Past Events & Activities

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Past Events & Activities

2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 and earlier

2012:
ICR's 25th Anniversary Open House
To celebrate 25 years of collaboration, ICR opened its doors to celebrating its 25th year of service to communities. For the past 25 years ICR has worked side-by-side with many community partners to promote justice and equity in a diverse, multiethnic, multicultural world.
Invitation | photos

MAS: Costumes from Hartford's Caribbean Community
The Institute for Community Research will host the opening of Mas: Costumes from Hartford’s West Indian Community, on August 22, 2012 from 5 to 7 PM at the ICR Gallery, 2 Hartford Square West, 146 Wyllys St., in Hartford. The exhibit will feature colorful and imaginative costumes (Mas) such as those worn in Trinidad-style Carnivals around the world, including Hartford. The event will feature music from the Hartford Steel Symphony and Caribbean food.
Flyer | Press Release | Photos

Stand Against Racism
ICR will be joining a host of organizations in the Hartford area to mark the Stand Against Racism Day. The event will feature a multi-media gallery display and interaction focusing on the relationship between racism and health disparities. Friday, April 27, 2012 from 12:30-4:40 p.m.at The Institute forCommunity Research (ICR), 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100 in Hartford, CT. The event, which is free and open to the public.
Flyer

What's The Buzz?: Choices & Consequences
ICR staff, along with the West Hartford Substance Abuse Prevention Commission and other community organizations are hosting an event on April 23, 6-8:30 PM at the West Hartford Town Hall Auditorium. The event will premier a video created by West Hartford teens who conducted research with their peers on underage binge drinking, as well as a panel discussion with local teen and adult experts on the issues raised in the video.
Flyer | Release

2011:

Hartford Open Studios Weekend: Traditional Arts Marketplace
An exciting array of artists from ethnic communities will demonstrate and sell their crafts at a folk artists' Marketplace on Saturday, November 12, 2010 from 11 am to 4 pm at The Institute forCommunity Research (ICR), 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100 in Hartford, CT. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature carpet weavers, basket makers, crochet artists, embroiderers, henna painters, and jewelry makers.
Press Release | Flyer

Rugs of Remembrance: Bosnian Weaving in Hartford
The Institute for Community Research will host the opening of Rugs of Remembrance: Bosnian Weaving in Hartford on November 3, 2011from 5-7PM at the ICR Gallery. The exhibit will feature handwoven rugs, carpents, and wall hangings made by skilled Bosnian weavers living in Hartford.
Flyer

Special Exhibit of Trinidad-Style Carnival Costumes Made by Hartford Teens
The Institute for Community Research will host the opening of Mas: Costumes from Hartford’s West Indian Community, on August 25, 2011 from 5 to 7 PM at the ICR Gallery, 2 Hartford Square West, 146 Wyllys St., in Hartford. The exhibit will feature colorful and imaginative costumes (Mas) such as those worn in Trinidad-style Carnivals around the world, including Hartford.
Press Release | Photo Gallery

Folk Musician Daniel Boucher invited to perform at Library of Congress & Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Daniel Boucher, a 31-year-old fiddler from Bristol, will perform on Wednesday, August 17th at noon at the Library of Congress Coolidge Auditorium and at 6PM at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage in Washington, D.C. Boucher was invited by the American Folklife Center's Homegrown: Music of America project, a series that presents the very best of traditional music and dance from a variety of folk cultures thriving in the United States.
Press Release | Photo

ICR Participating in NIRHD Funded National Community Partner Forum
The Institute for Community Research is very pleased to announce its participation in The NIRHD funded National Community Partner Forum, “Realizing the Promise of Community-Engaged Health Disparities Research. The forum, organized by Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) and the Center for Community Health Education Research and Service (CCHERS) is supported by a founding committee of community research organizations seeking to improve the quality of community engaged health disparities research through effective community-university collaborations, and community based research. Questions to be addressed through the forum include:

How do we ensure that communities most affected by health disparities are at the tables that decide what research gets conducted, how and by whom?
How do we support communities most affected by health disparities to conduct and manage research?
How do we ensure that social justice is central to community-engaged research?

Press Release

Teens Perform Skits Based on Their Binge Drinking Research
Students from Hall and Conard High Schools are coming together to educate familes and peers about the dangers of binge drinking. Just in time for Prom season. Binge drinking is an epidemic among teens across the country, and West Hartford is not immune. The students are part of the Community Action Research Team, a group of West Hartford youth who engaged in a year-long research project in which they analyzed binge drinking among their peers. Through surveys and in-depth interview the group was able to learn about the scenarios and circumstances in which their peers engage in binge drinking. In conjunction with Hartbeat Ensemble of Hartford, CT, the group developed scenes and skits that depict the scenarios. These scenes form part of a larger intervention being implemented in town to address one of the key findings, which is the pervasiveness and perceived normalcy of binge drinking among West Hartford teens. A performance of the scenes will be held on Thursday, May 19th at 7:30 PM at the Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford, CT. For more information, contact Connie Yan at 860-278-2044 ext. 284 or connie.yan@icrweb.org
Press Release
Event Flyer

How do we ensure that communities most affected by health disparities are at the tables that decide what research gets conducted, how and by whom?
How do we support communities most affected by health disparities to conduct and manage research?
How do we ensure that social justice is central to community-engaged research?

Folk and Traditional Arts Marketplace
Artists from several ethnic communities now living in Connecticut will demonstrate and sell their crafts at a folk artists’ Marketplace on Saturday, November 13, 2010 from 11 am to 4 pm at The Institute for Community Research (ICR), 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100 in Hartford, CT. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature carpet weavers, basket makers, crochet artists, embroiderers, henna painters, jewelry makers, and a children’s book illustrator. Artists represent countries of origin including Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Somalia, Burma, Iran, Iraq, Romania, and Laos, and are all living in the Greater Hartford area now. Organized by ICR’s CT Cultural Heritage Arts Program (CHAP), the Marketplace is part of Hartford Open Studios Weekend, a creative showcase for local artists held annually in Hartford. Visitors to the marketplace will also be able to view the beautiful exhibit Ambassadors of Folk: Connecticut Master Traditional Artists in ICR’s Gallery. For more information, contact Lynne Williamson at 860-278-2044 ext. 251 or Lynne.Williamson@icrweb.org
Press Release
Event Flyer

Supplemental issue of the journal AIDS and Behavior on alcohol and HIV in India
The Institute for Community Research announces the publication of a supplemental issue of the journal AIDS and Behavior on alcohol and HIV in India. The issue is the result of four years of work combining the research of Indian, and India-US research teams on the links between alcohol consumption and HIV in various parts of the country and reflected in national data bases. A number of the articles focus on pilot or completed interventions that reduce alcohol consumption and related sexual risk among married men and vulnerable women. Several of the articles highlight new qualitative and spatial methods and approaches to understanding the contexts, settings, and social relationships that result in drinking and unprotected sex. Summaries point to the importance of multilevel interventions in reducing both drinking and sexual risk behavior, and the central role of gender differences in tailoring these interventions to the Indian context. A grant from NIAAA has made it possible for the Institute for Community Research to offer 100 copies of the supplemental issue free of charge. To order your copy please send a request to Emily Marble, Institute for Community Research, Emily Marble.
Press Release

Second International Conference on Alcohol and HIV in India: Focus on Multilevel Interventions and Gender
The Second International Conference on Alcohol and HIV sponsored by the Institute for Community Research, the International Institute for Research on Women, the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) will be held in Delhi, Sept. 28 – 30, 2010. The conference will highlight evaluated prevention programs, intervention research and national policies that address the links between alcohol and HIV, and are focused on risk reduction. A special emphasis of this year's conference is the role of gender norms that can elevate HIV-related risks for both women and men especially in the presence of alcohol. Multilevel approaches will be favored since it is now widely recognized that individual level intervention strategies to reduce alcohol consumption and/or sexual risk are not sustainable. The conference will bring together program specialists and researchers from India and neighboring South Asian countries as well as U.S. researchers working in India. The outcomes will be guidelines for improved alcohol-related HIV risk reduction strategies appropriate for India and the region and an intervention research agenda for future work in the field. The conference is supported by a cooperative agreement between ICR and NIAAA (Grant #1U13AA17593, PI. Jean Schensul)
Current research suggests that alcohol use, like sexual risk behavior, is deeply embedded in gendered behaviors and norms. These norms, as well as the important role alcohol production and its sale play in producing revenue, pose challenges to effective programming.
Press Release

New Nationally Funded Partnership project on Geriatric Oral Health
The Institute for Community Research in partnership with the University of Connecticut Dental School and the North Central Area Agency on Aging has received a three year stimulus grant to build collaborative infrastructure to support clinical and community based research on geriatric oral health. Project PIs are Susan Reisine, Ph.D., UCHC School of Dental Medicine, and Jean Schensul, Ph.D., Institute for Community Research. Robyn Gulley-Harper of the North Central Area Agency on Aging is the Community Research Associate for this unique project. The project team is building a statewide geriatric oral health research strategic alliance to promote geriatric oral health projects, services and research, and will link the university, ICR and NCAAA to a network of older adult residences receiving public funding in Hartford and the surrounding areas including Meriden. A prominent aspect of the project is to develop a group of informed older adult oral health research advocates who will both propose and participate in endorsing studies designed to improve geriatric oral health services and quality of life among those 50 and over in the Greater Hartford and Meriden area.

