2026 Annual Meeting: Community Healing Through the Arts (RECAP)

Date

May 12, 2026

Time

4:00 p.m.

Location

Shubert Theatre, 247 College St., New Haven, CT

Topic

Foundation Convenings

Presenter(s)

President & CEO Karen DuBois-Walton; Board Chair Fernando Muñiz

A man and a woman sit on stage, holding microphones and engaging in a lively conversation. The man gestures with his hand while speaking, and the woman smiles broadly. A bouquet of red roses sits between them.

Blue text on a white background reads Annual Meeting, May 12, 2026, Opportunity + Equity. A faint tree graphic appears in the background.

On May 12, our community came together for our 2026 Annual Meeting at New Haven's Shubert Theatre for an evening of connection, inspiring thoughts and conversation on the theme of community healing through the arts.

The program began with a performance by New Haven-based musician Paul Bryant Hudson.

Board Chair Fernando J. Muñiz welcomed attendees and offered reflections on The Foundation's work during his seven-year tenure. President & CEO Karen DuBois-Walton's remarks moved from the accomplishments of 2025 to the work ahead of creating more opportunity and equity, and offered a path forward with The Foundation's new strategic framework.

DuBois-Walton then welcomed to the stage featured artist Reginald Dwayne Betts for storytelling, poetry and a conversation that centered on community healing through the arts.

View photos and watch the video highlights and full video of Betts and DuBois-Walton in conversation below.

Watch Betts' reading and his full conversation with Karen DuBois-Walton.

Photo Gallery

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VIEW PHOTOS

Featured Artists

A middle-aged man with a bald head and a gray beard smiles warmly at the camera. He is wearing a jacket and a necklace, and the photo is in black and white with a plain background.

Reginald Dwayne Betts is a poet, lawyer and the Founder & CEO of Freedom Reads. He is the author of a memoir and four collections of poetry including Felon, winner of the American Book Award. He also holds a J.D. from Yale Law School. In 2020, Betts founded Freedom Reads with a mission to open libraries in prison cellblocks. To date, Freedom Reads has opened 520 Freedom Libraries in 52 adult and youth prisons across 13 states.

A man in a dark suit and white shirt smiles outdoors, standing in front of a brick wall and wooden fence.

Paul Bryant Hudson is a musician, singer-songwriter and composer from New Haven, where he is an active and invested community member.

A collage of diverse people engaging in group activities, discussions, and outdoor gatherings; text reads 2023/24 Report to Our Community and features the words Heal, Learn, Act, and Together in circular icons.

2025/26 Report to Our Community

HEAL, LEARN, ACT TOGETHER

Printed copies of the 2025/26 Report to Our Community, featuring stories of community impact and local donors, were handed out to attendees. View the digital flipbook and PDF here.
Would you like to receive a printed report by mail?
Follow the link above to request your copy!

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