🔒Bordonaro: At times, Hartford’s image problems are of its own making

On April 9, the Hartford Courant ran an article quoting the former board chair of the Wadsworth Atheneum, who essentially shredded one of the city’s most prized arts institutions, calling it old, unengaging and lacking “robust enthusiasm.”

Another board member criticized the museum’s “medieval castle”-like look, arguing it’s not inviting to the local community.

Less than a week later (on April 14), the New York Times published a gushing article about the town of West Hartford calling it a “A Suburb With an Urban Aesthetic.”

The story published several anecdotes of in- and out-of-state residents bidding thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars over asking price to try to purchase a home in the town. The author lauded West Hartford for its good and diverse schools, urban vibe and top-notch restaurant scene.

The juxtaposition of both articles publishing around the same time was quite fitting and underscores one of Hartford’s key challenges: It has an image problem, oftentimes made worse by its own self-inflicted wounds.

The Wadsworth story, which has received national press attention, was published just a few months after former GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski ripped the city of Hartford in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.

Stefanowski’s opinion piece, though also misguided, was politically motivated; he’s gearing up for another run for office. The Wadsworth story, which followed the unceremonious departure of the museum’s Executive Director Thomas Loughman, was just a PR blunder.

Listen, the city of Hartford has many challenges that deserve robust public discussion and debate. We’ve had plenty of them (and will continue to) in this publication.

But if we are going to publicly bad-mouth even our nationally-acclaimed institutions, like the Wadsworth, the city has little shot of becoming something better than it is.

As Hartford begins its recovery from the pandemic, its arts and culture institutions, which have struggled mightily over the last year, will play a key role in eventually drawing people back downtown.

Now, when people do a Google search for the Wadsworth Atheneum they’ll find the Courant article near the top of their browser.

If one of the museum’s top leaders says touring the facility “wasn’t an engaging and wonderful experience,” why would anyone else spend money to visit? (Admission is currently free through June.) His comments were sloppy at best and negligent at worst. Rightfully, he’s no longer board chair.

Full disclosure: I’m not an arts aficionado nor a member of the Wadsworth. However, I’ve visited the museum plenty of times and attended numerous events there, always enjoying my experience.

Does it need to make changes? That answer is well-above my paygrade and efforts to make it more diverse and inclusive, which the board says it wants to do, are commendable.

But one complaint that puzzled me was that the Wadsworth was “too historic.” In my opinion Hartford and its various institutions don’t leverage their history enough.

The city of Boston last month celebrated Patriot’s Day, which commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord during the Revolutionary War. The city marks the day annually with the running of the Boston Marathon and a rare morning Boston Red Sox game. During non-COVID times the city bustles with activity and energy on that day, and frankly, most other days.

Part of the reason Boston is a tourist attraction and popular place to live, work and play is because it markets its place in American history. It’s part of that city’s charm and appeal.

Hartford has a strong arts-and-culture scene steeped in its own history. It should be considered a selling point, not a detriment.