Because the Arts Matter

• Arts Promotion: Our mobile app ANDI: Arts, Nightlife, Dining Information, is now available for both iPhone and Android users. We became the first Connecticut organization to host a Curated Page on Kickstarter to showcase selected regional creative projects raising funds on the site. The Arts Paper, our monthly publication, is now distributed at more than 200 drop locations in 15 towns. Our weekly arts e-Newsletter has more than 2500 subscribers and is being used by more than 90 organizations to promote their events. Breaking Arts posts timely arts news to the community on the New Haven Independent news site..

• Programs and Community Engagement: We launched Reintegrate, with seven artist/scientist teams exploring a range of fascinating projects. To be more responsive, we recently initiated Artist Clinics, a service that brings our staff to community venues for free consultations with artists. We curated exhibitions in four gallery spaces, including our newest venue at Whitney Center in Hamden, where Dreamy was the inaugural show. We held our sixth year of Exact Change, a day of live performances on CT Transit buses, and celebrated the 17th Audubon Arts on the Edge celebration of hands-on children's activities and family-friendly performances.

• Advocacy: We advocated on behalf of the region's arts organizations during the 2012 legislative session, testifying against proposed state's cuts to arts funding. Additionally, as the state Arts Office unveiled major changes in arts funding, we facilitated conversations with artists and organizations to help them navigate a new creative placemaking agenda.

Our state funding was reduced this year as the Office of the Arts reshaped its grants program. Now more than ever, we hope you will continue supporting the Arts Council, enabling us to continue our valuable services and programs that promote, advocate and foster arts organizations and artists.