NEWS CENTER

Virtually all Connecticut residents engage in the arts, culture and humanities, either formally or informally, a recent survey found. But attendance rates at many cultural organizations haven’t quite returned to pre-pandemic levels. This hour, we get the latest from Connecticut Humanities executive director Jason Mancini, and hear about a recent push for a “roadmap” that would better fund…

It is – as intended – nearly impossible to miss when headed into or driving alongside downtown Hartford.  The Greater Hartford Arts Council (GHAC) officially unveiled New England’s tallest mural this past week.  Reawakening Wonder reaches 170 feet, 18 stories high, and is described as “a true beacon of hope and wonder.” Projects like this…

The Fourth of July weekend is replete with numerous outdoor activities, from backyard grilling to spending time on the beach and watching the annual town parade. But for a quieter and more serene moment of culture, Susan Powell Fine Art studio is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the annual “Summer in New England” exhibit. The…

After numerous weather delays, 13 local artists commissioned by the West Hartford Art League took to the streets early on the morning of July 1 to paint the concrete barriers in front of the West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square restaurants. The blockades, placed in front of restaurants to expand and enhance outdoor dining,…

Middletown High School ninth-grader Ana Cyr earned the highest possible honor for her acrylic self-portrait during April’s Congressional Art Competition in New Haven. Cyr, a dedicated artist who goes the “extra mile” for her pieces, worked independently at home on the project, visual arts and photography teacher Nicole Iovanne said. “Ana works slowly and carefully,” she…

As the city appears poised to seek a new purpose for a vacant, city-owned downtown building that had been planned as an arts center for years, a local arts official who presented the City Council with a business plan for the site said it’s not the end of the road for the local arts community. “A building…

For nearly 50 years, the Wadsworth Atheneum’s MATRIX gallery has been a place where contemporary artists can go the extra distance to make sure their art has a special impact in an unusually supportive environment. At the gallery, which has been part of the Wadsworth for nearly 50 years, work that might be displayed in a traditional…

A sense of literate liveliness pervades the arts scene this week with smart, savvy expressions contained in catchy songs and sharply spoken dialogues. The musical “Ain’t Too Proud” at The Bushnell May 30 through June 4 is written by acclaimed playwright Dominique Morisseau who wrote “Detroit ‘67” and “Sunset Baby,” and “Webster’s Bitch” is a…