HISTORY

Founded in 1964, the Arts Council of Greater New Haven has provided steadfast leadership and advocacy for artists, arts organizations and audiences in the Greater New Haven region. Working in partnership with the City of New Haven, the Arts Council took the lead in the development of the Audubon Street Arts Center, a mixed use district of arts organizations, arts schools, performance and exhibition spaces where people live, work and shop. In 1986 the Council purchased several parcels of land on the street which it leased to a developer who built the housing, retail, office building and parking garage that make up the street's commercial development. This 99 year land lease generates a steady annual income. During the late 1980’s, the Arts Council built a 28,000 square foot building on the remaining parcel of land on Audubon Street, which it sold as condominiums to the Community Foundation and Artspace (eventually purchased from Artspace by ACES Educational Center for the Arts), retaining 5,000 square feet for its own offices.

In 1996, the Council commissioned Wolf and Associates to conduct a cultural pre-planning process in preparation for the creation of a New Haven Regional Cultural Plan, a collaborative effort to create a sustainable cultural community.   While the Regional Cultural Plan was underway, the Arts Council provided administrative support to the organization. This effort mobilized the corporate, civic, educational and philanthropic communities to address issues such as the growth and development of arts, assurance of full participation, advancement of arts education, economic stabilization of arts organizations and carrying out of comprehensive marketing and facilities plans. In 2002, the Arts Council adopted the goals of the plan to position New Haven as the creative center of Connecticut. The Greater New Haven Stabilization Project was launched as an outcome of the plan. This important program leads major arts and cultural organizations through a rigorous process to learn new management and fiscal skills, helping them increase working capital and invest in infrastructure.