"Boston's smallest cultural treasures… include …The Art Connection." The Boston Foundation: Funding for Cultural Organizations in Boston and Nine Other Metropolitan Areas, 2003
"When I walk into a room I've never ever been into, I look around and see what's in it. If there's lots of art I feel wanted. If there isn't, I feel lonely." Fifth grade student, Paige Academy
"What a difference the art makes! It helps us in our mission to provide a sense of permanency for our residents." Margaret Movelle, director of development, Committee to End Elder Homelessness
"It's hard to let go for the first time. They're like your children." Fay Chandler, founder of The Art Connection, on donating art
"The Art Connection is a vital demonstration of the generosity and social commitment of artists who know that works of art fire the imagination, inspire possibilities, and simply make better the landscape for all kinds of living. Sharing their works of art, these artists are in active dialogue with audiences too frequently omitted from the conversation. Jessica Hoffmann Davis, Board of Directors of The Art Connection, author, and former director, Program for the Arts at the Harvard University School of Education
"The fact that we're a hospice doesn't mean we only talk about death. The art provides something to talk about for all our patients and their families. Most patients here are confined to their rooms, and their families are confined as well. The donated art provides something to focus on, and helps create a nicer environment. The art makes the rooms seem homey. Having something nice on the wall gives the patients something to look at and think about." Maryanne Sullivan, interim director, Chilton House
"The art is comforting, soothing. The first time our clients see me, they are very nervous. Having the art here brings the anxiety level down." Bob Donahue, intake coordinator, New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans
"Both times I was arrested, my mom would never come to visit me. She'd always send someone else to pay my bail and see where I was. But she came here, and she saw this painting (Difficult Decision by Fay Chandler) - and then she came back the next week. She sat at the table, and just looked at that painting. And we talked. I was shocked. I still can't believe it." Wanda, resident, McGrath House
"Art not only makes the workplace a more pleasant environment, it affirms and makes more meaningful the important work that we do. It shows our staff and clients that Ethos respects and values them." Dale Mitchell, Executive Director, Ethos
"A lot of people who live here never leave the building. Many of the paintings they chose are landscapes. I often see residents sitting and looking at those paintings. It's like they are able to travel, without leaving the building…The art has changed the whole attitude; instead of just a room, now it's their living room." Sharon Marcelle, Property Manager, Manning Apartments
"The artwork lifts our spirits and those of the women we serve. It will continue to touch others for many years to come." Elizabeth Costa, administrative manager of RESPOND, Inc.
"Some of my favorite responses to the pictures have been nonverbal, as the children themselves have realized that their portraits are hanging on the wall, larger than life size. The just point and look amazed!" Candace Chang, Director, Bay Cove Small Wonders
"If you can't bring the children to the museums, you need to bring the museums to the children." Bill Walczak, CEO, Codman Square Health Center
"I will have to be satisfied with telling you we are forever changed, as I trust are the donating artists, several of whom I have met and whose stories now converge with our own in their desires for their art to find a good home and ours to provide an appreciative audience for their prized originals." Michael Mancusi, Vice President, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center
"Their bond that day - our bond - was not about pain or grief. It was instead grounded in the determination to make the new space special and welcoming for those who would follow us there. The Art Connection gave us the chance to fill that space with serenity and comfort. To put its occupants at ease and reassure them that they are with friends." Kara Hayes, Director, Victim Witness Assistance Program
"Fine art reveals creativity, imagination, beauty, emotional involvement and intellectual stimulation to all who see it. This is the kind of benefit that says to all our stakeholders, ‘We value you, we appreciate your efforts in treatment and recovery.' The chronically under-resourced public health sector cannot offer luxurious environments, but through donated art, we can help provide a setting that encourages healing and wellness." Carolyn Ingles, Director of Support Services, Metro Boston Mental Health at Shattuck Hospital
"This is an amazing mural for our center and [we gained] the opportunity to be part of a truly collaborative and successful project." Susan Goldfarb, Director, Children's Advocacy Center, site of a Pilot Mural Project
"Working within the diversity of our client population [I realized] how much can be captured of an elder's present existence and life from one just one photograph." Staff at Springwell Inc, site of a pilot Photo Project
"Paul [Foley] captured the essence of each person. The images remind us why we are here each day." Kathy Stimson, Springwell, Inc.
"What would be especially significant about having a work of art donated from the original artist through The Art Connection would be the sense of community it fosters. One of our main objectives at On The Rise is to help women transition from surviving on the streets to living in the community. When women know there is a larger community outside of On The Rise that appreciates their worth as human beings and wants them to experience the culture and opportunities the area has to offer, the support we offer is strengthened. That is a very powerful message." Laura Lambert, Director of Development and Communications, On The Rise
"I love the fact that people are enjoying my work, that they are talking to the paintings and the paintings are talking back to them! It's certainly a project where everybody wins." Suzanne Hodes, artist
"If you have a heart, you gotta have art!" Ken Beck, artist
"The Art Connection makes use of waiting rooms and places where people are forced to take time away from their busy lives, for these spaces allow the artwork to be given the consideration and thought it deserves." Maria Termini, artist
"I get great satisfaction out of seeing my work in places where people can enjoy it. If you are an artist and you have a body of work you'd like to contribute and place somewhere, then The Art Connection is the place for you… The Art Connection makes the contacts and then follows through on all the details…" David Shapiro, artist
"It is important to me that my artwork reached appreciative audiences who may have limited opportunities to view original work." Marian Dioguardi, artist
"Part of making art is communicating. Work sitting in a closet is not communicating with anybody." Martha Jane Bradford, artist