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ARTS PRESS

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.

Middletown Arts Fest Brings The Arts To Main Street

By Connecticut Arts Alliance July 31, 2023

When Rachel DeCavage, owner of Cinder + Salt, and other local businesses got together in 2021 to start Middletown Arts Fest, they wanted it to be a steady event for the Middletown community to enjoy during the summer. “Middletown was a collaboration between various businesses, but we coordinate a lot of it here at Cinder…

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Norwalk takes steps to promote its ‘incredible diversity’ of artistic, cultural attractions

By Connecticut Arts Alliance July 25, 2023

In a move to promote Norwalk’s diverse arts and cultural attractions, the city has designated the corridor from Wall Street into SoNo as a new Arts and Culture District and formed a new commission to oversee the area. Nine community members were appointed to the new Arts and Culture Commission during the Common Council meeting Tuesday…

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Arts and culture check-in in Connecticut, plus a preview of ‘America 250’

By Connecticut Arts Alliance July 25, 2023

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…

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Inspirational Mural in Hartford Unveiled as New England’s Tallest at 18 Stories High

By Connecticut Arts Alliance July 10, 2023

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…

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Madison Art Studio Celebrates 20th Anniversary With ‘Summer in New England’ Exhibit

By Connecticut Arts Alliance July 6, 2023

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…

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Artists Transform West Hartford Restaurant Barriers Into Colorful Murals

By Connecticut Arts Alliance July 6, 2023

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,…

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Middletown student takes 1st place in Congressional Art Competition, heads to nationals in D.C.

By Connecticut Arts Alliance June 8, 2023

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…

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West Haven arts community plans for future without downtown center

By Connecticut Arts Alliance June 8, 2023

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…

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