Arts and Culture Committee
Arts and Culture Committee
Vision: To create more vitality in Asylum Hill by supporting its artists and by celebrating the neighborhood’s diverse cultures and rich history.
Oversight Group: AHNA’s Arts and Culture Committee, a new group to be formed
Goal 1: Promote Asylum Hill as a Destination for Those Who Enjoy Art, Culture and History
The Asylum Hill neighborhood includes the Mark Twain House and the Harriett Beecher Stowe House at one end, artists’ homes and studios at the other end and creative venues such as the 224 EcoSpace in between. By promoting itself as an arts and culture corridor, the neighborhood could attract more visitors and businesses and instill more pride in its residents.
Actions:
● Develop a marketing campaign to brand Asylum Hill as an Arts and Culture corridor
● Organize a Farmington Avenue festival to highlight its art, culture and history
● Promote special art, music, dance, literary and cultural events happening in Asylum Hill
● Advocate to extend the free Dash shuttle to Nook Farm
Resources/Partnerships: Interactive maps can lay out all the art centers, murals, and creative spaces in the neighborhood. CT Public, Hartford News, AHNA newsletter, Greater Hartford Arts Council; Connecticut Creative Places: https://connecticutcreativeplaces.org
Goal 2: Provide Opportunities to Showcase the Neighborhood’s Art and Artists
Asylum Hill has many artists living here. This includes ArtSpace Hartford, which is an apartment complex that has combined living and studio space in each apartment. Gallery space is abundant throughout the neighborhood and there are numerous opportunities to display visual art. Artspace, The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, The Mark Twain House & Museum, 224 Ecospace and The Town and Country Club all have formal gallery spaces. There is also opportunity to display art in Asylum Hill’s churches and schools.
Actions:
● Create an AHAAA! (Asylum Hill Artists of All Ages) exhibit as part of the larger Farmington Avenue Festival or as a stand-alone event, the first occurring in 2023.
● Explore greater use of theater, dance and exhibit space at HartBeat Ensemble, The Mark Twain House & Museum, the 224 Ecospace, CT Public, Town & Country Club and area churches
● Support efforts to have more art in the neighborhood including more murals, art in the windows of vacant commercial property, art on electrical or utility boxes, bus shelters, crosswalks or statues to celebrate the diversity of today’s Asylum Hill
● Ensure that the new train station being proposed will display original signature pieces from local artists
● Collaborate with the Stowe Center’s plan for an outdoor installation that would be accessible to the community
Resources/Partnerships:
The Mark Twain House & Museum, The Harriet Beecher Stowe House, The 224 Ecospace, CT Public, Town & Country Club, AHCC, Immanuel Congregational, Trinity Episcopal, The Cathedral and other area churches
hARTford Love - https://www.hartfordct.gov/Government/Departments/Mayors-Office/Mayor-Initiatives/LoveHartford/Artproject
Strategic Partnership Grants: https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Arts-and-Culture/Funding_Opportunities/Strategic-Partnerships
New England Foundation for the Arts: https://www.nefa.org/
CT Artist Fellowship Program: https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Arts-and-Culture/Funding_Opportunities/Artist-Fellowship-Program
Arts Administration Fellowship: https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Arts-and-Culture/Professional_Development/Elizabeth-Mahaffey-Arts-Admin
CT Gov Cultural District Designation: https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Arts-and-Culture/Programs_Services/Cultural-Districts
Goal 3: Celebrate the History of Asylum Hill
Asylum Hill was one of the first neighborhoods to develop when the city outgrew its “downtown” space. It started with farming and Victorian housing began to be built after the Civil War. Mark Twain came to Hartford to see his publisher, fell in love with the neighborhood and built his home here. Harriet Beecher Stowe also built her retirement home on Forest Street.
Actions:
● Explore feasibility of obtaining a Cultural Place or Historic District designation for Farmington Avenue, inclusive of the Comet Diner, the CVS-Aetna building, Nook Farm, etc.
● Highlight history, architecture and other unique neighborhood aspects on walking, biking and bus tours
Resources/Partnerships:
● Collaborate with the historic properties and work with the City, Hartford Preservation Alliance and the state to begin the process of getting historic designation
● Integrate existing walking tours for the neighborhood into new and existing events
Priority Outcomes/Measurable Results
● First Annual AHA! event is created in conjunction with DominGO! Hartford
● New murals are painted
● Track number of local artists involved in art and cultural events
● Track number of attendees at events
● Dash Shuttle extended to Nook Farm
Oversight Group: AHNA’s Arts and Culture Committee, a new group to be formed
Goal 1: Promote Asylum Hill as a Destination for Those Who Enjoy Art, Culture and History
The Asylum Hill neighborhood includes the Mark Twain House and the Harriett Beecher Stowe House at one end, artists’ homes and studios at the other end and creative venues such as the 224 EcoSpace in between. By promoting itself as an arts and culture corridor, the neighborhood could attract more visitors and businesses and instill more pride in its residents.
