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Elizabeth Park’s Rose Weekend In Elizabeth Park Enhanced By Ct Artists Initiative

By Andy Hart

June 27, 2013

This year the Elizabeth Park Rose Garden Weekend, was enhanced by more than 36 Hartford area urban artists, individuals and groups from the Connecticut Artists Initiative, (CAI). The CAI presented “ITS ALL ABOUT LOVE!” Produced and directed by Patricia Johnson, and Twila McKinney was a well-designed, and highly diverse, quality production, daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. during the Rose Garden Weekend. The entire planning process, as well as the production, direction, coordination, and performances were conducted without compensation or public funding. Everyone volunteered, and performed pro-bono, as a gift to the City of Hartford.

A first for the Elizabeth Park Conservancy, the Rose Garden Weekend – and a first for many of Hartford’s, talented, and often-unacknowledged urban artists and groups – the collaboration was an absolute winner. The collaboration of the many artist of song, dance, theater, poetry, and instrumental, gave stellar performances of jazz, rhythm and blues, folk, pop, traditional and classical genre. Thousands of Rose Garden visitors were left full of pleasure and in awe! Saturday June 22nd was declared Nat Reeves day, by Mayor Segarra, the Court of Commons Council, and the Nat Reeves Ensamble performed two jazz sets on Sunday.

About The Connecticut Artists Initiative (CAI)

Over many months, a small group of North Hartford artist, led by Joy Monroe, a fine arts professional, sought the assistance of Pat Johnson, Hartford resident, a community-oriented regarding a number of Hartford arts and artists related issues. These issues included the seeming difficulties in getting artist support and acknowledge for their work from city and state artstic resources, and the need to collaborate more effectively, and to develop stronger artistic support networks.

In fewer than seven (7) months, this group who also sought and acquired the input and advice of many established artist, arts practitioneers, agents and organizations. They have developed as a significant collaboration of committed, professional and quality artists representing the City of Hartford. Today the Connecticut Artists Initiative enjoy the commmittment and affilliation of more than 200 Hartford artists, arts-affilliates, community groups and organizations.

The mission of the Connecticut Artists Initiative is to; function as an active artist-to-artist support system, to develop projects and activities to further artistic growth of individual artist and groups, to stimulate artist engagement and visibility, in the Hartford Community, and to individually and collectively engage the arts and artists in the process of community-service, and positive community-building.