The Institute for Community Research Announces New HIV Research Education Institute Funding
A consortium bridging the Yale School of Nursing (YSN), the University of Connecticut's Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention (UCONN/CHIP) and the Institute for Community Research (ICR) has secured a groundbreaking 5-year Research Education Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. The program will address the documented shortage of newly funded HIV/AIDS scholars from underrepresented racial, ethnic, disabled and disadvantaged groups with an emphasis on building capacity in community based research focused on HIV disparities and furthering the HIV research careers of junior scientists. Our congratulations go to the project investigators (PIs), Drs. Barbara Guthrie (YSN), Jean Schensul (ICR) and Merrill Singer (UCONN/CHIP). The summer Research Training Institute and year round mentoring program guided and taught by the PIs and other faculty, will be housed at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) at Yale with field training and mentoring at CHIP and ICR. The program will welcome the first cohort of scholars in the summer of 2011. Application forms will be out shortly.
Press Release

Opening - Ambassadors of Folk: Connecticut Master Traditional Artists
On Thursday June 10, 2010, The Institute for Community Research will host an opening reception for Ambassadors of Folk: Connecticut Master Traditional Artists, an exhibition showcasing the artistry of Connecticut folk and traditional artists who have achieved recognition on a national or international scale. The free event will take place from 5 to 8 PM and will include introductions of participating artists and a musical performance. The exhibit will run from June 10 to October 31 in ICR’s Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery, 146 Wyllys St., Hartford. The gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 5 PM, and by appointment.

Ambassadors of Folk brings to wider attention the mastery of Connecticut artists who are highly respected exemplars of ethnic traditions within their communities. Eight visual artists and two performers will be featured, representing a wide variety of artistic genres and ethnicities and linked by their high degree of technical skill and sophistication. The artists’ accomplishments represent entire lives spent serving their communities through cultural production. Artists include Aldona Saimininkas, East Hartford; Romulo Chanduvi, East Hartford; Jampa Tsondue, Old Saybrook; Eldrid Arntzen, Watertown; Paul Luniw, Terryville; Valentine and Aili Galasyn, Canterbury; Shengzhu Chen, Torrington; Marek Czarnecki, Meriden; Negrura Peruana, East Hartford; and Daniel Boucher, Bristol.
Press Release
Exhibit Flyer

ICR Executive Director Becomes Standing Member of NIH Review Group
ICR Executive Director Margaret Weeks has been appointed to the NIH Center for Scientific Review, Community-Level Health Promotion (CLHP) Study Section for a 2-year term beginning July 1. As a CLHP member, Weeks will review grant applications submitted to the NIH that focus on preventing health risk behaviors and/or adherence to disease treatments; make recommendations to the appropriate NIH national advisory council or board; and survey the status of community-level health intervention research.

Folk Arts Marketplace Features Handwoven Shetland Wool Rugs & Other Textiles
Visitors are invited to attend a folk artists' marketplace showcasing artists from Somalia, Bosnia, Burma, Laos, Sri Lanka, and many other communities now living in Connecticut. In addition to featuring a variety of textiles, the event will debut exquisitely crafted rugs made from local Shetland wool by a master Bosnian weaver. Traditional foods made by the marketplace artists, who participate in ICR's Sewing Circle Project, will be available for a small fee. The event will be held at ICR on Saturday, May, 15 from 11 am to 3 pm. For more information, contact Lynne Williamson. Press Release

Youth PhotoVoice Exhibit on Display in Cromwell
An exhibit of photographs, reflections and narratives from ICR’s Youth PhotoVoice project on 'Reducing Racial, Ethnic and Economic Health Disparities' will be on display at a symposium sponsored by the Health Equity Alliance on Thursday, May 13. The symposium will be held from 11 am to 4 pm at the Crowne Plaza Cromwell, 100 Berlin Road in Cromwell, CT. The Health Equity Alliance is an initiative of the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health. The exhibit contains work created by youth from Hartford and from the Youth Health Service Corps of Northwestern Area Health Education Center (AHEC). Contact Marlene Berg for more information.

Connecticut Indian Elder Honored for Prestigious Award and Lifetime Work
The Institute for Community Research is hosting a reception for Trudie Lamb Richmond, an American Indian educator and storyteller, who has received the Community Spirit Award from the First Peoples Fund. The reception, which will be held at ICR on Tuesday, April 27 from 5 to 8 pm, will feature a talk by Trudie, and remarks from Native cultural leaders and colleagues. The Community Spirit Award recognizes exceptional Native artists and cultural leaders from across the U.S. Trudie is from the Schaghticoke Indian Reservation in northwestern Connecticut. For more information, contact Lynne Williamson. Press Release

Youth PhotoVoice Exhibit Opens in April
An exhibit of photographs, reflections and narratives will provide two case examples of how PhotoVoice, a participatory action research methodology, has been used by youth to explore and document important issues. The exhibit, which brings teens' voices and perspectives to the issues of personal and group abuse, and health disparities, will be on display in ICR's Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery, 146 Wyllys St., Hartford, from April 12 to May 7. An opening reception and discussion will be held on Thursday, April 22 from 4 pm to 6 pm. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, during special weekend events, and by appointment. Contact Marlene Berg for more information.
PhotoVoice Example (pdf) In the News (wnpr podcast)

ICR Receives Funding for Narrative Project with Girls
Puerto Rican Girls Speak! is a project that documents narratives about success and well being from Puerto Rican girls, ages 14 to 18, and their families, peers, and community networks in the South End of Hartford. The project is funded by the Puerto Rican Research and Policy Initiative, and sponsored by the Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños (CUNY). For more information, contact project director Hilda Lloréns.Project Flyer

ICR Showcases Contemporary Quilts
Throughout January and February, an amazing variety of quilts are being displayed in ICR’s gallery and in other venues throughout central Connecticut. The exhibitions are part of Community Threads, a region-wide quilting project that celebrates the work of local quilters alongside the famous Gee’s Bend quilts from Alabama. ICR has joined Hartford Stage, Community Health Services, and several museums and community partners to explore the culture of quilting and textile arts. The quilts are being shown
while the Hartford Stage production of Gee's Bend is running.
More-Community Threads | Gee's Bend

Youth PhotoVoice Exhibit on Display During February
An exhibit of photographs, reflections and narratives from ICR’s Youth PhotoVoice project on 'Reducing Racial, Ethnic and Economic Health Disparities' will be on display in the lobby of the CT Department of Health and the CT Department of Mental Health, 410 Capital Avenue in Hartford during the month of February. The exhibit, which was made possible with support from The CT Health Foundation and the CT Dept. of Mental Health, contains work created by youth from Hartford and from the Youth Health Service Corps of Northwestern Area Health Education Center (AHEC). Contact Marlene Berg for more information.
PhotoVoice Example (pdf)

ICR Open House Features Textiles and Artist Demonstrations
Visitors are welcome to try their hands at various textile arts at ICR's Open House on Saturday, February 6 from 11 am to 1 pm (snow date Sunday, February 7). The event will feature demonstrations and instruction by Sewing Circle Project artists. Materials will be provided at no cost. The Open House will take place in ICR's gallery at 2 Hartford Square West, 146 Wyllys Street in Hartford. The Sewing Circle Project brings together immigrant, refugee, and folk artists who create and sell textiles in traditional styles. The project is a collaboration of The Institute for Community Research, Catholic Charities Refugee and Migration Services, and the Hartford Public Library. For more information, contact Lynne Williamson.
Press Release | Sewing Circle Project

2009:

Fact Sheet on HIV Prevention Needs of Crack Cocaine Users Now Available
ICR's Executive Director Margaret Weeks, Ph.D., and Pamela DeCarlo from the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS), University of California, San Francisco, have a completed a fact sheet on the HIV prevention needs of crack cocaine users. The fact sheet highlights several harm reduction models including the Institute's Risk Avoidance Partnership, a project that trained active drug injectors and crack users to deliver an HIV, hepatitis, and STD prevention intervention to hard-to-reach drug users both inside and outside of their networks in Hartford, Connecticut.
Fact Sheet | RAP Project

Hartford Community to Commemorate World AIDS Day
Hartford City Councilman Luis Cotto will be the keynote speaker at this year's Hartford World AIDS Day event on Tuesday, December 1 at the Connections Drop-in Center at ICR, 146 Wyllys St., Hartford. The event, which starts at 11 am, will also feature speakers Kevin Lembo, Connecticut's Health Advocate, and two community members living with HIV/AIDS. 'Love in the Time of HIV,' a documentary focusing on the impact of AIDS on several HIV positive people and their families and friends, will be shown at 1:00 pm. Shawn Lane, Director of Public Policy at CT AIDS Resource Coalition, will host a post-screening discussion with audience members. Event participants and community members are also invited to display mementos, notes and remembrances on an AIDS altar that has been installed in ICR's Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery. The Hartford World AIDS Day event is sponsored by ICR, AIDS Project Hartford, CT AIDS Resource Coalition, the City of Hartford, and Latino Community Services.

ICR Youth Researchers Conduct Training at New York's Museum of Modern Art
Two ICR youth research activists and Marlene Berg, ICR's Associate Director for Training, will conduct an interactive workshop with youth from the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) Teen Voices Project on Monday, November 16. Berg, along with Zulynette Morales, a senior at UCONN, and Jennifer Supersad, a senior at Bulkeley High School, will train the group in participatory action research. The training will cover research methods such as PhotoVoice, steps for formulating issues and determining research domains, and examples from ICR's summer youth research initiatives. The MoMA Teen Voices Project, under the direction of Marit Dewhurst, Associate Educator of Teen Programs, engages youth as critical educators for their peers and other museum visitors.

