Artists Collective

As an interdisciplinary arts and cultural institution serving the Greater Hartford region, the Artists Collective is the only multi-arts and cultural organization of its kind in Connecticut which emphasizes the cultural and artistic contributions of the African Diaspora. “Skills for Living” and other educational workshops are an integral component of its pioneering Rite of Passage-Yaboo Ceremony/Program, conceived by the late Master Choreographer Lee “Aca” Thompson in 1976, the Summer Youth Employment Training Program and a special program that served children with sickle cell anemia. Youth with hearing, health impairments, and psychological challenges are also enrolled and thrive in Artists Collective workshops. Since its inception in 1970, the Artists Collective has trained thousands in all arts disciplines and has touched their lives and those of their families. Through its ongoing presentation of great artists of the African Diaspora, the Collective provides positive adult role models for a new generation of artists and former students who have achieved success in other professions. Jazz greats, new emerging musicians, nationally recognized dance and theater companies, and gospel artists, as well as visual arts exhibits and lectures by nationally recognized historians comprise the Collective’s special events program. The Collective exposes students and the community-at-large to often-overlooked artists of the past and present. Today, the Collective continues to offer the highest quality training in the performing arts – dance, theater, music, and visual arts. In 1999, the Collective moved into its new building, becoming a key component of the economic development of the City of Hartford and the North Hartford Albany Avenue corridor.