Month: June 2014

Music Mountain Celebrates 85th Concert Season

Concert aficionados from around the country will want to mark their calendars for Music Mountain, America’s oldest continuing summer chamber music festival that is celebrating their 85th concert season this summer through September 14. To commemorate the milestone, Music Mountain located in the scenic Litchfield Hills of Connecticut will continue their season past Labor Day – making the 85th Anniversary Season the longest running season since the 1930s! The summer will include returning chamber ensembles, first time guests and the ever-popular Saturday Evening Twilight Series featuring Jazz, Country, and Folk Music. Concerts are scheduled through September 14.

Music Mountain, photo credit Joan Walden
Music Mountain, photo credit Joan Walden

The Saturday Evening Twilight Series begins on June 14 (6:30PM) with The West Point Alumni Glee Club. Evening concerts continue with New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players (and the first of several pre-concert dinners, June 21); Jive By Five (June 28); The Sharon Playhouse (July 5); Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks (July 12); Gunsmoke (July 19); Swingtime Big Band (July 26); The New Black Eagle Jazz Band (August 2); The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (August 9); The Galvanized Jazz Band (August 16); Baroque Italian Opera Arias & Duets (August 23); and Michael Berkeley (September 6).

This year, the twilight series will broaden its variety of musical offerings to include folk music, opera and the golden age of Broadway. A special concert of Old Time Country Music by Tater Patch, whose bass player Richard Gordon is a grandson of Jacques Gordon, Music Mountain’s Founder, and the only descendant of the Founder ever to appear at Music Mountain, will also be presented as the final Twilight concert on September 13.

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Music Mountain’s 85th Anniversary Season will also include their annual Teaching Program — bringing master teachers and aspiring young musicians together. Artistic Director of The Next Festival of Emerging Artists at Music Mountain, composer, c. “America’s leading oboe recitalist,” Humbert Lucarelli returns to Music Mountain for his master Oboe Seminar Sunday, July 20 through Friday, July 25. Returning for the second year, Carol Kastendieck, faculty member at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, will teach an actors vocal training program in August.

Music Mountain is located in Falls Village, Connecticut on Music Mountain Road, where a short scenic drive will bring you to Gordon Hall atop Music Mountain. Free parking and picnic facilities are available. Food, wine & beer are also available for purchase.

Tickets for the Season Opening Concert & Reception on Saturday, June 7 and End of Season Benefit Concert & Reception on Sunday, August 31 are $75 and include a voucher for one regularly priced concert. Two special mid-summer benefit concerts on Sunday, June 22 with the Juilliard String Quartet and on Sunday, July 20 with Peter Serkin and the Orion String Quartet are $60 per ticket. Pre-concert dinners are $60 and include concert ticket. Chamber Music Concerts are $35 at the door/$30 in advance. Twilight Series Concerts are $30 at the door/$27 in advance. Children ages 5-18 are admitted FREE for ALL CONCERTS when accompanied by a ticket holder (Music Mountain gratefully acknowledges children admission support by the Hellen Plummer Foundation for a gift in memory of James Merrill, Connecticut’s first Poet Laureate).

Saturday Twilight Concerts are at 6:30pm. Chamber Music concerts are at 3pm on Sundays. Group rates and pre season ticket vouchers are available. Discounts apply through participating organizations. For a complete summer schedule, special ticket prices, and to download a ticket order form visit www.musicmountain.org or call 860-824-7126.

For information on Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

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Over There: Washington and The Great War at the Gunn Historical Society

The Gunn Memorial Museum, on 5 Wykehem Rd in Washington Connecticut has organized a new exhibition that commemorates the 100th anniversary of World War One, one of the largest and bloodiest conflicts in history, where over 70 million military personnel were mobilized around the world and more than 10 million combatants and 7 million civilians were killed, including several from Washington, CT. Over 100 men and women from Washington, and more than 150 alumni and faculty from The Gunnery served in The Great War.

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Letters, pictures, and an interesting array of period artifacts from the museum, local families, and collectors, including Peter Tragni and Dr. Robert Jacobs, among others, are used to explore the dramatic experiences of Washington’s soldiers, along with the extensive support efforts that were happening on the home front in Washington through such organizations as the Sister Susie Society, the Red Cross, the Women’s Land Army, and the Home Guard. All of their fascinating stories will be shared in this exhibit and a diverse series of public programs (see below) through the year, sponsored in part by the Connecticut Community Foundation.

