Meet one of Connecticut’s new arts heroes, in an ‘array of remarkable individuals’

The Connecticut Arts Hero Awards was established in 2016 by the CT Office of the Arts, a subdivision within the Department of Economic and Community Development. 

Gabbie Barnes is a multi-faceted woman who continually seeks ways to expand her knowledge and set forth on new journeys, she said.

“It’s important to me that we move through the world looking for opportunities to transform ourselves and how we relate to each one another,” said Barnes, of Hartford, who was recently named a 2023 Connecticut Arts Hero.

Being named a Connecticut Arts Hero is meaningful to Barnes, a librarian for 20-plus years who utilizes her love of art and passion for engagement and lifelong learning.

“This award is a huge honor. I love that all of the awardees are nominated by their communities,” Barnes said. “Not that being given an award by an institution is less special, but knowing that people in your community think of you as extraordinary overwhelms me with gratitude.”

Barnes is a founding member and worker-owner of the People’s Saturday School and the current director of Mutual Aid Hartford.

As an advisory board member, she supported the development of Cooperate Connecticut, an emerging cooperative network dedicated to the solidarity economy and is currently serving a three-year term for the city of Hartford’s Commission on Cultural Affairs and as board member for the Windsor Art Center. She’s also made an impact on the art world through various positions she’s held at YOUmedia Hartford, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Seattle Art Museum, and Real Arts Ways. She holds a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Washington’s iSchool and a bachelor of arts in communication and media studies from Central Connecticut State University.

In 2022, Barnes founded FREE HART Closet, a free art supply store that makes art supplies and workshops available to everyone.

“There’s a lot in the works, but what I feel most comfortable sharing is my participation in Shareable’s SolidarityWorks Library of Things CoLab,” said Barnes, who is one of six fellows across the United States who will be spending the year developing a community-controlled Library of Things.

“In Hartford, we’ll be focusing on the artist community. Right now, at FREE HART Closet, we give away the consumable art supplies that eat up an artist’s budget,” she said. “This fellowship will allow us to make an investment in the artist community by providing access to expensive machinery and tools.”

The winners of the Connecticut Arts Hero Awards are noted as being “an array of remarkable individuals engaged in or supporting the arts — some publicly and some behind the scenes.”

“I’m just a curious person with the desire to build the world I believe in,” said Barnes who prefers not to put a defining label on herself. “I find that too limiting. If I’m on a constant journey to allow the world to transform me, then the definition of myself would need constant updating. At the very core, I would say that I contain multitudes.”

The Connecticut Arts Hero Awards was established in 2016 by the Connecticut Office of the Arts, a subdivision within the Department of Economic and Community Development.

“The Connecticut Arts Awards is meant to honor, celebrate, and recognize many of the unsung heroes in the Connecticut arts community. It’s also a platform to reiterate the centrality and vitality of the arts,” said Kolton Harris, program manager of the Department of Economic and Community Development.

“Events and acknowledgements like these are critical because they elevate the beautiful work happening within the arts beyond just the arts sector and shine a light for legislators and decision makers to see the value and importance of the arts,” Harris said.

The nine Connecticut Arts Heroes were celebrated at a public event held at Infinity Music Hall in Hartford and received a framed print of the original art — Small State, Big Heart, Great Art. “Events and acknowledgements like these are critical because they elevate the beautiful work happening within the arts beyond just the arts sector and shine a light for legislators and decisionmakers to see the value and importance of the arts,” said Harris.

According to Harris, Barnes has proven to be a leader and change maker in the arts. “She was nominated by those who are directly impacted by her work and as her bio reflects, it’s dynamic,” he said.

Barnes has always been a creative soul and is leaning into art as her purpose.

“For a long time, I was convinced that art could only exist outside of my economic reality, but I craved it and sought it out. Many of us do this work because we believe in our mission and vision,” she said.

“We’re so focused on doing our best to produce good work that we forget to stop and give ourselves a pat on the back. Awards like these are a reminder that the arts in Connecticut are always in motion and that many hands contribute to its fabric. This is a great way to see what’s happening in different parts of the state to help break silos and build networks.”