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November 3, 2022

Connecticut Art Trail aims to make state an arts and culture destination

IMAGE | Courtesy The Yale University Art Gallery The Yale University Art Gallery presents Fazal Sheikh: Exposures. Fazal Sheikh, Silver Bell Mine, Arizona, from the series, Exposure, 2022.

The Connecticut Art Trail has been approved as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit private organization by the Internal Revenue Service, allowing it to pursue new grants, improve its online presence and better promote the assets Connecticut residents and visitors can experience when visiting its 22 member museums.

As an IRS classified nonprofit private foundation, the Connecticut Art Trail will be exempt from federal income tax. The status will also enable donors to deduct contributions made to the organization and allows the organization to receive tax-deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts.

Officials were thrilled by the new status.

“This marks an exciting new chapter for the Connecticut Art Trail,” said Carey Mack Weber, president of the Connecticut Art Trail and the Frank and Clara Meditz executive director at Fairfield University Art Museum. “Becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit opens the door to more funding opportunities, which will allow us to do more to encourage people to experience all that our world-class museums have to offer.”

As a nonprofit, the Connecticut Art Trail can apply for grant funds that were previously unavailable. Using this increased eligibility for funding, organizers are planning to develop a more robust and user-friendly website that will allow visitors to browse a calendar of events at its member museums and learn more about their exhibits and programming.

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“Museums have been ramping up their in-person events and programs after a lengthy period of virtual offerings, and we want to make people aware of the rich cultural opportunities on the Connecticut Art Trail,” said Cybele Maylone, vice president of the Connecticut Art Trail and the executive director of The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. “We’re thrilled to explore new ways to help our museums connect with visitors.”

The Connecticut Art Trail also plans to use its nonprofit status to bolster its marketing efforts. Doing so, according to Maylone, will promote more visits to its member museums, centers and galleries while also promoting Connecticut as an arts and culture destination.

Some of the member museums include the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme and the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven. The Connecticut Office of Arts concluded that a thriving arts sector benefits both residents and businesses, and in 2016 reported that nonprofit arts and cultural organizations generated $455.5 million in economic activity in Connecticut and supported more than 18,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

The museums on the Connecticut Art Trail have also been a resource for schools, offering professional development opportunities for teachers and group visits to students. 

“Becoming a 501(c)(3) organization isn’t just great news for our museums, but also for the communities they serve,” said Lisa Lappe, secretary of the Connecticut Art Trail and director of marketing at New Britain Museum of Art. “We’re looking forward to supporting the Connecticut Art Trail sites in the coming years as they continue to add value to the economic strength of our state and its high quality of life.”

Visitors can explore the sites on the Connecticut Art Trail by purchasing the Art Trail Passport, either online or in person, to receive free admission to all 22 member museums for one year after purchase. The $35 purchase, which directly supports the Connecticut Art Trail, unlocks more than $150 in value through museum admissions, discounts, gifts and other benefits.

Those who visit every site on the Connecticut Art Trail are currently eligible for a grand prize giveaway for an overnight stay for two and a one-hour couples massage at the Delamar Hotel of their choice.

For more information visit ctarttrail.org.

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