Art director Chris Zaima, designer Sandy Booth, and painter Keith Templeton, along with a team of other volunteers and staff, have created another visual masterpiece. Local history will come alive as visitors step back in time and explore the lives of Washington’s residents during World War One, through their own words, and the impact this war had on our small town.

Admission to the exhibit is free, and this exhibit will be on display through January 18, 2015. For more information, call the Museum at 860-868-7756 or view www.gunnlibrary.org for more information or email gunnmuseum@sbcglobal.net.

On June 28 at 11 a.m. at the Gunn Library, there will be a lecture, The Beginning of the End: The Origins of World War I. Dr. Michael Nolan, a professor of European History at Western Connecticut State University, will present a lecture to mark the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austrian Empire, the spark that ignited World War One. On June 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist who was a Black Hand Terrorist as they visited the city of Sarajevo. This assassination was the catalyst of World War One, a four-year event that claimed the lives of over 10 million soldiers and 7 million civilians around the globe.

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Dr. Nolan will discuss the contentious years leading up to the assassination, how the events of that day unfolded, the impact the resulting war had on the 20th century, and who was really to blame for the origins of the war, the answer to which is not as clear cut as many might think and has vexed historians for the past century. Dr. Nolan is a 2001 graduate of Brandeis University and is the author of The Inverted Mirror: Mythologizing the Enemy in France and Germany, 1898-1914 (New York, Berghahn Books, 2005).

On Tuesday, July 14 & 28 and August 11 & 25 at 1:00 p.m. at the Gunn Library and Museum there will be a WWI Film Series featuring: The African Queen, A Farewell to Arms, Fly Boys, and War Horse.

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Lost and Found Circus Exhibit at Bridgeport’s PT Barnum Museum

The Barnum Museum is featuring an amazingly original display, Lost and Found Circus: A Creative Balancing Act by Bridgeport artist Susan Tabachnick through August 30.

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The exhibition features a circus-themed presentation of small sculptures created with found objects, many of them incorporating old industrial parts and small tools. The components are not altered in any way, but are assembled into whimsical sculptures suggestive of the lively energy and humor that characterizes the circus. The assemblages give “new life” to items originally made for other purposes. Tabachnick never forces the unions and she doesn’t weld or glue the pieces together; they must fit or balance.

Each of Tabachnick’s creations in this exhibition begins with a particular piece of salvaged material to which she is attracted. The sculptures often evolve as a balancing act, as Tabachnick experiments with finding just the right parts, using her own fluid and flexible approach to making art. All of the work in the show is assembled this way; none of the components are permanently affixed. Like a real circus, the components can readily be disassembled and transported to a new venue, and if the artist chooses, the found objects can come together in new ways.

“The Lost and Found Circus is always a work in progress,” explained Tabachnick, “an infinitely creative and organic assemblage of salvaged pieces that invites people to see new possibilities. What is most enjoyable to me are the reactions to my work, and the different references and perceptions that viewers bring to it. I never intended to make a circus. The pieces came together serendipitously, each with its own eccentric personality, not dissimilar to that of traditional circus characters. Over the years, the theme kept percolating to the point where there is now a troupe.”

The Barnum Museum is located on 820 Main Street, Bridgeport in the People’s United Bank Gallery. The entrance to the museum is located at the back of the historic building and the hours are Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information on the PT Barnum Museum, call 203-331-1104 ext.100, M-F from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or visit www.barnummuseumexhibitions.org.

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Torrington is New Home for Karen Rossi Studios

Internationally known artist Karen Rossi is excited to call Torrington her new home. Rossi’s grand opening is scheduled for June 28 and 29, to coincide with the Open Your Eyes studio tour sponsored by the Northwest Arts Council. The Allen Building at 27 East Main Street will house a gallery, showroom, workspace and classroom area.

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Rossi is highly regarded for her original metal sculptures has created more than 500 original characters… celebrating the seasons, holidays, professions, friends and family, children, hobbies and a host of other life-inspired themes. Her whimsical work features metal as well as broken crystals, charms and other embellishments that make them eye catching and unique.