ICR Directors Appointed to Board of New Clinical and Translational Science Institute
ICR Executive Director Margaret Weeks, Ph.D., and ICR Founding Director and Senior Scientist Jean Schensul, Ph.D., are on the Scientific Advisory Board for the newly formed Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS). The Scientific Advisory Board will provide research guidance and oversight for the activities of CICATS, a partnership between the University of Connecticut campuses and regional hospitals, community research institutes, and community healthcare organizations. Officially launched in September 2009, the mission of CICATS is to educate and nurture new scientists and increase clinical and translational research being conducted at affiliated centers throughout the region, and to work collaboratively to combat the leading causes of morbidity, mortality, disability, and health disparities. Dr. Weeks was one of five researchers who presented at the CICATS launch on September 29. She highlighted case examples from ICR's long history of building research partnerships to address pressing health issues in Hartford's communities. Dr. Weeks' CICATS Presentation | CICATS

ICR Senior Scientist Co-Directs Community Engagement Core of New Connecticut Institute
Dr. Jean Schensul, ICR Founding Director and Senior Scientist, has been appointed Co-Core Director of the Community Engagement Core of the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS). The Community Engagement Core, one of ten integrated cores at CICATS, seeks to accelerate the dissemination and implementation of research into practice by supporting innovative research, new researchers and new methods. CICATS will support research projects that address public health and health disparities of primary importance to the region, including musculoskeletal health, cancer, heart disease, obesity, aging, occupational health, and addictive disorders. In addition to the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, where the CICATS is physically located, and the UConn campuses in Storrs and West Hartford, affiliated organizations and hospitals include ICR, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford Hospital, Community Health Center Association of CT, Hispanic Health Council, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hospital of Central Connecticut, and Hospital for Special Care.
Community Engagement Core

ICR Hosts Open House and Unique Decorative Arts Marketplace
Hmong embroiderers, Burmese Karen weavers, a Liberian tailor, a Lithuanian book illustrator, and a Somali basket weaver and other artists will demonstrate their crafts and sell their work at ICR's open house and folk artists’ marketplace on Saturday, November 14 from 11 am to 4 pm. ICR will also host a reception and pay special tribute to Dr. Jean J. Schensul, ICR's Founding Director and Senior Scientist, who is the recipient of the 2010 Bronislaw Malinowski Award from the Society for Applied Anthropology. The reception will be held from 3 pm to 5 pm with special remarks at 3:30 pm. The marketplace and reception are free. Arts Marketplace Press Release

Youth Networking Event Spotlights Connecticut Youth Leaders
Youth Research Activists Jennifer Supersad and Jessica Flores, and ICR Youth Action Research Institute staff Brenda Liz Munoz and Marlene Berg, along with youth from Waterbury, helped plan a youth networking event, "Difference Made By Youth Leaders," which was held on Thursday, November 5 at the DeKoven House in Middletown, CT. The event drew youth leaders from many Connecticut cities including Waterbury, New Haven, Norwalk, and New London. The event was supported by the Perrin Family Foundation which seeks to provide equal opportunities for children and young adults to lead safe, productive, and creative lives.

ICR Researchers Hold Workshops at Minority Health Conference
Marlene Berg, Associate Director for Training at ICR, and a panel of youth research activists will hold a workshop on health disparities, "Through Our Eyes: Youth Visualize the Future," at the 6th New England Regional Minority Health Conference in Rhode Island. The panel will describe their experiences using PhotoVoice, a participatory-action research methodology, in which the youth explored issues of health care disparities through photography, writing, reflection and social action. The workshop will be held from 1 - 2:30 pm at the The Westin Providence at One West Exchange Street in Providence. An exhibit of photos and narratives from the project will be on display throughout the conference which starts on October 14.
More information

ICR researchers will hold a workshop, "Addressing Disparities and Promoting Advocacy: Two Decades of Community-Based Research Among Older Urban Adults," from 3 - 4:30 pm at the 6th Biennial New England Regional Minority Health Conference in Providence, RI. Utilizing case studies that address disparities and health concerns in the areas of HIV/AIDS, depression and influenza, the panelists will
provide an introduction to ICR and community-based collaborative research, as well as an overview to conducting research among older urban adults; and describe building partnerships, delivering interventions, and developing and implementing appropriate measurements.
More information

ICR Participates in Teen Dating Violence Awareness Event
Yanka Carillo, Youth Research Activist and student at Manchester High School, and Marlene Berg, ICR's Associate Director for Training, will be speaking about ICR's Teen Dating Violence Project at the CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) kick-off event for Domestic Violence Month. The event takes place on October 2 at 10 am at Capital Preparatory Magnet School which is located at Capital Community College, 950 Main Street in Hartford. Yanka is one of 10 youth researchers from Hartford area schools who designed teen violence prevention posters and cards as part of a Teen Healthy Relationships and Dating Violence Initiative. The posters have been adapted by CCADV as part of their October Domestic Violence Awareness campaign.
Funded by Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA), the Initiative works with high school youth to increase awareness of youth interpersonal violence and empowers them to reframe and replace normative violence messaging with youth-driven dialogue and communication on healthy teen relationships. The Initiative is a collaborative effort between the Office of the Child Advocate, the CT
Youth Forum and ICR. The teen violence prevention posters will be available at the kick-off event and distributed to high schools throughout the state. For more information, call 860-278-2044 x226 or email Marlene Berg.

Youth PhotoVoice Project Seeks to Reduce Racial & Ethnic Health Disparities
The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) has awarded The Institute for Community Research a grant to support its Connecticut Youth Research Activist’s PhotoVoice Project on Health Disparities. Youth from schools and community groups in Hartford (Bulkeley High School and ICR), Waterbury/Middlebury (Northwest AHEC) the Southeastern portion of the state (F.R.E.S.H. New London and the Boys and Girls Club) are using PhotoVoice, a participatory-action research methodology, to explore and document issues of health care disparities through photography, writing, reflection and social action. Representing groups who are disproportionately affected by chronic health and mental health problems, the youth are bringing their perspective and voice to the health care disparities dialogue and developing action strategies to enhance their own, their peers', and their community’s well being. The project is also exposing youth to career options and opportunities in the public health field. Project results will be presented in an exhibit of photos and narratives at the 6th New England Regional Minority Health Conference in Rhode Island from October 14 - 16, 2009. Additionally, a panel of the youth research activists will hold a workshop on health disparities, health careers and PhotoVoice at the conference on Friday, October 16 from 1 - 2:30 pm. The PhotoVoice Project was developed by ICR in collaboration with the Youth and Career Development Planning Subcommittee of the New England Regional Minority Health Committee.

ICR Researchers to Present Work with Older Adults
ICR researchers will hold a workshop, "Addressing Disparities and Promoting Advocacy: Two Decades of Community-Based Research Among Older Urban Adults," on October 16 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm at the 6th New England Regional Minority Health Conference in Providence, RI. Kim E. Radda, Jean J. Schensul, Elsie Vazquez-Long and Emil Coman will discuss community-based collaborative research (CBCR) as an effective approach to exploring health issues among communities of urban- dwelling, low-income, and primarily minority, older adults. Utilizing case studies that address disparities and health concerns in the areas of HIV/AIDS, depression and influenza, the workshop will provide an introduction to ICR and CBCR, as well as an overview to conducting research among older urban adults; and describe building partnerships, delivering interventions, and developing and implementing appropriate measurements. The panelists also will discuss how problems are identified, highlight unique and innovative aspects of the studies, challenges and lessons learned, and cover how current work informs future research among older adult populations.
More Information

Open House Celebrates Refugee Sewing Circle Project at ICR
Artists from Somalia, Bosnia, Burma, Liberia, Burundi, and Iraq will showcase and sell their traditional textiles at an Open House on Saturday, November 14, 2009, from 1 to 4 pm at The Institute for Community Research (ICR), 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100 (146 Wyllys Street) in Hartford, CT. Artist demonstrations will take place throughout the day. This event, part of Hartford Open Studios Weekend, is free and open to the public.

Multilevel Dynamic System Intervention Science in the News
ICR Founding Director and Senior Scientist Jean J. Schensul, Ph.D., and Edison Trickett, Ph.D., (Professor of Psychology, University of Illinois, Chicago) edited the June issue of the American Journal of Community Psychology on Multilevel Dynamic System Intervention Science (MDSIS). According to Schensul and Trickett, "Multilevel interventions are based on the assumption that sociocultural systems are dynamic, and that in order to bring about structural, norms, and individual level change, it is important to intervene at multiple levels concurrently." Schensul, Trickett and Penny Hawe, Ph.D. (University of Calgary), contributed theoretical papers to the journal. A number of ICR and other researchers also submitted papers on multilevel interventions and evaluation. Additionally, this month's e-newsletter from the School Mental Health Project/Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA focuses on Multilevel Dynamic System Intervention Science as an emerging issue and references the American Journal of Community Psychology.
Publications | Online Journal

ICR Seeks Tenants to Share Space in Hartford Office
ICR's office space is flexible, inviting and well located in the heart of Hartford, CT. Located at 2 Hartford Square West, 146 Wyllys Street, ICR enjoys proximity to multiple bus lines, the new Convention Center, Hartford Hospital, The Charter Oak Cultural Center, and Main Street amenities such as the Hartford Public Library, the Federal Court House, and the Wadsworth Atheneum. The Hartford Square West complex sits at the intersection of Charter Oak Avenue and Columbus Boulevard, with easy access to I-84 and I-91. Available space includes up to 10,000 square feet that can be arranged to suit occupants. Small or large groups/organizations can be accommodated. ICR can offer flexible lease terms on a short or long term basis.The price per square foot is negotiable and includes electricity, heating and cooling, janitorial services and parking. Additional amenities and resources could include furniture, meeting rooms, storage space, kitchens and equipment such as copiers and printers. All inquiries should be directed to Emily Marble, Director of Administration.

ICR Participates in UCONN Career Fair
ICR will participate in UCONN's Career & Networking Fair at the Greater Hartford Campus at 85 Lawler Road, West Hartford on Tuesday, September 22. The career fair will be held in Zachs Community Room from 2 to 6 pm. ICR staff will introduce students, faculty and associates to ICR's research and internship programs as well as discuss career opportunities in applied, participatory action and community-based collaborative research. ICR was invited to take part in the fair by UCONN's Urban and Community Studies Program. For more information, call 860-278-2044 ext. 285 or email Kim Radda.

ICR Receives Caritas Award for its Contributions to Latino Communities
ICR was the recipient of a 2009 Caritas Award from Saint Joseph College. The Institute was honored for its contributions to the development of the research curriculum for the Saint Joseph Graduate Certificate in Latino Community Practice. ICR's Associate Director of Training Marlene Berg designed and taught the research sequence. Brenda Liz Munoz, coordinator of ICR's Youth Action Research Institute, provided supplemental instruction in Spanish. The award was presented at the sixth annual Caritas Conference: In Praise of Latino Community Practice: Bilingual Health Professions at Saint Joseph College on June 12, 2009.

