The City of Danbury, Connecticut welcomes you to experience our culture and Art. Take a look around and feel free to stop by any time.
Just a few of the things to do in Danbury. Sync to the link for the Complete Calendar.
Always something happening in Danbury.
Richter Association for the Arts
Blue River Jazz Band
Sunday, October 13th, at 3:00pm.
INDOOR PERFORMANCE
The Blue River Jazz Band play America’s traditional, classic, “hot” jazz and swing music from the early 20th century.
The band features fabulous music from New Orleans, along with songs written and made famous by great jazz artists like Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lester Young, Fats Waller and much, much more.
The 20’s are here! Music of the “Roaring 20s” for “Great Gatsby” themed weddings, birthday parties and the like, as well as classic swing dances, are certainly a specialty of The Blue River Jazz Band.
Led by Chris Coulter, the band performs in several combinations of instrumentation (duo, trio, quartet, quintet, and classic sextet).
Danbury’s first Poet Laureate
Cheryl Panosian
The Danbury Cultural Commission, for more than 50 years, has conducted a poetry contest among the high school age students in the City. As a way to capitalize on the growth of poetry in our world the City has selected the first Poet Laureate for Danbury.
Full details can be found here - DanburyArts.com/Poet-Laureate.
![DRM Sign[2].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/51d980d7e4b0a0494bc477bc/1592866715541-1ROL3LNKHONPT70EOXUW/DRM+Sign%5B2%5D.jpg)
The Danbury Railway Museum
is located in the heart of Danbury, Connecticut. The fully restored Union station, built in 1903, houses a collection of historically significant artifacts and a research library covering railroading’s rich heritage in New England and the northeast United States. Just behind the station is an extensive rail yard, featuring over 60 pieces of historic railroad equipment and rolling stock. The Museum and rail yard are open year-round. Family-friendly rides aboard our historic trains are offered every weekend between April and December, and special event trains are operated for Easter, Autumn, and Christmas. Welcome aboard!
Greater Danbury Irish Cultural Center & Foundation
Greater Danbury Irish Cultural Center 6 Lake Avenue Danbury, CT 06810
Part of the Greater Danbury Irish Cultural Center & Foundation collection
FRIENDS OF THE DANBURY LIBRARY
We're passionate about helping our library inform and enrich our community!
THE FRIENDS' LITTLE RED HOUSE BOOK STORE at 15 MAIN STREET, DANBURY regular hours are:
EVERY THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY
10:00 AM TO 3:00 PM
Friends of the Danbury Library Little Red House Book Store will be accepting book donations either in their grey bin or by appointment.
Celebrating Charles Ives at 150
Limited seating at some events. Be sure to reserve your free seats now.
More than a week of celebration
Local and International stars
Reserve your seats NOW
The Danbury Museum and the Danbury Music Centre are incredibly proud to present five days of special performances, tours, and events--all of them FREE of charge--celebrating Charles Ives, Connecticut's State Composer, winner of the 1947 Pulitzer Prize, and the Father of Modern American music. We invite you to join us and be part of this special musical celebration with local, national, and international artists.
Events include tours of the Ives homestead, a walking tour of where he lived, downtown, an Ives concert in the Ives birthplace, William Harvey performing an Ives Sonata, Master classes and performance by Louise Bessette, and the Danbury Symphony in performance in the Ives Auditorium at WCSU.
And in case you want more the Stanley L. Richter Association for the Arts holds their concert on October 27th.
There is a lot of interesting and important details about this celebration week. Please sync to the link https://charlesives150.org/ and make your reservations to participate.
This is a big deal. It will NEVER happen again. Don't miss it
These events are partially funded by the Danbury Cultural Commission.
The Charles Ives Birthplace
2024 marks the 150th birthday of Charles Ives! Thanks to the incredible generosity of Savings Bank of Danbury, the Charles Ives Birthplace is re-opening for tours!
We're excited for you to visit and learn more about Danbury's Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, maverick, and the father of American classical music.
And take the other historic buildings tour
The Danbury Museum Main Street campus is home to four historic buildings: the John & Mary Rider House (1785), the John Dodd Hat Shop (1790), the Little Red Schoolhouse, and the Marian Anderson Studio. The tour lasts roughly 1 hour, please note that these buildings are NOT air conditioned.
Book your tour for 1pm Fridays or Saturdays on Eventbrite.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Danbury Concert Association
The Danbury Concert Association, a 501(c)(3) organization with a volunteer board and officers, brings professional music to area audiences in cooperation with the music department of Western Connecticut State University.
The ‘24-‘25 Season begins September 22 and the autumn series continues on October 20. The Spring concerts will be March 16 , 2025 and June 7, 2025.
Concerts are usually Sunday at 3:00 in the Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Ave Ext, Danbury, Connecticut.
Subscribe now!
Enjoy the four-concert series for $70 per adult (when purchased by August 20, 2024) or $80 thereafter.
Order by mail exclusively
Send your check along with this printable order form or the tear-off form in our series brochure to our post office box.
