CT Office of the Arts and CT Humanities

CT Office of the Arts (COA)

In CT, the state agency charged with fostering the health of the creative economy is the Office of the Arts (COA). It administers grant-making programs and operational funding that are critical to overall health of the arts sector in Connecticut, and which bring in National Endowment for the Arts matching funds. It does so with the highest national standards for review and reporting that include transparency, accountability and industry wide best practices.

In addition to grants, COA supports statewide arts education initiatives, professional
development, workforce development, creative sector research, special projects focused on underserved and rural communities, poet laureate and state troubadour programs, and the Poetry Out Loud initiative.

The Office of the Arts is funded through the “Arts Commission” budget line item with a federal match from the National Endowment for the Arts and receives support from other public and private sources. COA uses the lenses of relevance, equity, access, diversity, and inclusion (READI) to guide programmatic and investment decisions within a framework of artistic excellence.

Learn more on their website.

CT Humanities

CT Humanities (CTH) in an independent, non-profit 501(c)3 state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is the only statewide public humanities organization serving as the primary access point for grant funding for hundreds of Connecticut non-profits, including museums, cultural centers, historical societies, libraries, and civic organizations that enrich and support every community in the state.  For over 40 years, CT Humanities has supported these organizations through grantmaking for exhibits, programs, and digital projects that benefit every Connecticut citizen.  CTH has earned public trust through its responsible stewardship of federal, state, and private funds, its peer-review grant-making process, its online educational resources, and its work to support, stabilize, and strengthen the organizations and communities it serves.  

Each year, CT Humanities supports hundreds of projects across the state through grants, strategic partnerships, and state public humanities programs including ConnecticutHistory.org, Teach It, and the Connecticut Center for the Book.

Learn more on their website.