Real Art Ways Awarded $9.1 Million for Expansion from State of CT

Real Art Ways Awarded $9.1 Million for Expansion Project from the State of Connecticut

HARTFORD— Real Art Ways, a contemporary arts organization with an innovative approach to supporting artists and community, is moving ahead rapidly with their building expansion project, supported by a $9.1 million grant recently approved by the state of Connecticut. The expansion will come after four years of planning and private fundraising.

Real Art Ways' expansion plans include:

• An additional three movie screens, bringing the organization's total to four. Real Art Ways shows independent and international films. The additional screens will provide more flexibility in film programming and more opportunities to program specifically for the many different communities that are in the region.
• A new performance space dedicated to theatrical presentations, dance, music, and performance art.
• A new café for people to gather before, after, and during events. "The cafe is going to be the place where everyone comes together. People from around the region will be able to come and experience community all in one place," says Will K. Wilkins, Executive Director of Real Art Ways.
• Educational spaces for classes and workshops. Real Art Ways offers year round educational opportunities for school and youth. This will allow current programs, such as Park Art, Film Field Trips, and Eye on Video to continue and expand, while also introducing new programs for youth and adults.
• Renovation of the gallery exhibition spaces. Real Art Ways will be renovating and improving the existing 5,000 sq. feet of exhibition spaces, including four existing galleries and a video room.

The completed Real Art Ways will be a place for creativity and social interaction. It will incorporate a variety of programming and a gathering space for people to come and experience each other and all that Real Art Ways has to offer. It will be dynamic, vibrant, entertaining, and fun, filled with people from a range of backgrounds and from around the Northeast.

Real Art Ways will break ground on the expansion in late spring/early summer 2024. The work will be completed to coincide with Real Art Ways' 50 year anniversary celebration in 2025.

The $9.1-million from the state is part of a larger, $23-million plan. Real Art Ways has raised just under $5 million, with the goal of $7 million total. Other funding for the project includes $2.4 million in state and federal historic tax credits. The project also includes Real Art Ways' 2021 purchase of 56 Arbor St., an 83,000 sq. foot factory building with 90 tenants, for $4.1 million.

Real Art Ways is committed to supporting the building’s tenant base, including the many artists and creative businesses who rent studios. “Connection and community are at the heart of Real Art Ways. This expansion will enable us to support more artists and creators, including those who have studios and offices at 56 Arbor Street, and to engage in creative ways with our community,” says Will K. Wilkins.

Hartford's Mayor Luke Bronin says, “Real Art Ways has been a vital center of arts, culture, and community in the city of Hartford for decades. Real Art Ways is already an oasis for artists, creators, lovers of art, and just a whole lot of interesting people, and this expansion will establish Real Art Ways as a major center of contemporary art, arts education, music, film, and creative enterprise – not just for Connecticut, but for New England."

“Real Art Ways’ commitment to the arts and creating more jobs, both during the renovation and through the addition of staff to support its operations, is great news for Hartford,” said Connecticut Speaker of the House Matt Ritter. “This project will bring substantial economic and social benefits not only to the city, but to the entire State of Connecticut.”

About Real Art Ways
Real Art Ways began in the fall of 1975 when a group of artists set up a live-work space in downtown Hartford. The organization has grown into one of the country’s best-respected contemporary art spaces, with support for artists and connections with community as core values. Real Art Ways is notable for the excellence of its presentations -- for example, Real Art Ways has presented 43 MacArthur "Genius" grantees, more than any other museum or arts organization in the United States.

For more information, please visit realartways.org.