To the Editor:

Terry Sagedy, chairman of the Newtown Arts Festival, invited the world to the 2014 Festival and a lot of them showed up.

Under the leadership of Mr Sagedy, the Arts Festival, sponsored by the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission and begun in 2012 as a two day event, has blossomed into cultural events “throughout September, all around town,” with the main event two days of the arts and workshops at Fairfield Hills.

The plays, and art exhibits and concerts and improv and theater and classic movies and children’s art party, have all been supported by volunteers. From high school students to adults, they were the foundation onto which we built our events.

The success of the 2014 Newtown Arts Festival will enable the Arts Commission to continue to award scholarships to two Newtown graduating seniors and grants, three this year, to Newtown artists and Arts Organizations. 

The work that our volunteers and all our partnering organizations have done has enabled Newtown to embrace and experience the arts on a new and higher level, and we could not have done it without Terry Sagedy’s leadership. To the volunteers, and especially Terry, on behalf of the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission, I thank you.

Laura E. Lerman

Chairman, Newtown Cultural Arts Commission

55 Main Street, Newtown                 September 16, 2014