HISTORY: The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council was established in June 2003, as the result of a collaborative partnership between the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut (formally the Torrington Area Foundation for Public Giving) and the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce.
During its first year of operation, the Arts Council conducted and obtained funding for an in-depth Regional Cultural Assessment, the results of which are now being used to guide the Council as it moves forward in serving the 23-town region. The Arts Council is grateful to the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism and the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation for funding the Cultural Assessment, and greatly appreciates the support it received from the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut (formally the Torrington Area Foundation for Public Giving) and the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce for their commitment and support during the very important first years.
The Arts Council is pleased to say that the goals that were set for 2005 have been achieved. They included launching a contributing membership program, a newsletter, a regional calendar of events in online-searchable form, promoting the Events Clearinghouse Calendar as a planning tool, introducing incentive programs to encourage greater participation in the region’s cultural offerings, hosting gatherings of the cultural community, and establishing the Cultural Resource Directory database on line.
The goals for 2006 are to publish and distribute region-wide a print version of the Cultural Events calendar each month, to host workshops for artists and cultural organizations, to host a major region-wide arts event, to successfully encourage the cultural community and those serving it to submit their listings to the Cultural Resource Directory, to continue to promote cultural offerings through the Take Part culture card program, to increase the number of contributing memberships, and to assertively promote the Council’s services to the general public. Support from the public and the funding community will help make all these goals a reality.
The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council serves a broad cultural community that includes artists (visual, performing, literary, and film), artisans, arts educators, arts organizations, arts venues (galleries, museums, theaters, etc.), libraries, historical societies, arts instruction programs, as well as institutions (ex. nature preserves, places of worship, community centers, town recreation commissions, etc.) offering cultural programs, and people and businesses providing services to the cultural community throughout the region.
Examples of The Cultural Organizations we serve:
Abbey of Regina Laudis, Bethlehem, CT
Academy Building, Salisbury, CT
Act II Gardens and Gallery, New Hartford, CT
Adam Battelstein and Friends, Kent, CT
Afrikan-American Cultural Awareness Association, New Milford, CT
After School Arts Program (ASAP), Washington, CT
Alison Palmer Gallery, Bantam, CT
Ann Raymond Center for the Arts, Pine Meadow, CT
Argazzi Art, Lakeville, CT
Armstrong Chamber Concerts, Washington, CT
Artists for Artists, Lakeville, CT
Arts Alive@Kent, Kent, CT
Arts Fund for Region One, Lakeville, CT
Arts in Motion, Salisbury, CT
Artwell Gallery, Torrington, CT
Artworks Studio Gallery, Plymouth, CT
At Home in the Country, Salisbury, CT
Bachelier-Cardonsky Gallery, Kent, CT
Barkhamsted Historical Society, CT
Beardsley and Memorial Library, Winsted, CT
Beecher House Society, Litchfield, CT
Bellamy-Ferriday House, Bethlehem, CT
