Month: November 2019

A fabulous new show is on exhibition at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich through December 28 and features the U.S. debut of 15 pieces of contemporary Chinese brushwork gifted to the Town of Greenwich as part of the 2019 U.S.-China Art and Culture Exchange. The exhibition introduces visitors to the basic tools and concepts that inform these works of art and presents these pieces in their historical and present-day contexts.

Also known as water-painting, brushwork has a long and illustrious history in China. The art form developed from the practice of calligraphy, or “Beautiful Writing,” sometime during the Han Dynasty (220-589 AD). Traditionally, brushwork was not practiced by professional artists but by amateurs colloquially known as scholar artists, who prided themselves on their mastery of calligraphy and incorporated painting into their poems. Today the legacy of the scholar artist lives on in China and in the creation of these contemporary works of art.

This exhibition highlights the connections between calligraphy and traditional brushwork by exploring the time-honored practice of water-painting by contemporary scholar artists. In the traditional calligraphic practice, artists copy the masterworks of previous generations in order to learn to create their own works. Each of the artists in the exhibition uses an established language of brushstrokes, natural images, and color washes to express their own unique point of view.

November is National Indian Heritage Month and many institutions nationwide join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. Each year, the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut organizes special programs that highlight the rich cultural diversity and traditions of Native American communities through hands-on activities, arts and crafts, exhibits, music, and interactive programs.

This year’s highlight of National Indian Heritage Month at the Institute for American Indian Studies will be a highly interactive program by actor, activist, dancer, and Tribal mentor, Annawon Weeden. This special program will take place at 1 p.m. on November 16. Weeden is the founder of the First Light Foundation whose mission is to highlight the importance of preserving and celebrating diversity to reinforce the identity of each individual served.

Persuasive and powerful, authentic and imaginative, the stories and performance of Annawon Weeden reveal the unexpected ways Native Americans are embedded in our cultural identity as well as in our pop culture, sometimes accurately, and sometimes erroneously. Drawing on his Mashpee Wampanoag, Narragansett, and Pequot lineage, Weeden will explore the pre- European Tribal history of the People of the Dawn and share his personal experiences and insights. Through this interactive program, visitors will walk through time with Weeden and discover that Native American cultures are alive and well today, thriving and evolving across the United States. This program helps to foster a better understanding of Native American culture and traditions while dispelling some of the historical misinterpretations.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have a 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

About Annawon Weeden

Weeden is an enrolled member of his mother’s Mashpee Wampanoag tribal community. He currently works in the MPTN Cultural Resource Department as the Eastern Woodland song/dance instructor for his father’s Mashantucket Pequot Tribal community.

Growing up on the Narragansett reservation he was instructed on the traditional dances and customs of New England’s Native American Communities. As an adult, Weeden has developed a comprehensive knowledge of the vast diversity of native customs and traditions.

In October 2016, Congressman James Langevin took special notice of Weeden and decided to commemorate the life efforts of Weeden awarding him with a Congressional Honor as Culture Bearer for the entire New England Region.

Weeden’s knowledge of indigenous people and his ability to share his tribal culture is highly sought because it educational and inspiring.

The Stamford Art Association will present two exhibitions at its Townhouse Gallery, located at 39 Franklin Street, Stamford CT, November 10 to December 12, 2019.   “Max Abadi, Painter” will include oil and acrylic paintings. Max, a SAA member and resident of Stamford, is a construction engineer who studied at the Art Student’s League in NYC. He has recently exhibited in the Market Gallery in Portmouth, NH, Rochester NY, Bruce S. Kershner Gallery at the Fairfield Public Library and Cultural Alliance in Danbury CT. “I am drawn to artists who use intense colors and fluid motion, in particular Henri Matisse and Vincent Van Gogh. I enjoy painting for myself, for the love of color and movement”.

The “New Members Show” will include multimedia work by 9 new Stamford Art Association members – Daniel Wade Barrett, Roberto Colon, Eugenie Diserio, Kathryn Fitzgerald, Gayle Gleckler, Jim Malloy, Jason Pritchard, Jackeuline Walters, and Tony Woolner. 
Established in 1971, the Stamford Art Association is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization whose members include painters, sculptors, printmakers, photographers and multimedia artists. In its 48th year, our mission as an arts organization is to provide a forum where emerging and professional artists can exhibit their work to the community and compete in juried shows. We host an international exhibit yearly, the Faber Birren Color Award Show, and a High School Student Show for Fairfield County students.

