1200 Albany Avenue
Hartford, CT, 06112
General
The Artists Collective, Inc., initiated by Jackie McLean, the internationally acclaimed alto saxophonist, composer, and educator, is in its 38th year as an interdisciplinary arts and cultural institution serving the Greater Hartford region. As the only multi-arts cultural organization of its kind in Connecticut that emphasizes the cultural and artistic contributions of the African Diaspora, the Artists Collective continues to offer the highest quality training in the performing arts—dance, theater, music and visual arts. In addition, the Collective exposes students and the community at large to great and too often overlooked artists of the past and present. “Skills for Living” and educational workshops are an integral component of the After School Program, Rite of Passage-Yaboo Ceremony, Summer Youth Employment Training Program, and a special programs in conjunction with St. Francis Hospital for children with Sickle Cell Anemia. Since its inception, 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. Jazz greats, new emerging musicians, nationally recognized dance and theater companies and gospel artists, as well as visual artists and lectures by national recognized historians comprise the Collective’s special events programs.