Clear your calendar - It's going down! Join us for a night of fun, excitement and entertainment. This event is free and open to all so come one, come all, bring a guest and let's celebrate Connecticut's Arts Heroes and Lifetime Achievement honoree Stephan Allison!
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Masks will be required when not actively eating or drinking. The venue will not check vaccination cards.
Brian is an artist and a coordinator and promoter of art and artists. Through his work through Positive Expressions 93, he encourages youth to be creative, have pride in their artistry, and appreciate the art of others. Brian has donated his artwork to libraries, schools and other non-profit organizations. His proudest donation is to Camp Harkness in Waterford where three of his cedar sculptures help anchor the Enchanted Sensory Garden.
Semina is the founder and artistic director of Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury. She has devoted herself for the past 30 years to making a difference for thousands of people by ensuring that the theater and all its activities are accessible and open to all. Through her work, Semina reaches out to all demographics with diversity and openness in casting, programming, volunteerism and employment.
Lucy is a tireless advocate for the arts. She is a reporter, critic, "under-dog cheerleader" and mentor. She is described as "a magnifying glass, flashlight, amplifier and connector for all who care about the arts". Lucy is the editor of The Arts Paper, a publication of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, and she is the co-founder of the Youth Arts Journalism Project that creates a pathway for youth to gain journalism skills.
Edward, also known as Ezra Lovecroft, is a published poet with a devotion to spreading love of the spoken word. He coordinates events (kids painting to poetry, open mic poetry nights, writing workshops for seniors) that bring together people of all ages, backgrounds, culture and race to feel heard, "to be honest to the point of tears or laughter" and to "shed the masks that we so often hide behind everyday can be remarkable!". He donates all proceeds from his events to homeless shelters, food pantries and local farms growing pollinator pathways.
 Marilyn is a dedicated, passionate and loving artist who understands that creativity at an early age motivates children to love art throughout their lives. She is a sculptor, painter, photographer, certified milliner and polymer clay artist. Marilyn's career was spent as an art teacher at Regional District #4 for 37 years,11/2 years at John Winthrop Middle School and taught ceramics at Middlesex Community College. In addition Marilyn has been involved with the Deep River Junior Ancient Fife and Drum Corps for the past 38 years holding the position of Director for 34 of those years. Since 1995 Marilyn has had Starry Night Studio in Chester, where dozens of children spent weeks immersed in art, science and nature every summer.
Terry is the co-creator of Hartford's Proud Drill Drum and Dance Corp, a non-profit with the mission to use sound, movement and artistry for personal development among youth. Founded in 2013 with co-creator/husband Duffy, Hartford's Proud aims to keep Hartford youth safe and out of trouble by giving them something to do during the times they are not in school. Terry has given thousands of young Hartford residents a creative outlet through drums and dance, as well as a safe space of their own where they receive support and guidance on life.
 JoAnne is the founder and executive director of ASAP!, an educational organization that fosters creative, hands-on learning through the arts. She believes that when we honor children’s imaginations, invite them to create, encourage them to take risks, and trust their resourcefulness, they will become the empowered, resilient, and compassionate adults the world really needs.
Brian is the co-founder and curator of the In View Project of Danbury - a storefront art project that welcomes local and regional artists to showcase their work at no cost.  Brian has long advocated for artists in the community and collaborates with area artists, businesses and local government to build a sustainable arts and culture scene in Western Connecticut. Brian a sculpture artist who specializes in interior scaled work made from salvaged metal that he collects throughout Connecticut.
Andrew, artistically known as Suave-Ski is a successful hip-hop artist, actively involved in the New London arts community (recently voted into the Cultural District Commission). From recording music to producing videos, graphic designs and websites for local artists and companies, he works to highlight musicians and events in the spirit of unity and collaboration. He is all about community and is described as an all-around prolific artist and inspiration. He will soon be launching Artflame, a non-profit music mentorship program he created to provide a comfortable and creative environment for area youth to pursue their passions and promote positivity, artistic growth, and collaboration through the music-making process.
