Arts Press
‘We invest in artists as changemakers’: using art to help increase US voter participation
Michelle Obama’s non-partisan organization When We All Vote has partnered with Art for Change for a new collection of artwork aimed at enhancing voter turnout Everything is politics, so the saying goes, and never more so during an election year. With its newest collection, Art for Change is taking the “everything” one step further. Since 2018, Art…
Read More‘Journey of Memories’ art exhibition makes the rounds in CT. Why it’s more than just an exhibit
An art exhibition showcasing stories of Afghan, Syrian, Sudan and Congolese women who have settled here is making a few more stops in Connecticut, according to a release. “Journey of Memories,” per its Artistic Director, Neda Izadi, “is more than an art exhibition; it is a heartfelt tribute to the cherished moments and cultural treasures…
Read MoreHow Connecticut theaters have found themselves in crisis
Reduced government funding, declining ticket sales and pandemic closures contribute to challenges facing theaters. It’s Saturday night at the New Haven Food Terminal complex. The parking lot is deserted and there’s an eerie quiet. For 57 years at Long Wharf Theatre some of the finest productions of American theater were produced, presented and premiered, many with stars…
Read MoreCT artists and scholars win prestigious Guggenheim awards
Of the 188 people chosen to be Guggenheim Fellows in 2024, quite a few have ties to Connecticut. The awards have been given annually since 1925 and are considered among the most prestigious honors given to leading figures in arts, sciences and humanities. Most of the Connecticut-related names on this year’s list are affiliated with Yale University. Yale…
Read MoreNew Haven’s Q Bridge takes center stage in Long Wharf Theatre’s ‘A View from the Bridge’
New Haven Harbor and the Q Bridge will serve as the backdrop for Long Wharf Theatre’s latest production, “A View from the Bridge” which runs Feb. 10 through March 10 at New Haven’s Canal Dock Boathouse. Arthur Miller’s play is about an Italian-American family living in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. New Haven’s waterfront…
Read MoreSpring into spring in CT with five big modern and classical dance shows
Call them dances to spring. The winter has been largely subdued, with some plants, trees and mosses never succumbing to the chill. That is the same sort of freshness, vitality and perseverance that marks modern dance in Connecticut this year. The state has been a key stop for nationally touring dance troupes for a century or more,…
Read MoreHonoring ‘unsung heroes’ in the arts
Hartford librarian among 9 awarded for work in community Gabbie Barnes is a multi-faceted woman who continually seeks ways to expand her knowledge and set forth on new journeys, she said. “It’s important to me that we move through the world looking for opportunities to transform ourselves and how we relate to one another,” said…
Read MoreChurch Merger Leaves Community Art Space With No Home
The Westville Performing Arts Center (WPAC)—a community art space run by the nonprofit organization Arts in CT—is now homeless. After three years running drama, music, dance, and visual arts classes on the second floor of the former Saint Aedan’s Parish school building, Arts in CT Executive Director Barbara Alexander turned in the keys on Jan. 17 following what…
Read MoreYale’s $163M Schwarzman Center brings new dynamic to New Haven’s arts, culture scene
Yale University’s $163 million Schwarzman Center is not only a new hub for students, but adds to downtown New Haven’s arts, entertainment and social scene, officials said. “I don’t think there’s a space like this, not just in Connecticut, but anywhere,” said the center’s Executive Director Rachel Fine. The center is named for billionaire Blackstone founder and 1969 alum Stephen…
Read MoreIranian artist destroys her early paintings in ritual at University of Hartford
Iranian artist Minoo Emami was in the gallery preparing for a daring, almost unthinkable piece of performance art. On Nov. 11, Veterans Day, Emami destroyed 22 of her paintings by fire, including early works dating back to 1998. Many of the paintings depict artificial limbs in whimsical, but sometimes surreal and dark settings. “I love my paintings,…
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