Archive | Newsletter

This month our Executive Director, Rachel Watts, receives honor for her work on behalf of NYC’s youth and the Arts Education field. On May 16th at a ceremony held at Aaron Davis Hall, Rachel was honored with the 2023 City College Arts Education Spotlight Award “for the work done to uplift equity, justice, and community […]

We kick-off our Governors Island Organization in Residence on May 20th with a celebration of the creativity of NYC teens.   At the center of our Spring Teen Programs Finale is the exhibition opening of “Naked : Truth” curated by this year’s Teens Curate Teens (TCT) cohort who studied the art of curating in their semester-long […]

Year after year, our expert staff present their work at arts-in-education conferences throughout the country. Attendees walk away with tools and strategies to improve their interactions with the young people in their classrooms, driving better outcomes and enriching the educational experiences of countless students (and teachers).   Erin Loughran, Senior Manager of Professional Development and Evaluation, […]

As members of the Teen Programs team at ArtsConnection, apprentices and interns gain a full view of a non-profit arts-in-education organization, with exposure to daily operations, program administration, event planning, and team meetings. The apprentices will also develop management skills as they work independently on projects and mentor interns.  Rebecca Celenza | Exhibitions Intern  I […]

It is an understatement to say that ArtsConnection relies on the expertise of our roster of teaching artists who work most directly with students across the city. In 2020, at the beginning of COVID-19, ArtsConnection created a Think Tank comprised of artists to address the educational challenges posed by the pandemic. In 2021, artists joined […]

We are so excited to have launched the ArtsConnection Music Makers after-school program this year.  Students from Crotona International High School in the Bronx have been learning the business of the hip-hop music industry by diving into the foundations of hip-hop history and culture, attending cutting-edge performances, and meeting hip-hop industry professionals and culture agents. Recently, […]

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO SHARE THAT WE HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS AN ORGANIZATION IN RESIDENCE ON GOVERNORS ISLAND THIS YEAR. Presented through Governors Island Arts, the seasonal Organizations in Residence initiative is an annual program that selects nonprofits from across the city to present public programs in an historic home on the Island from May […]

ArtsConnection has one of its longest standing partnerships with P.S. 130 in Kensington, Brooklyn. For over 20 years the children at P.S. 130 have participated in a school-wide sequential puppetry program, beginning with Pre-k (storytelling & puppetry) up through 5th grade (parade style puppets). The curriculum was designed by Teaching Artists Erin Orr & Sarah […]

Growing Inclusivity for Vibrant Engagement (GIVE), is a partnership which started in 2018, between ArtsConnection, the New Victory Theater, and the Community-Word Project, and made possible with support from the New York Community Trust. The aim of the project is to provide free resources to Teaching Artists in the creation of liberated learning environments, and […]

We celebrated the first day of Black History Month with the Teen Programs Open House exploring what makes our Teen Programs one of NYC’s best FREE arts-centric out-of-school time experiences for teens ages 14-19!  We are deeply grateful to Sony Music Entertainment who not only provided the space for the open house but also created […]