Hartford Foundation Commits $6 Million Investment in Greater Hartford Arts and Culture, Extends Collaborations

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving - the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding towns currently celebrating its 100 year anniversary – has had a memorable and milestone month of September.  And the reverberations of new initiatives will likely impact the city and the region for quite some time.

From groundbreaking creatives and visionary arts leaders to passionate patrons and renowned institutions, Greater Hartford stands as a vibrant hub for arts and culture, officials point out – noting that for a century, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has been honored to support this community — investing in and working alongside artists, cultural leaders, and organizations to ensure arts and culture experiences reach every resident of our region.

Arts and culture offerings that reflect all residents are fundamental to a thriving Greater Hartford. Local artists through theaters, galleries, festivals, and creative spaces, and organizations are building a community where everyone’s stories are represented, and everyone feels at home.

As part of its Centennial, the Hartford Foundation has proudly announced a $6 million investment in arts and culture over the next two years — a comprehensive initiative designed to launch the next century of creativity. This investment builds on the wisdom shared by the Foundation’s Artists of Color Unite! Advisory Group.  The announcement came at a festive and diverse gathering in Bushnell Park this month, where the excitement and collaboration was palpable. 

“For a century, the Hartford Foundation has been committed to building and strengthening our region’s arts and culture ecosystem, said Foundation President and CEO Jay Williams. “As a funder of arts and cultural organizations large and small, we seek to ensure that inclusion flows through every aspect of the arts and culture sector, from the people who create -- to the programs that inspire -- to the organizations that lead.”

The Centennial Arts and Culture Investment includes:

·         $4 million in one-time “Appreciation Grants” to 48 arts and culture organizations across 13 towns in the region.

·         $1 million over two years to continue and deepen investment in the Artists of Color Accelerate program that supports a dual-benefit residency model to create and expand opportunities for local creatives by connecting them as fellows with host arts organizations.

·         $460,000 over two years to launch Greater Hartford Creatives Alliance, a professional development and grant program for independent creatives through a new partnership with Assets for Artists (A4A).

·         $400,000 over one year to launch new partnership with CT Humanities to offer a grant and capacity building program for smaller cultural nonprofits and historical societies throughout Greater Hartford.

At the announcement, the arts were on full display. Among the performers and perforances providing a glimpse of Hartford’s vibrant arts community were the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, New England Ballet Theatre, and AOCA Fellows Amanda Mendozo (see photo), Ysanne, Versatile, and Joy Monroe. Among the speakers, HFPG’s Jay Williams, 224 EcoSpace Program Director and Artist Andre Rochester, and Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam.

Arts and Culture Appreciation Grants

All arts and culture organizations that have received Hartford Foundation-directed grants since 2022 were eligible for the Arts and Culture Appreciation grants. The Foundation aimed to provide close to 10 percent of the nonprofit organization’s operating budget (with the exception of the largest arts and culture organizations).

Recipients include nearly 50 arts organizations across the Greater Hartford region, representing a wide array of arts and atistic and cultural expression.

The Artists of Color Accelerate (AOCA) fellowship program was created on the recommendation of Artists of Color Unite! The program launched its first cohort of ten artists in 2023, a second cohort of ten artists in 2024, and a third cohort this year. This dual-benefit residency model was designed to create andexpand opportunities for local creatives by connecting them with well-established arts organization hosts. The program provides new opportunities for artists to showcase their talent while supporting host sites seeking to diversify their artist networks.

“The Hartford Foundation’s re-investment in Artists of Color Accelerate will allow us to ensure sustainability while we expand and evolve, building upon the success of our first three cohorts” said AOCA program director and inaugural AOCA fellow Andre Rochester. “Artist fellows have reported increased bookings, projects, and a heightened sense of entrepreneurial prowess. They challenge themselves by using this experience to develop projects that thrive on collaboration. AOCA is a catalyst for partnerships that strengthen the connection between arts institutions and our local Artist of Color community."

Assets for Artists’ Greater Hartford Creatives Alliance

In partnership with Assets for Artists (A4A), the Foundation is supporting Greater Hartford Creatives Alliance, a comprehensive professional development and grant program that empowers artists with financial literacy, business development, coaching, peer networking, and project funding to ensure long-term career sustainability. A4A has previously supported similar efforts in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York City, and Maine working with community foundations and other funders.

With a focus on low-to-moderate-income artists, the ten-month program provides equitable access to critical resources. Artists will receive strategic career guidance to strengthen financial sustainability and artistic impact and participate in community building events including in-person gatherings and collaborative working groups as well as cohort gatherings for connection and peer learning.

Over two years, the program will feature two cohorts of ten artists each from across the region. Direct financial support is a key component of the program, including a $5,000 project grant and an unrestricted grant of $10,000 for each artist. Participating artists will also receive a combination of self-directed and group professional development as well as priority access to A4A’s professional development workshops. Applications for the program are expected to be open in March/April of 2026.

"This transformative investment by the Hartford Foundation builds upon important previous efforts and will further position Greater Hartford to grow a more thriving artist community," said Blair Benjamin, A4A's Founder and Executive Director.

Connecticut Humanities Partnership

Connecticut Humanities is launching a pilot capacity building program for small to mid-size arts, history, and cultural organizations in the Hartford Foundation’s 29 town region. The program will bring together a cohort of 10-16 organizations that will be selected through an open application process in early 2026. The cohort will participate in professional development and opportunities to learn from one another to better serve their communities. The goal is to help these organizations become more resilient by improving sustainability, community participation, and service while fostering a more inclusive and diverse arts and culture ecosystem.

 "Helping to realize the health and vibrancy of our cultural organizations is very much at the center of everything we do in Connecticut,” said Connecticut Humanities Executive Director Jason Mancini. “Weare so pleased to partner with the Foundation to build capacity, resiliency, and sustainability for these community anchors."

And There’s More… Hartford Art Tour Gets Underway

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the City of Hartford have co-created the Hartford Art Tour, a new mobile app that allows residents to learn about murals and other public art throughout the city while they embark own self-guided tour. Created by Hartford Foundation Senior Communications Officer Tom Zeleznock along with designer Jason Cheshire and developer Stephen Malloy, this free app provides users with the opportunity to explore Hartford and learn about the city’s public artwork and its history.

“The Hartford Art Tour is designed to help people learn about and explore the city,” said Zeleznock. “Our goal was to make something fun and easy to use, that highlights local art and artists, while offering a sense of Hartford’s history and culture. We were fortunate to work with an amazing group of partners including the City of Hartford. My hope is that as people use the app, they will gain a deeper appreciation for the arts, along with a greater sense of civic pride."

The app includes more than 100 freely accessible works of art, old and new. The app features written and audio descriptions of the art and serves as a “digital passport” allowing users to check in when they have visited each piece and keep track of everything they have seen.

Several organizations contributed to the content development of the app including the City of Hartford’s Office of the Arts and Office of Community Engagement, Greater Hartford Arts Council, Wadsworth Athenaeum, Bushnell Park Conservancy, Riverfront Recapture, Cedar Hill Cemetery, and many of the artists whose work is featured in the tour.

“The City of Hartford is quite lucky to have a partner in the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving who puts their resources behind the nexus of innovation, technology and Art,” said Taneisha Duggan, Director of Hartford’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment.

“The Hartford Art Tour app puts Hartford’s public artwork in your hands, encouraging you to move about our city in a free and fun way to learn about the rich history of our city and its artworks. This collaboration was not confined to the City and Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, but wrapped its arms to include designers, web developers, programmers and the voices of some of the talented artists. Projects like this not only get people out to explore, but they also encourage cross discipline endeavors that inspire our Capital City."