Purchase single tickets online
Tickets to individual concerts are $25 per adult, available exclusively from Eventbrite
or at the VPAC box office. Tickets will go on sale 4 weeks before each concert date
Admission is free for 18 and under
Courtesy of a grant from the Danbury Cultural Commission. Advance reservations are required via Eventbrite, wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com.
The Center for Performing and Visual Arts in Danbury
The Richter House renovation project is complete. Many improvements were made Richter House is available for use for project this autumn.
Charles Ives 150th Birthday
Our friends at the Danbury Museum and the Danbury Music Centre are working together to create multiple days of celebration focused on honoring Charles Ives on the occasion of his 150th birthday, this October 20th, 2024. Full details may be seen at the Charles Ives website, https://charlesives150.org
Richter Arts will host a Charles Ives celebratory concert on Sunday, October 27, at 3:00pm. Details.
Danbury Multi-media Arts Gallery
The 2022 gallery is Complete.
What is the Gallery?
The Danbury Multimedia Arts Gallery is meant to showcase the talents of those in the Greater Danbury Area. Our goal is to give a platform for artists of all skill levels an opportunity to provide exposure for local artists. This Gallery is made possible by the Danbury Cultural Commission.
The theme of this Gallery is Nostalgia.
To view the gallery Click Danbury Multimedia Arts Gallery 2022 from the menu above.
Ives Concert Park
Tucked away in a lush oasis of natural beauty on Danbury’s west side, Ives Concert Park hosts world-renowned artists in a wide variety of music and theater genres. Named for famed local composer Charles Edward Ives, the venue pays tribute to its storied roots in classical music while acknowledging the ongoing evolution of the art of live performance
Stay safe everyone!
There is a Go Fund Me memorial fund in honor of Eric Lewis and his wonderful wife, Katherine Dorn Lewis. As many of you know, Eric was an extraordinarily gifted musician and beautiful human being who inspired and touched the lives of countless students and fellow artists. He was a beloved professor, husband, brother, father, grandfather and uncle. Anyone who met him would instantly recognize his warm heart, empathy, and resounding passion for music and world peace. Many know that Eric's legacy as a violinist and teacher is a truly incredible one:
Born in the Bronx to Robert and Lillian Lewis, he was educated at the Manhattan School of Music. He was a founding member and first violinist of the Manhattan String Quartet for 45 years and toured the world extensively with them. The quartet played the role of cultural ambassador to the USSR after glasnost, and was the first American quartet to play Shostakovich in Russia. The quartet's recordings of the full Shostakovich cycle were highly acclaimed, the group being described as a "national treasure" by Time Magazine. The quartet held many residencies, including Music Mountain. Mr. Lewis was also a founding member of the Prometheus piano quintet. He was Professor of Music at Western Connecticut State University for 35 years, where he was cherished by his students as a passionate and committed teacher who made classical music come alive. He was involved in the founding of the Ives Center in Danbury, CT and many other initiatives to enrich the local culture. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son Jamie Lewis, grandson's Xavier and Jaxon Lewis, his brother Roy and his wife Maggie, his ex-wife Judith Glyde, and many nieces and nephews.
American Theater Wing
Jonathan Larson Grants
Applications for the 2024 Jonathan Larson Grants are now open! Please click here to start a submission. The deadline to submit is EXTENDED TO Sunday, October 13th at 11:59PM ET.
The Jonathan Larson Grant is an unconditional annual investment in individual talent. The grant is awarded to musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists, or writing teams, early in their career, to support artistic endeavors and safeguard long-term music writing careers.
Grants at CT Humanities
CT Humanities offers a wide variety of grant lines to support strong humanities projects and the institutions that offer them.
Deadlines
Nov 1: Quick Grants $250-$4,999
Nov 1: Planning Grants $5,000-$25,000
Nov 1: Implementation Grants $5,000-$35,000
Nov 1: Capacity Grants $1,500-$9,999
Local community grants are awarded through an open application process
The Grant process is open
Local Community grants range from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $5,000.
Eligible nonprofit organizations must operate on the local level
Click the logo for complete details
2022 was the 125th birthday of Marian Anderson
Find out a little about this Danbury resident, World famous contralto, and the only lifetime member of the Danbury Cultural Commission.
Click to the link from the above menu or on the photo.
128 EAST LIBERTY STREET, SUITE 3, DANBURY, CT, 06810
The Gallery at Still River Editions is open 8:30 am - 5 pm Monday through Friday, and during posted hours for special events.
We will be closed for summer break July 29th through August 2nd.
Current Exhibition
The Saugatuck Cosmology photographs by Bill gore
October 5 - December 20, 2024
Free and open to the public
Upcoming Exhibition
TBD The Gallery does not accept unsolicited submissions at this time.
Trailer Box Project
at Trailer Box Project in Bethel, Conn.
Gallery Open by Appointment
(203) 797 0230
Welcome to the 2023 Richter Arts Member Art Show
Richter Arts thanks all the artists for participating in the Member Art Show.
There were 42 entries!
Once again, thank you all so much. It put a big plus toward Richter Arts.