Unique Exhibit Uses Traditional Arts To Educate Audiences about AIDS
ICR will host an opening reception for Siyazama: Traditional Arts, Education, and AIDS in South Africa, an extraordinary exhibit featuring beadwork, story quilts, dolls and other folk arts created by those suffering with AIDS as a way to educate others about prevention and treatment. The opening will take place on Friday, April 17 from 5 to 8 pm with a gallery talk by curator Marit Dewhurst and remarks by AIDS Project Hartford and CT AIDS Resource Coalition leaders. The event is free, open to the public, and ADA accessible. The exhibit is located in ICR's Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery, 146 Wyllys St., Hartford, through June 26. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, during special weekend events, and by appointment. This will be the only showing of Siyazama in New England.
Press Release | Related Events | Exhibit Background | Selected Exhibit Images

ICR Receives Federal Grant to Promote Female Condom Through Multi-Level Community Intervention
The National Institute of Mental Health has awarded The Institute for Community Research a 4-year grant to enhance HIV prevention by increasing community-wide availability, accessibility and support for use of the female condom. The female condom, a polyurethane sheath worn during sex, has been shown to be the most effective woman-initiated barrier method to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) as well as pregnancy. The study will support the creation and training of community alliances to develop, implement and evaluate a multi-level community intervention to promote the female condom. The project will be conducted in Hartford.
Press Release | Project Details | Female Condom in the News

ICR Founding Director Recognized as Community Leader
The Permanent Commission on the Status of Hartford Women (PCSHW) recently honored ICR Founding Director Jean J. Schensul, Ph.D, and seven other Hartford women for their community leadership and commitment to the welfare and well being of women and families in the city. At PCSHW’s third annual ceremony at City Hall, honorees received proclamations from the city and state, and a plaque recognizing their roles in inspiring women who live or work in Hartford. In addition to Schensul, honorees included Dollie McLean, Elizabeth Horton Sheff, the Rev. Patrice Smith-Gaston, Linda Bayer, Hyacinth Yennie, Suzette Strickland, and Elba Cruz Schulman.
One of ICR’s earliest programs involving women was the Urban Women's Development Project, a long-term collaboration with PCSHW, the State Permanent Commission on the Status of Women and other organizations in the city representing Hartford's ethnic and cultural diversity. The project trained Hartford women in action research methods to bring about personal development, occupational mobility and improvements in their lives. Additional ICR efforts promoting the support and growth of Hartford’s women and girls include Urban Women Against Substance Abuse, Project Protect, and other practical research on women controlled HIV and other sexually transmitted disease protection methods.

Workshop Focuses on Innovative Community-Based Prevention and Education Programs Locally and Internationally
ICR will host a public health forum, ‘Innovative Community-Based Intervention and Education Methods and Models,’ on Friday, June 5, 2009 from 10 am to 4 pm. The interactive forum will feature presentations by an interdisciplinary group of artists, researchers, activists, and health professionals working in Africa, India, and Connecticut. First-hand examples of the challenges and successes that come from developing new ways of partnering with communities to address HIV/AIDS and other pressing health issues will be provided. The forum will take place at ICR at 146 Wyllys St., Hartford (2 Hartford Square West). The cost is $10 for lunch; pre-registration is required by calling 860-278-2044 x251 or emailing Lynne Williamson. The forum is ICR’s third public event held in conjunction with the exhibit Siyazama: Traditional Arts, Education, and AIDS in South Africa, which is on view at ICR’s Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery through June 26.
Press Release

Film Screening at ICR Focuses on AIDS in South Africa
ICR will screen 'Thing With No Name,' a feature-length documentary by filmmaker Sarah Friedland about two South African women with AIDS and their fight for survival in a community where the rate of infection in women is twice that of men, and where funerals are daily occurrences. The film will be followed by a discussion between the filmmaker and audience, moderated by Shawn Lang of the CT AIDS Resource Coalition. The film and discussion will take place on Thursday, May 28, 2009 from 6 to 8pm at ICR, 146 Wyllys St., Hartford. The film is being shown as part of the public programming for the exhibit, Siyazama: Traditional Arts, Education, and AIDS in South Africa. The event is co-sponsored by AIDS Project Hartford, the CT AIDS Resource Coalition, the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS at Yale, and the Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention at the University of Connecticut. The screening is free. Registration is required; call 860-278-2044 x251 or email Lynne Williamson.Press Release

ICR Founding Director to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award
ICR Founding Director and Sr. Research Scientist Jean J. Schensul, Ph.D, is the recipient of the 2010 Bronislaw Malinowski Award from the Society for Applied Anthropology. The Malinowski Award is a lifetime achievement award presented annually by the Society to an outstanding social scientist dedicated to the goal of resolving human problems through the application of the social sciences. Over the past 35 years, Dr. Schensul has been engaged in the development of community research organizations committed to addressing issues of health disparities and cultural marginalization. She has published extensively on collaborative research, applied research methods and the democratization of research for social change. The Malinowski Award was established by the Society in 1973. Previous award recipients have included Gunnar Myrdal, Edward Spicer, Margaret Clark, Alexander Leighton, Carlos Velez-Ibanez, Bea Medicine, and Orlando Fals Borda. The award will be presented to Dr. Schensul at the 70th Annual Meeting of the Society in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, in March of 2010. Press Release

Risk Avoidance Partnership Project Findings Now Available On PubMed Central
Research findings from ICR's Risk Avoidance Partnership (RAP): Training Active Drug Users as Peer Health Advocates are now available on PubMed Central, an online public access site for NIH-funded research publications. The RAP project trained drug users as peer health advocates to disseminate HIV, hepatitis, TB, and STD prevention information, materials and demonstrations into drug-using networks and high-risk drug use sites.
RAP Findings

MDMA Project Seeks Ethnographic Recruiter/ Interviewer

The Institute for Community Research has a 12-month full-time opening for an Ethnographic Recruiter/Interviewer at the BA or Masters level to participate in a three-year NIDA funded study of youth social activity situations, drug use including Ecstasy and intimate relationships and practices. The position involves field recruitment and in-depth interviews with MDMA and other drug using young women and men between the ages of 18 and 30 on their relationships, sexual activity and substance use.

More information

ICR Takes a Stand Against Racism
ICR is hosting a ‘Stand Against Racism’ event on Friday, April 3 from 2 to 5 pm. 'Stand Against Racism' is an initiative aimed at raising awareness of racism and identifying and eliminating the barriers that divide people. ICR's event will feature exhibits, posters, slide shows and videos illustrating how research intersects with issues of race and can be used to promote social justice and equity. The event will include a mural on racism that reflects findings from research that Hartford teens conducted with their peers and adults; a documentary, 'Docin’ Da Beat,' created and produced by youth, that explores predictors of racism; panels related to how drugs affect young people's lives and communities; and posters and a slide show on race and research ethics. Visitors will be encouraged to reflect on issues raised by the exhibits. The 'Stand Against Racism' was initiated in 2008 by the YWCA’s Racial Justice Institute of Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey. The YWCA of the Hartford Region is coordinating this year's events in the Greater Hartford area. ICR's event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 860-278-2044. Click here to learn more about the 'Stand Against Racism' program of the YWCA's Racial Justice Institute.

ICR & Partners Sponsor International Conference on Alcohol and HIV in India
The International Institute for Population Sciences (Mumbai, India), The Institute for Community Research and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism are sponsoring the First International Conference on Alcohol and HIV in India. This conference will take place August 3 - 4 in Mumbai, India. The conference will be preceded by a two-day training workshop on August 1 - 2. The conference aims to examine the role that alcohol plays in contributing to sexuality and sexual risk related to sexually transmitted diseases and HIV by highlighting the work of current Indian and U.S.-Indian partnership research on these topics.
Conference Invite | Conference website | Conference Program

ICR Awarded Grant to Upgrade Technology Systems
The Institute has received a Strategic Technology Grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The 1-year grant will support the purchase of newer technology equipment and systems that will improve the Institute’s research capacity, and aid in more efficient and effective dissemination of its research findings, tested model programs and interventions, and promotion of conferences, workshops, exhibits and other events.

ICR Researchers Present at 2nd Annual NIH Conference
Several ICR researchers presented at the NIH Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation: Building Research Capacity to Bridge the Gap from Science to Service, which was held on January 28-29, 2009 in Bethesda, Maryland. ICR Executive Director Margaret Weeks, Ph.D., chaired a panel on Implementation Science Issues Raised by Multilevel Interventions, which included panelists Jean J. Schensul, Ph.D., Marlene Berg, M.U.P., and discussant Jianghong Li, M.D., M.S. The panel presented three case examples of multilevel interventions that have shown significant efficacy in community intervention trials: Vaccinate for Influenza Prevention (V.I.P): A Multilevel Intervention with Seniors to Vaccinate Against Flu; Youth Action Research for Prevention: A Multilevel PAR-based Intervention; and Drug User Peer Health Advocates as Multilevel Change Agents.

