2020 Fresh Voices Poetry Competition

Thank you to all the high school students who participated in Hill-Stead Museum’s Fresh Voices Poetry competition and the teachers and parents who supported them. Poetry has the power to heal and bring comfort, particularly during these trying times.

United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo attests to this statement: “Poetry tends to hang out at points of transformation…when a death happens in the family, or some other grief event, or marriage, or falling in love, or falling out of love, birth—people always turn to poetry.”

Hill-Stead is thrilled to announce the 2020 Fresh Voices Poetry Competition Finalists, congratulations to:

• Haneen Alkabasi, Avon High School
• Alicia Chiu, William H. Hall High School
• Jake Colangelo, Joel Barlow High School
• Holden Escabi, Wethersfield High School
• Ashton Hamre, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
• Hannah Kim, Glastonbury High School
• Rose Kitz, William H. Hall High School
• Alexandra Melo, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
• Maggie Munday Odom, The Grove School
• Olatunji Osho-Williams, Westminster School
• Connie Pan, Lyme-Old Lyme High School
• Sophia Ramirez, Wilton High School
• Melanie Trotochaud, Marine Science Magnet High School
• Cindy Troung, Educational Center for the Arts
• Charlotte Watts, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
• Lauren Young, Trinity Catholic High School

Hill-Stead Museum would like to thank this year’s Fresh Voices judges, David Caldwell, David K. Leff, and Amy Nawrocki.  The judges are currently reviewing the poems by the finalists. Fresh Voices readers, Kate Doemland of Miss Porter’s School, and Jamie Perry of Avon Old Farms School thoughtfully recommended the sixteen finalists from nearly 50 poetry submissions.

We are delighted to announce the winners of Hill-Stead Museum’s Budding Photographers Contest

We hope you enjoyed participating in this fun-filled contest while experiencing Hill-Stead’s glorious grounds this spring. Thanks, too, for those who voted on the competition and helped Hill-Stead exceed its goal, raising $2,825. Please stay tuned for news about our upcoming summer photo contest.

Congratulations to our winners in the following categories:

Architecture

Winner  Joyce B. | From a Distance
Runner-up  Donna W. | The Colors of Spring
Second Runner-up  Azeem S.  | The Grandeur

Landscapes & Horizons

Winner  Gabriella R. | A Hint of Spring
Runner-up  David C. | Croquet Sunset
Second Runner-up  Kate E. | Rainbow

Living Things

Winner Donna H. | At the Pond
Runner-up Maddie M.| Lambs at the Hill-Stead Museum
Second Runner-up Gary A. | Grazing Sheep & Lamb

Each of the first-place winners will receive a 9×12 print of their winning photo and a gift certificate worth up to $75 from Farmington Frame. All of the winners will receive a Hill-Stead Museum membership along with a $20 gift certificate to Hill-Stead’s shop.

Enjoy a drones-eye view of Hill-Stead!

Video courtesy of Lev Verbitsky

Seasoned Communications Strategist Beth Brett Brings Extensive Getty Museum Experience to Farmington

Dr. Anna Swinbourne, Executive Director & CEO of Hill-Stead Museum, announced today the appointment of Beth Brett to the position of Director of Communications and Marketing. Mrs. Brett will join the Museum effective immediately.

In her new role, Mrs. Brett will meet the strategic goals of the storied institution as it enters its exciting next chapter by managing Hill-Stead’s brand, sharing its initiatives, and connecting it to the greater community through meaningful and authentic communications. Her appointment is particularly timely as the National Historic Landmark expands its audiences in the coming years through a major renovation project, resulting in new temporary exhibition space and expanded programming.

From 2004-2011, Mrs. Brett was a lead publicist for The J. Paul Getty Trust, where she forged strategic partnerships and managed public relations for every major program at the world-renowned arts institution. She went on to serve as Communications Director for Los Angeles Tourism, where she oversaw signature programs such as Discover the Arts and dineLA. Since 2012, Mrs. Brett has operated her arts and lifestyle agency with clients including Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Pacific Design Center, Barnsdall Art Park, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House, L.A.’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A graduate of Princeton University, Beth began her career in the arts and cultural division of entertainment agency Serino Coyne, where she worked on creative campaigns for live entertainment brands. With a master’s degree from Stanford’s Journalism School, Beth has bylined articles for The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and ESPN the Magazine.

Most recently, she penned an op-ed piece for March 8th edition of The Hartford Chronicle wherein she writes “Having worked at the J. Paul Getty Museum for eight years, I am now smitten with the Hill-Stead Museum’s impressive collections and gardens…”  Dr. Swinbourne commented: “We are delighted to welcome Beth Brett as the Museum’s new Director of Communications and Marketing. As we embrace a dynamic phase when Hill-Stead closes in on its 75th anniversary and the site embarks on a transformative journey, Beth brings the expertise, creativity, and risk-taking necessary to take the visibility of this vital institution to the next level. All of us look forward to welcoming her to the executive team and working closely with her on the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Beth Brett stated, “It is a great privilege to join the executive team of Hill-Stead to champion this cultural center in the heart of the Farmington Valley, especially during its 75th-anniversary celebration and beyond.”