Hartford Foundation and City of Hartford Launch the Hartford Art Tour Public Art Web App

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the City of Hartford have co-created the Hartford Art Tour, a new mobile app that allows residents to learn about murals and other public art throughout the city while they embark own self-guided tour. Created by Hartford Foundation Senior Communications Officer Tom Zeleznock along with designer Jason Cheshire and developer Stephen Malloy, this free app provides users with the opportunity to explore Hartford and learn about the city’s public artwork and its history.

“The Hartford Art Tour is designed to help people learn about and explore the city,” said Zeleznock. “Our goal was to make something fun and easy to use, that highlights local art and artists, while offering a sense of Hartford’s history and culture. We were fortunate to work with an amazing group of partners including the City of Hartford. My hope is that as people use the app, they will gain a deeper appreciation for the arts, along with a greater sense of civic pride."

The app includes more than 100 freely accessible works of art, old and new. The app features written and audio descriptions of the art and serves as a “digital passport” allowing users to check in when they have visited each piece and keep track of everything they have seen. Several organizations contributed to the content development of the app including the City of Hartford’s Office of the Arts and Office of Community Engagement, Greater Hartford Arts Council, Wadsworth Athenaeum, Bushnell Park Conservancy, Riverfront Recapture, Cedar Hill Cemetery, and many of the artists whose work is featured in the tour. 

“The City of Hartford is quite lucky to have a partner in the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving who puts their resources behind the nexus of innovation, technology and Art,” said Taneisha Duggan, Director of Hartford’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment. “The Hartford Art Tour app puts Hartford’s public artwork in your hands, encouraging you to move about our city in a free and fun way to learn about the rich history of our city and its artworks. This collaboration was not confined to the City and Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, but wrapped its arms to include designers, web developers, programmers and the voices of some of the talented artists. Projects like this not only get people out to explore, but they also encourage cross discipline endeavors that inspire our Capital City."

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding towns. Through partnerships, the Foundation seeks to strengthen communities in Greater Hartford by putting philanthropy in action to dismantle structural racism and achieve equity in social and economic mobility. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $1 billion since its founding in 1925. For more information, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.