Tag Archives: Litchfield Hills

by

Open Your Eyes Studio Tour & Showcase in Litchfield Hills

L. Petrocine - Wetlands

L. Petrocine – Wetlands

Artists in the Litchfield Hills are opening their doors to the public this summer on June 22 and 23 free of charge. In the Open your eyes Studio Tour sponsored by the Northwest CT Arts Council, twenty-nine artists and eight performers in New Milford and Kent will open their studios to the public.

Artists will open their creative spaces to the public on Saturday and Sunday along the tour route to show their work and discuss their creative processes. The artists’ media represented on the tour include painting, printmaking, sculpting, photography, metal sculpture, woodworking, wool spinning, dying & weaving, installation work, bookmaking, digital art, drawing, ceramics, and jewelry. The artists are Terri Tibbatts, Bill Merklein, Silver Sun Studio, Michael Everett, Linda Petrocine, Peter Kirkiles, Alison Palmer, Peter Kukresh, Lauri Zarin, Scott Bricher, Naya Bricher, Mary Terrizzi, Ed Martinez, Deborah Chabrian, Jill Scholsohn, Richard Stalter, Susan Grisell, Barbara Dull, Stephen Dull, Elizabeth Mullins, Susan Millins, Kathleen L’Hommedieu, Peter Catchpole, Patrick Purcell, Chris Osborne, Joel Spector, Anda Styler, Lynn WEllings, and Diane Dubreuil.

Tibbatts

Tibbatts

Performers for the Showcase on Saturday, June 22 from 5 – 9 pm on the New Milford Green will include TheatreWorks New Milford, musician Tom Hooker Hanford, Artists in Motion (dance), composer/pianist Sharon Ruchman, Larry Hunt from Masque Theatre, Buzz Turner on acoustic guitar, Rebecca Moore Dance, and True Jensen who perform rock and R & B cover music.

Jill Scholsohn

Jill Scholsohn

For more information about Open Your Eyes Studio Tour & Showcase go to OpenYourEyesTour.org or contact the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council at (860) 618-0075 or mcartsnwct@gmail.com.

by

Gary-The Olivia Theater Announces Summer Season

Side View of Theater at Abbey of Regina Laudis

Side View of Theater at Abbey of Regina Laudis

The Gary-The Olivia Theater is located in Bethlehem Connecticut on the grounds of the Abbey of Regina Laudis. This lovely open-air theater built in 1982 seats 300 people. The theater is covered but opens at the back to the woods of the Abbey land, and the trees and birds are often a feature of the theatrical world that is created on stage. The link between drama and monastic life is an ancient one, but The Gary-The Olivia Theater in particular owes its existence to Reverend Mother Dolores Hart, the actress, who in 1963 gave up a successful Hollywood career to become a nun at the Abbey. Each summer several annual performances are given in this theater.

The Pitman

The Pitman

The Pitmen Painters written by Lee Hall and loosely based on a book written by William Feaver will be performed June 14 – June 23. The Pitmen Painters is an inspirational story about a close-knit group of miners in Northeast England in the 1930’s who enroll in an art appreciation class as a way of bettering themselves. The story follows members of the group as they interact with a university art instructor, experiment with actual painting and gradually build a body of work that establishes them as The Ashington Group, a briefly celebrated group of painters in the 30’s and 40’s. Receiving critical acclaim in London and on Broadway, The Pitmen Painters is a humorous, thought provoking and moving testament to friendship, human aspiration and the transforming power of art.

The Gary Oliva Theater

The Gary Oliva Theater

A second show, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical Fiorello will be performed from August 1 – 11. Fiorello follows the dynamic professional and political career of Fiorello La Guardia. Elected to Congress in 1916 and 1918, and again from 1922 through 1930 La Guardia served as Mayor of New York for three terms from 1934 to 1945 and was a major influence in the making of modern day New York. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest mayors in American history. Only five feet tall, he was called “the Little Flower” (“Fiorello” is Italian for “little flower”). The original Broadway production opened at the Broadhurst Theatre in 1959, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1960.

General admission seats ($20 Pitmen. $22 Fiorello) for these shows are available now online at
http://www.thegarytheolivia.com
For special group rates (10 or more) please contact Susan Hackel 860 355-5553 or e-mail pr@thegarytheolivia.com.

The opening night gala/fundraiser for The Gary-The Olivia Theater is on June 14th (opening night, The Pitmen Painters-$25 pp) and on August 1st (opening night, Fiorello-$28 pp) with wines from Walker Road Vineyards in Woodbury, CT paired with local farmstead cheeses and a meet and greet with the performers.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

by

Garden Club of America House and Garden Tour Celebrates 100 Years in Litchfield CT

“Garden of Margaret Hicks Gage, Litchfield Garden Club Archives, Litchfield Historical Society, Helga J. Ingraham Memorial Library.”

“Garden of Margaret Hicks Gage, Litchfield Garden Club Archives, Litchfield Historical Society, Helga J. Ingraham Memorial Library.”

To fete their 100- year anniversary, the Litchfield Garden Club is hosting a flower show and house and garden tour including two Smithsonian Gardens on June 15 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Flower Show will take place at the Litchfield Community Center located on 421 Bantam Rd. (Rte. 202) in Litchfield and will feature outstanding horticulture and three exhibits one on garden history and design including details on four Smithsonian gardens, a second on the history of the Litchfield Garden Club and a third conservation exhibit on organic food. A boutique offering special garden items will also be a highlight. The Flower Show at the Community Center is free and open to the public.

