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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | August 29, 2022 23 Ann Zucker, a partner in the Stamford office of law firm Carmody, Torrance, Sandak & Hennessey who specializes in the nonprofit sector, said many arts insti- tutions in the Northeast are putting a major emphasis on marketing, including the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury and Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. "It's a trend you see in larger cities," Zucker said. "My personal philosophy is that we have some great treasures and we should do our best to share them. The Wadsworth has a reputation for having high-end art and that sort of thing. I know that, over the last decade, they've tried to broaden the market to be more appealing to the community at large." Traditionally, Wadsworth's audience has been white and an older demo- graphic. Brown and Hargraves are hoping to change that via its massive media outreach with advertisements and through social media. They also want collections and exhibits to better reflect and connect to Hartford's population. The Wadsworth made news on the diversity front last year, after its then-board of trustees president made public statements criticizing the museum's alleged lack of diversity. "We know we have to attract new people, a new audience," Brown said. "From a geographic perspective, we are getting more people from within the boundaries of Hartford and that has to continue." The museum is on a strong foot- hold in terms of both attendance and financially, Brown said. With the return of school children and special tours, he said he expects attendance to reach near pre-pan- demic levels (about 100,000 visitors annually) in 2022. The Wadsworth – which has about 100 full- and part-time employees – had $163.6 million in net assets at the end of its 2021 fiscal year, which ran through June 30, 2021, according to its latest annual report. In addi- tion, it has a $10.5 million annual budget, of which about one-third is from philanthropic support. The rest comes from earned income, individual donations, foundation grants and government support. In fiscal 2021, the Wadsworth had a $4.3 million operating surplus. Brown said the museum will be undertaking programs to increase "our membership ranks, as well as broadening our donor pool beyond greater Hartford into surrounding areas of Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts." Diversity efforts One of the keys to its diversity efforts is the hiring of the 34-year-old Hemat, who is serving as the Hartford Healthcare Curatorial Fellow. HHC, the region's largest health system, is paying $20,000 annually for the next three years, to fund part of his salary. Hemat earned his undergraduate fine arts degree from Kabul University in Afghanistan, where he received training in traditional arts, calligraphy and oil paintings. He also received a master's degree in visual arts from Kabul University, and attended the University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia. Part of Hemat's Wadsworth role will be to showcase the diverse art collections within the museum. He will also work with museum staff to address and promote accessibility to diverse audiences. "He will help us increase the diver- sity of what is shown here," Brown said of Hemat, who signed the contract for his new post on Aug. 12. "We have much more of our collection (stored within the museum) that is non-Eu- ropean and non-Western. We've got incredible collections of Asian art and African art, pre-Columbian art and Native American art and much more. Many of these pieces of art have not been seen for a very long time." Gerry Lupacchino, HHC's senior vice president for human experience and the Wadsworth's board president, said Hartford HealthCare decided to help fund Hemat's position to promote both the arts and diversity. "Hartford Health- Care has not only always supported the arts, but we have a very strong focus in terms of health equity, diversity, inclusion, engagement and access," Lupacchino said. "As we look to increase diversity and representation throughout both the board and Wadsworth staff, we thought it would be really great if we could develop and grow talent within our system that comes from the (Black, indigenous and people of color) population." Hargraves said increasing diversity of the museum's collections, exhibits and programming is essential moving forward. "We want the museum to be somewhere that everyone can feel welcome and where they can feel that we share their interest and that what we show reflects their experi- ence," Hargraves said. "That means increasing the diversity of our collec- tions. It also means not abandoning the past, but, at times, reinterpreting it and increasing the number of voices we can show." Upcoming diverse exhibits and collections include art featuring Anika Noni Rose through Sept. 18. The exhibit celebrates the Bloomfield native, who is an actor and singer and was the first Black movie lead for Disney. The exhibit celebrates her achievements and contributions to Black cultural history. In addition, the Wadsworth will celebrate the life of American aboli- tionist Frederick Douglass with an exhibition to be shown from May 2023 to Labor Day 2023. Ann Zucker Gerry Lupacchino What better banking's all about sm . westfieldbank.com Member FDIC Having a vision for your business is great. Adding our insight? Commercial Lending Term Loans n Lines of Credit n Commercial Real Estate Loans n Letters of Credit n SBA Loans You don't just want a loan. You want solid advice from an experienced business banker. You want a fair rate, flexible terms, and local decisions by a bank that's invested in your community and your success. 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