Author: Janet

On June 11 and 12 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friends of the Ives is presenting the first Art at Ives, Juried Fine Art & Crafts Show.This two-day event will highlight more than 75 artists from across the nation with a wide variety of high-quality original works and a diverse scope of art forms representing every major category; ceramics, fiber, drawing, painting, digital art, photography, glass, metal work, mixed media, sculpture, wearable art, jewelry and wood.

Discover how to create origami, the Japanese art of folding paper or drawing portraiture with live art demonstrations. Great food and live music, along with children’s events featuring the magic and wonder of the art of puppetry will be included. The event will be rain or shine and admission is $5. Children under 16 are free. Get tickets at www.artatives.eventbrite.com.

A program directory and the Ives website will showcase each artist’s work and provide artist contact information. Art at Ives will be a promoted event in the Connecticut Office of Tourism Open House Day 2016 – a one day statewide celebration of Connecticut’s fascinating world of art, history and tourism.

Ives Concert Park is the ideal location to host this event that seeks to advance the visual arts in Western Connecticut by providing increased visibility for artists. The long-term goal of the Art at Ives Juried Fine Art & Crafts Show is to expand awareness of the arts and enrich the artistic, cultural, educational and economic vitality of the region for years to come.

For more area event information and places to stay and things to do and see visit the website of the Litchfield Hills Visitors Bureau.

Music Mountain, America’s oldest continuing summer chamber music festival, kicks off its 87th Anniversary Season on Sunday, June 5th (3PM) with a gala performance and reception featuring the multiple Grammy award winning ensemble, Emerson String Quartet! The summer will feature 15 weekends of incredible music including returning favorite chamber ensembles and musicians, including pianists Peter Serkin and Julia Hsu; first-time guests, including the great pianist Richard Goode; the ever-popular Saturday Evening Twilight Series featuring an array of Jazz ensembles and musicians and introducing, for the first time at Music Mountain, in five concerts, the incredibly talented artists of the Catskill Jazz Factory; and the second season of the new Music Mountain Master Classes for Young Artists plus so much more! See why the New Yorker called Music Mountain “The Summer Shrine of the String Quartet.” Concerts are scheduled through September 11.

The Emerson String Quartet has accumulated an unparalleled list of achievements over three decades. In a season of over 85 quartet performances, mingled with the Quartet members’ individual artistic commitments, the Emerson plays extensively throughout North America. Multiple tours of Europe include dates in Denmark, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom, among many other countries. Based in New York City, The Emerson String Quartet is Quartet-in-Residence at Stony Brook University.
Chamber music concerts continue with Borromeo String Quartet (June 12); Penderecki String Quartet with Maurycy Banaszek, viola (June 19); Cassatt String Quartet with Colin Carr, cello (June 26); and Cantata Profana (July 3).

The Saturday Evening Twilight Series begins on Saturday, June 11 with The Galvanized Jazz Band! The series continues with The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players (June 18); New Black Eagle Jazz Band (June 25); and Swingtime Big Band (July 2).
Specially Priced Concerts are as Follows: Tickets for the Season Opening Concert & Reception on Sunday, June 5 (3PM) are $75 and include a voucher for any regularly priced 2016 concert. All tickets to the Peter Serkin/Julia Hsu, Piano 4 Hands Concert on Sunday, July 10 are $60.

Tickets for the Mid-Summer Benefit Concert with Richard Goode on Sunday, July 31 (3PM) are $75 and include a voucher for any regularly priced 2016 concert. Tickets for the Labor Day Benefit Concert & Reception with the Shanghai String Quartet, and pianists Gilbert Kalish and Jonathan Yates are $75 and include a voucher for any regularly priced 2017 concert.

The 87th season will continue to offer two ticketing options to complement their established family friendly ticket prices. Concert goers will be able to reserve their favorite seat(s) in advance for a one-time payment of $60 per seat, per season. For information on how to reserve a seat and specific seat availability, please call 860-824-7126. Music Mountain also continues its popular Gold Pass program. Major Gold Pass benefits include: Admission to all concerts; Priority Reserved Seating (subject to availability); $20 price for one guest per Gold Pass. Cost for Gold Pass Memberships: Individual: $780; Pair: $1,500. For a list of other benefits and more information, please call 860-824-7126. All Gold Passes are transferable.

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

Flanders Nature Center is offering a new series for young children on June 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Flanders North Barn located on 644 Flanders Road in Woodbury. The theme of this event, “Just Kidding” centers around Nigerian dwarf dairy goats that are new arrivals at the farm.

Kids will have fun being a “farmer” for the day when visiting the Flanders North Barn and learning all about these fabulous creatures. They will learn about products made from goat’s milk, watch a goat milking demonstration and then go on a short hike with the goats as they watch them dine on leaves and plants. There will even be a “Van-goat” art project to take home as part of this learning experience about goats and the responsibilities that comes with life on the farm.

All activities will be based at Flanders North Barn and pre-registration is required. The cost for members of Flanders Nature Center is $5 for the child and caregiver and $10 for non-members. Registration is online at www.flandersnaturecenter.org or by calling the Center at 203-263-3711. For other programs, visit the Center’s website. For more area information about what to see and do in Litchfield Hills visit www.litchfieldhills.com and don’t forget to like us on Facebook.

