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Want to stay up-to-date with everything that's happening with the arts in the state? This is the first place to look and to learn.

Yale’s $163M Schwarzman Center brings new dynamic to New Haven’s arts, culture scene

By Connecticut Arts Alliance November 20, 2023

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…

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Iranian artist destroys her early paintings in ritual at University of Hartford

By Connecticut Arts Alliance November 15, 2023

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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CT unveils $1.5M rebranding, marketing effort; aims to boost home-state pride

By Connecticut Arts Alliance October 19, 2023

From high-tech helicopters to “the country’s best pizza,” medical breakthroughs and aerospace, Connecticut’s innovative culture and quality of life makes it an ideal place to live, work and grow a business, according to the state’s new marketing campaign. Gov. Ned Lamont launched a $1.5 million campaign Tuesday to hammer home Connecticut’s best qualities. It is as…

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Nonprofit arts orgs contribute $1 billion to CT economy, report finds

By Connecticut Arts Alliance October 17, 2023

A national arts advocacy organization, Americans for the Arts, found that spending by arts and cultural organizations in 2022 supported 2.6 million jobs nationwide, $152 billion in spending and $29 billion in income and sales tax revenue to local, state and federal governments. The group’s latest report, “Arts & Economic Prosperity 6,” argues that “Nonprofit arts…

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Hartford Symphony Orchestra extends music director Carolyn Kuan’s contract through 2027

By Connecticut Arts Alliance October 16, 2023

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra announced Friday that it has extended the contract of current music director Carolyn Kuan for three more years until the spring of 2027. Kuan has been leading the symphony since 2011. She is the 10th music director in the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 80-year history and the first woman to hold the position. Her initial contract…

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State grant propels CT arts organization toward massive expansion

By Connecticut Arts Alliance October 3, 2023

Hartford’s Real Art Ways — the contemporary arts center that has been a fixture in the Parkville neighborhood for three decades — will break ground on an ambitious expansion as soon as this spring that is part of a larger, $23-million plan for its Arbor Street building. The expansion, which includes a major addition that will increase…

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Music conference aims to support Connecticut’s flourishing music industry

By Connecticut Arts Alliance September 18, 2023

Posted September 15, 2023 wshu | Public Radio By Jenna Zaza The Connecticut Office of the Arts is hosting a one day READI Set Music Conference on Oct. 7 to celebrate the state’s long musical history while also providing an opportunity where artists can gain the skills needed to succeed in the industry. The event will be…

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Pulitzer officials expand eligibility in arts categories, letting some non-US citizens compete

By Connecticut Arts Alliance September 18, 2023

The Pulitzer Prize Board has revised its longtime rules on eligibility for many of its arts and letters awards and will now allow those not born in the U.S. and other non-citizens to compete. The board announced Tuesday that permanent residents and those who have made the U.S. their longtime primary home will be eligible…

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