In conjunction with the Flower Show, the Litchfield Garden Club has organized a very special house and garden tour of five members’ homes and gardens that includes judged design classes in each home. Tour tickets and maps are available for purchase at the Community Center and are $50 per person. Tour goers may also purchase a box lunch at Breeze Hill Farm Gardens for an additional $18 and enjoy lunch on the grounds of this spectacular garden. For tickets in advance visit www.litchfieldgardenclub.org for a printable registration form.

Houses featured for this very special tour include some of Litchfield’s most interesting homes and gardens.

The Ozias Lewis house, built in 1806 is a perfect example of a late traditional center chimney, 5 bay Federal style dwelling. The garden has newly installed stonewalls, terraces and imaginative gardens, including extensive beds of peonies. The gardens provide extensive views of Chestnut Hill to the east.

The Lismolin House named after a castle in Tipperary in Ireland is a gracious Colonial Revival style house complete with a Palladian window. The gardens with elegant stonewalls and garden beds afford wonderful eastern views and contain a former owner’s pet cemetery.

Perhaps one of the most interesting houses featured on this tour is the Oliver Wolcott House, built by Oliver Wolcott, Senior, the Colonial High Sheriff of Litchfield, a member of the Continental Congress, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Governor of Connecticut, in 1753-1754, is the oldest house in the Borough of Litchfield. Many of the leading figures of their day, including General George Washington, Lafayette and Alexander Hamilton were entertained here. During the Revolution, the statue of King George III, torn down by a mob from its pedestal in Bowling Green in New York City, was brought by oxcart to the orchard behind the house, where the women and children of Litchfield melted it and molded bullets for the Continental Army.

The current owners bought the house in 1978 and carried out extensive renovations under the direction of expert restorers. The house has the original, hand-routed, beaded clapboards on its exterior and oak floors with handmade nails throughout the first floor. The “keeping room” contains a cooking fireplace and beehive ovens. The delft tiles in the dining room were installed about 1790 and the paneling over the dining room fireplace is original 18th century work. The rear terrace overlooks extensive gardens that are breathtaking.

Another beautiful home on the tour is the Ethan Allen House, the birthplace of Revolutionary war hero Ethan Allen in 1738. Today the house boasts a renovated kitchen, breakfast area and garden room. A landscape design is in process including renovating the parterres off of the terrace, originally designed in the early 1950’s. The gardens offer an extensive eastern view of Chestnut Hill.

Breeze Hill was built in 1800 as a summer home and the Oldmsted brothers were hired to landscape the grounds. In 2012, the owners of Breeze Hill Farm joined a select group of Garden Club of America homeowners whose garden documentation was accepted into the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens. On June 15th, you are invited to pick up your reserved boxed lunch here and enjoy a pastoral picnic lunch in these bucolic meadows and gardens.

Another Smithsonian Garden featured on the tour is Chestnut Hill Gardens that consists of a 240-foot perennial border composed of deer-resistant and native plants. The border surrounds a large vegetable garden, herb gardens, a water garden, pinetum, fruit trees and native shrubs.

For area information visit www.litchfieldhills.com

by

Steam at the Railroad Museum of New England

Steam_on_the_Naugy copy

This June, Steamin’ With Sadie will be the star attraction at the Railroad Museum of New England’s Thomaston Station as restored Lehigh Valley Coal Company Engine #126 leads weekend trips over our scenic railroad between June 8 through 23, including Father’s Day Weekend. Sadie, an 0-6-0 coal-fired steam engine and big sister to Hank the Tank, will be pulling their vintage train cars on hour-long trips along the Naugatuck River. For more information
http://www.rmne.org
. For area information www.litchifeldhills.com.

All trips are on Saturdays and Sundays for three weekends beginning June 8 at 10 AM, 12 PM and 2 PM, boarding at historic 1881 Thomaston Station. They will also have extra displays, story book readings, live music and activities for kids of all ages at the Station. Tickets are Adults $20 and Children $15 (ages 3 – 12), age 2 and under are free. Purchase tickets online or call (860) 283-7245 to purchase from their agent. This is a special event you will not want to miss!

Steam_at_Thomaston_Station

Between the 1830s and 1960, steam locomotives carried passengers and freight to every corner of America. They became part of our national history, a symbol of mobility and change. Over the years, steam locomotives became larger and more efficient. But technology advances after World War II changed the face of railroading forever. By 1948, steam engines were gone from the Naugatuck Valley, replaced by modern diesel locomotives on the New Haven Railroad from Bridgeport to Winsted, ending an important era in modern industrial history.

Lehigh Valley Coal Company #126 is a 40 ton coal-fired steam locomotive built by Vulcan Iron Works and put in service in 1931. It worked in Pennsylvania coal mines and was purchased by father and son team John and Barney Gramling from Indiana in 1993. Gramling Locomotive Works fully restored #126 to operating condition, completing it June 2011. Since then, #126 has traveled as far as Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and now to Connecticut as a living, breathing Ambassador of Steam.

Print

About the Railroad Museum of New England
The Railroad Museum of New England is a not for profit historical and educational organization and an all-volunteer organization. We are located in historic 1881 Thomaston Station at 242 East Main St., Thomaston, CT. Our mission is to tell the story of the region’s rich railroad heritage through our educational exhibits and operation of the Naugatuck Railroad. The museum concept is more than artifacts; it’s also the story of the region and the development of society around the railroad. We offer an entertaining and scenic train ride along the Naugatuck River with vintage locomotives and restored passenger cars, also featuring displays of freight equipment and cabooses.

by

Norfolk Chamber Music Festival Announces its 2013 Season Through August 17

The Music Shed

The Music Shed

The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, presented by the Yale School of Music, celebrates its 72nd season this year with performances and residencies by six internationally esteemed string quartets alongside students and young professionals from around the world. From June 22 to
August 17 Norfolk will host a roster of string quartets including: the Artis Quartet, the Brentano Quartet, the Emerson String Quartet, the Jasper String Quartet, the Keller Quartet, and the Tokyo String Quartet. The Tokyo String Quartet, which is retiring this year, will play its last concert on July 6 at the festival. And on August 3 the Emerson String Quartet will perform its New York area debut concert with the group’s new cellist, Paul Watkins.

