Connecticut Public Launches New Arts & Culture Television Series

Tucked within the boundaries of all of Connecticut's 169 towns is a rich tradition of arts, history and culture.

Where ART Thou, Connecticut Public's new television show that premieres Sunday, September 20 at 7:30 p.m. on CPTV, features Ray Hardman hitting the road across the state in search of Connecticut's cultural identity.

Too often Connecticut's arts and cultural "gems" are overlooked and underappreciated. With the state's somewhat provincial local government system, it can be easy to be familiar with a group or artist in your own town, and completely unaware of what's happening in other parts of our small state. Where ART Thou is the answer to crossing artistic and cultural borders—giving us all a chance to catch artists across the state in the process of creating their craft.

Each episode will introduce you to two Connecticut artists or art and culture groups, and their approach to creating and sharing their art.

"We are giving viewers a front-row seat to experience visual and performing arts in Connecticut, to learn their history, their influences and what motivates artists to create," says Ray Hardman. Ray will also visit a local arts-based small business each week and work with a guest "Curator”—an artist local to the area—to get their insights on the individuals and locations he's touring as he travels across the state.

"In this series I want to seek out and learn about these creative Connecticut people—what inspires them, what motivates them, how does their past connect to their art? Does their town or personal surroundings have an impact on their creativity? But even more than that, I want to watch them as they create and find out in a personal way what the creative process means to them," says Hardman.

Ray will travel to different areas of Connecticut each week, too. In Bridgeport, he'll meet up with weaver Ruben Marroquin at his studio in The Arcade Mall building and artist/body painter Alicia Cobb at her studio at The Nest. And in Litchfield County, Jasmine Bailey will show off her illustrations at Five Points Gallery Launchpad Studio; and Ray visits with dancer/choreographer Paula Josa Jones at Gunn Brooke Farm.

You can watch Where ART Thou on CPTV Sundays at 7:30 p.m. beginning September 20, or stream online at cptv.org/where-art-thou.

About Ray Hardman:

Ray Hardman is an award-winning journalist, and a classically trained baritone who has been a soloist with Connecticut groups like Chorus Angelicus, the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, Bristol Symphony, and the West Hartford Symphony Orchestra. He Is also the front man for The Sparkomatics, a Bristol-based garage rock band.

About Connecticut Public:

Connecticut Public is home to Connecticut Public Television and Connecticut Public Radio, which together serve nearly one million citizens each month, as well as many digital and online platforms. Through our mission to inform, educate and inspire the people of Connecticut, we connect people of all ages to high-quality journalism, storytelling, education and experiences, and amplify the voices of our diverse communities. Connecticut Public is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with an $22 million annual budget, funded primarily through community support from individuals, foundations and corporate sponsors.