Dear Creative Community, Diaspora CT is an initiative of Rochester Creative Consulting born from my experience at the Harlem Fine Arts Show in 2025. Diaspora CT’s key objective is to uplift artists and arts administrators from the African Diaspora across the state of Connecticut. This is accomplished through free promotion on social media (www.instagram.com/diaspora_ct) and collaborative efforts to expose artists to a broader range of support and clientele. Creating a path for artists to participate in art fairs is a capacity-building initiative that exposes them to a national audience. We had a booth that featured myself and five CT artists at the Harlem Fine Arts Show (HFAS) in February 2026. This is the impetus for more collective efforts for artists from our region to experience the benefits of showing up as contributors in these spaces. Additionally, I want Diaspora CT to serve as a resource to strengthen connections within our African diasporic arts population. There is strength in numbers, and CT has a lot to offer in the creative sector, especially within our community. Diaspora CT’s initiatives began with this inaugural group for HFAS in 2026, but the mission will continue with presenting other opportunities to a broad network of artists every year. My personal experience was inspiration to bring people with me to ensure that artists from home can have access like I did. I am one of many artists from across our state for whom financial limitations and lack of local opportunities have been obstacles to showing up in places where we can broaden our reach. We too often settle for being a spectator because we aren't allowed to play in the game. Diaspora CT is bringing local talent onto the field. Thank you for your support. In community, Andre E. Rochester, Sr. Fine Artist, Curator, Creative Consultant Founder- Diaspora CT, an initiative of Rochester Creative Consulting