo became the first not-for-profit college in Connecticut in 25 years to receive state authorization to operate as a degree-granting institution, marking a significant milestone for arts education in the state.
Danny is a proud Board Member of The Higher Vibrations Collective, Trustee of The Leonard Litz Foundation, and Former Vice Chair of the Arts and Culture Commission for the City of Norwalk. He has had a vivid career as a director, actor, and producer.
Jessica Vonashek
Jessica is the Executive Director of Manresa Island Corp., a non-profit organization transforming a decommissioned power plant into a publicly accessible park, located in Norwalk, CT. Prior to this, Jessica was the City of Norwalk’s first Chief of Community and Economic Development, where she oversaw Planning and Zoning, Building and Code Enforcement, Transportation, Mobility and Parking, and the Business Development and Tourism teams.
Before living in the Norwalk region, Jessica lived in the Boston region and served as Chief Officer for Operations Policy and Oversight at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), worked as a Program Manager at the Harvard Kennedy School, and for the State of Massachusetts as a Senior Policy Advisor.
While Jessica originates from Canada, she currently lives in Fairfield, CT, with her two young children. In her spare time, Jessica and her girls run in local road races, hike, travel, and visit family in Canada.
Carleigh Welsh
Carleigh Welsh is the Vice President, Executive Producer, at The Levitt Pavillion for the Performing Arts.
Moderator: Dan Woog
Founder and publisher, www.06880.org
Dan Woog is a native Westporter. He has chronicled the town – in print since his Staples High School days, and since 2017 in his popular “06880” blog (www.06880.org). The tagline is “Where Westport meets the world,” and posts include news, features, history and photos. It gets up to 20,000 hits a day. In 2021, “06880” became a non-profit foundation, with a mission to educate and bring the Westport community together.
A Brown University graduate and fulltime freelance writer, Dan has been published in the New York Times, USA Today and Sports Illustrated. He has also written 18 books, including a 380-page history of Staples High School. He also spent 19 wonderful years as head coach of the Staples High School boys soccer team.
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