The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council has launched a region-wide public art event to support arts education and the Council. The event, titled CHAIRish the ARTS, is an art chair tour and auction, the proceeds from which will be divided among the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council and three beneficiary organizations that provide region-wide scholarships to students to study the visual, performing and literary arts. The three beneficiary arts education organizations include: After School Arts Program (ASAP), The Arts Fund for Region One, and the Battell Arts Foundation.

The CHAIRish the ARTS Art Chair Tour & Auction will display chairs of all types and sizes that are decorated by community artists - professionals, amateurs and students. The completed chairs will be displayed mid-summer through fall 2009 at organizations and businesses throughout northwest Connecticut.

A tour of the art chairs, with a contest component, will draw attention to arts education, to the Arts Council, to the artists, and to draw traffic to area businesses. Those who complete the tasks on the tour will be eligible for prizes through a drawing at the fall auction of the chairs.

The CHAIRish the ARTS auction will be held in the fall, when all the chairs will be available to bidders.

There will also be three People's Choice awards with monetary prizes for artists - Professional, Amateur, and Student - determined by auction attendees.