44th Annual Arts Awards
Join us to celebrate this year's Awardees!
Maritza Rosa
C. Newton Schenck III Awardee for Lifetime Achievement in and Contribution to the Arts
Maritza Rosa is a true champion for her community, dedicating her life to ensuring that everyone has access to the resources they need to succeed. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Maritza began her studies at the Inter American University in Rio Piedras and then transferred to Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she obtained her Bachelors of Science Degree in Urban Bilingual Education, a Master’s Degree of Science in Education at Long Island University and her Six Year at Bridgeport University.
Jesse Hameen II
C. Newton Schenck III Awardee for Lifetime Achievement in and Contribution to the Arts
Drummer Jesse Hameen II is a musician with a mission. He is dedicated to entertaining and inspiring others to attain a higher level of spiritual consciousness. Driven by his desire, he encourages others to know that life's conditions can be changed and improved. Jesse is a “Human Excellence Advocate”.
Ruby Melton
C. Newton Schenck III Awardee for Lifetime Achievement in and Contribution to the Arts
Ruby Melton practiced maritime and international law at the New York firm of Nourse & Bowles before re-joining the Switzerland-based Louis Dreyfus Group, one of the world’s oldest commodities merchants, where she began her career in 1973. Ruby earned a B.A. in English and French Literature from Hollins College (now Hollins University), where she graduated as Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.
Evelyn Massey
Entrepreneur; Owner of Noir Vintage & Co.
Evelyn Massey was born in Portsmouth, Virginia and raised in New Haven, Connecticut. Evelyn earned a cosmetologist license and worked as a celebrity makeup artist for over 30 years. Her work has appeared in several publications, including the prestigious magazine VOGUE ITALIA. In the 1990s she was part of the opening of the MAC Cosmetics flagship store in Stamford, Connecticut, providing in-house client consultations and advice on makeup and color-matching. After ten years as a MAC artist Evelyn went out on her own as a freelance makeup artist and product developer, launching a successful line of self-designed cosmetics.
She attended Paier College of Art for Interior Design, and received her Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Albertus Magnus College. Evelyn’s studies and talent for design and décor led her to freelance home decoration and home staging, sourcing the interiors sourced from secondhand stores and thrifting excursions. As a Vintage Clothing “pop-up” Entrepreneur she was featured in “Shout Out Atlanta” and “Canvas Rebel” Magazine for two consecutive years, profiling her commitment to sustainability awareness in fashion. Additionally, she is an educator of the issues concerning the “Fast Fashion” industry. “Between the internet and the rising cost of living, many people are buying cheap, less durable clothing” Massey points out, “Now there is an urgency to help people adapt their behavior – away from clothing made of non-biodegradable fabrics, which are bad for the environment, and the manufacturers whose unethical labor practices lead to abuse their workers, predominantly through the illegal use of child laborers and taking advantage of women and desperate people.”
All these experiences, along with the love of fashion and design she discovered when she was 17, inspired Evelyn Massey to open her first vintage shop. Noir Vintage and Company opened in June of 2023 at 111 Court Street, New Haven, conveniently situated between Wooster Square and the historic Town Green. Melding Harlem Renaissance vibes and Parisian influences, Noir Vintage is a parlor-styled shop specializing in pre-loved clothing, decor, and textiles from around the world. “Starting out as a vendor, selling and marketing at pop-ups and markets, and then opening a brick and mortar has been a dream come true!” states Evelyn, with true enthusiasm and pride. “My customers tell me that it is like stepping into another world.” Evelyn Massey credits the City of New Haven by stating “I have benefitted from the proximity and generosity of Dwight Hall at Yale’s “Focus New Haven Program” collaboration with local businesses, NHPL, and my chance to participate in the ConnCorp/Quinnipiac Entrepreneurship Academy First Cohort, as well as the City of New Haven’s “DNA of an Entrepreneur.”
Our House Meriden
Community Organization
Our House Meriden is a nonprofit 501c3 organization located at the childhood home of the founder, Catherine Del Buono. As an artist, a Fulbright Scholar, and community organizer, Ms. Del Buono was inspired to use the house for a free after-school arts program as a way to give back to the kids of Meriden. Our students are from 4th to 6th grade and are found in conjunction with local schools who recommend which kids would most benefit from the free art program. Our experienced art teachers provide a variety of classes, which include Collage, Water Color, and Digital Arts. Our board, teachers, and volunteers believe in the mission and want to help improve our community by starting with our kids. Our House Meriden received a Community Support Award from the Meriden Board of Education as well as numerous grants from several local foundations including the Napier Foundation, CT Humanities, Meriden CDBG, CT Supporting Arts, and Town Fair Tire Foundation. We are also supported by generous individual donations and local businesses. We are excited and honored to receive the 44th Annual Arts Award as we begin our 6th year of classes!
Vivan Las Autonomas
(Co-Directors Vanesa Suarez and Nika Zarazvand Pictured)
Jamaican American Connection
Cultural Organization
We are a 501 c 3 registered organization. Our mission is to positively promote, educate and celebrate the rich Caribbean/West Indian American culture and the contributions we have made to our "adopted" home! We strive to advance, encourage and foster cultural, educational, and economic wellbeing of the Jamaican and Caribbean/ West Indian communities in the Greater New Haven area. We aim to ensure and promote active and equal participation of Jamaican and Caribbean/West Indian Americans in all aspects of life, such as family, social, economic and political. We are devoted to celebrating, promoting and supporting the positive values and traditions of our diverse Jamaican and Caribbean/West Indian heritage as a means to improve the quality of life for our members, as well as others who subscribe to our goals.
Zoe Jensen
Connectic*nt co-editor