Berkshire Baroque Trio, Colebrook, CT
Berkshire Big Band, New Milford, CT
Berkshire Foothills Ballet, Winsted, CT
Bethlehem Public Library, CT
Beyer Music Store, Torrington, CT
Brush Hill Studios, Washington Depot, CT
Carol Wallace Fine Art Studios, Barkhamsted, CT
Chameleon Gallery, Bantam, CT
Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Auxiliary, Torrington, CT
Colebrook Historical Society, CT
Connecticut Antique Machinery Museum, New Milford, CT
Connecticut Muse, New Milford, CT
Corndance Film Festival, Cornwall, CT
Cornwall Free Library, CT
Cornwall Historical Society, CT
Cornwall Players, Cornwall, CT
Cosmic Hippo, Kent, CT
Creative Hands, Salisbury, CT
Crescendo, Lime Rock (Salisbury), CT
CT Cultural Heritage Arts Program, Hartford, CT
David M. Hunt Library, Falls Village, CT
Debbie Bratta's Dance Concepts, Harwinton, CT
Deborah's Dance Workshop, Torrington, CT
Douglas Library, North Canaan, CT
Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society, CT
Fine Arts Connection of Thomaston (F.A.C.T.), Thomaston, CT
Firehouse Gallery, New Milford, CT
Firenze Gallery, New Preston, CT
First Congregational Church, Washington, CT
Folkcraft instruments, Winsted, CT
Foreign Cargo & Gallery Upstairs, Kent, CT
Friends United Network, Sharon, CT
Gallery 44, New Hartford, CT
Gallery on the Green, Litchfield, CT
Geer Village, North Canaan, CT
Geruda Frameworks, Sharon, CT
Good Sports Arts Gallery, Kent, CT
Goshen Historical Society, CT
Goshen Players, Goshen, CT
Goshen Public Library, CT
Green Fox Gallery, Torrington, CT
Gregory James Gallery, New Milford, CT
Grumbling Gryphons, Goshen, CT
Gunn Memorial Library and Museum, Washington, CT
Hartland Historical Society, CT
Harwinton Historical Society, CT
Harwinton Public Library, CT
Hickory Stick Bookshop, Washington, CT
Hitchcock Museum, Riverton, CT
Holley House Museum, Lakeville, CT
Hotchkiss Public Library, Sharon, CT
Hotckiss School, Lakeville, CT
Housatonic Art League, New Milford, CT
Housatonic Camera Club, Lakeville, CT
Housatonic Valley Association, West Cornwall, CT
Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT
Janet Marlow's Creative Music Camp, Litchfield, CT
Jerry Carillo Ensemble, Torrington, CT
Joyful Noise, Torrington, CT
Kast Photographic, New Milford, CT
Kent Art Association, CT
Kent Community Players, CT
Kent Cultural Arts Council, CT
Kent Memorial Library, CT
Kent School Art Gallery, Kent, CT
Kent Singers, Kent, CT
KJ Lyons Design Studio, Sharon, CT
Ladies Choral Club of Thomaston, CT
Laurel City Singers, Torrington, CT
Licia & Mason Beekley Community Library, New Hartford, CT
Light + Art Gallery, New Milford, CT
Light Opera Company of Salisbury, CT
Lily Dance Center at SPACE, Lakeville, CT
Litchfield Community Center, CT
Litchfield County Choral Union, Torrington, CT
Litchfield County Writers Project, UConn, Torrington, CT
Litchfield Historical Society and Museum, CT
Litchfield Performing Arts and Litchfield Jazz Festival, CT
Love at Work, Inc & Music Together of Litchfield County, Goshen, CT
Magic River Band and Folk Legacy Records, Sharon, CT
Marie Louise Trichet Art Gallery, Wisdom House, Litchfield, CT
Matica, Harwinton, CT
McArdle School of Irish Dance, Torrington, CT
Merryall Center for the Arts, New Milford, CT
Milton Hall on the Green, Warren, CT
Momix, Washington, CT
Morgan Lehman Gallery, Lakeville, CT
Morris Historical Society, CT
Music Mountain, Falls Village, CT
National Guitar Workshop/Workshop Arts, Litchfield, CT
New Arts Gallery, Litchfield, CT
New Hartford Art League, CT
New Hartford Historical Society, CT
New Milford Film Commission, New Milford, CT
New Milford Historical Society, CT
New Milford Public Library, CT
Noble Horizons, Salisbury, CT
Norfolk Artisans Guild, CT
Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Norfolk, CT
Norfolk Historical Society, CT
Norfolk Public Library, CT
Northwest Corner Young Artist Series, Sharon, CT
Northwest Dance Theatre Center, Goshen, CT
Nutmeg Artists, Plymouth, CT
Nutmeg Conservatory of the Arts, Torrington, CT
Old Bethlehem Historical Society, Bethlehem, CT
Oliver Wolcott Library, Litchfield, CT
Outsiders Art Gallery, West Cornwall, CT
Paris-NY-Kent Gallery, Kent, CT
Paul Winter Consort, Litchfield, CT
Pilobolus, Washington, CT
Potter & Slack Gallery, Washington, CT
Prime Time House, Torrington, CT
Project Troubador, Salisbury, CT
PS Gallery, Litchfield, CT
Purpledoor Gallery, Goshen, CT
Railroad Museum of New England, Thomaston, CT
Risley Gallery, Litchfield, CT
Riverton Theatre, Winsted, CT
Salisbury Artisans, Salisbury, CT
Salisbury Marching Band, Salisbury, CT
Schaller Willcox Gallery, Winchester, CT
School of Performing Arts, New Milford, CT
Scoville Library, Salisbury, CT
Sharon Historical Society, CT
Silo Gallery, Hunt Hill Farm Trust, New Milford, CT
Silver Sun Studio, New Milford, CT
Sloane-Stanley Museum, Kent, CT
Sunny Valley Preserve, New Milford, CT
The artgarage, Falls Village, CT
The Ballet School, Lakeville, CT
The Connecticut Callboard, on line
The Fifty Five Gallery, Bethlehem, CT
The Music Shop, Torrington, CT
The White Gallery, Lakeville, CT
The Wish House, West Cornwall, CT
TheatreWorks New Milford, CT
Thomas McKnight Gallery, Litchfield, CT
Thomaston Opera House, Thomaston, CT
Thomaston Public Library, CT
Torrington Civic Symphony, Torrington, CT
Torrington Historical Society, CT
Torrington Musicians Association, Local 514 AF of M, Torrington, CT
Town Hall Gallery, Sharon, CT
Tremaine Gallery, Lakeville, CT
Tremaine Gallery, Salisbury, CT
TriArts at the Sharon Playhouse, Sharon, CT
Trinity Arts Series, Torrington, CT
Turi's Framing Art Gallery, Norfolk, CT
Village Center for the Arts, New Milford, CT
Wall of America Foundation, Winsted, CT
Warner Theater, Torrington, CT
Warren Public Library, CT
Washington Art Association, CT
West Wind Studio, Washington Depot, CT
White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield, CT
Winchester Historical Society and Solomon Rockwell House, Winsted, CT
Yankee Choral, Torrington, CT
Example of Artists and Artisans we serve:
Alan Colavecchio
Alistari Jones
Ameen-Storm Abo-Hamzy
Anita Garnett
Ann Sovak
Betsy Selfo
Bettie Snyder
Carol Moore
Carol Moore
Charles Lockhart
Chaz Schaller
Cheryl Bartley
Chip Zellner
Christine Brodzik
Christine Gevert
Cindy Donaldson
Claudia Lefcheck
Collette Hurst
Cynthia Allen
Danielle Mailer
Diego Gutierrez
Donald Sosin
Eliot Osborn
Emily Dexter
Florin Ion Firimita
Fre Atlast
George Potts
George Werner
Harold Brien
Harper Blanchet
Hatsy Taylor
Helen Armstrong
Hendon Chubb
Jeffrey Engel
Jessica Treat
Jill O'Brien
Joan Jardine
Joe Yeno
Jonathan Doster
Joseph Brien
Joseph Fire Crow
Joseph Meehan
Julie Vecchitto
Karen Sovak
Karen Stone
Karl Saliter
Kath Bloom
Kathy Clegg
Ken Andresen
Kezia Hearn
Lani Peck
Larry Hunt
Laurel Archambault
Leo Liddle
Leonore Alaniz
Leslie Elias
Linda White
Lorenz Livolsi
Lori Barker
Louise Lindenmyer
Mark Alexander
Marlee Belcher
Michael Yurgeles
Nancy DePecol
Page McBrier
Patricia D'Ascoli
Patti Kierys
Peter J. Ketchum
Pieter Lefferts
Priscilla Newcomb
Ray White
Richard Griggs
Richard Rothschild
Rosemary Pipitone
Ruthann Ollson
Sallianne Norelli
Salvatore Gulino
Sandy & Caroline Paton
Shaari Horowitz
Sharon Abner
Shirley Allshouse
Stewart Wilson
Susan Peden
Susan Rand
Susan Rood
Terre Lefferts
Terri Moore
Thomasina Levy
Tom Dest
Tom Hanford
Vali Valenti
Vance Cannon
Victor Leger
Victoria Christgau
Walter Dufresne
Wendy Middlemass
William Trowbridge
