Create the Vote CT is a nonpartisan public education campaign to raise awareness and support for the arts among voters and candidates running for public office.
On Tuesday, July 31, Create the Vote CT held the first ever statewide public gubernatorial candidate forum about arts, culture, and the future of Connecticut’s economy.
Our thanks go to everyone who attended! Special thanks to candidates Ned Lamont, Tim Herbst, Oz Griebel, David Stemerman, and Joe Ganim for participating and to host Ann Nyberg for keeping the candidates “on point!” Thank you also to Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School for hosting the forum and to BAR for hosting our reception afterward.
You can watch the Facebook livestream video of the event here:
ARTS + CULTURE QUESTIONNAIRE
Questions for the Forum were based on an arts and culture questionnaire submitted to the 2018 gubernatorial candidates. Written responses from those candidates who submitted them are posted online.
JOIN US
Together we can ensure that our next governor is a true champion of the arts
Elections are a great time to talk about the strengths and challenges our state faces and the vision for our community. While candidates spend lots of time talking about jobs, the economy, and education, they rarely talk about arts and culture as part of their vision. Seeing the need to make arts and creativity part of the discussion, Connecticut Arts Alliance (CAA) and the Connecticut Alliance for Arts Education (CAAE) are launching Create the Vote CT.
The campaign was established by arts, cultural, and creative institutions and leaders. Organizations, businesses, and individuals are welcome to join the effort to raise arts and culture in the conversation around elections.
GOALS
- Educate the candidates about arts and culture
- Educate voters about arts and culture
- Tell the story of arts and culture and the impact we have on the state
- Strengthen the creative community in the state
DID YOU KNOW?
- ARTS DRIVE THE ECONOMY: Connecticut’s non-profit creative sector supports 23,000 jobs and generates $800 million annually
- ARTS EDUCATE: Arts education increases academic achievement across all academic disciplines
- ARTS BUILD COMMUNITY: Arts and culture enhance community development; spur urban renewal; attract new businesses; draw tourism dollars; and create an environment that attracts skilled, educated workers and builds our third millennium workforce
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
- Join our mailing list to receive Create the Vote CT news, information, and updates
- Follow us on Facebook or Twitter and use hashtag #CreateTheVoteCT
- Use your Arts Voice to ask candidates questions about arts, culture, and creativity at events or on social media
JOIN AS A CO-SPONSOR
Co-Sponsors agree to:
- Allow CAA to name your organization on Create the Vote CT materials, including webpage, communications, social media, press releases and op-eds;
- Commit to being an active arts partner and leader in raising awareness of and encouraging participation in Create the Vote CT by urging people to participate in Create the Vote CT;
- Utilize your organizations resources and platform to advance the mission of Create the Vote CT through your communication channels (inclusion/mention in e-blasts, newsletters, website, programs, social media, and at events).
Co-Sponsors (as of August 20, 2018)
- Aglet Theatre Company
- Alliance Française of Greenwich
- American Mural Project
- Amistad Center for Art & Culture
- Anna Holden Photography
- ARTE Inc.
- ARTFARM
- Artreach, Inc.
- Arts & Culture Collaborative, Waterbury Region
- Arts Council of Greater New Haven
- Artspace
- ASAP!
- Baobab Tree Studios
- Black-eyed Sally’s Southern Kitchen & Bar
- Brass City Ballet
- Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
- City Gallery
- City Lights & Company/Bridgeport Art Trail
- Civic Life Project
- Charter Oak Cultural Center
- Connecticut Academy for the Arts (CAFTA)
- Connecticut Ballet
- Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus
- Connecticut Yankee Chorale
- Consonare Chorale Community
- Crescendo, Inc.
- Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County
- Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut
- Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra
- Elm Shakespeare Company
- Fairfield Theatre Company
- Farmington Valley Arts Center
- Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery
- Five Points Gallery
- Florence Griswold Museum
- Franklin Street Works
- Garde Arts Center
- Goodspeed Musicals
- Greater Hartford Arts Council
- Greenwich Arts Council
- Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Children’s Theater
- Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
- HartBeat Ensemble
- Hartford Stage
- Hartford Symphony Orchestra
- Homestead Funding
- Hunt Hill Farm
- Infinity Hall & Bistro
- International Festival of Arts & Ideas
- JCC and Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven
- Joyful Noise
- Judy Dworin Performance Project
- Kent Memorial Library
- La Grua Center
- Litchfield Jazz Festival
- Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum
- Long Wharf Theatre
- Lyman Allyn Art Museum
- Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts
- Mattatuck Museum
- Melanie Carr Gallery
- MOMIX
- Music Haven
- Neighborhood Music School
- NEST Arts Factory
- New England Academy of Dance
- New London Maritime Society
- No Boundaries Youth Theater
- Northwest Connecticut Arts Council
- Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory for the Arts
- Oddfellows Playhouse
- Orchestra New England
- Palace Theatre
- Pilobolus Dance Theater
- Real Art Ways
- SECoast
- Seven Angels Theatre
- Shoreline Arts Alliance
- Shubert Theater
- Sound Community Services, Inc.
- Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition
- Square One Theatre Company
- Stamford Symphony
- Still Mountain Center
- Ted Thomas Dance Foundation
- The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
- The Ballet School of Stamford at Chelsea Piers
- The Hartford Guardian
- The Klein Memorial Auditorium Foundation
- TheatreWorks New Milford
- Thrown Stone Theatre Company
- Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area
- Village Center for the Arts
- Warner Theatre
- Washington Art Association & Gallery
- Westport Country Playhouse
- Wilton Playshop
- WPKN 89.5-FM Community Radio
- WSO’s “Bravo Waterbury!”
- Yale Cabaret
- Yale-China Association
- Yale Repertory Theatre