Kerry is an artist with a strong commitment to bringing expressive arts into all spaces and all communities, particularly in underserved and invisible populations who are not traditionally served by arts organizations. Ms. Kincy is a core faculty member with New Haven Ballet’s Shared Abilities Program where dancers with and without physical disabilities work in partnership to create performances. She provides the vocabulary and the tools to utilize the transformative power of movement /dance to both typical and differently-abled communities, in schools, colleges, Alzheimer's residential programs, hospitals, correctional facilities and with veterans with PTSD. Kerry is the Founder and Director of Free Center Middletown and facilitates free programming with all ages, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds to move together as a tool to strengthen social and cognitive abilities and an awareness of the mind/body connection as a path to healing. Kerry is an Expressive Arts Consultant to organizations and institutions,collecting data to understand the efficacy of their programming.
Daniela is a musician, vocal teacher/coach, artistic director and conductor of the Ridgefield Chorale and the Founders Hall Singers. Throughout her career, Daniela has championed artistic collaboration and community access to the arts in Ridgefield and beyond. She believes that the arts are a necessary and vital part of the human experience, foster positive social interactions and are major economic drivers in our communities.
Marti is co-founder and executive director of The Ballet School of Stamford, a non-profit devoted to nurturing young dancers through a disciplined and focused training program that brings out the best of their natural talent.  Students are never turned away because they cannot afford classes – Marti finds a way to provide scholarships to all those who want to dance. She is passionate about arts education and the change it can bring to a child’s life.
Shelby is a life coach, author, theater enthusiast and educator with a love and passion for helping others. He established City Youth Theater, a theater company committed to challenging each student to perform at their highest level on and off the stage. Aside from impacting young adults through theater, Shelby has touched the lives of many through his books Meet Wyatt Brown & Everything My Parents Taught Me in 6 Steps, a book centered around guiding, encouraging, and motivating individuals to believe in themselves and to reach for their goals.Â
Effie and Angaza use the arts as a way to connect the community. They are described as the most loving, positive, accepting and inspiring individuals who work tirelessly (in their "retirement") to promote the celebration of all cultures and encourage people of different backgrounds to come together. Through their work, they highlight and educate the community about black culture and have risen to the forefront of advocacy for cultural unity. They also work with schools to bring diversity programming into the classrooms, and they encourage local groups to share with each other through art.
Jasmin’s vision for Sageseeker Productions was born out of a lifelong mission to build community through Black and POC-centered creative space. She has been organizing cultural events, festivals, and exhibitions alongside other artists, students, elders, community organizers, and through schools and nonprofits in Hartford since she was a teenager. After over 10 years of work, she continued to see a lack of performance opportunities for womxn of color, especially queer womxn of color, and after establishing her company, put together the first La Sala Femme event in May 2018. La Sala Femme is a performance series where a diverse group of artists and healers come together to produce public experiences that release grief, inspire joy and cultivate curiosity with the community.  By day, she develops creative and intergenerational programming through her position at the Hartford History Center at Hartford Public Library. As a producer and curator, she brings to the forefront Black womxn, womxn of color, non-binary and queer artists with the goal of fostering nourishing collaborations across the state of Connecticut and setting a standard for care in curation and equity in paid creative work.Â
 Kim is a mother of six children, photographer, artist and teacher who has dedicated her life to sharing fine art and photography to people of all ages and abilities regardless of their circumstances or resources. She encourages students to aspire to use their craft to express their emotions and feelings to process experiences and explore their environments. Not only does Kim teach her craft with an enthusiasm that is infectious and inspiring, she also enlightens students on how to be successful and create a fruitful living doing so. She is deeply dedicated to serving her community by developing artists from within the community and preparing them for the next step in their artistic journey. She is in the process of opening Wábi Gallery in downtown New Haven that will feature fine art and photography from Connecticut artists, national emerging artists and a photography mentorship program for teens.
Stephan has, since his youth, had a passion for the Arts. More a dilettante than a master, he found his calling as an arts administrator, promoter, and advocate.Â
Over the years he has worked alongside artists, businesses, governmental agencies, and the public. He has served for over 30 years as a presenter, grant-giver, promoter, programs creator, and arts champion. His skills were developed as the Executive Director and Music Director of The Buttonwood Tree, as a radio programmer for over 30 years in non-commercial radio (WPKN, WESU), and as the Arts Coordinator for the City of Middletown from 1999 until his retirement in 2018.
He credits his wife of 30 years, Middletown’s Inaugural Poet Laureate and founder of The Buttonwood Tree, Susan Eastman Allison as his reason for a successful life in the Arts.