Youth Researchers Present on Healthy Relationships/Teen Dating Violence Project Marlene Berg, Associate Director for Training at ICR, and two youth action researchers will present findings from their project using research to engage youth in promoting healthy relationships and preventing dating violence on Thursday, February 19, 2009, from 12:15 to 1:45 pm at the UCONN School of Social Work's Institute for Violence Prevention and Reduction. The presentation will be held in the Zachs Community Room as part of a brown bag lunch series.
Flyer

CHAP's Refugee Artists Sewing Circle Exhibits Textile Arts to Exhibit Textile Arts
An exhibit reception and artist demonstrations for ' Weaving a New Life: The Refugee Artists Sewing Circle,' will be held on Tuesday, February 17, 2009, from 5 to 7 pm at the Clare Gallery at the Franciscan Center for Urban Ministry, 285 Church Street , Hartford, CT. The multi-media exhibition features textile arts created by recent refugees and more longstanding immigrants to the Greater Hartford area. The Sewing Circle Project began in 2007, initiated by The Institute for Community Research’s Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program (CHAP) based in Hartford. During the reception, CHAP Director Lynne Williamson will speak on the history of the project, the diverse artwork and traditions of the artists, and the project’s importance to the Hartford community. The exhibition is free and open to the public and extends from January 22 to February 22, 2009.
Press Release | Exhibit Flyer

ICR Founding Director Coedits Special Issue of Community Psychiatry Journal
ICR Founding Director and Senior Scientist Jean J. Schensul, Ph.D., and Edison Trickett, Ph.D. (University of Illinois, Chicago), are editing a special issue of the American Journal of Community Psychiatry on Multilevel Community-Based Culturally Situated Interventions, to be published in June 2009. Schensul, Trickett and Penny Hawe, Ph.D. (University of Calgary), are contributing theoretical papers. Highlighted case studies will include Multilevel Perspectives on Community Intervention: An Example from an Indo-US HIV Prevention Project in Mumbai, India; Building Xperience: A Multilevel Drug Prevention Intervention for Urban Youth; Changing Drug Users' Risk Environments: Peer Health Advocates as Multi-level Community Change Agents; and Multi-Level Intervention to Prevent Influenza Infection in Older Minority Adults.
Publications List

Mural on Racism Exhibited in Hartford
'Race: The Lived Experience' - A Mural Exhibit by ICR's Hartford Youth Researchers will be on display during February at the entrance to the building housing the Department of Public Health and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut.

CHAP Director Awarded Grant to Support Refugee Arts Sewing Circle
ICR's Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program (CHAP) director Lynne Williamson has been awarded the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund to support the Refugee Arts Sewing Circle, a project to help refugee and immigrant women establish home-based craft businesses. The project, which has also received funding from the the Aurora Women & Girls Foundation, Inc., will provide small business training workshops, along with start-up supplies and promotional materials to approximately 25 women in the Greater Hartford area. Held at the Hartford Public Library, monthly workshops will cover topics such as licensing procedures and business regulations, locating supplies and materials, creating business plans, banking and basic finance, marketing and commissions. Since 2007, Williamson has facilitated a monthly sewing circle at the Institute where women of all nationalities work on their textile arts, share stories and trade materials.

2008:

Hartford Community Creates Exhibit to Commemorate World AIDS Day
The Institute for Community Research and AIDS Project Hartford commemorated World AIDS Day 2008 with the opening reception for 'Connected Threads,' an interactive community arts installation located in ICR’s Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery, 146 Wyllys St., Hartford. The exhibition featured quilt squares, memory dolls, and wall hangings created by community members, and an AIDS altar displaying donated photos, written messages and mementos. The exhibit runs through December 19, 2008.
Press Release

ICR Hosts Annual Folk and Traditional Arts Marketplace
Hmong embroiderers, Burmese weavers, a Liberian tailor, a Lithuanian book illustrator, and a Somali basket weaver are just a few of the artists who will demonstrate their arts and sell their work at a traditional artists' marketplace on Saturday, November 8, 2008, from 11 am to 5 pm at The Institute for Community Research (ICR), 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100 in Hartford, CT. The event, which is free and open to the public, will also include rug weavers, crochet artists, and jewelry makers, representing recent immigrant and refugee groups from across Southern New England. Organized by ICR's CT Cultural Heritage Arts Program (CHAP), the marketplace is part of Hartford Open Studios Weekend, a creative showcase for local artists held annually in Hartford.
Press Release | Event Flyer

New Exhibit Celebrates Day of the Dead Traditions
An opening reception for 'Ancestors: Day of the Dead Celebration,' a multi-media exhibit featuring ten New England artists will be held on Friday, October 24 from 5 to 8 pm at The Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery at The Institute for Community Research. The gallery is located at 2 Hartford Square West, Ste. 100 (146 Wyllys Street), in Hartford, CT. The exhibit, which is curated by Guatemalan artist Balam Soto, runs through November 21, 2008. Gallery hours are 10 am to 5 pm on weekdays, during special weekend events, or by appointment. The exhibit and opening reception are free and open to the public.
Press Release

Traditional Arts Program Seeks New Master Artists & Apprentices
The Southern New England Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program is seeking master traditional artists in Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Massachusetts who want to teach their art form to an apprentice from their community in one of the other states. Now in its 11th year, the program is designed to foster the sharing of traditional (folk) artistic skills and cultural knowledge through the apprenticeship learning model of regular, intensive, one-on-one teaching by a master artist to a student/apprentice. Completed applications are due October 13, 2008. ICR's Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program manages this program for traditional artists in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The program is a collaboration among the three statewide folk arts programs in Southern New England, located at the Institute for Community Research in Hartford, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts in Providence, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council in Boston. Primary funding for the Program comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, along with the Program partners. For more information, call Lynne Williamson at 860-278-2044, ext. 251 or email her at Lynne.Williamson@icrweb.org. Download 2008 Application

ICR Studies Women's Reproductive Health Risk in Mumbai, India
ICR is part of a team of researchers from the United States and India awarded a five year grant to reduce women's risk of HIV by focusing on culturally specific OB/GYN problems, and intervening at the individual, group, couple and community levels. ICR's contributions to the RISHTA Women's Project include conceptual guidance and research design, ethnographic data monitoring, staff training and data analysis. The grant, awarded to the University of Connecticut Health Center (Stephen Schensul, Ph.D., PI) includes, in addition to ICR (J. Schensul, Ph.D. co-PI), the International Center for Research on Women (Ravi Verma, Ph.D. PI); Tulane University (Bonnie Nastasi, co-PI); The TATA Institute for Social Sciences (Shubhada Maitra); T.N. Medical College, Mumbai (Radha Aras, M.D.); and CORO, Mumbai (Sujata Khandekar). The grant is funded by NIMH.

MDMA Project Looking for Interns and Volunteers
ICR received a three year grant to study the complex interactions between MDMA, a mood and sensuality enhancing drug, and sexuality and unprotected sex in urban, college and suburban populations. The first year of the study concentrated on cultural scripts relating MDMA and sexuality. The second year of the study which has just started, is focusing on people’s stories of their experiences with MDMA and sex. The study will be recruiting people who have used ecstasy in the past several months, and are sexually active, from the greater Hartford, Willimantic, Springfield, Waterbury and New Haven areas and from local area community, four year and graduate campuses. For more information or to become a paid volunteer for the study, please contact Elsie Vazquez at 860-278-2044, 284, Stephen Pavey at 278-2044, ext. 291, or Chavon Hamilton at 278-2044 ext.The study currently has several part time transcription, recording and outreach positions. For information on these positions, please contact Emily Marble at Emily.marble@icrweb.org; or 278-2044, ext. 231 after August 24.
Link to MySpace Project Details

Updated Ethnographer's Toolkit Available Soon
The second edition of the Ethnographer's Toolkit, a complete guide to community- based ethnographic research for academic, community and health and educational researchers, will be available starting in 2009. In addition to applied ethnography and ethnographic research ethics, the second edition will include new research methods such as photovoice and team ethnography and new approaches to research ethics, collaboration and data analysis and use. Books 1, 3 and 5 will be available in early 2009; books 2 (on research design and theoretical development), 4 (an edited volume on advanced data collection methods), 6 (on ethics of ethnographic research) and 7 (on applications of ethnographic research) will be available in 2009-2010. For more information, contact authors/editors Jean.schensul@icrweb.org; and Margaret.lecompte@colorado.edu.

ICR and Partners Awarded Conference Grant
ICR, the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, and the International Center for Research on Women, India, have been awarded a conference grant to address accelerating rates of alcohol consumption and promotion in India. Alcohol acts as a disinhibitor, and as an agent that focuses attention on sexuality. Increases in consumption among men are generally associated with increases in sexual activity, partners, and at times, unprotected sex. The grant from the National Institute for Alcohol and Addiction (NIAAA) will support two conferences in India, one in 2009 and the second in 2010. The first conference, to be held in Goa in the first week of August in 2009, will disseminate information collected by Indian, and India-US partnerships that links alcohol consumption to beliefs and attitudes about sex, and unprotected sex. The second conference, to be held in Delhi environs, will focus on India-based interventions designed to reduce risk associated with alcohol use and unprotected sex in adults of all ages. Keynote speakers in the first conference include alcohol and HIV researchers Jean J. Schensul, S.K. Singh, Ravi Verma. Niranjan Suggarti, Tom Greenfield, Madhabika Nayak, Ellen Cromley, and Jayanta Basu. Researchers in the U.S. and India are invited to submit proposals for poster sessions and presentations. Registration fees and residence/hotel expenses will be at cost to accommodate U.S. and Indian researchers who are supported on grants or other funds. Some scholarships for Indian pre and post doctoral students will be available. Other partners in this conference include India's National Institute for Medical Statistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the International Center for Research on Women and the Center International Community Health Studies (CICHS), University of Connecticut. For more information on the conference in Goa, please contact Jean.Schensul@icrweb.org or Sksingh1992@yahoo.co.in; and for information on the conference in Delhi region, please contact Jean.Schensul@icrweb.org or rverma@icrw.org.

Open House Celebrates Refugee Sewing Circle Project at ICR
Bosnian weavers and needleworkers, Somali basketmakers, Assyrian lacemakers, and a Liberian tailor will showcase their beautiful traditional textile crafts at an Open House on Saturday August 23, 2008, from 1 to 4 pm at The Institute for Community Research (ICR), 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100 (146 Wyllys Street) in Hartford, CT. The event celebrates a year-long project that brings together members of recent immigrant and refugee groups to produce and share their traditional art forms. Participants in the project will welcome the public with food, music, and information from their cultures, and they will have art works for sale. The event is free.
Press Release

ICR Researchers Present Findings at Society for Prevention Research Conference Researchers Jean Schensul and Jianghong Li presented posters at the 2008 Conference of the Society for Prevention Research in San Francisco, CA. in May. Dr. Schensul and colleagues Diamond, Vazquez, Pavey, Coman and Hamilton presented a poster on the history of Ecstasy and its use in Connecticut in the opening session of the conference. The poster event was sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Li and colleagues presented a poster comparing injection drug use risk between U.S. and Chinese drug users.

