The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council

By Mark B. Oliver

One New England.com is pleased to present the first of what will be an on-going series of articles about the crafts, craftspeople and crafts organizations of New England. Our goal is to identify some of the crafts and craftspeople we feel will both inform and entertain our readers.

We appreciate the cooperation of Northwest Connecticut Arts Council in helping us to identify crafts and craftspeople that we can feature.

History

There are hundreds of arts councils throughout the United States, but unusually for such a culturally rich region, it wasn't until 2003 that the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council was founded.  The Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism encouraged the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut and the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce to establish the organization and these founding partners have been key to the success of the Arts Council's mission.

Amy Wynn has been the Executive Director of the Arts Council since its inception.

'I moved to Falls Village in 1999 from the New York City metropolitan area and I became actively engaged in various voluntary roles in the local cultural community.  This brought me into contact with James Garfield of the Community Foundation, who aware of my background in arts management, thought that perhaps I was the right person to guide a fledging arts council.'

The Arts Council serves a wide geographical region which encompasses 24 towns from Salisbury and New Hartford in the north to Roxbury and Plymouth in the south.  A key initial decision was to conduct an in-depth regional cultural assessment.  This was a huge undertaking and it wasn't until 2006 that the Arts Council's full website went online.  The Arts Council is a service organization and information hub ensuring that culture thrives in the region and that residents are afforded ready access to it.

The Arts Council has just two part-time staff  members who are kept exceptionally busy by the wide range of initiatives they have introduced and maintain.  In addition to Amy Wynn, Sharon Dougherty is the other sterling member of the team who both organizes and designs the print calender and other publications as part of her duties.

The Events Calender

The Arts Council operates a web based events calender.  The calender can be searched by function type, date(s), town or a key word.  This helps drive attendances at featured events and provides a 'one-stop shop' for discovering what is going on in the region.  All events are also listed on the week-at-a-glance calender on the Arts Council's homepage.

Additionally a 12-Day Culture Outlook is emailed to those that sign up so that they are handily sent information on events they don't want to miss.  To sign up simply click here.

Cultural Directory

This ever-growing list details cultural resources for the area and includes both individuals (curators, artists, writers, etc.) and a wide range of arts organizations including nature preserves and historical societies. Fully searchable, this invaluable database is available to all and the Arts Council encourages any organizations or individuals not on the list to contact them.

Opportunities

Amy finds that in these recessionary times, the opportunities section of the website is the most frequently searched.

'This, like all services we offer, is free.  Opportunities to show work, sources of funding and calls for artisans, auditions and job vacancies are all included.'

Events Clearinghouse Planning Calender

This is a scheduling tool to assist all community and nonprofit organizations plan events in Northwest Connecticut and the surrounding area regardless of whether they are culturally orientated.

'We offer an inclusive service and we are non-territorial.  Clearly it makes sense for us to include activities that are non-cultural in nature and those events that are outside of our catchment area.  Otherwise we would be doing a disservice to our cultural constituents and to the general public. It also makes the planning calender a more valuable resource.'

Culture Beat

Culture Beat is a regional newsletter that includes details of cultural events, job and grant opportunities, calls for writers, artists and performers, and workshop opportunities.  In addition to reading it on the web, like the 12-Day Culture Outlook, it is emailed to subscribers.

Funding

'The Arts Council is indebted to its founding sponsors and to the continued invaluable support of the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.  The local community is the next largest source of our income either through donation or by becoming a member of the Arts Council.  Our services are free and available to all, irrespective of whether an individual or an organization is a member of the Arts Council,' explains Amy.

'Membership does though offer some additional benefits such as the Take Part Culture Card which provides special offers and discounts at various cultural institutions and restaurants throughout the region.'

The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council continues to thrive by engaging the local community and ensuring the services they offer remain relevant in an ever changing marketplace.  One such event is the 'Culture Mix' which is held between once and three times a year at rotating venues of cultural interest.  These activities bring together a wide range of people from within the cultural community facilitating networking and the free flow of ideas, contacts and information.

Over the next year, OneNewEngland will be highlighting a member of the Northwest Community Arts Council each month, the work they do and how individuals can become involved in the cultural opportunities on offer.