Celebrate! West Hartford's 25th Anniversary Kicks Off with Art Show

Celebrate! West Hartford is perennially one of the most popular events of the year in town, eagerly anticipated by young and old alike. This year marks the 25th anniversary celebration, and organizers have launched a countdown to the event with a series of community projects.

The celebration will culminate with the traditional weekend packed with events on June 11-12 on the grounds of .

The kick-off to Celebrate! West Hartford is an art show focusing on West Hartford's neighborhoods. Artist Nancy Hoffman has already been awarded Best of Show in that juried art exhibit, now on display in the Town Hall Lobby. Residents are invited to cast votes for their favorites, and the top three choices will be awarded honorable mentions. Votes can be cast through June 10.

"The Celebrate committee has teamed up with some community groups to organize several creative projects during the 25 days leading up to the 25th Celebrate! West Hartford," said Jim Capodiece, Director, in a release.

The exhibit was coordinated by the , and Executive Director Roxanne Stachelek selected the work of 25 artists to be included in the show. More than 50 people attended the show's opening on May 18.

According to Celebrate! West Hartford Coordinator Helen Rubino-Turco, the art has been getting a very positive response from members of the public as they walk into Town Hall. Town employee Gail West, who works at the Customer Service desk in the lobby, said, "I wish we could have this art up all year round. Pat Werle, who also works at the Customer Service desk, said, "I feel like I'm sitting in my living room."

Town Manager Ron Van Winkle, who attended the opening of the art show, appreciated the focus of the art show as a positive way to highlight the town's neighborhoods, and he thanked the West Hartford Art League and the Celebrate! West Hartford Committee for their cooperative effort.

In a release, Van Winkle said, "The art displayed in the Town Hall atrium is another example of the Art League's effort to bring more art to the public spaces."

For more information, visit the websites of Celebrate! West Hartford and the West Hartford Art League.