Berlin Arts and Culture Committee Mission
Our mission is to promote, encourage, and increase Berlin’s artistic and cultural landscape.
We believe that arts and culture are an incredible asset to our community, providing economic value, celebrating our community voice, along with supporting a space for the creative community to gather and thrive.
Berlin Arts and Culture Committee Vision
The committee aims to infuse arts into the Berlin civic and cultural experience by:
- Bringing the community together through the arts and culture
- Preserving, enriching, and celebrating the cultural character of the community
- Broadening the role of creativity and the arts within the community
- Providing access to artistic opportunities along with family activity involvement
The Arts and Culture Committee is made possible with the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Arts & Culture Committee is made possible thanks to the
CT Office of the Arts (COA)
The Town of Berlin received a $1000 grant for FY2023. The Berlin Arts & Culture Ad Hoc Committee, advised by Economic Development Director Chris Edge and Berlin-Peck Library Director Carrie Tyszka, oversees and determines the use of the funds and finding creative ways to elevate the arts in Berlin.
Some of the efforts resulted in:
- the purchase of frames for the Berlin Schools “Art in the Community” effort which brings student art into Berlin businesses,
- the purchase of a banner for the Berlin-Peck Library – “Berlin’s Cultural Living Room” funding a Story Walk for the youth portion of the Berlin-Peck Library,
- supporting a local theatre, Berlin High’s Wizard of Oz as well as St. Paul’s Church for their 2025 concert series.
The last effort, which will be a multi-year effort, is the creation of an Arts, Culture & History Walk connecting both ends of Farmington Avenue.
Thanks to a generous donor, there is a beautiful park at one end, 5 benches total (4 from an additional grant) along the walk with art and history displays along the walk planned in 2025 and beyond.
Most recently the Town of Berlin was awarded just over $6,600.00 for FY2024. A BIG CHECK was given (provided by Chris Edge) by Berlin resident and Office of the Arts team member Rhonda Olisky to the Berlin Town Council at their January 21, 2025 Meeting. The Committee met in early February to add two new members (for those who did not come back for 2025) and move ahead with the projects they have determined are important to Berlin.