The Association’s Townhouse Gallery holds eight consecutive shows each year, six of which are juried exhibits and two are solo exhibits, with prominent jurors from art schools, galleries and institutions in New York and surrounding areas, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum, Bruce Museum, and Museum of Modern Art. All artists, not just members, are welcome to submit their work for exhibit. Annual competitions draw submissions from local, regional, and national artists.  The SAA also curates the 3 annual “Art at the Ferguson” exhibits at the Ferguson Library. 

The Stamford Art Association is supported by grants from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, the City of Stamford and the Kuriansky Foundation and generous donations from individual artists and friends.

Historically, American Indians were known as warriors. It is a deep tradition that has continued to modern times. Perhaps this is why Native Americans have a long-standing record of proud military service on behalf of the United States as well as a higher rate of military service than any other racial or ethnic group in the country. Native American patriotism is inextricably connected to the land itself.

To commemorate Native American and Alaskan American contributions, service, and sacrifices, in November of 2020, a $15 million memorial, Warriors Circle of Honor is set to open in Washington DC. The structure incorporates many items involved in Native American ceremonies. It was designed by a Marine veteran, Harvey Pratt, a member of the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes and will be situated on the National Mall.

Closer to home, in Washington, Connecticut, the Institute for American Indian Studies is holding a traditional Native American ceremony that includes prayers and drumming to honor the contributions and valor of Native American and non- Native Veterans on November 10 beginning at noon.

Each year, the Institute for American Indian Studies honors local Native Americans who have served their country. This year, the ceremony will recognize Golden Hill Paugussett community members who represent past, present and future veterans. The honorees at this year’s ceremony include Chief Aurelius Piper Sr., deceased, who served during World War II; Gary Tinney, who served in Germany, England, Korea and Stateside; and the sons of Clan-mother Shoran Piper, Jeremy Cole, and Nikita Kuznetsov that are currently serving in the military.

The drumming and prayer ceremony will begin at noon and take place in the Institute’s newly restored 16th century Algonquian Village. After the ceremony, visitors are invited to a light lunch in the museum with the opportunity to explore the Institution’s vast collections. This event is free and open to the public.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies
Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have a 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

About Veterans Day
Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary marking the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for the annual observance and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day honors military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation and a remembrance ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. The ceremony honors and thanks all who served in the U.S. armed forces.

Have you ever wanted to see a professional potter fire pottery in the traditional way? Now you can on November 12 starting around 10 a.m. at Cornwall Bridge Pottery located on 69 Kent Road South in Cornwall Bridge.

Todd Piker, owner of the pottery will be starting the preheat at 12 noon Sunday, November 10 and full fire will begin at about 10pm Monday night November 11. By early Tuesday morning (4 am) November 12 the kiln will be in full fire mode and we would like to invite all interested parties to come and take a peek. Hopefully, the firing will be done by late afternoon on Tuesday.

If you are keen to take part please plan your visit after 10 am on Tuesday, November 12 as this is when they will be most in need of extra hands thru the end of the firing (usually late in the afternoon). They have gloves and beverages and will be very grateful for your participation. Consider shooting Todd an email (tpiker@gmail.com) if you are fairly certain of the time you will be in attendance and if you would like to participate. However, not to worry if your schedule precludes any advance notice. The public is more than welcome at any part of the Firing.

To get you in a holiday mood, the New England Carousel Museum located on 95 Riverside Ave. in Bristol is hosting the “Bizarre Bazaar, a holiday art and craft fair on November 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is a juried show and sale of work by phenomenal artists and artisans handpicked by the Museum and one that you don’t want to miss especially if you are looking for unusual holiday gifts.

Expect to be dazzled as you wander among the work of artists and artisans at the Carousel Museum that will be displaying a variety of homemade crafts, amazing treats, and holiday gifts. There will be two floors with over 50 exhibitors showcasing their unique gifts among the Museum’s holiday environment and gorgeous carousel horses.

As adults shop, there is plenty to do for the little ones. The Arts and Crafts Room of the Museum will be open for children and, “Amazing Magical Paul” will be back to create whimsical balloon animals! Best of all, admission is only $1.00 with free carousel rides for children all day.