Inspiring, engaging, and connecting the creative community

Our mission is to elevate the role of the arts to build community and economic vitality.

We believe that access to arts and culture is a universal human right, meeting both a social and psychological need.

Through promotion and advocacy we support a vibrant, vital, and necessary component of our community.

The NWCT Arts Council is one of 8 regional Arts Councils designated by the CT Office of the Arts, which is branch of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).

Service Area: Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Burlington, Colebrook, Cornwall, Falls Village/Canaan, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, New Milford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Plymouth, Roxbury, Salisbury/Lakeville, Sharon, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Washington, and Winchester/Winsted.

The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council is one of 8 statewide Designated Regional Service Organizations (DRSOs) of the CT DECD Office of the Arts. Programming comes with the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

2003:  The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council was established in June 2003, as a collaborative partnership between the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation and the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. The Arts Council was founded by Amy Wynn; First website launched.

2004: In-depth  Regional Cultural Assessment. The results were used to guide the Council decisions on how to best serve the 25-town region.

2007:  First edition of the monthly print calendar; Bear Affair public art event featuring local artists; Selected as a field office for CT Office of the Arts' Peer Advisor Network.

2009:  Chairish the Arts public art event featuring local artists.

2010:  First Annual Open Your Eyes Studio Tour; State participation in Arts & Economic Impact Study 4 , conducted by Americans for the Arts (data released in 2012); First year administering UNICO award to young, local creatives.

2014: 2nd Regional Culture Assessment;   First Annual CultureMAX Awards to honor local artists, arts educators, cultural professionals, arts organizations, and supporting arts businesses.

2015:  Regional participation in Arts & Economic Impact Study 5 , conducted by Americans for the Arts (data released in 2017).

2016:  First year administering CT Office of the Arts' Regional Initiative Grants to artists and small arts businesses in NWCT; Initial partnership with Mass MoCA's Assets for Artists program to organize professional development workshops.

2017:  Over The Edge fundraiser held at Torrington Towers.

2018: First Annual Make Music NWCT, part of international Make Music Day;   Tails of NWCT public art project in partnership with Prime Time House and the Northwest CT Chamber of Commerce featuring local artists; First event of new Arts Night Out networking series; Amy Wynn takes on a new position as the Executive Director at the American Mural Project and Rufus de Rham steps in as Executive Director.

2019:  10 Year Anniversary of the Open Your Eyes Studio Tour; First Annual Litchfield Hills Creative Awards (previously known as CultureMAX); First Annual Art Gives Back Art Supply Drive to benefit partner nonprofits.

2020: Rufus de Rham moves on to become the Executive Director of the Warner Theatre and Steph Burr takes over as Executive Director;   Development of new Strategic Plan; Development of NWCT Artist Emergency Relief Fund to aid local creatives through hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; Development of the regional "Shop Local Art" directory.

2021: The Arts Council receives first ever grant from the National Endowment for the Arts; $150,000 for emergency COVID-19 re-granting support for the region.  The first annual Litchfield Hills Creative Festival is launched.  Facilitation of the Torrington Civil Rights Mural in partnership with RiseUp for the Arts, Our Culture is Beautiful, and Mental Health CT.

We thank the following organizations for their commitment and support in establishing the organization: Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, and the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce.