We offer memberships in several categories:

Individual Membership: $50

This is our basic, "it's just me and I want to be a part of it" membership with a discount for one to all events.

Family/Household Membership: $75

This gives a member discount to you and everyone you live with.

Supporter: $100

This demonstrates your commitment to Real Art Ways.

All Family/Household benefits plus:

• Free admission for two to an event
• Recognition in our lobby
• Real Art Ways refrigerator magnet
• Free tickets will be donated to community organizations in your name

Donor: $250

This lets us, and everyone who comes here, know that you care.

All Supporter benefits plus:

• Member discount to all Real Art Ways events for four guests per event
• Free admission for two to two events
• Recognition in lobby and cinema

Sponsor: $500

When we get a $500 donation, we all gather together and let out a cheer!

All the Donor benefits plus:

• Free admission for two to five events
• Recognition in programs, lobby and cinema

Patron: $1,000

This level for people who really, really like us – and it really, really helps!

All Sponsor benefits plus:

• Free admission for you and your guests for one full year

Benefactor: $1000+

Make a REAL difference as a Real Art Ways Benefactor at the $2,500, $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 levels.

Read more about giving at the Benefactor level here.

Visit Real Art Ways' secure pledge page and become a member today!

Memberships are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

• Real Art Ways Members
  
• Greater Hartford Arts Council's United Arts Campaign
  
• Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
  
• Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism
  
• The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
  
• National Endowment for the Arts
  
• The Wallace Foundation
  
• Ford Foundation
  
• United Technologies
  
• Travelers Foundation
  
• Bank of America
  
• Institute of Museum and Library Services
  
• Aetna
  
• Lincoln Financial Group
  
• Edward C. & Ann T. Roberts Foundation
  
• The Polish Cultural Institute
  
• The Trust for Mutual Understanding

Programs at Real Art Ways are made possible with important support from:

• Joseph S. Stackpole Charitable Trust
• Ensworth Charitable Trust
• Alexander A. Goldfarb Memorial Trust
  
• City of Hartford
  
• Hartford Courant Foundation
  
• Larsen Fund
  
• Ellis A. Gimbel Trust
  
• Knox Foundation
  
• New England Foundation for the Arts
  
• The J. Walton Bissell Foundation
  
• Helen M. Saunders Charitable Foundation
  
• Foundation for Contemporary Arts
  
• Fisher Foundation
  
• George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation
  
• Evelyn W. Preston Memorial Trust Fund
  
• NewAlliance Foundation
  
• Polish Cultural Institute (NY)
  
• National Performance Network – Visual Arts Network
  
• Kohn-Joseloff Foundation
  
• F.A. Hesketh & Associates
  
• Northland Investment Corp./Hartford 21
  
• Pullman & Comley LLC
  
• It's Only Natural Restaurant
  
• AM Lithography Inc.

Real Art Ways receives generous in-kind support from:

• Adams Ahearn Sign Solutions
• Keiler & Co.
• Jeff Cowie
• Catherine Blinder
• Michaele's Coffee & Tea, Co.
• Connecticut Urban Legal Initiative.

BUILDING SUPPORT

• City of Hartford/Community Development Block Grants
• City of Hartford/Hartford Economic
• Development Commission
• Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
• Heublein, Inc.
• State of Connecticut

• Fleet Bank
  
• The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation

A Special Thanks to Supporters ($10,000-$24,999) towards the Development of the Arts Center:

• The Hartford Courant Foundation
  
• J. Walton Bissell Foundation
  
• Nicholas & Liz Georgakopoulos
  
• Robinson & Nancy Grover
  
• Janet & Christopher Larsen
  
• Ian & Lynn Stuart

A Special Thanks to Donors ($5,000-$9,999) towards the Development of the Arts Center:

• Anonymous
  
• Ensworth Charitable Trust
  
• George & Grace Long Foundation
  
• Helen M. Saunders Charitable Foundation
  
• Philip & Robin Schonberger
  
• Peter Hirschl & Lisa Silvestri
  
• Alexander A. Goldfarb Memorial Trust
  
• United Technologies
  
• Gary E. West

A Special Thanks for the Generous In-Kind Support of:

• Charney Architects for designing our arts center
  
• East-West Builders for building it
  
• The Trinity College Smart Neighborhood Initiative
  
• Acorn Consulting Engineers
  
• Jim Grant Associates
  
• Hartford Structures
  
• Catherine Blinder
  
• Jeff Cowie
  
• Bobbie Emery & Anne Foss
  
• Paul & Gerry Sciarra
  
• Lisa Silvestri
  
• Frank Marchese
  
• Scott Van Sicklin

VISUAL ARTS BENEFACTOR

• Support the imagination, innovation, and creativity of artists through exhibitions in one of the country’s most successful alternative spaces
• Stimulate dialogue, interaction, free expression, and exchange of ideas

Visual Arts benefactors are invited to meet artists and curators at four private benefactor receptions per year

FILM BENEFACTOR

• Support Real Art Ways’ Cinema, a film festival year round, showcasing international and independent films seven nights a week
• Contribute to special programming, including meet-the-filmmaker nights, Family Fest, film discussions, and Film Fieldtrips for students and seniors

Film benefactors are invited to host their own private cinema
party to screen a film of their choice each year

EDUCATION BENEFACTOR

• Support children’s access to the arts and educational enrichment
• Provide for hands-on programs like ParkArt, Family Fest, and Film Fieldtrips

Education benefactors are invited to the annual ParkArt party and a special Film Fieldtrip event to meet participating students and fellow benefactors

Planned Giving

Your membership support is what has sustained Real Art Ways - and allowed us to thrive - through the years. Please consider leaving us a gift in your will. See Leave a Legacy for more information about how you can plan these important contributions.

Non-profit organizations like Real Art Ways need financial assistance from people like you to continue their work. More than 80% of Americans contribute to the nonprofit groups of their choice throughout their lifetimes. But according to research conducted in 2000, only around eight percent of people chose to continue this support through a charitable bequest.

By making bequests and other "planned gifts," you can continue to help organizations that are making an important difference in your community.

Charitable Statistics: An Untapped Well of Good

• There are more than 260 million Americans, of whom approximately two million die each year.
• In 1996, 79,346 estate tax forms were filed with the federal government. (At the time, these forms were required for estates in excess of $600,000.)
• 18% of the forms listed a charitable gift.
  
• In other words, 82% of the nation's wealthiest individuals left nothing to charity.
  
• In addition, the IRS tells us that charity is getting a decreasing share of the money in these wealthy estates, from 21.8% in 1976 to 6.3% in 1992.
  
• According to a 2004 Associated Press news story, only 42% of adults have wills, a five percent drop since 2000.

Read stories from donors who have planned gifts, about the different ways in which you can give, and the difference you can make on the Leave a Legacy site.

Contact Madison Day if you to discuss making a planned gift to Real Art Ways.

Matching Gifts Item

Does your company match employees' contributions to charitable organizations? Your membership or benefactor contribution to Real Art Ways is tax-deductible and eligible for matching gift programs. Please remember to send us your company's matching gift form with your annual contribution!

Sponsorship Opportunities

Real pARTy '08

Organization

Real Art Ways is one of the nation’s premier multi-disciplinary alternative arts spaces.  Since our founding in 1975, we have grown into a cultural destination that serves as a welcoming environment for the convergence of people, art and ideas.  We have a national and international reputation for programming excellence in visual arts, live arts, film, readings, discussions, educational programming, public art, and social programming.

Special Role in the Capital Region

Real Art Ways is a unique part of Hartford’s cultural environment.  We work with cutting-edge contemporary artists, as well as with our community.  We present large-scale multi-disciplinary exhibitions, international and independent film, education programs that reach 4,000 students annually, and public arts projects that make our city the setting and the subject.  Our monthly “Creative Cocktail Hours” serve the triple purposes of a visual arts opening, a live performance, and an innovative, welcoming social environment.  Real Art Ways is a one-of-a-kind organization in Hartford.

Connection to the Community

Real Art Ways maintains a national reputation while keeping our connection to our community. ParkArt, our summer arts program that is free to neighborhood children, has been a staple of the Parkville community for 17 years.  Film Fieldtrips brings more than 3,000 schoolchildren per year from the Greater Hartford region to our cinema for a screening of Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks and a facilitated discussion that applies the lessons of the film to their own lives.  The annual Family Fest has been running successfully for 9 years and has become a monthly part of our offerings.  We offer opportunities for watching films in our cinema, viewing contemporary art in our gallery space, and socializing in our Loading Dock Lounge.  Real Art Ways also connects to Hartford’s larger professional community with our monthly Creative Cocktail Hours and private corporate receptions and events.

Event Description

The Real pARTy has become a signature event on the Hartford social calendar. 300 artists – many of them well known – create one-of-a-kind canvases, which are hung salon-style in Real Art Ways’ galleries. Each ticket holder can select a canvas, and take it right off the gallery wall. A silent auction is stocked with unique arts, entertainment, and travel experiences. Food and drink, guests decked out in creative black tie, live music, and dancing galore make this event memorable and successful. 

Real Art

Art abounds at the Real pARTy.  300 artists create and donate canvases to Real Art Ways for ticket holders to take home.  Several prominent visual artists also donate works for the auction.  The Real pARTy is a lively social event with art, and artists, at its heart.

Auction

The Real pARTy features a silent auction that generates furious bidding! Auction items have included private tours of well-known museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, works of art by prominent artists, a trip to the Montréal Film Festival, a weekend skiing getaway with lessons from an Olympic skier, and a private flight to Nantucket.