Opening the 2013 festival on Saturday, June 22 is a choral program by the Yale Choral Artists, a new ensemble of 24 professional singers from around the country under the direction of the Yale Glee Club’s Jeffrey Douma. The Choral Artists will perform All Night Vigil (Vespers) by Sergei Rachmaninov along with a shorter work by Pavel Chesnokov, Salvation is Created.

From July 5 to August 17 Norfolk will host a six-week Chamber Music Session. Among the twelve concerts each Friday and Saturday night in July and August is a presentation of Franz Schubert’s song cycle Die Winterreise performed by pianist Peter Frankl and baritone Randall Scarlata on
Friday, July 12.

Back Camera

The Norfolk Festival, under the leadership of Paul Hawkshaw since 2004, includes a New Music Workshop led by composer Martin Bresnick, a Lecture series, a Young Artists’ Performance Series, Festival Artist concerts (Friday and Saturday nights), and a Family Day on July 14 that includes a performance of Yale’s Javanese ensemble, Gamelan Suprabanggo. This year’s festival concludes on August 17 with a performance of works for chorus and orchestra from the Renaissance to the contemporary by the Norfolk Festival Chorus and Orchestra directed by Simon Carrington.

For Tickets and Information: Concerts at: The Music Shed, 20 Litchfield Road (Rtes 44 & 272), Norfolk, CT Call: 203.432.1966 Email: norfolk@yale.edu Website: http://www.norfolkmusic.org Series Ticket Prices: $55 – $15; $10 Students (ages18-25), and KIDS COME FREE! Special Event Ticket Prices: The Tokyo String Quartet- The Last Concert $375 ($345 ltd view) – $225 ($175 ltd view) – $100 ($75 ltd view) – $45.

About the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival

Carl Stoeckel and Ellen Battell, both from families steeped in the Yale University tradition, married in 1895 and decided to honor Ellen’s father by founding a local musical society that would bring an abundance of musical excellence to their town of Norfolk, CT. Choral and musical societies already blossomed around the region; every town had a club and a quorum of musicians. Mrs. Stoeckel had long hosted informal evenings in her home, first in the Whitehouse, and later in the church next door. A great musical festival in Norfolk would provide a natural center to a region steeped in music. When the Litchfield County Choral Union came into being in 1899, it soon became the first internationally known music festival of its kind in America, and inspired the array of music centers that have since settled across the Berkshires.
After five years of concerts on their estate, the Stoeckels decided to build a hall worthy of truly great music.

A New York architect, E.K. Rossiter, designed the building, and the Music Shed opened for use on June 6, 1906. The Shed is built of cedar and lined with California redwood, which likely accounts for its brilliant acoustics and certainly for its rustic beauty. The original hall seated 700 audience members, but after several expansions it was enlarged to hold 2,100. (Fire regulations have since reduced its capacity back to under 1,000.) Audiences began to clamor for invitations from all over New England and as far away as Texas, Chicago and California, and within five years they could easily have filled a building many times as large. The Music Shed had begun its reign among the premiere concert halls in New England.

Mr. and Mrs. Stoeckel spared no expense in making the festival concerts extravagant musical events. They recruited a 70-piece orchestra of players from the Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera orchestras in New York, and paid for a special train to transport the instrumentalists through the Litchfield hills. The appointments were eagerly sought; apart from the honor, the musicians had the pleasure of spending a week in the mountains, and the lawn parties that spread across the estate after rehearsals were soon famous.
Carl Stoeckel died in 1925 and the concerts continued for several years but activities came to a close during the 1930′s. When Ellen Battell Stoeckel passed away in 1939 she left her estate in trust for the use of the Yale School of Music, to continue “studies in music, art and literature,” and the Yale Summer School of Music/ Norfolk Chamber Music Festival began in 1941. Since that time countless gifted musicians have made for themselves a summer home in Norfolk, whether as students, faculty or performers at the Festival.

Since the beginning of the School and Festival, artists such as the Cleveland, Guarneri, Emerson, Juilliard, and Tokyo quartets have taught and performed in Norfolk. Fellows at Norfolk have included the oboist Allen Vogel, violinists Syoko Aki and Pamela Frank, clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, and soprano Frederica Von Stade. Recent ensembles have established themselves as students at Norfolk, including new music ensemble eighth blackbird, the Avalon quartet, the Calder quartet, the Claremont Trio, the Jasper Quartet, and the Miro quartet. In addition, Norfolk alumni are found in virtually every music conservatory and many major orchestras around the world, including the Boston, Chicago, and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestras.

Students from conservatories around the world audition each year to participate in the festival and those that are accepted receive fellowships to cover the cost of tuition, room, and board. Since 1906, Norfolk festival musicians (including Rachmaninov, Sibelius, Vaughn Williams, in the early decades of the 20th century, and the St. Lawrence Quartet, eighth blackbird, Frederica von Stade, Richard Stoltzman and Alan Gilbert more recently) have performed on the stage of the festival’s iconic venue, the “Music Shed.”

by

Lime Rock Starts Summer Racing Season May 24-26

lime rock copy

Lime Rock Park located on Rte. 112 in Lime Rock CT kicks off the summer racing season with several exciting events. The Memorial Day Race weekend Friday, May 24, Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 (no Monday event) will be jam-packed with top rank sports car series races topped off by a fabulous car show.