Research Partners from India Visit ICR
This summer Drs. Kamla Gupta and S.K. Singh, India Investigators on the NIAAA funded study of alcohol use and HIV risk in slum communities in Mumbai, and senior faculty from the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, met with ICR staff in Hartford, CT. The group completed a report on the ICR/IIPS joint study on Alcohol and HIV (ASHRA) and worked on papers for a special journal issue focusing on alcohol and HIV risk in India. The special issue will be edited by Drs. Gupta, Singh, Schensul of ICR and Kendall Bryant of NIAAA, and will be highlighted at a conference on the topic in 2010. Dr. Gupta is the India national coordinator of the National Family Health Survey, a nation-wide survey of the reproductive health status of Indian women and families which for the first time has assessed HIV prevalence in India, and contributed to the revision of HIV estimates in India. Dr. Singh is a statistician involved in evaluation of HIV interventions in India and a coordinator of NFHS. Dr. Singh coordinated the ASHRA study team at IIPS.

Youth Researchers Presented Their Findings on Personal and Group Abuse in the Lives of Hartford Teens
This summer fifteen year-old Magdalyn Roldan and twenty-nine other Hartford youth researchers explored the causes and affects of teen personal and group abuse with hopes to educate other teens and the community at large. The youth researchers, who worked for ICR's Summer Youth Research Institute, presented their findings to the community on Friday August 8, 2008. The event was the culmination of the youth-driven participatory action research project and took place at the Institute.
Press Release

Connecticut Youth Help Evaluate ICR's Xperience Project
This summer, young people from around Connecticut are participating in focus groups to evaluate Xperience, a 3-year CDC-funded research project that supports Connecticut youth between ages 14 and 20 in their decision not to use drugs. Based in the Greater Hartford area, Xperience has been working with area youth to create alternative drug-free entertainment events and to produce professionally recorded and mastered CDs that feature young local artists who promote drug-free lifestyles through performing and visual arts. As part of the evaluation, young people listen to the Xperience Vol. 2 CD; complete an anonymous survey about the CD and their thoughts, attitudes and experiences with alcohol and drugs; and participate in a focus group discussion about the CD – the music, lyrics and drug prevention messages. The survey and focus group findings will help project staff evaluate the risk avoidance/abstinence messages that have been developed by youth in the Xperience project and to demonstrate the program’s effectiveness as a drug prevention intervention.

Youth Artists Perform in Drug-Free Community Concert
The "Xperience: Vol. III" CD Release Show was a great success, drawing more than 165 people on Saturday, June 21, 2008 at the Charter Oak Cultural Center. The show featured rappers, singers, and poets, as well as the work of young visual artists. Show participants had been preparing for this event as well as the release of their new CD since January. Their original works of art, conveying drug prevention messages, were well received by the community who attended the concert in support of drug-free entertainment for youth in the Hartford area. Audience members received a free copy of the "Xperience: Vol. III" CD at the end of the show.

Youth Researchers' Mural On Display in Various CT Venues
'Race: The Lived Experience' - A multi-media mural exhibit by ICR's Hartford Youth Researchers will be on display at the Wadsworth Atheneum, 600 Main Street, Hartford, CT in conjunction with the Amistad Center’s TAG film on Saturday, April 19. Following, it will be displayed at the Atrium at City Hall, 550 Main Street, Hartford, CT. The youth researchers will lead a workshop on Friday, April 25 from 3:30 - 5pm in the Court of Common Council. The mural will then be at the CT SERC (CT State Education Resource Center) Symposium 2008: The Intersection of Race and Education. Five youth, Yury Clarke, Nehemiah Gray Jonathan Rosario, Brenda Santiago and Jillian Solis, will present their research and action project as members of a keynote panel on Friday, May 2, from 9 to 10:30am. An opening reception and youth-led workshop will be held from noon to 3pm at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum.The youth action research mural project will be presented in conjunction with the Connecticut showing of the national understanding race project. The mural will be on display at the museum from May 24 through June 19.

Exhibit Explores Cape Verdean Stonemasonry Traditions
A remarkable exhibit of photographs and Cape Verdean stonemasonry will be on view at the Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery at The Institute for Community Research from April 4 to June 14, 2008. The exhibit opening will take place on Friday, April 4 from 5 to 8 pm, and will include a presentation on Cape Verdean history, language, and dance by students from Norwich Free Academy; a wine tasting offered by a Cape Verdean vintner; and Cape Verdean food. The gallery is located at 2 Hartford Square West, Ste. 100 (146 Wyllys Street), in Hartford, CT; gallery hours are 10 am to 5 pm on weekdays or by appointment.
Press Release | Postcard Invitation | View Images

Bus Tour Celebrates Cape Verdean Traditions in Connecticut
An educational and cultural bus tour will explore the traditions and architecture of Cape Verdeans in southeastern Connecticut. Guided by Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program (CHAP) Director Lynne Williamson, tour participants will travel to Norwich to view stone walls created by generations of Cape Verdean masons. The group will also visit the reconstructed chapel of St. Anthony in the meditation area of St. Mary's Church, and have the opportunity to attend St. Anthony's Feast Day Mass with the Cape Verdean Choir from Roxbury, Massachusetts followed by a festival dinner featuring Cape Verdean food and music. The tour bus will depart from Manchester Community College's Parking Lot C on Saturday, June 14, 2008, at noon, and will return to MCC by 8:30 pm. The fee for the tour, which includes transportation, food, and entertainment, is $75. Advanced registration is required; please call Manchester Community College Continuing Education at 860-512-3232 or 860-512-2800 to register. Press Release

Bus Tour Explores Franco-American Culture in Connecticut
A lively, educational bus tour will celebrate one of Connecticut’s signature resources – maple syrup – and its roots in French Canadian culture. Guided by Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program (CHAP) Director Lynne Williamson, tour participants will visit the 18th Annual Maple Festival in Hebron to learn about the production of maple syrup and then travel to East Hartford for a traditional French-Canadian soirée. The tour is a collaboration between CHAP, a program of The Institute for Community Research (ICR), and Manchester Community College. The tour bus will depart from Manchester Community College’s Parking Lot C on Saturday, March 8, 2008, at 10 am, and will return to MCC by 7 pm. The fee for the tour, which includes transportation, food at the soirée, and entertainment, is $75. Advanced registration is required; please call Manchester Community College Continuing Education at 860-512-3232 or 860-512-2800 to register.
Press Release

Peer Health Advocates Promote HIV Prevention Through Personal Art
Each month a group of Peer Health Advocates (PHAs) gather at The Institute for Community Research (ICR) in Hartford, CT to build their knowledge and skills, and to discuss important community issues. These PHAs, trained through ICR’s Risk Avoidance Partnership (Project RAP), deliver harm reduction and HIV prevention messages and materials to those at risk for HIV infection in their communities. Over several months, the PHAs created artwork conveying HIV prevention and harm reduction messages as well as personal messages of family, hope and healing. RAP It!, an exhibition of their work, will be on display at the WindhamARTS Collaborative’s Next Step Gallery, 866 Main Street, Willimantic, CT from March 13 through April 9, 2008, with an opening reception on Thursday, March 13 from 5 to 7 pm.
Press Release

HIV Forum Focuses on Latest Scientific Findings
The latest science on HIV/AIDS will be the topic of February's Hartford HIV Forum. Kevin Dieckhaus, M.D., Chief of Infectious Diseases at the University of Connecticut Health Center, will speak on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 from 12:00-1:30 pm at The Institute for Community Research, 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100, 146 Wyllys Street, Hartford. Dr. Dieckhaus will present an update from the 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) to be held in early February in Boston, MA. The CROI is a scientifically focused meeting of the world's leading researchers working to understand, prevent, and treat HIV/AIDS and its complications. The HIV forum is free; lunch will be provided and advanced registration is required at 860-278-2044. The Hartford HIV Forum is presented by ICR and the CT AIDS Education and Training Center. Press Release

ICR Releases Project Findings for Female Condom Study
Female condoms were introduced worldwide in 1992. Since then, the female condom has proven as effective as the male condom in preventing both unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, when it is used consistently and correctly. Though studies have shown high acceptability of the female condom in many populations around the world and in this country, female condom use remains low.
In 2004 The Institute for Community Research in Hartford was funded by the National Institute on Mental Health to explore factors that enhance or impede the use of female condoms for HIV/STI prevention. Results from the study, which included a survey of 500 women in Hartford, CT, are now available in summary format and poster presentation. Click here for more female condom project details.
Watch a Channel 8 News interview with ICR Executive Director Margaret Weeks about the project findings. Click here to read a recent news article about the female condom project.

