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The Art4Hope trail transformation starts in Keney Park

A public and private collaboration is bringing art to the historic Hartford park.

HARTFORD, Conn. — Keney Park is getting some corporate love and some community love. The Hartford-based “Rise Up Group” is behind a new project that will clean up a mile long trail in the park right alongside the Pond House. 

The work has begun to make way for the “Art4Hope Trail Collaboration at Keney Park”, an effort that has raised money to bring art installations all over a mile long stretch of trails in the historic park. 

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Matt Conway, the executive director of Rise Up said, “This is a trail transformation; we will have a dozen artists that will be on site creating beautiful artwork all along the trail to help beautify this and bring hope to the North End.”

Conway added that aside from community members getting their hands dirty, several local companies have joined the efforts to beautify Keney Park. 

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He said, “From Bear’s BBQ, to Rise Up, Friends of Keney Park, Hartford Healthcare, Deloitte, the Hartford foundation for Public Giving, and the list goes on.”

Assisting in launching the initiative, students from the nearby Community First School spent the morning picking up trash to make way for the art projects to come. Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said he was all for the public/private project. 

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“This is the second largest park in all of New England. This is a historic park, and to bring that art and what ‘Rise Up’ is doing is such an incredible initiative.”

Conway noted that the park cleanup and art installations should be completed sometime in September and added, “The best part is the hope through community involvement that this is going to bring.” 

Arulampalam added, “(Keney Park) is unique and this is a gem for the state of Connecticut and it’s a gem for the city of Hartford.” 

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Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.comFollow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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