Betty Clark - Visual Arts Chairperson
Arline Corcoran - Visual Arts Co - Chairperson
The Artist
Hub
The Artist Hub CT is for practicing and aspiring Teaching Artists to network and share experiences through workshops, panel discussions, observations, coaching, symposiums, mentorship & more. Click the image for more…
The Palace Danbury
Your downtown destination for music, theatre, comedy, film and more.
FREE ONSITE PARKING FOR PATRONS DURING EVENTS
Questions? Call The Box Office at (203) 794-9944 between 1-5 PM daily
Performance art
The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) is working towards a fulltime telework plan to promote social distancing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, we are available to you through email and telephone and encourage you to contact us. A list of COA staff can be found here.
From Connecticut Office of the Arts
Federal Funding Update
Beginning in April 2022, all organizations applying for funding from the Connecticut Office of the Arts will be required to have a Unique Entity ID (UEI) from SAM.gov in alignment with requirements from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Individuals applying for Connecticut Office of the Arts funding do not need to create a SAM UEI.
The federal government is transitioning from the use of Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) generated by Dun and Bradstreet to a new Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through the SAM.gov system as the primary identifier. This transition is a federal, government-wide initiative and the new SAM UEI is required of state, regional, and local agencies, along with nonprofit organizations who receive federal funding. The new SAM UEI is also required of subgrantees of state, regional, and local agencies.
Reopening Guidelines for performing arts venues have been updated.
Effective Wednesday, August 7, performing arts venues may operate at 100% capacity with spacing and can sell concessions/food. Local Mask requirements apply. Please note that this is dependent on continued stability of COVID-19 metrics.
For more information on Connecticut's Reopening Guidelines, visit www.ct.gov.
Looking for some guidance on how to proceed in these novel times?
Click on the link to the State Connecticut’s Arts & Culture Industry Guidelines for Operating During COVID-19
If you have a COA grant to support a program or event taking place during this time of increased concern, be aware that we will allow you to postpone and reschedule and will, if necessary, extend the grant funding period.
Be sure to contact the manager of the grant program via email to alert them to the change.
Regional Initiative Grants, Supporting Arts in Place and CT Arts Endowment: Rhonda Olisky
Arts Project Grants, Artist Fellowship and ARTE-accesible: Tamara Dimitri
Arts Learning Grants: Bonnie Koba
Directed Local Funds: Lu Rivera
Arts Workforce Initiative: Brianna Walston Regine
Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut
Business Owners & Event Operators
Consider requiring customer or attendees to wear a mask in the following settings:
When they are inside an establishment or at a large indoor event or private gathering IF THE SPACE IS NOT DESIGNED FOR CONTINUOUS SOCIAL DISTANCING .
If not specifically required, consider posting signage indicating that unvaccinated customers are required to wear a mask and any customer is invited to wear a mask if they are more comfortable doing so.
When they are inside an establishment or at a large indoor event or private gathering where there is likely to be A MIX OF VACCINATED AND UNVACCINATED PEOPLE (including children younger than 12 years).
At large outdoor events open to the public and/or where LARGE CROWDS ARE EXPECTED and unvaccinated people (including children younger than 12 years) are likely to be in attendance.
Consider requiring employees to wear a mask:
If they are UNVACCINATED OR THEIR VACCINATION STATUS IS UNKNOWN, and they cannot maintain continuous separation from customers or coworkers.
Check it out, the full video for the #discoverDanbury campaign! www.danbury-ct.gov www.discoverdanbury.LIVE
Happy 2023 from the Make Music Day Family!
Make Music Day organizers from four continents have created a 1-minute song with our wishes for the new year, led by Eren Tokgoz of Make Music Turkey with contributors from Pakistan, Isle of Man, the United States, and Peru.
Danbury’s 6th Year
Check https://makemusicday.org/danbury/ for details and to participate.
And thanks to the Make Music Danbury Coordinator:
John Fazio Jr., Musician, at www.Johnfaziojr.com and CEO Entertainmycrowd.com Local, Trusted, Entertainer Booking
It doesn't just make sense to have live music at your establishment…
it makes dollars!
The Connecticut Ballet has been working and performing in Danbury for a good number of years. While their school program and outdoor performances at the Ives Concert park were curtailed this past year, here is a sample of their work.
“OUTSIDE THE BOX”
In Fall of 2017, Mayor Boughton asked local artists and graphic designers to submit draft proposals for consideration in the City’s Traffic Box Art Program. A selection committee chose 7 artists for our first round of 9 traffic boxes. Art was prepped by Merritt Big Color and placed on vinyl wrapping for our traffic boxes.
“Downtown Danbury represents the vibrancy of our city and our community. By partnering with our local residents for this project, we attempt to capture that vibrancy in a new, unique, and artistic way,” said Mayor Boughton. “Our call to artists brought in folks of all ages who live in and around Danbury, to team up with the City and bring this special public art project to life in downtown. We hope you will take a walk through our city center and enjoy these art pieces.”
St. James’ Danbury the oldest carillon in Connecticut and the first carillon made in America