Actions:
● Develop a marketing campaign to brand Asylum Hill as an Arts and Culture corridor
● Organize a Farmington Avenue festival to highlight its art, culture and history
● Promote special art, music, dance, literary and cultural events happening in Asylum Hill
● Advocate to extend the free Dash shuttle to Nook Farm
Resources/Partnerships: Interactive maps can lay out all the art centers, murals, and creative spaces in the neighborhood. CT Public, Hartford News, AHNA newsletter, Greater Hartford Arts Council; Connecticut Creative Places: https://connecticutcreativeplaces.org
Goal 2: Provide Opportunities to Showcase the Neighborhood’s Art and Artists
Asylum Hill has many artists living here. This includes ArtSpace Hartford, which is an apartment complex that has combined living and studio space in each apartment. Gallery space is abundant throughout the neighborhood and there are numerous opportunities to display visual art. Artspace, The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, The Mark Twain House & Museum, 224 Ecospace and The Town and Country Club all have formal gallery spaces. There is also opportunity to display art in Asylum Hill’s churches and schools.
Actions:
● Create an AHAAA! (Asylum Hill Artists of All Ages) exhibit as part of the larger Farmington Avenue Festival or as a stand-alone event, the first occurring in 2023.
● Explore greater use of theater, dance and exhibit space at HartBeat Ensemble, The Mark Twain House & Museum, the 224 Ecospace, CT Public, Town & Country Club and area churches
● Support efforts to have more art in the neighborhood including more murals, art in the windows of vacant commercial property, art on electrical or utility boxes, bus shelters, crosswalks or statues to celebrate the diversity of today’s Asylum Hill
● Ensure that the new train station being proposed will display original signature pieces from local artists
● Collaborate with the Stowe Center’s plan for an outdoor installation that would be accessible to the community
Resources/Partnerships:
The Mark Twain House & Museum, The Harriet Beecher Stowe House, The 224 Ecospace, CT Public, Town & Country Club, AHCC, Immanuel Congregational, Trinity Episcopal, The Cathedral and other area churches
hARTford Love - https://www.hartfordct.gov/Government/Departments/Mayors-Office/Mayor-Initiatives/LoveHartford/Artproject
Strategic Partnership Grants: https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Arts-and-Culture/Funding_Opportunities/Strategic-Partnerships
New England Foundation for the Arts: https://www.nefa.org/
CT Artist Fellowship Program: https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Arts-and-Culture/Funding_Opportunities/Artist-Fellowship-Program
Arts Administration Fellowship: https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Arts-and-Culture/Professional_Development/Elizabeth-Mahaffey-Arts-Admin
CT Gov Cultural District Designation: https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Arts-and-Culture/Programs_Services/Cultural-Districts
Goal 3: Celebrate the History of Asylum Hill
Asylum Hill was one of the first neighborhoods to develop when the city outgrew its “downtown” space. It started with farming and Victorian housing began to be built after the Civil War. Mark Twain came to Hartford to see his publisher, fell in love with the neighborhood and built his home here. Harriet Beecher Stowe also built her retirement home on Forest Street.
Actions:
● Explore feasibility of obtaining a Cultural Place or Historic District designation for Farmington Avenue, inclusive of the Comet Diner, the CVS-Aetna building, Nook Farm, etc.
● Highlight history, architecture and other unique neighborhood aspects on walking, biking and bus tours
Resources/Partnerships:
● Collaborate with the historic properties and work with the City, Hartford Preservation Alliance and the state to begin the process of getting historic designation
● Integrate existing walking tours for the neighborhood into new and existing events
- CT Gov Cultural District Designation: https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Arts-and-Culture/Programs_Services/Cultural-Districts
- Preservation Connecticut: https://preservationct.org/local-districts
- Opportunities for passive engagement through QR codes or guided virtual walks.
- Create engagement through the use of creative hashtags that encourage people to visit the historic sites; “Asylum Hill Passport” stamps
Priority Outcomes/Measurable Results
● First Annual AHA! event is created in conjunction with DominGO! Hartford
● New murals are painted
● Track number of local artists involved in art and cultural events
● Track number of attendees at events
● Dash Shuttle extended to Nook Farm