Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | DECEMBER 5, 2022 31 ARTS BIZ Left to right: PETER R. PHILLIPS, CFA®, CAIA, Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer; THOMAS BEIRNE III, CFP®, Vice President, Senior Wealth Officer and Business Development Manager; KATHLEEN A. RYAN, Esq., Executive Vice President and Chief Wealth Management Officer; HOLLY M. KNOTT, CFP®, Vice President and Senior Wealth Planning Officer; KIMBERLY I. MCCARTHY, Esq., Senior Vice President and Chief Wealth Client Services Officer; KENT W. GLADDING, CPA, Chief Investment Strategist and Principal Portfolio Manager; BARRY S. PARKS, CTFA, Assistant Vice President and Wealth Planning Officer; PETER J. SECRIST, Senior Vice President, Managing Director and Principal Portfolio Manager Washington Trust Wealth Management® is a registered trademark of The Washington Trust Company, which has licensed its use to its parent, affiliates, and subsidiaries, including Washington Trust Advisors, Inc. Investment products are offered through Washington Trust Wealth Management. Non-deposit investment products are: not deposits; not FDIC insured; not insured by any federal government agency; not guaranteed by the Bank; may go down in value. Write your complete wealth story Living your life well, planning your family's future, and establishing your legacy are goals you set. Our complete approach to wealth combines financial planning, investment management, fiduciary services, banking, and lending to help you get there. Let us work with you to craft a strategy that is actionable and dynamic, continually evolving to address the changes in your life. We provide exceptional proactive and personal service, marshaling the expert resources you require — all with a local, personalized touch. Visit washtrustwealth.com to learn more. United States with 75,000 square feet of exhibition space. It's best known nationally and internation- ally for its collection of European Baroque art, French and Amer- ican impressionist paintings and Hudson River School landscapes. 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 addition, 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. Hargraves concedes that The Wadsworth — like many other well-known arts institutions — has a challenge with diversity that Hemat was brought on to change. "At the moment, if you came to visit us, you would see mostly European and North American works of art," Hargraves said. "Hamid will help us rediscover parts of the collection that we have not given proper attention to; that have been marginalized over time, such as work from Latin America, African collections, Asian collections, Persian and Islamic collections and Native American art." Other Greater Hartford arts insti- tutions, including the New Britain Museum of American Art, are also focused on diversifying their collections and customer base. "Diversity is extremely critical in urban areas like New Britain," said New Britain Museum Associate Curator Lisa Hayes Williams. "It's becoming increasingly evident in recent years that you need more diversity in art in order to be more welcoming. We need to serve our members and share their stories." Williams noted that 42% of New Britain's population is of Latin descent, while 13% are Black and 18% immigrants. "That's a huge demographic, and Hartford – which is even more diverse – is right down the road," Williams said. "In 2017, we under- took a collection analysis looking at all the works in our collections, we really broke it down statisti- cally. We were really shocked to discover how few women artists and artists of color were repre- sented here." Since that time, she said, the museum has initiated rollouts of several exhibits highlighting women artists and artists of color. Hemat said the four main types of art he will focus on short term are floral designs, geometric art, calligraphy and figurative. He said many art-goers might not know, or be aware, that in the Muslim world, those types of art are prevalent. He noted that Iran and Afghanistan offer a treasure trove of figurative art, while Iran and Pakistan stand out for their calligraphy collections. "Travel to these Islamic countries and you will see different dress codes and different works of art from village to village and province to province," said Hemat, adding the often-turbulent history of art in places like Afghanistan dates back hundreds, if not thousands of years. Hemat organized numerous shows, exhibits and collections in Afghanistan with a focus on cultural awareness and the empowerment of women through art and culture.

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