New this year, the sports car race series will feature the newly revitalized SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series. This is Detroit’s big “iron” that includes Mustangs, Camaros and Corvettes going head to head with each other while fending off advances of some of Europe’s best sports cars. In addition to this, there will be the added excitement of heart pounding Formula F and F2000 races.

On Sunday, May 26 one of the most popular events, the 4th annual Royals Car Show will return to the historic Lime Rock track again this year from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is exciting to be able to get out on the track to view all the fantastic cars that will be showing off. Participating vehicles include muscle cars, tuners and imports, street rods, motorcycles, classic cars, antiques, antique trucks, race cars, exceptional contemporary cars and fire trucks – the list is endless. The car show entry fees is $10 for adults, $5 for military, and kids 12 and under are free. Proceeds raised from the car show at Lime Rock Park benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.

For tickets for the Trans-Am Races and Royals Car Show visit
http://tickets.limerock.com
. For general information on Lime Rock Park
http://www.limerock.com
. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com.

lime rock track copy

About Lime Rock Park

Dreamed up in 1956 by Jim Vaill and with the help of John Fitch and Cornnell Aeronautical Labs, Lime Rock is 1.50 miles of up hill and down dale, a track that looks deceivingly simple but is immensely challenging to drive at high speeds. Its setting is in a village in the heart of the Litchfield Hills renowned for its great natural beauty and cultural heritage.

In its 55 year existence, almost all of the sport’s greats have raced here: Andretti, Moss, Gurney, Posey, Rodriguez, Hobbs, Hill, Donohue, Ward, Fitch…the list of great drivers who’ve raced here is endless.

Lime Rock has also seen virtually every kind of racecar grace its corners and straights…from ground-pounding NASCAR stock cars to Can-Am, Camel GTP, F5000, Trans-Am and Atlantic, this list also goes on and on.

Today, Lime Rock is the leading edge of American LeMans Series and Grand-Am with their own stars and cars that are writing history.

by

Free New Paddling Guide to Housatonic River

Canoeing in Litchfield Hills

Canoeing in Litchfield Hills

Blessed with two major recreational rivers, the Housatonic and the Farmington, and over 9,000 surface acres of lakes and spring-fed ponds, the Litchfield Hills of Northwest Connecticut are overflowing with spring fun on the water. Melting snow that makes rivers run high means prime time for whitewater challenge and sunny spring days are just right for a peaceful paddle on a sun-dappled river.

The Housatonic Valley Association has just published a free Connecticut Paddling Guide of nine navigable sections of the Housatonic River with 29 access sites starting from Ashley Falls, Mass. and going to Stratford, Connecticut.
The Guide provides detailed maps and easy to read directions. Descriptions of each section of the river include distance, the type of water flow, landmarks, and tributaries entering the section and warnings where necessary. Other sections of the guide have information on the river’s history, its health, and plant and wildlife species found along the river. The guide also includes tips on boating safety and guarding against spreading invasive aquatic species.

Canoing on the Housatonic River in Litchfield Hills

Canoing on the Housatonic River in Litchfield Hills

Notes on specific wildlife, recreational areas, historic sites, other pertinent information as well as photos and illustrations are sprinkled throughout the sections. It is printed on water-resistant paper in two colors with a full color cover and some full color spread throughout the pages.

The guides are available at HVA in Cornwall Bridge; Connecticut Outdoors, LLC, Oakville; Clarke Outdoors, West Cornwall; Main Stream Canoes & Kayaks, New Hartford and The Trading Post, New Milford. This guide may be downloaded at www.hvatoday.org.

For visitor information visit www.litchfieldhills.com. Call for free paddle guide and Unwind brochure 860-567-4506.

by

Mother’s Day Ideas for Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County

Mothers Day is a holiday celebrating mothers and motherhood that was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in West Virginia. She then went on a campaign to make it a recognized holiday in the US and was successful in establishing it in 1914. Today, Mother’s Day is celebrated around the world.

A perfect treat for moms is going to the theater. Several theaters in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County are offering specials just for mom.

Downtown Cabaret Theatre

Downtown Cabaret Theatre

The Downtown Cabaret Theatre (
http://dtcab.com
) for example located on 263 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport is offering a free ticket for mom to a special performance now through May 12th of 8-Track or Wizard of Odds, or both shows! For details call the Box Office 203-576-1636 (Offer not available online).

Westport Country Playhouse

Westport Country Playhouse

In the heart of Westport located in a state of the theater, the Westport Country Playhouse on 25 Powers Court in Westport is offering a complimentary glass of Prosecco on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, before the 3 p.m. matinee performance of The Dining Room, a witty and heartfelt story of the American family and its vanishing traditions, directed by Mark Lamos. For tickets and more information visit www.westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at 203.227.4177.

Infinity Hall

Infinity Hall

In the unspoiled village of Norfolk in the Litchfield Hills, Infinity Hall on 20 Greenwoods Road (Rte. 44) is offering a 5-star brunch, lunch or dinner for mom with the chef serving delicious specials as well as all the items from their popular menu. To make the day memorable Infinity Hall is hosting a 2 p.m. matinee featuring Brian Miller, Musician, Magician and Mind Reader and a 7:30 p.m. concert starring country singer Iris DeMent. Please note that show tickets will be sold separately. Visit http://www.InfinityHall.com or call 860-542-5531 for reservations and tickets.

