This morning a who's who of the local business and arts community gathered in order to honor "outstanding support by business leaders and extraordinary volunteers as well as to increase visibility for arts and culture in Western Connecticut."
The breakfast showed how committed our community is to building relationships and institutions that help the arts thrive, and how arts can in turn help business.
Mar Jennings, Emmy nominated TV host, author, and Lifestyle expert summed up this relationship perfectly when he spoke: "Art is common ground that connects people...Think outside the box...There is power in numbers." To illustrate how we all need to work together Mar had a demonstration worked out. Everyone took a handful of Lego's and with our non-dominant hand we had a minute to build something. It tested our creativity, but more than that Mar asked us to imagine what we could have built together. If we had been teams, instead of individuals, anything would have been possible.
The partnership of The Ridgefield Orchestra and Danbury Hospital is a perfect example of what happens when people work together. Both organizations were awarded the Business Supports the Arts award for exemplary contributions to the arts in Greater Danbury. They were co-honored for their collaboration on the Sweet Dreams project. Sweet Dreams is a CD of original orchestrations of world lullabies that is given to all families who have children in the NICU. The hospital plans to expand the program to involve all babies born at Danbury hospital. Maryalice Cullen, director of patient services at Danbury Hospital, explained that music helps regulate babies heartbeats, breathing, and develop neural pathways. This collaborative project between the RSO and Danbury Hospital is helping some of the most vulnerable patients. The power of the arts in peoples lives could not be more elegantly portrayed.
Other honorees included a special presentation by the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission that reminded the audience how instrumental art has been in healing the community and bonding people together after the tragedy in Sandy Hook. Mark Boughton, mayor of Danbury spoke about the winner of the Arts in the Community Award, Steven Greenberg. Steven managed to take the Ives Concert Park from a venue in need of restoration and love to the number one outdoor concert venue as voted by Connecticut Magazine, and with few resources. Steven's dedication and resourcefulness is the reason why the Ives Concert Park has reinvented itself. Barbara Manners received the Heart of the Arts Award for outstanding volunteer efforts. Her work with CHIRP, Parks & Rec., The Ridgefield Playhouse and The Ridgefield Symphony orchestra have combined to "make Ridgefield an arts destination" just as she had hoped.
After an inspiring morning with the Cultural Alliance where awareness was raised, good deeds were honored, and excitement over Westconn's project for a new arts building grew I left thinking about Mar Jennings and the legos. The Cultural Alliance is finding ways for us all to work together, and we are finding out all the new things we can build together.