When Dehnver McGregor, a student at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, participated in the ArtsConnection program, she discovered more than just a love for creative expression.
“It allowed me to explore my roots and enabled me to share my story,” said McGregor, who is of Jamaican and Montserratian heritage. During her time in the program, one unforgettable moment was visiting a Haitian-American artist’s exhibit, “Come As You Are: This Is Our Battle Too” in November 2024. “The experience connected me to Caribbean culture in a way I had always yearned for. It was life-changing, says the 17-year-old.
ArtsConnection, a Manhattan-based nonprofit, connects students like McGregor with their cultural heritage through a variety of arts programs. These programs, which include steel pan music, Afro-Caribbean dance, folk traditions and painting, emphasize self-expression, creativity and personal growth, fostering a sense of belonging.
The organization partners with professional artists specializing in Caribbean and Afro-Caribbean traditions to offer these programs, creating an environment where students can explore and celebrate their heritage through art.
Established 45 years ago in response to budget cuts that eliminated school art programs, the organization now serves students from pre-K through 12th grade across all five boroughs. It offers customized in-school arts programming to over 120 schools citywide, reaching thousands of young people each year.
Beyond the classroom, the organization provides out-of-school programs for teens, offering opportunities to engage with New York City’s diverse cultural landscape. Through its Culture Connected program, families can access free or reduced-priced tickets to performances and cultural venues, making the arts more accessible to the community.
This work is especially critical now, as New York City public schools have lost 425 full-time certified arts teachers between 2020 and 2023, leaving roughly one in seven students without access to a dedicated arts instructor. Currently, over 19% of the city’s public schools operate without a single certified arts teacher.
“The arts help young people problem-solve, work collaboratively and navigate ambiguity,” said Rachel Watts, the program’s executive director. “It also provides essential social-emotional learning skills, helping students process emotions and develop perseverance.”
Watts, a Trinidad native who now lives in Brooklyn, believes that the educational system overemphasizes testing. “The arts help people learn to think and develop their ideas, rather than just learning to pass a test.”
For many students of Caribbean descent in New York, ArtsConnection serves as a bridge between their heritage and their education. This organization collaborates with schools heavily populated by Caribbean students, including the Brooklyn School for Music and Theater, Bronx Community High School and The Talfourd Lawn Elementary School in Queens among others.
“Learning the arts does make a difference,” McGregor said. “One of our main focuses at the New York Public Library, where I work part-time for the children this year, is the arts. My time at ArtsConnection was incredibly helpful with that. I also believe the arts are more important than ever to promote and maintain human connection,” she explained.
Watts described the organization’s two-pronged approach: partnering directly with schools to customize arts programs, often supporting literacy or cultural enrichment, and hosting citywide initiatives. Flagship programs include “Dellta,” which focuses on developing English language literacy through the arts and “Bridges,” which introduces literacy through creative expression. Watts also highlighted programs in Afro-Caribbean dance and steelpan music, with a culminating citywide festival at Brooklyn College in June.
Isaac is one such instructor who helped McGregor understand her Caribbean roots better with her paintings. A first-generation Haitian-American artist, Isaac has dedicated years to empowering New York City students through her work with non-profit, which started in 2023 and recently ended.
“Growing up, I didn’t have much access to the arts,” Isaac said. “It took a few supportive adults to bring out my creativity. I want to pay that forward.”
Isaac, whose work blends Brooklyn and Haitian influences, guided students in exhibiting their artwork in corporate and community spaces. “For many students, it was the first time their work was displayed publicly,” she said. “Seeing their families’ pride and their excitement made it all worth it.”
Her work extends beyond visual arts. She partnered with Audio-Technica, a Japanese audio equipment company in 2023, to design record player slipmats, with proceeds benefiting ArtsConnection.
Under Watts’ leadership, ArtsConnection continues to expand access to arts education, empowering New York City students and fostering creative learning environments.
“The arts allow them to explore who they are and express that in their work. A lot of the time, it’s about self-exploration, and students often go home and discuss their culture with their families, bringing that into their artistic expression,” Watts noted.
She added that, “For us, it’s about more than just teaching art. It’s about helping them reconnect with their roots, and empowering them to celebrate who they are and this is where they develop a sense of self. The arts gives them a voice.”
