Salons at Stowe is a monthly community conversation series that invites participants to engage in open, facilitated dialogue on today’s most pressing social questions.

The opening installment of Salons at Stowe is inspired by the themes of Amanda Mendoza’s exhibition, What Does It Mean to Be Human, currently on view at the Stowe Visitor Center. For our second gathering, we turn to two foundational questions:

“How can we stand up for humanity?”
“What actions can we take to fight for human rights?”

Together, these questions invite participants to explore belonging, dignity, and the deep impact of who is—and is not—recognized fully within our communities and systems. This conversation invites curiosity, vulnerability, and shared reflection as we consider how humanity is affirmed, diminished, and reclaimed.

About the Facilitators

Ted Carroll

Jane Torrey

Ted Carroll

Ted Carroll is a member of the Justice in Action team at Asylum Hill Congregational Church, the Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance, and Call to Action—groups focused on advancing justice and protecting democracy through social action. After earning a degree in community organizing from the UConn School of Social Work, he spent the next 40 years leading nonprofit organizations, including serving as the head of Leadership Greater Hartford for 35 years. He lives on Woodland Street in Hartford’s Asylum Hill neighborhood with his wife, Jane, and serves as vice chair of the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association.

Jane Torrey

Jane has a professional background in both teaching and business and a less professional one in storytelling. Retired from the world of paid work since 2012, she spends her time telling and listening to stories, volunteering, enjoying family, outdoor and indoor sports, and arts events. She serves on the Board of the Women’s League Child Development Center in Hartford and multiple ministries at Asylum Hill Congregational Church.