Landmarks Theatre

Landmarks Theatre

In Thomaston, on Main Street, in the historic Thomaston Opera House, Landmarks Theatre (www.landmarkcommunitytheatre.org) is offering a buy one ticket at the regular admission price of $23 and get one ticket free for mom on May 10 -12 for Mother’s Day. The Landmarks Theatre spring musical production, sure to delight mom is Guys & Dolls. Shows on May 10 and 11 are at 8 p.m. and at 2 p.m. on May 12. Get your tickets by calling the Box Office (860) 283-6250 or go online http://www.landmarkcommunitytheatre.org. Don’t miss this much-loved Broadway musical!

Another idea is to give a gift of music to your mom by attending the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra’s multi media experience of Gustav Mahler’s Titan. “The World According to Gustav,” is a biographical examination of the composer’s life featuring excerpts from Das Klagende Lied and Songs of a Wayfarer. The second half of the concert will be Symphony no. 1 (Titan). This musical evening for moms takes place on Saturday, May 11 at 8 p.m. at the NVCC Fine Arts Center in Waterbury at a discounted price of $24 for moms on $30 seats. Tickets are available online at: http://www.waterburysymphony.org (For discount, type in the word “mother” when asked for discount code) or by calling 203-574-4283.

Special Treats

Bruce Museum

Bruce Museum

For Mother’s Day, the Bruce Museum Store (http://brucemuseum.org) located in Greenwich and featured in the March 2013 issue of Connecticut Magazine as ‘Best Boutique’ among museum shops – has a wonderful selection of gifts that are perfect for every mom including cards, candles, scarves, hats, stationery, books, accessories, collectibles and jewelry. Just in time for Mother’s Day, the Bruce Museum Store is offering 25% off on all jewelry for the entire month of May in celebration of Mom. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for students up to 22 years, $6 for seniors and free for members and children under 5 years. Individual admission is free on Tuesday. Free on-site parking is available and the Museum is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children

Stepping Stones Museum for Children

In Norwalk, Mom’s will enjoy free admission on Sunday, May 12 to the Stepping Stones Museum for Children (www.steppingstonesmuseum.org) located in Mathews Park, 303 West Avenue. Stepping Stones Museum for Children is an award-winning, private, non -profit 501(c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. Located on five acres in Mathews Park, the recently expanded LEED Gold certified museum encompasses five hands-on galleries, a state-of-the-art multimedia theater, Family and Teacher Resource Center, cafe and retail store. Museum hours are Monday-Sunday from 10 am-5 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free. To learn more visit steppingstonesmuseum.org or call 203 899 0606.

931205_10151393777616463_1033447284_n

Also in Norwalk, the Gift Shop at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk (www.maritimeaquarium.org) on Water Street is offering 25% off sale in their gift shop on fine jewelry by local artists May 10 – 12 only. When visiting the Aquarium don’t miss the special exhibit of the meerkats that scamper and play endlessly. The museum is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily.

girls_in_sf-_small

The Imagination Nation in Bristol (www.imaginemuseum.org) on 1 Pleasant Street is offering mom’s free admission on Sunday, May 12 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Kids can craft a fabric flower in the Imagine That! art area to give to mom as a wonderful keepsake for her special day. Admission is $7 per person, children under 1 are always free and mom’s on Mother’s Day!

American Clock and Watch Museum

American Clock and Watch Museum

If you have “time” on mother’s day, head to Bristol’s American Clock & Watch Museum where all moms will be celebrated by receiving free admission! This museum is filled with a collection of exquisite timepieces that tell the story of the state and region’s rich clock making heritage. While visiting the museum don’t miss, the special 2013 exhibit “Art Deco Timepieces: Treasures of the Jazz Age”. The museum is located at 100 Maple Street, in Bristol. For more information call the museum 860-583-6070 http://www.clockandwatchmuseum.org.

New England Carousel Museum

New England Carousel Museum

At the New England Carousel Museum on 95 Riverside Ave. in Bristol, mother’s accompanied by kids pay half price all day. During the Golden Age of the carousel, postcards were very popular. Visitors to the museum are invited to print a postcard to give to mom as a memorable remembrance and to come for a ride on the carousel! For more information visit http://www.thecarouselmuseum.org.

Beardsley Zoo

Beardsley Zoo

On May 12 bring mom to the zoo… Beardsley Zoo that is in Bridgeport on 1875 Noble Ave. The ticket is on the Zoo – moms get in free because Connecticut’s only zoo wants to thank all moms working so hard throughout the year on their special day. Enjoy this special day visiting their animals or having lunch in the Peacock Pavilion. When visiting don’t miss the newest mom at the Zoo, Cupcake, the Nigerian Dwarf goat that just gave birth to two kids! http://www.BeardsleyZoo.org.

Lake Compounce

Lake Compounce

Opening day for Lake Compounce Theme Park (www.lakecompounce.com/) is Saturday, May 11th. On Sunday May 12th, moms will enjoy a little extra special attention in honor of Mother’s Day. Buy one, get one free tickets are available online only for the entire weekend, so mom can enjoy a free day in the park when she comes with anyone else who pays regular adult admission. In addition, moms get to enjoy a special ‘Relaxation Station’ for their comfort and pampering.

Winvian

Winvian

Winvian (www.winvian.com) in Morris Connecticut is offering a Mother’s Day Brunch from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Winvian’s garden is the centerpiece of Chef Eddy’s fresh and spontaneous restaurant offerings that will be a special treat from moms. The brunch is a three course prix-fixe menu at $90 per person, tax and tip is additional, reservations requested.