Drug-Free Community Concert Draws Big Crowd
Over 200 people attended the "Xperience: Vol. II" CD Release Show on Saturday, January 19, 2008 at the Charter Oak Cultural Center. The audience was entertained by Xperience rappers, singers, poets, and dancers who had been preparing for this event as well as the release of their new CD for about 4 months. Their original works of art, conveying drug prevention messages, were well received by the community who attended the concert in support of drug-free entertainment for youth in the Hartford area. Audience members received a free copy of the "Xperience: Vol. II" CD at the end of the show. The Xperience team will be working towards a new show and CD with a new group of youth this spring.
View Pictures | Show Press Release

2007:

ICR Hosts Forum that Focuses on HIV/AIDS Among Latinos
ICR will hist a forum on December 11, 2007 from Noon-1:30PM that focuses on AIDS, the 4th leading cause of death among Latinos in the United States. The forum will feature Claudia Martorell, M.D., M.P.H., the director and principal investigator at The Research Institute in Springfield, MA, specializing in infectious diseases. She will address HIV and Latinos in Hartford.
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Bus Tour Visits Hmong New Year Celebration
An unusual bus tour will explore Hmong culture and attend the community’s most important annual festival. Guided by Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program (CHAP) Director Lynne Williamson, the tour will travel to Enfield, where the majority of Connecticut’s 500 Hmong live. Tour participants will join the Hmong to celebrate their New Year. The tour is a collaboration between CHAP, a program of The Institute for Community Research (ICR), and Manchester Community College. The tour will depart from Manchester Community College’s Parking Lot C on Saturday, November 17, 2007, at 1 pm, and will return to MCC by 8 pm. The fee for the tour, which includes food, is $55.
More Information
Registration Form (PDF)

ICR Executive Director Collaborates with 4researchers
Executive Director Margaret Weeks, Ph.D., is a contributor at 4researchers.org, a project funded by the National Institute of Mental Health that disseminates practical "how-to" information about conducting research through online video interviews. Weeks has recently completed a series of five interviews on a broad range of topics.
Applying anthropological principles
Challenges with supervising staff in fieldwork situations
Critical local connections
Setting up a local partnership
Challenges with translating a Hartford, CT survey for use in China

ICR Announces 5-Year HIV Prevention Study in China
The Institute for Community Research has begun a new 5-year study, entitled “High-risk Establishments and Women’s HIV Prevention in Southern China.” The intervention encourages sex workers to use the female condom as an HIV/STD prevention method. Continuing a longstanding collaboration, U.S. and Chinese investigators will work with Hainan and Guanxi provincial health departments, local communities, and sex-work establishment proprietors to conduct the study in two rural and two mid-sized urban towns in these provinces. Researchers will identify, through triangulated data, which characteristics are most likely to affect risk and intervention outcomes. The project has significant public health implications, because increased female condom use would reduce sexual HIV transmission in this high-risk population, and therefore in the broader population of their sexual networks.

Traditional Artists Sell Rare Work at Marketplace
Hmong embroiderers, a Romanian woodcarver and a Somali basket weaver are just a few of the artists who will sell their work at a traditional artists’ marketplace on Saturday, November 3, 2007 from 11 am to 5 pm at The Institute for Community Research (ICR), 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100 in Hartford, CT. The event, which is free and open to the public, will also include rug weavers, crochet artists, and jewelry makers, representing recent immigrant and refugee groups from across Southern New England. Organized by ICR’s CT Cultural Heritage Arts Program (CHAP), the marketplace is part of Hartford Open Studios Weekend, a creative showcase for local artists held annually in Hartford.
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Symposium Addresses the “Downlow” Phenomenon and HIV Risk Among Women
The “downlow” refers to secret sex among men who don’t identify as gay, and who are often in relationships with women. “My concern is for women who are being faithful and have no clue that this is going on,” says CeCe Jones. In addition to her position as Membership Services Coordinator at the Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition (CARC), Jones has founded Sing for Change, a non-profit that works with churches to fight the spread of HIV. To shed light on the hidden community of the downlow, Jones organizes symposiums across the state of Connecticut that invite women to learn more about the downlow and HIV risk. A forum sponsored by CARC, The Institute for Community Research (ICR), and True Colors, Inc., took place at ICR, 146 Wyllys St. in Hartford, on Tuesday, September 11, 2007, from 6-8 pm. The event was free and open to the public; light refreshments were served. Press Release

'Race: The Lived Experience' - A Multi-Media Mural Exhibit and Workshop by Hartford Youth Researchers
High school youth action researchers from The Institute for Community Research, working with artists Victor Pacheco and Luella Pavey, and staff from the Youth Action Research Institute have created a mobile mural on racism. The mural reflects findings from research that 30 Hartford teens conducted with their peers and adults during ICR’s 2007 Summer Youth Research Institute. Using interview, survey, and visual research methods, the youth researchers studied how racism experienced by Hartford teens is a function of attitudes and behaviors of adults and youth, the educational system and the media. They surveyed 133 youth, conducted interviews with 16 adults and youth,and produced a documentary, Docin’ Da Beat, through which they deepened their own critical consciousness while exploring predictors of racism and how they manifest in everyday life. The mural and related programming will be presented at four venues through Connecticut during April and May.
Mural Exhibition Schedule

ICR Receives Federal Grant to Study MDMA Use; Announces New Position
The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently awarded The Institute for Community Research a 3-year grant to study MDMA and STD/HIV Risk Among Hidden Networks of Ecstasy-Using Young Adults in the Greater Hartford area. Through qualitative methods, researchers will explore the contexts in which ecstasy use is more likely to lead to sexual risk taking. Collecting data through focus groups, in-depth interviews, and field ethnography, researchers hope to craft interventions around ecstasy use reinforcing pathways that to protection, and eliminating those leading to unprotected sex. Read on for more details about the study.

Youth Researchers Spend Summer Exploring Impact of Racism on Hartford TeensFifteen-year-old Sherrie Mark remembers when her family first came to Hartford from Grenada, an English-speaking country in the Caribbean. “They put my little sister in a class to teach her English, like it was her second language,” she says in disbelief. “No matter where you go, racism is everywhere.” Thirty youth researchers from Hartford (ages 14-17) working at The Institute for Community Research’s Summer Youth Research Institute (SYRI) have chosen to investigate how racism affects them and their peers, specifically through educational systems, the media, and people’s attitudes, behaviors and opinions. The teens presented their findings, based on interviews, surveys, and visual research, to the community on Friday, August 10, 2007. The event took place at The Institute for Community Research, 146 Wyllys St. in Hartford. The presentation, including a debut of an original documentary, took place from 1-4 pm; a reception followed from 4-5 pm. The event was free and open to the public. Press Release | Invitation (pdf) | View images from the event

Xperience Hartford Seeks Talented Young Artists
Xperience Hartford, a drug prevention program partnering with young adults (ages 14-20), sought fresh talent to be part of community-wide drug-free entertainment shows. Singers, dancers, rappers, poets, spoken word artists, bands, musicians, choirs, dj's, step and drill teams, actors, comedians, visual artists and any others auditioned between August 6-25, 2007. In addition to the talent show, Xperience artists have opportunities to be featured on an enhanced Xperience Vol. II CD, have a bio-page posted on our website, and make guest appearances at other Hartford-area events. The Xperience Vol. 1 CD-release party on May 5, 2007 drew over 180 people, including over 100 youth. The program, which began in the summer of 2006, aims to support young people's choice not to use drugs or alcohol and improve adult perceptions of youth through hosting substance free shows and other social events featuring positive-minded youth-produced entertainment. Xperience is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the project is a collaboration among The Institute for Community Research, The University of Connecticut Center for Health Communication and Marketing, the Hartford Animation Institute, and MiCasa Family Services & Educational Center, Inc. For more information, including how to participate in the auditions, please contact the Xperience team at 860-982-9985, email xperience@icrweb.org, or visit www.xperiencehartford.org.
Call for artists postcard (pdf): front | back

Crossroads II Conference Opens with Reception for Exhibit “Explorations of Social and Environmental Justice Issues”
The Institute for Community Research’s (ICR) second international conference, Crossroads II: Community-Based Collaborative Research for Social Justice, began on June 7, 2007 as conference participants joined community members for Explorations of Social and Environmental Justice Issues. For the interdisciplinary, mixed media exhibit, participating artists displayed work to represent, advocate, and ameliorate social justice issues. Many artists and others featured in the exhibit also took part in panel sessions throughout the three-day conference. The opening reception featured an introduction from ICR Artistic Director and exhibit curator Colleen Coleman, and a performance by the Alvin Carter trio.
View images from the gallery exhibit
Gallery Postcard (back) | Gallery Postcard (front)

Crossroads II: Community-Based Collaborative Research for Social Justice Draws Hundreds to Hartford
From June 7-9, 2007, roughly four hundred researchers, activists, cultural leaders, funders, community members, educators, artists, and healthcare professionals convened in Hartford, CT to share experiences and gain insights about community-based collaborative research for social justice. Crossroads II, the second international conference sponsored by The Institute for Community Research in Hartford, featured local, national and international experts presenting research with such populations as People Living with HIV/AIDS; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender; youth; artists; immigrants; and more. In addition to pre-conference workshops and a community tour of Hartford, conference attendees enjoyed keynote performances in story telling, dance and music, as well as speeches discussing how to use community-based research to create change. The conference’s three main themes were addressing the root causes of inequities in health, criminal justice, education, the environment, and economic development; translating and adapting science-based interventions to be effective in diverse, real-life settings; and integrating artistic and cultural expression with research. Over 60 abstracts presented at the conference are available for download here (pdf). A gallery exhibition, "Explorations of Social and Environmental Justice Issues," complemented the conference.
View images from the conference
Conference Program | Conference Highlights

Youth Action Research Institute Holds Legislative Summit on Teen Dating Violence
Teen researchers from Guilford, Hartford, Killingly, and Windham presented their findings from a yearlong collaborative research project on Teen Dating Violence in Connecticut. Sponsored by The Institute for Community Research, the legislative summit on June 13, 2007 included a performance by Touchstone Poets and presentations of findings by youth researchers from the four communities. To measure the prevalence of teen dating violence in Connecticut, youth researchers surveyed 428 teens from their communities about their experiences. They also conducted interviews and pile sorts with youth and adults. The youth were particularly concerned that so many of their peers reported having no one to turn to when experiencing teen dating violence. The research and summit were supported by The Institute for Community Research, the Office of the Child Advocate, the CT Girl Scouts, the Center for Youth Leadership, the CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and The Perrin Family Foundation.
Presentation (pdf) | View presentation (on CT Network)

Community-Based Research Conference Draws International Audience to Hartford
The Institute for Community Research (ICR) announced its second international conference, Crossroads II: Community-Based Collaborative Research for Social Justice. Through interactive workshops, artistic performances, keynote speeches, film screenings, a gallery exhibit, and more, participants explored how community-based collaborative research (CBCR) can be used to address the root causes of social injustice worldwide. Among the conference’s dozens of locally, nationally and internationally known presenters were researchers, activists, cultural leaders, funders, community members, educators, artists, and healthcare professionals, who shared their experiences in CBCR as they formed new networks and generated new understanding. The conference took place from June 7-9, 2007, at the Hartford Hilton in Hartford, CT. Press Release | Crossroads II Program

