The newly established Green Street Arts Center in Middletown's North End neighborhood began as a community project of Wesleyan University and has taken on a life of its own in the rapidly changing area. Many Wesleyan students volunteer and have work-study positions at Green Street. It's a becoming an amazing center of cultural exchange and artistic advancement in the somewhat economically depressed area. Some may see it as an agent of gentrification. Perhaps it is in some ways. But  most long-time North End residents are seeing the benefits of having a strong, vibrant center for the arts at their doorstep. I lived off-campus in a North End apartment last year and heard nothing but postive comments and reflections from my friends and neighbors. From offering new classes each season to a diverse set of programs and performances, Green Street Arts Center has made an amazing impact on the North End and is hard at work to engage residents of Middletown in the work of building a community that respects and promotes the arts. 

Check out the organization's website: 

http://www.greenstreetartscenter.org/