Guest List

The guest list includes leaders in Hartford’s business, political, and artistic communities.  There are movers and shakers from around the region as well as renowned artists.  As always, the crowd will be diverse, energetic, and unlike that of any other gathering.

Exposure

The Real pARTy is a dynamic newsworthy event.  In addition to securing a media sponsor for this year’s event, we expect that a concerted public relations effort will bring significant press coverage before and after the event.

Sponsorship Levels

Lead Sponsors - $40,000

Headline Logo

1. Lead logo placement at the event
2. Lead logo placement in all publicity materials
3. Listing on Real Art Ways’ funder wall for a full year

Marketing Impact

1. Company LOGO headlined in the Real pARTy event program
2. Company LOGO headlined in Real Art Ways’ print calendars (20,000 quarterly impressions) for a full year
3. Company LOGO headlined in Real Art Ways’ e-news (7,800 weekly impressions) for a full year
4. Company LOGO headlined on Real Art Ways’ web site (165,000 unique visitors per month) for a full year
5. Company LOGO headlined in cinema pre-show (1,500 monthly impressions) for a full year

Tickets to the Party

1. Admission for 20 people (each guest selects an original work of art!)

Employee Appreciation

1. 25 passes to Creative Cocktail Hour
2. 25 tickets to Real Art Ways Cinema

Major Sponsors - $25,000

Prominent Logo

1. Logo placement at the event
2. Prominent logo placement in all publicity materials
3. Listing on Real Art Ways’ funder wall for a full year

Marketing Impact

1. Company LOGO prominently displayed in the Real pARTy event program
2. Company LOGO in Real Art Ways’ print calendars (20,000 quarterly impressions) for a full year
3. Company LOGO in Real Art Ways’ e-news (7,800 weekly impressions) for a full year
4. Company LOGO on Real Art Ways’ web site (165,000 unique visitors per month) for a full year
5. Company LOGO in cinema pre-show (1,500 monthly impressions) for a full year

Tickets to the Party

1. Admission for 14 people (each guest selects an original work of art!)

Employee Appreciation

1. 20 passes to Creative Cocktail Hour
2. 20 tickets to Real Art Ways Cinema 

Supporters - $15,000

Marketing Impact

1. Company LOGO in the Real pARTy event program
2. Company LOGO in Real Art Ways’ print calendars (20,000 quarterly impressions) for a full year
3. Company LOGO in Real Art Ways’ e-news (7,800 weekly impressions) for a full year
4. Company LOGO on Real Art Ways’ web site (165,000 unique visitors per month) for a full year
5. Company LOGO in cinema pre-show (1,500 monthly impressions) for a full year

Tickets to the Party

1. Admission for 10 people (each guest selects an original work of art!)

Employee Appreciation

1. 15 passes to Creative Cocktail Hour
2. 15 tickets to Real Art Ways Cinema

Partners - $10,000

Marketing Impact

1. Company LOGO in the Real pARTy event program
2. Company listing in Real Art Ways’ print calendars (20,000 quarterly impressions) for a full year
3. Company LOGO in Real Art Ways’ e-news (7,800 weekly impressions) for a full year
4. Company LOGO on Real Art Ways’ web site (165,000 unique visitors per month) for a full year
5. Company LOGO in cinema pre-show (1,500 monthly impressions) for a full year

Tickets to the Party

1. Admission for 6 people (each guest selects an original work of art!)

Employee Appreciation

1. 10 passes to Creative Cocktail Hour
2. 10 tickets to Real Art Ways Cinema

Contributors - $5,000

Marketing Impact

1. Company listing in the Real pARTy event program
2. Company listing in Real Art Ways’ print calendars (20,000 quarterly impressions) for a full year
3. Company listing in Real Art Ways’ e-news (7,800 weekly impressions) for a full year
4. Company listing on Real Art Ways’ web site (165,000 unique visitors per month) for a full year
5. Company listing in cinema pre-show (1,500 monthly impressions) for a full year

Tickets to the Party

1. Admission for 4 people (each guest selects an original work of art!)

Employee Appreciation

1. 6 passes to Creative Cocktail Hour
2. 6 tickets to Real Art Ways Cinema

Friends - $2,500

Marketing Impact

1. Company listing in the Real pARTy event program
2. Company listing in Real Art Ways’ print calendars (20,000 quarterly impressions) for a full year
3. Company listing in Real Art Ways’ e-news (7,800 weekly impressions) for a full year
4. Company listing on Real Art Ways’ web site (165,000 unique visitors per month) for a full year
5. Company listing in cinema pre-show (1,500 monthly impressions) for a full year

Tickets to the Party

• Admission for 2 people (each guest selects an original work of art!)

Sponsorship Opportunities

If you have additional ideas about how your corporation can sponsor with Real Art Ways, please let us know! Contact Jane Henzerling or Meghan Dahn.