Helping Others To Weave a Web of Fine Arts

For many people, art is like dessert: It’s the sweet, satisfying reward that is enjoyed after a meal of greater substance.

The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council sees it differently. For this 3-year-old Litchfield County organization, the arts are an essential part of the entire meal.

The Northwest Corner is fortunate to have an abundance of cultural opportunities. There are art galleries in nearly every town. The public schools have dedicated art studios and teachers. There are concerts, museum exhibitions, and classes for all ages and skill levels.

In this rural corner of the state, though, that abundance has sometimes created problems for event sponsors.

Communication was often a problem, and cultural events (and fundraisers for arts groups) were frequently scheduled so that they overlapped and competed with each other.

And a large pool of arts groups were often vying for the same limited pool of donor dollars.

The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council was formed in 2003 to help bring together artists, arts organizations and patrons of the arts in 23 Connecticut towns (information is also shared about events and opportunities in nearby New York and Massachussetts).

The council has its offices in Torrington (the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce donates the use of office space, equipment and secretarial staff). But while the council covers northwest Connecticut towns, there is a heavy emphasis on the six towns of the Northwest Corner.

Its part-time executive director is Amy Wynn, a Falls Village resident who has been active in helping area arts and child care groups with their publicity efforts since moving here seven-and-a-half years ago with her husband, Eli Horowitz, and their three children.

Many members of the board of directors live in the Northwest Corner, particularly Salisbury, Sharon and Cornwall.Art Is Good Business

The idea for the organization originated with the Torrington-based Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce and from the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut, which gives grants to groups and projects in area towns.

Both felt that "culture in our neck of the woods needed a boost by centralizing the effort to promote what was here," Wynn explained.

On the surface, a chamber of commerce might seem an unlikely cheerleader for the arts and an arts organization.

But, Wynn said, "The chamber believes that culture is good for business. It brings in tourism, for example. It keeps people in the area. It attracts good employees.

"If you were a school principal from a larger city, and you’d been offered a job here, you would want to know that there were cultural opportunities for you and your family. If they have to travel to Hartford, New York City or Albany anytime they want to hear music or see an art or historical exhibit, they’re less likely to move here or to stay here for long, especially if they have young children and want to give them a broad view."

Also, the chamber has statistics that show when people participate in arts activities, they also do things such as hire babysitters, pay for parking, eat dinner out at a restaurant. And when artists do their work, they spend money on materials, hire assistants, rent studio space, pay for electricity.

In that sense, art creates commerce. Sharing the Arts

One of the first things Wynn did when she started up the arts council three years ago was to begin collecting names and contact information for all the artists and arts groups in her coverage area.

"I found there was even more great stuff going on around here than I’d realized," she said.

That is the strength and the Achilles heel of the arts in Litchfield County: there are great things going on, but because this area is so sprawling and rural, it’s hard to let people know about them all.

The Internet has helped the council to sort out and promote activities. There is now a Web site at artsnwct.org with an events calendar (which will also be available in printed form sometime in 2007); a 12-Day Culture Outlook (which summarizes the events calendar and is e-mailed to a list of about 700 people); and a culture database with information on everything from museums to literary groups (anyone can access the database free of charge; and anyone can add a group or organization to the list).

The arts council also hosts networking events, so artists (and anyone interested in the arts) can meet and share information. And it hosts workshops, such as the series it will present in 2007 on the business of the arts.

Putting together these tools and resources has been exciting for Wynn. Letting people know that they are available has been more of a challenge.

"When they know they exist, people do use these services, which are all free," she said. Ideally, when people visit the council’s Web site, it’s an inspiring and broadening experience.

"We want people to check in, and to be proud of all the things that are happening in their own town but also to learn about things that are happening in other towns," she said.

"If they click on the Culture Calendar, maybe they’ll learn about something they didn’t know was going on up here. Maybe they love to go to TriArts, and click on the calendar to see what TriArts is up to; and while they’re there, they discover the Kent Players is getting ready to do a show and they say, ‘Wow! I love to act! Maybe I’ll audition.’

"Or they might find out about shows at Theaterworks in New Milford, or the opera house in Thomaston, or the Riverton theater. If you like one thing, you might bump into something else you like."A Wide Web of Events

One unique aspect of the arts council and its Web site: It includes a full spectrum, from local amateur groups such as the Kent Players to larger, more fully funded entities.

"We represent all artists," Wynn said. "I have an artisan who has one-day shows, and I always list them on the calendar. The high school did its dramatic production last month, we listed that."

The council highlights events in fine art, craft, sculpture, photography, music, drama, dance, literature. One of its latest efforts is a list of authors and literary events in the Northwest Corner.

"We’re collecting data now," Wynn said, and encouraged any published writers of fiction or nonfiction to send her an e-mail at awynn@artsnwct.org to be included.

For the authors, as with the artists who are already in the arts council’s data base, being included will offer better access to information — and possibly to grants and other funds.

Patrons of the arts can reap economic benefits from the council as well, through a program called Take Part, which offers discounts to programs and performances as well as to some restaurants and retailers.

The arts council does not profit from the events it promotes for the most part. It acts as an intermediary, helping arts events and artists to find their way to funding — without taking a cut.

The majority of the group’s operating funds come from grants. The council also holds an annual membership drive. There are different levels of support, from $35 to $1,000 for individuals and families; from $35 to $150 for organizations, such as schools and religious groups; and from $250 to $10,000 for businesses.

Information on memberships is available at the council’s Web site.