Our Generous Supporters

In September 2008, the former Artisans Center at Oak Hill was closed. Due to the vision of our executive director, Frances Curran, and the generosity of our landlord, Henry Zachs, the Handweavers Guild of CT and our large group of volunteers, we were able to reopen as the New Hartford Artisans Weaving Center at 40 Woodland Street in Hartford. Now in our third year, we have been blessed to receive generous support from the following foundations and individuals.

Henry M. Zachs - Our very generous landlord. Mr. Zachs’ community involvement has included serving as president of the Greater Hartford Jewish Federation, and as a director of the United Way. Recently, Zachs has been named recipient of the Harold Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education Lay Leader Award for 2009 by the Hebrew High School of New England. In 2008, the National Conference for Community and Justice awarded Zachs its Human Relations Award, recognizing high standards of responsible citizenship and leadership in promoting principles of tolerance and understanding within diverse communities.
City Of Hartford - Community Development Block Grant are federal entitlement funds that are allocated to City departments and community-based organizations throughout the City, to rebuild and revitalize Hartford’s neighborhoods and support its low and moderate-income residents.

Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation, administered by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Beatrice Fox Auerbach was as well known for her philanthropy and community involvement as she was for her business acumen. She established the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation to aid charitable and educational organizations in Connecticut and Hartford in particular. We are very grateful to have a computer-assisted weaving loom in our studios, which allows our blind artisans weaver intricate patterns as easily as our sighted weavers. The Auerbach's Foundation generous donation was used to purchase this loom.

Eugene G. & Margaret M. Blackford Memorial Fund was established in 1981 to support and promote quality educational, human services, and health care programming for the blind or visually impaired.
J. Walton Bissell Foundation focuses its grantmaking on higher and secondary education, hospitals, youth agencies, care of the elderly, aid to the blind, and encouragement of the arts
William and Alice Mortensen Foundation is known for its generous support of arts groups and human services organizations in the Greater Hartford area.
Kathryn McDonald Family Trust - One of the goals of the McDonald Family trust is to assist in alleviating the difficulties faced by persons who are blind or visually impaired, as well as to provide hope and opportunity for such persons.
The Mabel F Hoffman Charitable Trust was established in 1969 to support and promote quality educational, human services, and health care programming for underserved populations.
Anthony F. Bauer Foundation provides grants to charitable organizations meeting the needs of visually impaired and handicapped individuals.
Joseph S Stackpole Charitable Trust supports and promotes quality educational and human services programming for underserved populationsto residents of Hartford County, CT
George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation supports and promotes quality educational, cultural, human services, and health care programming for underserved populations in Connecticut.
Greater Hartford Arts Council is a 39-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to funding and promoting the arts throughout the Greater Hartford region. With their support, the weaving center artisans will participate in a month-long project entitled "All about Weaving in Twill."
CT Board of Education and Services for the Blind (BESB) provides quality educational and rehabilitative services to all people who are legally blind or deaf-blind and children who are visually impaired at no cost to our clients or their families.
Handweavers Guild of CT - Founded in 1948, The Handweavers' Guild of Connecticut invites handweavers, spinners and other fiber artists from all levels of experience to exchange ideas and share knowledge, to encourage and educate, to stimulate creativity and to challenge their abilities in fiber art techniques. Last December, members of our guild opened their wallets and purses and gave us enough to buy our insurance, enabling us to open in January 2009
Thomas Beaudet - A master craftsman who keeps our looms running.

There are many individuals who have donated their services and time to get us up and running. This past year, special thanks to John Yeck who kept our looms healthy and did all the photography for our postcard and calendar, to Bob Kolwicz, who made many improvements to our studios and to master Graphic Designer Bob Brooks, who put together our displays at show events. Also to Kathy and Jackie and Diane G, who donated hours and hours of their free time, sewing and finishing our handwovens.

And thanks to all our volunteers and board members for all their ongoing service to the artisans. We couldn't do it without you!

	Our Vendors
•	Jagger Spun
•	LeClerc Looms
•	Lone Star Loom Room
•	Silk City Fibers
•	Southwest Trading Company
•	UKI cotton from Supreme Corp
•	WEBS

Our Generous Supporters

City Of Hartford - Community Development Block Grant are federal entitlement funds that are allocated to City departments and community-based organizations throughout the City, to rebuild and revitalize Hartford’s neighborhoods and support its low and moderate-income residents.

Eugene G. & Margaret M. Blackford Memorial Fund was established in 1981 to support and promote quality educational, human services, and health care programming for the blind or visually impaired.

J. Walton Bissell Foundation focuses its grantmaking on higher and secondary education, hospitals, youth agencies, care of the elderly, aid to the blind, and encouragement of the arts

William and Alice Mortensen Foundation is known for its generous support of arts groups and human services organizations in the Greater Hartford area.

Kathryn McDonald Family Trust - One of the goals of the McDonald Family trust is to assist in alleviating the difficulties faced by persons who are blind or visually impaired, as well as to provide hope and opportunity for such persons.

The Mabel F Hoffman Charitable Trust was established in 1969 to support and promote quality educational, human services, and health care programming for underserved populations.

Anthony F. Bauer Foundation provides grants to charitable organizations meeting the needs of visually impaired and handicapped individuals.

Joseph S Stackpole Charitable Trust supports and promotes quality educational and human services programming for underserved populationsto residents of Hartford County, CT

George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation supports and promotes quality educational, cultural, human services, and health care programming for underserved populations in Connecticut.

Greater Hartford Arts Council is a 39-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to funding and promoting the arts throughout the Greater Hartford region. With their support, the weaving center artisans will participate in a month-long project entitled "All about Weaving in Twill."

CT Board of Education and Services for the Blind (BESB) provides quality educational and rehabilitative services to all people who are legally blind or deaf-blind and children who are visually impaired at no cost to our clients or their families.

Thomas Beaudet - A master craftsman who keeps our looms running.

And thanks to all our volunteers and board members for all their ongoing service to the artisans. We couldn't do it without you!

Our Vendors