About Flanders
Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust acquires, preserves and manages land; and uses the land to promote understanding and appreciation of nature, art and the environment. Founded by artist, farmer and environmentalist Natalie Van Vleck, Flanders provides a variety of environmental education programs year-round, designed to bring a deeper understanding of art, nature and farming to children, youth and adults in the Woodbury region and throughout Connecticut.
For more information, call 203-263-3711 or flandersnaturecenter.org

Celebrate the start of the season by joining the Glass House on June 11 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. as they host their annual Summer Party! This event features a festive picnic by The Schoolhouse at Cannondale in Wilton, CT.

Party goers will enjoy sound by Chez Conversations and music by DJ Mia Moretti while trying their hand at classic lawn games like croquet and ping-pong. Guest will be encouraged to stop by the Design Within Reach photo booth to capture the moment or lounge on one of their Eos Lounge Chairs.

If you’re more leisure-minded, enjoy a glass of Taittinger champagne and experience the current exhibitions at the Glass House that includes: Yayoi Kusama: Narcissus Garden and Robert Rauschenberg: Spreads and Related Works, or enjoy the chance to roam freely across the pastoral 49-acre grounds.

If you can’t wait until June 11th to join in on all the fun, start bidding now on the Summer Party silent auction, powered by Paddle 8, including beautiful works by Richard Serra, Bruce Nauman, Josef Albers, Dustin Yellin and KAWS along with luxury trip packages and many more unique items.

The Summer Party will also see the launch of the 2016 Summer Party artist, Vik Muniz’s limited edition work, The Glass House, after Robin Hill, created in chocolate syrup which is included with VIP Friend level tickets at $7,500 and Platinum Table Captain at $20,000. For tickets visit the website. For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Photos © Billy Farrell Agency

With 36 miles of coastline, the sea has always played a significant role in the history of Greenwich. Since the town’s founding in 1640, boats plying Long Island Sound were a regular and reliable means of commercial trade and passenger transport. Yet by June 1896, the last market sloop sailed from the Lower Landing in Cos Cob to New York, signaling the end of an era.

With the rise of pleasure yachting, new maritime pursuits appeared on the horizon. Yachting soon became both a sport and a leisure activity associated with the grand lifestyle of the wealthy tycoons who built the great estates. Over time, as boating became more affordable, Greenwich once again witnessed a proliferation of boats of every size and description that resulted in the establishment of many organizations dedicated to boating.

Through paintings, photographs, maps, charts and instruments this exhibition will explore the rich history of maritime Greenwich and share the myriad stories that link Greenwich to it’s coastal roots.

For more information about Greenwich Historical Society visit www.greenwichhistory.org and for more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

The Torrington Historical Society, located at 192 Main Street, is now open for the 2016 season and will remain open through October 31st. The Society is home to three attractions: the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum, the permanent exhibit, No Place Like Home: The History of Torrington, the Hendey Machine Shop exhibit Pursuit of Precision: The Hendey Machine Shop 1870-1954. Hours for the house museum and the two exhibits are Wednesday – Saturday, 12-4 p.m.

Fodor’s Guide to New England described the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum as “one of the better house museums in Connecticut”. Built in 1900, this grand Victorian mansion was commissioned by Orsamus and Mary Fyler and was designed by New Haven architect William H. Allen. The house was built by Hotchkiss Brothers Company, a Torrington firm. The Torrington Historical Society acquired the home in 1956 when Gertrude Fyler Hotchkiss, daughter of the original owners, bequeathed the house and its contents to the Society.

Today, visitors to the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum can see the home as it was when last occupied by Gertrude Fyler Hotchkiss. This grand home is rich in details: mahogany paneling, ornate carvings, stenciled walls, murals, parquet floors and ornamental plaster. Family furnishings include impressive collections of porcelain, glass and oriental carpets as well as paintings by Ammi Phillips, Winfield Scott Clime, E. I. Couse, George Lawrence Nelson and Albert Herter.

Guided tours of the house museum are available for $5 per person; children 12 and under are free. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12-4; the last tour is at 3:30 p.m.

The Torrington History Museum, adjacent to the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum, contains an award-winning permanent exhibit, No Place Like Home: The History of Torrington. This self-guided exhibit explores the city’s history while showcasing photographs and artifacts from the Society’s collection. Audio and video components and hands-on interactive stations are featured in this exhibit. Admission is $2; children 12 and under are free.

Another self-guided exhibit, Pursuit of Precision: The Hendey Machine Company 1870-1954, traces the history of the Hendey Machine Company, a former manufacturer of lathes, shapers and milling machines. This exhibit features an operational belt-driven machine shop, a video kiosk, and a photographic history of the company. Admission to this exhibit, which is located in the Carriage House, is free.

The John H. Thompson Memorial Library houses archives pertaining to Torrington history. Researchers may visit the library Wednesday-Friday 1-4, or by appointment. For more information about the Society or to become a member, please visit www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org or contact the Society at (860) 482-8260.

For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com