Creativity Connects Danbury: Meet Phyllis Cortese

Creativity Connects Danbury, made possible by LIFEWTR

What fuels a vibrant, connected and creative community? What makes people feel good about living in Danbury?

When locals share the creativity that they uncover in the nooks and crannies of their community it brings about connectivity and makes us all feel good.

Believe it or not, you discover creativity every day as you walk, shop, work, and play in Danbury. 

Creativity connects us. Meet Phyllis Cortese, the Executive Director at Ives Concert Park and the Charles Ives Authority for the Performing Arts.

When I think of creativity in Danbury, I think of …

When I think of creativity in Danbury, I think of the immeasurable heart of our citizens and the imagination that flourishes in our community from a spark of inspiration, most often, ignited by collaborative, diverse and inclusive experiences. Inspiration plays an intricate part of that spark of creativity. For me, creativity is profoundly immersed in the arts. The arts are an essential part of the fabric of our everyday lives that helps to create community and sustain neighborhoods. Here in Danbury one needs to look no further than our public school system. Students who have arts-rich experiences in school excel in all areas of their academic studies as well as becoming more active and engaged citizens, voting, volunteering, and generally participating at higher rates than their peers. Our schools are a positive seed to inspire, enrich and cultivate creativity. From the performing and visual arts to science, math, writing and robotics, all instilling the spark of inspiration that leads to creativity throughout the student population. Creativity produces the foundation for our children to grow into productive young adults who will contribute to building a vibrant community in ways we’ve yet to imagine. When I think of creativity, I have to start by thinking of our children.

Is there a person or organization using creativity to initiate change in Danbury?

As Executive Director of Ives Concert Park and the Charles Ives Authority for the Performing Arts, working together with our partners, Danbury Mayor Boughton and the City of Danbury and President Clark and Western Connecticut State University along with our major cross sector community sponsors, Newtown Savings Bank, CT Dept. of Transportation, Branson, Danbury Cultural Commission and many others, we have focused our programs and efforts in creating extraordinary cultural arts experiences that offer an inclusive environment, rich in diversity and reflective of our community. Arts and culture continue to be vehicles for bridging gaps between our diverse populations. Our nonprofit organization celebrates the many facets of the cultural arts with annual multi-cultural festivals such as the Reggae Festival, the Ecuadorian Festival, Latin Music Festival and more. These unique opportunities improve our quality of life and promote connecting with our neighbors and meeting new friends.

Any place in Danbury where you go for inspiration and creativity?

Inspiration is all around us, we just have to look, and as the blind man said, “I see what you mean”. I find inspiration from the people who deliver Meals On Wheels without any fanfare or notoriety or a Military Veteran who served our country bravely holding the door for a woman and her baby even though he is in a wheelchair. I find inspiration right here in our community from our neighbors who capture creative vision with passion, spirit, and imagination and inspire me to give back, helping to build the creative ecology of our future.

Creativity Connects Danbury made possible by LIFEWTR.

The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of HamletHub or LIFEWTR. 

D
Submitted by Danbury, CT

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