One of Connecticut’s highest honors for those who contribute to the state’s arts and culture community now belongs to UConn Health’s art curator, Andre Rochester.

Rochester recently accepted a Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award from the Connecticut Office of the Arts, which is part of the Department of Economic and Community Development. The Connecticut Arts Council works with DECD to emphasize the state’s vibrant arts community and the people and organizations that make it so. The Connecticut Governor’s Arts Awards recognize their achievements in the arts and their dedication to enriching Connecticut’s culture.

“This award is a very big deal for me,” Rochester says. “It’s the most prestigious award that I can receive in or from the state of Connecticut. It isn’t given out every year and there were over 200 nominees for 2024. There are so many people throughout our state who are doing amazing work in the arts. I am truly grateful to be one of the four who were selected.”

Serving as UConn Health’s art curator, overseeing the institution’s 2,500-piece collection, is one of Rochester’s many roles. He also is heavily involved in the Greater Hartford art community as an advocate and mentor, and is a working artist himself.

Learn more about this year’s Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award honorees.