Music, poetry and art-making come to downtown Hartford starting May 29 with the Greater Hartford Arts Council’s four-week Art on the Streets festivities, plus two summerlong lunchtime concert series — Pratt Street Patio and Audio Feed, both via the Hartford Business Improvement District.
First up is the annual Art on the Streets, which fills up Pratt Street on Tuesdays (May 29, June 5, 12 and 19); and the State House Square on Thursdays (May 31 and June 7, 14 and 21). The festivities run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The final day, on June 21, coincides with Make Music Day, a nationwide initiative to create music in public places, when free outdoor concerts will be performed all day around the city beginning at 8 a.m.
House Band — made up of Hartt school graduates Mike Carabello on keyboards, Kirk Woodard on drums and Leo Catricala on bass — will perform on Thursdays.
“On top of playing, people are invited to bring their own instruments and jam with them,” says Amanda Roy, the community programs manager for the council.
Passers-by are also welcome to join the Dance Jamboree presented by Caribbean American Dance Co. on May 29 and June 12 and 21. “Anybody who’s courageous enough can jump in,” Roy says.
Vintage Fiyah, a spoken-word poetry collective, will perform on May 29 and June 12 and 19.
Collaborative art-making will take place each day. Anita Balkun of Hartford will lead a postcard-making activity, focusing on the iconic buildings of Hartford, on May 29 and June 5. Melanie Faranello will do “paint a poem,” at which participants can write poems and create paintings on the same paper, on May 31 and June 14 and 19. Elizabeth McNally will lead printmaking sessions on June 7, 14 and 19.
The Hartford Artisans Weaving Center will set up a loom on June 5 and 21, where anyone can help weave a piece of fiber art. The finished piece will be exhibited somewhere in the city afterward, says Roy.
Rebecca Maloney of Manchester will help participants create small paintings on paper on May 31 and June 5 and 12. Maloney is creating a print of one of her works, Roy says, and anyone who donates $100 to the council will receive one of those prints. More details at facebook.com.
Pratt Street Patio
On May 29, the same day Art on the Streets begins, HBID launches its Pratt Street Patio series. From May 29 to Sept. 28, Pratt Street will be closed off to cars on Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tables and chairs will be set up so people can eat outdoors.
Lunchtime concerts will be performed every Thursday at noon. The schedule is May 31, Jeff Burnham; June 7, Glenn Roth; June 14, Tang Sauce; June 21, Jeff Przech; June 28, The Magnetic; July 5, That Virginia; July 12, Xavier Serrano; July 19, Ashley Hamel; July 26, Legalized; Aug. 2, The Lucky Dogs; Aug. 9, Joey Batts; Aug. 16, Tekowa Lakica; Aug. 23, The Shoutbacks; and Aug. 30, Brian Dolzani.
Free Friday-evening activities on the street include a fair sponsored by Business for Downtown Hartford on June 1 from 5 to 7 p.m.; a salsa social presented by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care from 5 to 7 p.m. on June 15, July 6, Aug. 17 and Sept. 7; a performance by Hartford Proud Drill, Drum & Dance Corp. on June 29 from 5 to 7 p.m.; a performance by the dance troupe TNMOT AZTRO on June 29 from 7 to 9 p.m.; a “Hartford Handsome” event on July 27 from 5 to 8 p.m.; a succulent planting workshop on Aug. 10 from 6 to 9 p.m.; a performance by Jake Kulak & The Lowdown on Aug. 31 from 5 to 7 p.m. hartford.com/prattstreetpatio.
Audio Feed
Lunchtime Music Series
Once again, Hartford.com and the HBID offers free live music on Constitution Plaza every Wednesday at noon beginning on June 6 with folk-rock act The Girls From Ruby Falls. Scheduled performers include Among the Acres (June 13); Frank Critelli (June 20); Robert C. Fullerton (June 27); Hannah’s Field (July 11); Chris Cavaliere (July 18); Belle of the Fall (July 25); 1974 acoustic (Aug. 1); Farewood (Aug. 8); Pat Stone (Aug. 15); Seth Adam (Aug. 22); and Jason Ingriselli (Aug. 29). hartford.com/audiofeed.