Terston, Kent

Terston, Kent

The week of May 6th-12th Terston (www.terston.com/) on Rte. 7 in Kent and the David Gavin Salon will offer a special in recognition of Mother’s Day. Make a clothing purchase of $50 to receive a free specially selected scarf. (one per customer while supplies last). In addition, Terston customers can experience an introduction to the David Gavin Salon expertise – Carissa and Jennifer will be available for complimentary quick consults for customers visiting the store. When booking an appointment, for a future date, new clients to the salon will receive 20% off a hair cut and/or color. In addition, all David Gavin luxurious and nourishing hair products will be 10% off for the week. Terston is located on 27 North Main Street in Kent CT.

by

Ehrick K. Rossiter – Designs for Modern Living

BookCover_copy

One of America’s foremost architects, Ehrick K. Rossiter, is the subject of a new book by noted American Architecture Historian Ann Y. Smith. This volume, which features nearly 200 illustrations, 50 of them in color, include glass pate images of the buildings when they were new, floor plans and gardens, and images from an original copy of Rossiter’s rare 1883 book.

Ehrick K. Rossitter – Designs for Modern Living is a window into America’s past for historians, owners of historic properties, students of architecture and design, and for everyone who wonders about this country’s most expansive era in building. Rossiter worked primarily in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, designing everything from low-cost housing to country estates, exclusive hotels and apartment buildings in New York City, along with libraries, town halls, clubs, resorts, and churches.

In Connecticut, many people live in the shadow of Rossiter’s famous buildings such as The Music Shed in Norfolk and churches in Washington, Litchfield and New Milford.

Ann Y. Smith, a well known historian who was a museum curator for 30 years, and an adjunct lecturer on American Architectural History, has written extensively about New England, and Connecticut in particular. In this text she offers the most in-depth analysis ever available of Rossiter’s great contribution to American architecture.

The book is available now at The Hickory Stick Bookshop, 2 Green Hill Road, Washington, CT. 06793. The author will offer a lecture on Ehrick Rossiter at the Gunn Museum (another Rossiter building) on Saturday, May 11 at 11 a.m. For more information, please visit the website at www.ehrickrossiter.com.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

by

Caroline’s Enchanted Garden: Fairy & Wizard Festival in Litchfield Hills

Fairy_Parade copy

Connecticut Landmarks’ Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden located on 9 Main Street in the scenic village of Bethlehem in the heart of the Litchfield Hills will host the fourth annual Caroline’s Enchanted Garden: Fairy & Wizard Festival, on Saturday, May 11th, from 1 to 4 pm.

Children and families can participate in many magical activities offered at this unique festival for kids. One popular activity is for kids to make a basket fairy house out of all natural materials including bark, leaves, twigs, pine cones, and moss to create a charming little home that any fairy would be pleased to move in to. Kids can bring the fairy house home as a souvenir or find a place for it in the Fairy Village to remain throughout the summer on the grounds of the Bellamy-Ferriday Gardens. Another activity for kids is to follow the trail of fairy house’s & woodland creatures made by staff and volunteers to the Fairy Village. Materials will also be available in the Fairy Village to make a fairy dwelling to stay on the property.

Fairy Castle

Fairy Castle

Back by popular demand, Cyril May, the Resourcerer and Director of Yale Recycling, will incorporate magic into a program that teaches children about the value of preserving open space using fairy and animal stories. He will tell tales while performing tricks around the Bellamy- Ferriday grounds, and give a Recycling is Magic show.

Other activities include a Garden Wizard offering children the opportunity to pot a small plant for Mother’s Day, a strolling musician, story reader and puppeteer Sue Meister, pony rides with Joan Coogan of Watertown’s Pony Tales and a game circle. Children are encouraged to come in fairy and wizard costume, and kids of all ages are invited to participate in hands-on craft activities, including making fairy wands out of apple tree suckers from the Ferriday orchard and creating wizard hats. The afternoon will conclude with a fairy and wizard parade around the Bellamy-Ferriday grounds.

Admission is $5 per person; $20 families/$15 CTL Member families.
http://www.ctlandmarks.org/?page=bellamy-ferriday-house-garden
. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

About the Bellamy Ferriday House and Garden

The Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, located at 9 Main Street North, Bethlehem is open May through October. Hours are as follows: May – September, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 12 – 4pm; October, Saturday & Sunday 12 – 4pm. Open on Monday Holidays: Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day. Admission is $7 for adults; $6 for students, teachers and seniors; $4 for children age 6-18; children under 6 and Connecticut Landmarks’ members are free. Families, 2 adults with children, are $15; groups of 10 or more are $5 each. For school groups and special curriculum-based programming, to reserve tours for groups of 10 or more, or to rent the facility, please call the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden at (203) 266-7596.

Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden embodies the dramatically different passions of two extraordinary individuals. Bethlehem pastor Rev. Joseph Bellamy, a renowned leader of the Great Awakening, the emotional religious revival of the 1740s, built the house around 1754. In 1912, New Yorkers Henry and Eliza Ferriday acquired it as a summer residence. Mrs. Ferriday and her daughter, Caroline, designed a formal garden which today features historic-style roses, peonies, and lilacs. The Ferriday’s other landscape improvements make the site a destination for gardeners. Caroline, an actress, conservationist and philanthropist, deeded the property and furnishings to Connecticut Landmarks on her death.

About Connecticut Landmarks
Founded in 1936, Connecticut Landmarks is the largest state-wide heritage museum organization in Connecticut. The historic landmark properties include: the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, Bethlehem; the Butler-McCook House & Garden and Main Street History Center, Hartford; the Buttolph-Williams House, Wethersfield; the Hempsted Houses, New London; the Isham-Terry House, Hartford; the Nathan Hale Homestead, Coventry; and the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden, Suffield.

