Please join us for a discussion between two generations of Guyanese/American artists, Stanwyck Cromwell and Marlon Forrester, moderated by Andre Rochester.

Bank’s Caribbean Lager, Mauby, and refreshments afterwards!

Andre Rochester is a Fine Artist from the Greater Hartford region of Connecticut. He studied illustration at the University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts and completed his BA in Studio Art at Charter Oak State College. He also earned an MS in Organizational Leadership from Quinnipiac University. Andre makes statements for which words are not enough, highlighting underlying emotions connected to his subjects. It is a combination of portraiture and conceptual works linked by narratives of his own experiences. His art is a tool for healing and a catalyst for connection-letting people know they are not alone.

Andre is an inaugural Artist of Color Accelerate Fellow, partnered with The Amistad Center at Wadsworth Atheneum, Leadership Greater Hartford- 2021 Quest Program Alum, Greater Hartford Arts Council 2022 New Voices Fellow, and 2022-23 National Leaders of Color Fellow- representing CT for the New England Foundation for The Arts.

Andre is a board member at Hartford Art School Endowment, Inc., Wethersfield Academy for the Arts, and the Connecticut Arts Alliance as well as a member Wadsworth Atheneum Community Council and has previously served on the City of Hartford Commission on Cultural Affairs. He is currently the Program Manager at The 224 EcoSpace in Hartford, where he curates exhibits and oversees execution of arts events and programs, including the Artists of Color Accelerate Fellowship. He is also the Art Curator at UConn Health, in charge of a collection of over 2500 works of art across multiple facilities. Andre coaches emerging artists, encouraging them to develop their craft with a focus on professionalism and business acumen. He believes that with every step forward, we must make room for others to join us.

This event is made possible thanks to the support of the Artist Resource Trust Berkshire Taconic Fund. ECOCA’s programs are also made possible thanks to support by Connecticut Office of the Arts, New Alliance Foundation, Wells Fargo, and Friends of John Slade Ely House of Contemporary Art.