HARTFORD ANNOUNCES “DOMINGO! HARTFORD ARTS ACTIVATION PROGRAM”

Published on April 25, 2022

HARTFORD, CONN (April 25, 2022) – Today, Mayor Bronin announced DominGO! Hartford’s Arts Activation Program. DominGO! Hartford is an open-streets program set for the fourth Sunday of every month from 9am - 3pm in June - September 2022. This program will temporarily transform our streets into healthy, active spaces by making them vehicle-free. The streets will be open to walking, biking, skating, dancing, and engaging with Hartford’s vibrant communities and businesses in new ways.

To support the success of the DominGO! program, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the City of Hartford, 224 EcoSpace, the Commission on Cultural Affairs, and AARP Connecticut have partnered to produce an Arts Activation program. The City has released a call-for-artists, asking residents and organizations to submit their ideas for art and cultural expression that interpret our streets as public space for people. Interested artists can visit the following link to be considered for this program: https://tinyurl.com/DominGOArts.

“We’re thrilled to have a chance to highlight Hartford’s amazing artists and creators and vibrant arts community during our DominGO! open streets initiative,” said Mayor Bronin. “With this Arts Activation Program, artists of all ages can have their creativity and skill on display throughout the City’s commercial corridors. We encourage all Hartford residents to apply and help bring their art and energy to our streets during DominGO!”

“We are excited to partner with the City and 224 EcoSpace to activate Hartford’s streets through this new endeavor” said Erika Frank, Senior Community Officer at the Hartford Foundation. “We know that showcasing artists and supporting community engagement with the arts is a critical component of moving towards recovery from the economic and social/emotional impacts of the pandemic.”

The City of Hartford’s Commission on Cultural Affairs will assist in curating the artistic cultural elements for DominGO! Hartford’s event on June 26th.

“The DominGO! Arts Activation program will highlight our diverse creative community—where it can be broadly accessed by our Hartford neighborhoods," said Richard Hollant, Chair of the Commission on Cultural Affairs. “As champions of Hartford artists, the Commission on Cultural Affairs is thrilled to support more opportunities to lift up our arts and culture community. We are prepared to lead thoughtful deliberation and curation to ensure this program represents the best of Hartford's seasoned and emerging talent.” 

The 224 EcoSpace will serve as the fiscal agent for this effort, building off of their successful work with the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the Artists of Color Accelerator program (AOCA). The City will use these existing networks to invite all mediums of art. Their vision for the program is to have the streets of Hartford on DominGO! days filled with immersive and interactive art to allow anyone and everyone to celebrate Hartford’s culture.

“As a lover and supporter of the Hartford Art’s Community, the 224 EcoSpace/Conference of Churches count it all joy to be part of DominGo! Hartford,” said Reverend F. Lydell Brown III, CEO of the 224 EcoSpace. “The community, and its residents definitely need and deserve a breath of fresh air, and these events will promote the artistry that Hartford has and is known for.”

Artist’s submissions will be reviewed by a four-person panel put together by the City of Hartford’s Commission on Cultural Affairs. The panel will look for applicants who incorporate elements of the street as a true public space for people into their artwork. Preference will be placed on Hartford-based artists. Those who are selected to participate in Arts Activation Program have the opportunity to receive anywhere between $500 to $5,000 in compensation for their pieces.

“DominGO! will allow people of all ages and abilities to experience the streets of Hartford in a new way,” said Anna Doroghazi, AARP CT Policy Director. “It’s important for communities to think about how pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorists use public spaces. Our hope is that, in addition to being fun and intergenerational, these events will ultimately lead to safer streets.”

Please visit the following link to fill out the intake questions to be considered as an artist for this program: https://tinyurl.com/DominGOArts  

For more information regarding this call-for-artists please contact info@domingohartford.com. Applications of interest will be accepted through May 20, 2022, and anticipate announcing selected artists by the week of June 6, 2022.

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