Connecticut Landmarks’ mission is to inspire interest and encourage learning about the American past by preserving selected historic properties, collections and stories and presenting programs that meaningfully engage the public and our communities. For more information, please visit www.ctlandmarks.org.

by

Book Signing with Mother Dolores Hart

Mother Dolores Harts’ autobiography, entitled “The Ear of the Heart – An Actress’ Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows” will have a book signing at the Jubilee Barn at the Abbey of Regina Laudis on Sunday, May 5th from 1:30 – 4 pm. The public is invited to meet Mother Dolores and to join in the Abbey’s celebration of the publication of her autobiography. The Abbey is located on 273 Flanders Road in Bethlehem CT.
http://abbeyofreginalaudis.org

earoftheheartCOVER (1)

The book details the acting career of rising star Dolores Hart in the 1960′s. She appeared in ten highly successful movies. Then, she made a shocking decision: Hart left the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and entered a contemplative monastery. Now, 50 years later, Mother Dolores gives a fascinating account of her life, with co-author and lifelong friend Richard DeNeut in THE EAR OF THE HEART: An Actress’ Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows.

Dolores was a bright and beautiful college student when she made her film debut with Elvis Presley in Paramount’s 1957 Loving You. She acted in nine more movies with other big stars such as Montgomery Clift, Anthony Quinn and Myrna Loy. She also gave a Tony-nominated performance in the Broadway play The Pleasure of His Company and appeared in TV shows, including The Virginian and Playhouse 90. An important chapter in her life occurred while playing Saint Clare in the movie Francis of Assisi, filmed on location in Italy.

Born Dolores Hicks to a complicated and colorful Chicago family, Mother Dolores has travelled a charmed yet challenging road in her journey toward God, serenity and, yes, love. She entered the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut, at the peak of her career, not in order to leave the glamorous world of acting she had dreamed of since childhood, but in order to answer a mysterious call she heard with the “ear of the heart.” While contracted for another film and engaged to be married, she abandoned everything to become a bride of Christ.

About the Abbey of Regina Laudis

Regina Laudis is a monastery of contemplative Benedictine women living in union with the Roman Catholic Church and following the Rule of St. Benedict according to the Primitive Observance. Founded in 1947 in Bethlehem, Connecticut by Mother Benedict Duss. Regina Laudis was elevated to the status of an abbey in 1976. The community of Regina Laudis is presently made up of 40 women, representing a wide diversity of personal and professional backgrounds. Regina Laudis means Queen of Praise. Their prime mission as contemplative Benedictines is to pray the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours, keeping the prayer of the psalms resonating through the day and night, every day of the year.

by

Impressions of Light at Weir Farm in Litchfield Hills

Black Birds Over Weir Farm

Black Birds Over Weir Farm

Weir Farm National Historic Site located in Wilton and Ridgefield is hosting an art show through July 7 called Impressions of Light that features the work of modern-day American Impressionist Dmitri Wright of Greenwich, CT.

This exhibition, Impressions of Light, includes paintings inspired by Weir Farm and by Wright’s plein air experiences. Wright has a long history with Weir Farm National Historic Site, having led the park’s Impressionist Painting Workshops since 2009 as Master Artist/Instructor. Continuing in the vein of Weir Farm’s first American Impressionists, Mr. Wright’s pieces for this exhibit were drawn “full-scale on location” in order express what is happening…behind nature.

In this show, Wright tries to communicate his visual experiences of how light changes the way matter appears and how refracted light affects color. As Master Artist and Instructor at Weir Farm, Wright seeks to help others fulfill their unique gifts through the creative process, by helping them connect with their natural ability and the technical knowledge of their chosen school or schools of art.

There will be a gallery talk on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m. when Wright will discuss the challenges and rewards of plein air painting. He will use Weir Farm National Historic Site’s unique setting to discuss the history behind, and future of, American Impressionism. Participation in these gallery talks is free, but space is limited and registration is required. To register or for more information, please call (203) 834-1896 ext. 28.

The exhibit can be viewed in the Burlingham House Visitor Center Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

About Weir Farm National Historic Site
Weir Farm National Historic Site, the only National Park Service site dedicated to American painting, was home to three generations of American artists including Julian Alden Weir, a leading figure in American art and the development of American Impressionism. Today, the 60-acre park, which includes the Weir House, Weir and Young Studios, barns, gardens, and Weir Pond, is one of the nation’s finest remaining landscapes of American art. For more information about Weir Farm National Historic Site, please visit www.nps.gov/wefa or call (203) 834-1896.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

by

Ives Concert Park announces first five shows of Summer Concert Series

After much anticipation, Ives Concert Park has announced the first five artists slated to perform in its 2013 Summer Concert Series. The venue, located on the Western Connecticut State University Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury, has featured a wide variety of performers representing all eras and genres of music for nearly 40 years. Now, thanks to a new partnership with New York-based promoter The Bowery Presents, the summer line-up is starting to take shape.

All shows are rain or shine and tickets for the five shows announced are on sale at at ticketmaster.com. Additional shows and ticket sale dates will be announced soon.

Scheduled to perform are:

moe

moe

• moe. with the Wood Brothers at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 1
Reserved tickets are $35; lawn tickets are $20.

Gov't_Mule

Gov’t_Mule

• Gov’t Mule at 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 2
Reserved tickets are $35; lawn tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on day of show.

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett


• Tony Bennett at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 13
Reserved tickets are $86; lawn tickets are $36.

Gov't_Mule

• Summerland Tour 2013 Alternative Guitars starring Everclear, Live, Filter and Sponge at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 19
Reserved tickets are $35; lawn tickets are $20.

Brandi

Brandi

• Brandi Carlile at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 20
Reserved tickets are $39.50; lawn tickets are $25.

A special two-show ticket has been created for the back-to-back moe. and Gov’t Mule shows on June 1 and 2. A reserved ticket for both nights will be $50 and a lawn ticket will be $30.

