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Agency staff and clients say...
"When I walk into a room I've never ever been into, I look around and see what's in it. If there's lots of art I feel wanted. If there isn't, I feel lonely."
- Fifth grade student, Paige Academy, art recipient
"Both times I was arrested, my mom would never come to visit me. She'd always send someone else to pay my bail and see where I was. But she came here, and she saw this painting (Difficult Decision by Fay Chandler) - and then she came back the next week. She sat at the table, and just looked at that painting. And we talked. I was shocked. I still can't believe it."
- Wanda, resident, McGrath House, art recipient
"A couple paintings can do wonders to change people's attitudes."
- Brenda O'Donnell, house manager, McGrath House
"Every time someone comes into the space to interview for a job, they get the sense that the organization respects them in a way other human services agencies don't. It helps us in our recruiting, which is critical in today's hiring environment. Morale is very important; we need to retain staff, to provide stability for our elderly clients."
- Dale Mitchell, executive director, Ethos
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Artists say...
"It's hard to let go for the first time. They're like your children."
- Fay Chandler
"I love the fact that people are enjoying my work, that they are talking to the paintings and the paintings are talking back to them! It's certainly a project where everybody wins."
- Suzanne Hodes, artist
"I get great satisfaction out of seeing my work in places where people can enjoy it. If you are an artist and you have a body of work you'd like to contribute and place somewhere, then The Art Connection is the place for you… The Art Connection makes the contacts and then follows through on all the details…"
- David Shapiro, artist
"The Art Connection makes use of waiting rooms and places where people are forced to take time away from their busy lives, for these spaces allow the artwork to be given the consideration and thought it deserves."
- Maria Termini, artist
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Boston's smallest cultural treasures… include …The Art Connection."
- The Boston Foundation:
Funding for Cultural Organizations in Boston
and Nine Other Metropolitan Areas, 2003
"If you can't bring the children to the museums, you need to bring the museums to the children."
- Bill Walczak, CEO, Codman Square Health Center
"The Art Connection is a vital demonstration of the generosity and social commitment of artists who know that works of art fire the imagination, inspire possibilities, and simply make better the landscape for all kinds of living. Sharing their works of art, these artists are in active dialogue with audiences too frequently omitted from the conversation.
- Jessica Hoffmann Davis, author and former director
Program for the Arts at the Harvard University School
of Education
"Artists don't work in a vacuum. Visual artists, no less than performers, need an audience for their work. The Art Connection is a win-win situation for artists and recipients."
- Jane Alexander, Actress and former director, NEA
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"Although my main interest in the arts is music, Fay Chandler's vision of The Art Connection appeals to me because of the simplicity and generosity of its mission. First are agencies who in turn are given the opportunity to choose the art that fits their needs. Non-profits then give artists the opportunity to show their work. All of this generosity benefits both artist and agency! The Art Connection is a conduit that enables a dedicated group of artists to bring new concepts and imaginings into the lives of many others. I'm proud to support this program."
- Anna Marie Svedrofsky, leadership donor since 1997
"Sculptures and paintings exist to be seen - and we need to see more of them, and in more places. Artists themselves aren't always able to take care of the works they produce. And what happens when the works they produce outlive them? Who will take care of these works of art then? I think what's remarkable about The Art Connection is that it's the first institution I know of that's organized to deal with these questions. It helps make the connections between artists and the people who care about art. I think anyone who cares about the arts should be grateful that it exists."
- Lloyd Schwartz, Pulitzer Prize winning music critic and poet
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