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Rossi is most known for her giftware designs known as Fanciful FlightsTM, which she has licensed to major companies, enjoying worldwide sales. Fanciful Flights are metal caricatures of people adorned by charms that tell the story of a person’s hobby or profession. Long before Rossi was involved with arts licensing, her originals were commissioned and collected by the likes of Neiman Marcus, Booz, Allen & Hamilton, lobbies of Hospitals, and the Hartford Courant.

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Karen’s themed groupings of artwork include: Animal Kingdom, On the Road, Celestial, Christmas, Halloween, the Glorious Garden, Just for Kids, Paradise Island, Ladies with Red Hats, Festivities of Faith, Bistro, Girlfriends, Celebration and Fanciful Flights TM. For details of this artwork visit http://www.karenrossi.com.

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The 27 East Main Street destination will feature demos and crafting workshops including painting on glass and Mosaics. Rossi has been hosting Art Parties for over 30 years and is particularly excited to offer, “Make your own T-town ballerinas and Mad River Mermaids.” The artist has been involved with several CT Art communities and is excited to showcase the work of comrades and guest Artisans from Hartford, New Haven, South, and the Litchfield Hills. The new studio will also feature a clearance area for sales of retired Rossi giftware.

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15th Annual Ice Cream Social Woodbury CT

Bring your family, bring your friends and co-workers – come to New Morning Market located on 129 Main Street in Woodbury for the 15th Annual Ice Cream Social that is not only deliciously fun but also a benefit for Safe Haven Shelter for Victims of Domestic Abuse.

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The Ice Cream Social will take place on Friday June 20th, from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. New Morning is generously donating 100% of your $5.00 donation to Safe Haven Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence.

Get ready to build your own delicious ice cream sundaes (including dairy or gluten free options) with an array of scrumptious toppings while enjoying the live performance of Bill and Martha Bless. There is even a chance to enter a drawing to win a free folding bike courtesy of Seasnax!

New Morning will be Collecting Your Donations for Safe Haven all Month! The shelter is in need of pantry stuffs, personal care items, toiletries, new clothing and cleaning supplies. You can pick up a wish list at the store!

About New Morning Market
New Morning Market of Woodbury, CT is a leading natural and organic, independent retailer for healthy sustainable living. Owner John Pittari and his staff continually create an environment that fosters meaningful exchanges of knowledge, services and products. New Morning has been in business for well over 40 years and has been in their brand new facility at 129 Main Street North in Woodbury for almost 2 years. Boasting more than 9,000 square feet of retail space and a large community room for classes and presentations, New Morning has become a popular destination and an important part of the local community. More information can be found at www.newmorn.com, on Facebook or by calling 203-263-4868.

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Bob Gregson: Archi/Abstracts at New Canaan’s Gores Pavilion

This summer and fall, the New Canaan Historical Society is presenting the photography of Bob Gregson entitled Archi/Abstracts at the Gores Pavilion in Irwin Park located on 848 Weed Street in New Canaan Connecticut.

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Bob is an artist who has a passion for architecture and modern design. The photographs in this exhibit are details of familiar buildings by well-known architects. Originally taken to document his trips to architectural icons, these photos are shot on the run and thus have a fresh and immediate look to them. As Gregson explains, “It was not necessary to document the buildings as much as to capture a spontaneous moment that expressed, in a simple detail, the heart and spirit of my experience.” Since these are done on the fly the essence of the building needs to be sized up quickly.
When viewing the exhibition it is clear that there is a focus on the details and characteristics that embody the personality of each building. The translation from a three dimensional experience to a flat image is not easy to achieve but these photographs show great skill in doing this.

Bob Gregson received a B.F.A. from the Hartford Art School and an M.F.A. from the Art Institute of Chicago. His work ranges from large-scale participatory pieces to drawing and photography. He has exhibited nationally as well as his home state of Connecticut. He is a Silvermine Guild Artist in New Canaan, Connecticut and is the creative director of the Connecticut Office of Culture & Tourism.

The Gores Pavilion is located in Irwin Park, New Canaan. The exhibit runs through November 7, 2014. The Gores Pavilion is open from Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., or by appointment; call 203-966-1776. Admission is free to Society members and $5 for non-members.

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