2006

Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory
October 27, 2006 - January 13, 2007 at the Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery, at The Institute for Community Research, 2 Hartford Square West Suite 100, 146 Wyllys St, Hartford, CT. The opening reception for Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory took place on Friday, October 27, 2006 from 5-8 pm, at The Institute for Community Research (ICR). After introductory acknowledgements from Lynne Williamson, Director of ICR's Cultural Heritage Arts Program, master artist and Khmer Rouge survivor Somaly Hay performed a traditional Cambodian court dance for an audience of over 60 people. Distinguished guests included leaders of Connecticut's Lao, Hmong, Chilean, Cambodian and Peruvian communities. After enjoying Afghan and Southeast Asian food, visitors perused the exhibit's sixty appliqués, clothing, embroideries, story cloths and woven rugs created by artisans from war-torn countries around the world. While the textiles depict startling images of conflict, the exhibit also demonstrates that art, narrative, and tradition can help to heal those who have suffered through strife.
Gallery Photos from Other Weavings of War Events: Narratives of War | La Peña Chilena | Southeast Asian Arts

At Face Value: New Work from Lori Sikorski
September 21, 2006 - October 13, 2006 at the Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery, at The Institute for Community Research, 2 Hartford Square West Suite 100, 146 Wyllys St, Hartford, CT. Lori Sikorski participated in the New Britain Urban Artists Initiative (UAI) between 1998-2001. Her new exhibit, at ICR between September 21 and October 13, consists of eight black and white portraits. “These are people from my neighborhood in Brooklyn,” says Sikorski. “When drawing my subjects, I ask them to look directly at me, taking away as many cultural factors as I can, stripping the person down to the bare essentials, and then asking the question: Can we really take each other at face value?” Gallery hours are 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment; the show is free and open to the public, and work will be for sale. Artist's Statement

New Work from Connecticut Prisons
April 24, 2006 - June 2, 2006. The Annual Show of Connecticut's Prison Arts Program (part of Community Partners in Action) showcased over 125 pieces of work created by inmate artists from Connecticut’s 18 correctional facilities. The exhibit was a collaboration between The Institute for Community Research (ICR) and Community Partners in Action (CPA). Throughout the year, the Prison Arts Program’s volunteer and professional artists teach both specific and general artistic skills to inmates. The Annual Show of new work has presented inmate art to the general public since the early 1990s. “It is a way of bringing the private world of the artist inmate into the public sphere,” says Program Manager Rebecca Boyden. “We emphasize the value of creative expression as a tool for personal change.”
Opening Reception & Keynote: May 4, 2006.
Panel Discussion: May 18, 2006. Prison Release: Reintegration Challenges and Opportunities.
Gallery Talk: May 25, 2006. Prison Arts: The Power to Transform Lives.

Rollin' and Dustin': Pathways to Urban Life Styles:
February 16 - March 17, 2006. Opening reception: February 16, 2006, 5-8 pm in the Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery at The Institute for Community Research, 2 Hartford Sq. West Ste. 100, Hartford, CT, 06106. "Rollin’ and Dustin’ in Hartford: Pathways to Urban Life Styles” explores the spread, use and consequences of drugs for young adults (between ages 16-30) in the Greater Hartford area. The exhibit focuses mainly on MDMA (Ecstasy) and Dust (PCP) use, detailing findings from two ICR projects over the last 10 years portrayed through comic book characters. The information is displayed on over a dozen large panels, which feature quotes, survey data, and interpretations. The panels were created through a collaboration between ICR and the Hartford Animation Institute.
View the panels | View the panels' travel schedule | Press Release

2005

10 years: An Exhibit of Work, Past and Present by Victor Pacheco
June 2, 2005 - June 27, 2005. Opening reception: June 2, 2005, 5-8 pm in the Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery at The Institute for Community Research, 2 Hartford Sq. West, Ste. 100, 146 Wyllys St, Hartford, CT, 06106.
From Victor Pacheco's Artist's Statement: "I was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico in 1975. I have been living in Hartford CT since the age of eleven. My work is greatly influenced and inspired by identity and community issues. Identity is such a complex liquid concept. I choose to express it through a variation of mediums. My work makes a connection with the viewer about their identity, culture and the past. "
To contact the artist please visit www.victorpacheco.com.

Giving Women Power Over AIDS
April 26 - April 28, 2005. Opening reception: April 26, 3:00-7:00 pm in the Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery at ICR, 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100 (corner of Wyllys St. & Columbus Blvd.), 146 Wyllys St, Hartford, CT, 06106.

Speakers' Luncheon: Confronting AIDS in India and Uganda.
Thursday, April 28, 12:00 - 2:00pm
Speakers: Bonnie Nastasi, Ph.D., ICR; and Kevin Dieckhaus, M.D., University of Connecticut Health Center.

"Giving Women Power over AIDS," a traveling exhibit, was designed to raise awareness and support for the global war on AIDS and emerging HIV prevention technologies such as microbicides. The opening reception at ICR featured a poster session highlighting the results of local and international HIV prevention efforts; a panel discussion with local HIV experts and advocates; and refreshments and live music. The exhibit features a prize-winning photo essay, "In Her Mother's Shoes," by reporter Paula Bock and photographer Betty Udesen of The Seattle Times. They traveled to Zimbabwe in 2003 to get a firsthand look at the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The exhibit was sponsored by the Global Campaign for Microbicides and CT Microbicides Now; the reception and Speakers' Luncheon by The Institute for Community Research and the CT AIDS Education and Training Center of the Yale School of Nursing.
Press Release

2004

10 Cities/ 10 Years
February 8, 2004 - March 7, 2004. An Exhibit Celebrating the Ten Years of the Urban Artists Initiative.
Press Release | Featured Artists

2003

Living Spaces: A Multimedia and Interdisciplinary Program
February 27-May 30, 2003 brought together ten artists from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey to participate in an exhibit of visual, literary and performance art that explored themes related to individual and community spaces, the physical environment, identity, and issues of social justice. The artists responded to a "call for artists" that included a request for a personal statement about their response to the "Living Spaces" concept. In addition to the exhibit, the program sponsored a series of dialogues on the concept. The pictures below highlight the artists' work as exhibited in ICR's Community Gallery.
Press Release | Featured Artists | Photos

¡Que Bonita Bandera!: The Puerto Rican Flag as Folk Art
July 11, 2003 - September 12, 2003
An exhibit that highlights the symbol of the flag featuring a variety of folk and community-based art forms. Hartford Mayor, Mr. Eddie Perez welcomed Hartford residents to the opening by thanking ICR for supporting the cultural heritage of Hartford communities, and by discussing the importance of honoring cultural symbols through educational exhibits such as ¡Que Bonita Bandera! The exhibit's curator, Elena Martinez of City Lore in New York, was also present for the exhibit opening. The opening event included performances by Taino-style musical group Village Drum, bomba dancers from the Areyto Latin Dance Studio of East Hartford and musica jibara group Amor y Cultura. Master cake decorator Ana Lozada from Hartford created a spectacular Puerto Rican flag cake to honor the occasion.
Gallery Photos

2002 and earlier

Destination Connecticut Arts: Visionary Landscapes
December 6, 2002 - March 2, 2003
An exhibit recognizing Connecticut's beauty and its long tradition of landscape artists. Exhibition Brochure

Focus on 4: Hartford, New Britain, Bristol, Waterbury
June 29, 2000 - October 13, 2000
An exhibit of new works by artists from four cities
Featured Artists

Polonia w Connecticut: Polish-American Traditional Arts
December 7, 2000 - March 31, 2001
An exhibition presenting works of art made by hand in the Polish folk tradition, and used in Polish homes in Connecticut today.

Mano a Mano: Puerto Rican Traditional Arts From Island to City
July 1, 1999 - October 15, 1999
An exhibit showcasing 15 traditional craft forms practiced on the island of Puerto Rico. Press Release

Career Dolls: What I want to be when I grow up
February 28, 1998 - March 31, 1998
Twenty young girls from Hartford made life-size dolls to represent themselves and their career dreams as part of the curriculum for ICR's Urban Women Against Substance Abuse program.
Press Release

Sur Vois: Franco-American Woodcarvers of Northern New England
October 10, 1998 - December 31, 1998
An exhibit presenting traditional Franco-American woodcarving, a pursuit with a long history in New England.
Press Release

Reinventing Urban Areas Through the Arts
November 6, 1997 - January 14, 1998
An exhibit of works by selected artists from the Urban Artists Initiative, formerly known as the the Inner City Cultural Development program.
Press Release | Featured Artists

Herencia Taina: Legacy and Life
May 3, 1997- November 1, 1997
An exhibit presenting a wide range of traditional arts illustrating Taino heritage.
Press Release

Vision, Voice, Remembrance: The Hartford AIDS Memorial Exhibit
December 5, 1996 - February 28, 1997
An exhibit focusing on a community altar constructed by the public as a memorial to those who have died of AIDS. Exhibit Curator: Salvatore Scalora.
Press Release

Auspicious Signs: Tibetan Arts in New England
May 11, 1996 - December 1, 1996
An exhibit celebrating Tibetan cultural traditions with hand-crafted items by regional Tibetan artists.
Press Release

The Ties That Bind: Cambodian, Lao, and Vietnamese Wedding Traditions in New England
June 30, 1995 - September 15, 1995
An exhibit showcasing artifacts, displays of food, and traditional wedding clothes arranged in three sections.
Press Release

Living Legends: Connecticut Master Traditional Artists
September 29, 1994 - December 30, 1994
A traveling exhibit of Connecticut's master traditional artists representing 12 distinct cultural groups.
Press Release