NYC is one of the best places in the world to experience art in its varying forms. ArtsConnection, an organization that recognizes the importance of arts education, has provided access to the arts in NYC public schools since 1979. Now operating as a full educational partner, the program held a benefit event earlier this month in NYC. They raised nearly one million dollars with benefit tickets, donations, and a silent auction.
Rachel Watts, ArtsConnection’s executive director, emphasized how much young adults need arts education, especially in their younger years. Watts doesn’t believe young people should find art only outside of school; it should be included in their education the same way a fine art credit is needed to obtain certain college degrees. “The impact of what we do with young people, it’s just so meaningful and powerful,” said Watts. “Every time I go to a school, I’m like, ‘I’m drinking the Kool-Aid’—I’m just in love with all of it.”
ABC7’s Sandra Bookman, hostess of the benefit event, shared how she loved everything this organization has done in its 45 years. “Without ArtsConnection, thousands of young people every year would not have the arts as a part of their education,” said Bookman. “In fact, since 1979, the organization has impacted the lives of more than three million students.” The young artists, the adult allies, and the generous supporters help make the arts important to the young people a part of the organization.
A study by the National Endowment for the Arts concluded students engaged in arts education demonstrate higher academic performance, with 63.8% of them earning mostly A grades compared to 43.7% of non-arts students. Watts revels in ArtsConnection working with public schools, grades K through 12, in all five boroughs teaching all art forms. “The arts are about helping young people learn to think creatively, learn to think independently, learning how to problem solve, learning how to work with others—those are things you need to be a fully functioning human being,” said Watts. With all the positive influences, ArtsConnection gladly welcomed alums and their art to join their 2024 benefit event. One alum who was thrilled to see Watts and enjoy the evening was Antonio Pulgarín.
“I got introduced to ArtsConnection when I was about 11 years old,” said Pulgarín. The 35-year-old artist with a Colombian background is grateful for the organization’s African dance program years prior, which helped him gain confidence. “That program was an incredible moment for me, to be empowered about my body image as a young person, also being empowered through the arts.” He was also an English language learner at that age, eventually learning English from art. ArtsConnection’s teen art program helped Pulgarín exhibit his photography, which he felt was essential to his being an artist today. “Now, I’ve been able to exhibit my work around the world.”
Brenika Banks photos
ArtsConnection Executive Director Rachel Watts and alum Antonio Pulgarín reconnecting. 
Antonio Pulgarín posing with his work at ArtsConnection’s June 2024 benefit event. 
Antonio Pulgarín’s photographic collage, “Pa La Playa Vamos,” at ArtsConnection’s June 2024 benefit event. 
ABC7’s Sandra Bookman hosting at ArtsConnection’s June 2024 benefit event. 
ArtsConnection Executive Director Rachel Watts speaking at their June 2024 benefit event.
Pulgarín mentioned Latina actress Zoë Saldana’s team discovering his work. He eventually met her five years ago, and Saldana now owns a few of his creations. “It’s been this whirlwind,” said Pulgarín. His photographic collage, “Pa La Playa Vamos,” meaning “to the beach we go,” was on display at the benefit event. In this piece, he aims to take the power back from the overfetishization of Latino men. “I’m dealing with an archive of images from the late ‘90s, early 2000s where a lot of Latinx cis male bodies were being fetishized, in weird, printed media,” said Pulgarín. He’s creating and incorporating cultural patterns that speak for the culture while stripping away the white, fetishized lens imposed on Latino men. “A lot of it is, I’m creating a counter archive and reimagining what these images could look like in today’s time.”
Pulgarín expressed being forever grateful for a program like ArtsConnection, “from teaching artists, the administrative team, everything that goes into building this. And I think being a part of that legacy [in] any capacity, it’s an honor.”
Robert Michelin was another successful alum present at the event. “I joined ArtsConnection when I was nine years old at P.S. 130,” said Michelin. This Brooklyn elementary school had a band that piqued Michelin’s interest in becoming a drummer. “It was the first time that I ever had a Black music teacher—he had deep, rhythmic sensibility, sense of community, sense of pride,” said Michelin. “He was a good person to meet at that time.” Now a principal at Gotham Professional Arts Academy in Brooklyn, Michelin’s journey from elementary school to being a musician in college was possible because of ArtsConnection. “And now, full circle, my daughter’s in ArtsConnection. It’s amazing,” said Michelin. “It’s a testament to the public school system committing to ArtsConnection, and ArtsConnection committing to the public school system.”
Principal Michelin aims to be an inspiration to his students by helping them navigate life without imposter syndrome. He envisions that when his students “leave my school with that sense of ownership along with their ability to navigate art spaces,” he has done an excellent job. Michelin spoke very highly of Watts, referring to her as “brilliant at recognizing the talents in people.” He described Watts as “perfect” for her position and credited her for “building a capacity inside ArtsConnection for it to grow sustainably.” Michelin added, “As someone who is advocating for kids in the city, I don’t want to know an ArtsConnection without Rachel Watts in it.”
ArtsConnection programming continues with their “exclusively summer” program during July called “Map Free City.” This is a FREE summer program for NYC teens to explore arts across the city.
For more information, please visit www.artsconnection.org.