Mission
Established in 2008, Candlewood Farm Arts Foundation has a dual mission: to foster appreciation of live chamber music and support the study of early Connecticut vernacular architecture ––especially barns! 

Music
Since its inception in 2008, CFAF has been awarding grants to performing artists, composers and chamber music groups at home and abroad, as well as notable music festivals and symposia including: The Columbus State University Classical Guitar Symposium (Columbus, GA) and The Sauble Beach International Guitar Festival (Ontario, Canada).  The foundation also encourages and supports artist-led initiatives such as Exponential Ensemble, a New York-based collaborative chamber music ensemble that delivers interactive educational programs to schools, enabling students to use music as a way to connect with mathematics, science and literacy.

In June 2018, CFAF held its inaugural Solstice Symposium, an annual event promoting the study and celebration of classical guitar. Held in conjunction with a concert series, Solstice Symposium now takes place every June at venues throughout Connecticut, and concludes with musical performances at the Captain John Smith Barn at Candlewood Farm.

Architecture
CFAF supports advanced research on the early domestic and agrarian architecture of Connecticut, with particular emphasis on the simple farmhouses, barns and other 18th–and 19th-century buildings that developed in and around the Connecticut River Valley.  This humble architecture has been disappearing from the landscape at a dismaying rate due to age, the natural elements, deliberate destruction (razing) or benign neglect.  To promote preservation and encourage renewed use of these historic structures, the foundation has restored the Captain John Smith Barn at Candlewood Farm.  The Barn now is listed on the Connecticut State Register of Historic Places, and is a setting for cultural events that align with the mission of the foundation.  CFAF also is assembling a reference library for use by scholars, students and enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of the vital role this architecture has played throughout New England's rich agricultural history.

CFAF invites you to keep apprised of our activities by subscribing to our mailing list here.

Candlewood Farm Arts Foundation is a charitable organization registered under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.