Music-lovers who subscribe to the Ives “Backstage Buzz” e-newsletter will have the opportunity to purchase tickets one day before they go on sale to the general public. To sign up, visit the Ives Concert Park website at http://www.ivesconcertpark.com. For contests and announcements, follow Ives on Facebook at facebook.com/ivesconcertpark and Twitter at @IvesConcertPark.

by

Annual Spring Show of the Kent Art Association in Litchfield Hills

The Kent Art Association was founded in 1923 by nine well established artists who knew each other when they lived in New York before moving to Kent: Rex Brasher, Elliot Clark, Floyd Clymer, Williard Dryden Paddock, F. Luis Mora, George Laurence Nelson, Spencer Nichols, Robert Nisbet and Frederick Waugh. Six of these artists were National Academicians.

Daskam Dock and Dory

Daskam Dock and Dory

When the Kent Art Association was first founded, these nine artists held an annual show in which only their work was exhibited. Later, more artists were accepted into the Association and others were invited to be associates. Today the Kent Art Association invites emerging and established artists to display their artwork to a wide audience in their gallery’s several times a year.

Inside this well lite and spacious gallery, located on Rte. 7 (Main Street) in Kent about 100 yards south of the intersection of Rte. 7 and Rte. 341, you will find two stories of exhibition rooms. In addition to the works exhibited on the walls, all of which are for sale, there is a Portfolio Gallery offering unframed work by members of the Association.

To kick off spring in the beautiful Litchfield Hills, the Kent Art Association is holding its first juried show of the season that runs Sunday, April 21 through Monday, May 27. The Gallery is open April- May 17, Friday – Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and May 21 – Oct. 18, Thursday – Sunday from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

The Awards Reception is scheduled for Saturday, April 27 from 2 to 4 pm with awards presented at 3 pm. Refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend.

Visitors will also enjoy the work of Juror Rick Daskam, chairman for Oils at the Hudson Valley Art Association and a a graduate of Paier College of Art in Connecticut where he studied with Rudolf Zallinger and Ken Davies. Daskam was honored with the “Most Outstanding Illustrator Award in addition to the Dumond Award from the Hudson Valley Art Association, Collectors Award from the Butler Art Institute, and the Larry Newquist Award for Excellence at SCAN.

The Judges for this exhibition are Marc Chabot, Diane Dubreuil, and Rick Daskam and $1000 in prizes will be awarded. All work must be original and for sale. A copy of the prospectus can be found at www.kentart.org. For more information call the Gallery at 860.927.3989. For area information visit www.litchifeldhills.com

by

Creating Habitat Oases for Migrating Songbirds

Join Audubon’s Patrick Comins and Michelle Frankelon April 28 at the Garden Education Center of Greenwich on 1 Bible Street in Cos Cob for a special presentation and walk through Greenwich’s Montgomery Pinetum to learn about simple ways to enhance backyards, school grounds and public parks to provide quality habitat for migrating songbirds. This event is co-sponsored by Audubon Connecticut, Greenwich Tree Conservancy, Bruce Museum and Garden Education Center. An RSVP is suggested to the Greenwich Tree Conservancy at 203- 869-1464. The program takes place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Garden Education Center of Greenwich

Garden Education Center of Greenwich

The Audubon’s Habitat Oases program identifies, improves and conserves important stop-over habitat for migrating songbirds all along the Atlantic migratory flyway, focusing on urban and suburban areas and other landscapes where there is limited quality habitat. The program, performed in collaboration with Audubon chapters, state and municipal parks departments, and other groups, engages volunteer birdwatchers – citizen scientists – in migratory songbird surveys of urban/suburban green spaces. The surveys help to determine the characteristics of high quality stop-over habitat and which species of plants are most beneficial as food sources for migrating songbirds.

Audubon and its partners are using the results of this study to promote the protection of critical stop-over habitats by helping government agencies, corporations, land trusts, and other landowners make informed land use and land protection decisions
They also work to improve the quality of public and private lands as stop-over habitat for migrating birds by guiding the management and landscaping practices of natural resource managers, private landowners and professional landscapers
and strive to develop regionally-specific lists of “bird-friendly” native plants that may be used to guide landscaping practices in parks, gardens and backyards.

Patrick Comins is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, and has worked in the bird conservation arena for the last 15 years. Patrick began his career with the Connecticut Audubon Society, doing bird surveys on the coast at the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and then worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a biological technician at the refuge. He has been with Audubon Connecticut as the Director of Bird Conservation for Connecticut since 2000, overseeing Connecticut’s Important Bird Areas and other conservation programs. He is the principal author of Protecting Connecticut’s Grassland Heritage. Patrick is a past resident of the Connecticut Ornithological Association and was the 2007 recipient of their Mabel Osgood Wright Award. He has written several articles on bird conservation and identification for the Connecticut Warbler and is currently chairman and vice president of the Friends of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

Michelle Frankel, Ph.D., is a Conservation Biologist with Audubon Connecticut and is coordinating the Habitat Oases program in CT, and facilitating the implementation of the program in a number of other states along the Atlantic migratory flyway. Michelle previously worked with Audubon of Florida, where she originally piloted the Habitat Oases program. Prior to her work with Audubon, she was Education Director for Earthspan, a nonprofit that develops and applies advanced technologies for wildlife conservation. Michelle received her Ph.D. in behavioral ecology from Boston University, focusing on forest fragmentation effects on migratory songbirds. She subsequently pursued a post-doctoral fellowship with Tel Aviv University and the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration in Israel, where she studied the impacts of urbanization on the globally-threatened Lesser Kestrel.