Author: Janet

The walk that explores Saugatuck will be on Saturday, June 6 and takes place from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. . This walk begins at the train station, where rail service was launched in 1848, making Westport more accessible for visitors and, in turn, giving residents better access to New York City.

Railroad construction brought an influx of jobs, filled mostly by Irish and Italian laborers, and the young community eventually was called Little Italy. In 1958, a swath of buildings bisecting Saugatuck was demolished to make way for the Connecticut Turnpike.

Here are some bits of Saugatuck lore you’ll learn about: The Saugatuck Grain & Supply Company (1929), Luciano Park, the Westport Bank & Trust branch office, the Hedenbury Tin Shop, the Banyan Coffin Tack Factory, the first Saugatuck firehouse, the mattress factory, the William F. Cribari Bridge (the oldest movable span in Connecticut), and the Saugatuck Manufacturing Company, which made buttons from Brazilian ivory nuts. In addition, you’ll hear wonderful stories from people who grew up in Saugatuck when life was simple and family ties strong.

The tour was created to give participants insights into Westport’s history and show how resilient Westporters have been in retaining the character of our town, even as the landscape changes and Saugatuck undergoes an impressive renaissance.
There is a $10 donation, and $8 for members. Ages 12 and under are $5. Reservations are recommended: (203) 222-1424. Meet at the New York Bound Side. Wine and cheese at Westport Auction following the tour.

For more information about the Westport Historical Society visit http://westporthistory.org.

The Center for Contemporary Printmaking located on 299 West Ave. in Norwalk is offering a series of programs perfect for novice and master artists interested in the genre of printmaking.

On June 5-26 for example, the center is offering a 4 week evening workshop from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. on painterly etching. In these workshops you will learn to expand your painting or monotype style into the versatile world of etching. Participants will learn to make painterly marks on copper plates which can then be printed multiple times, allowing for endless color explorations as
well as edition printing. This workshop will cover various aquatint techniques that allow for different kinds of marks: spit-bite for soft, watercolor-like washes, sugar lift and soap-ground for clear brushstrokes, and stopout for flat tonal areas. Elisabeth will also demonstrate a variety of special printing techniques, including multicolor registration, inking and wiping à la poupée, and chine collé. Some experience with intaglio printing is helpful, but not necessary.

On June 6 and June 20, take a class with Roxanne Faber-Savage to learn about old plates and new prints and learn how to revive existing plates and create fresh imagery. The sessions are limited to 8 and take place on Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Using stack of oldies but goodies (etching plates, solar plates, collagraph plates, relief blocks etc), Roxanne will demonstrate a range of ways to print old plates in surprising ways. Demonstrations include traditional & non-traditional inking and wiping techniques, chine collè, overprinting, and printing on unusual paper sizes, textures and colors. Following these demonstrations, participants will explore individual projects in the print shop. Walk away with a variant edition or a stack of unique monoprints made from your own plate collection. Only non-toxic Akua inks will be used.

There will be an introduction to letterpress printing on June 21, 28 and July 12 with Amber Heaton on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Letterpress printing is often thought of in terms of type and text, yet there are a variety of exciting image making techniques open to letterpress printers. In this workshop, participants will dive into two of these techniques: photopolymer plates and relief block carving. Participants will learn the basics of printing on a Vandercook no. 4 letterpress, file preparation for photopolymer relief plates, and how to carve a relief linoleum block. Don’t miss your chance to learn how to incorporate the speed, versatility and precision of letterpress printing into your own art practice.

On June 27 there will be a half day workshop on Figure and the Monotype with Nomi Silverman. Participants in this workshop will work directly from a live model, working with printing inks in much the same manner as Degas. The work is then printed with the assistance of the instructor. Subsequent reworked impressions can also be pulled to achieve depth of color, or, as Degas frequently did, a second paler or ghost impression can be printed and used as ground for later pastel additions. This workshop is good for all levels and abilities.
For more information about these and other classes and workshops visit http://contemprints.org

This summer, the Litchfield Hills Road Race is 39 years old and “running strong’. It has been described as “The best little race you have ever heard of.” by Runners World Magazine. This race takes place, rain or shine the second Sunday of every June in the center of Litchfield, a beautiful village in the Litchfield Hills that is well-known for fine dining, great shopping and interesting architecture and natural beauty.

The Litchfield Hills Road Race dates back to 1977 and was based on the famous race held in Falmouth, Massachusetts. From the first race, one of the notable observations from runners and spectators alike, was that there is a feeling of equal appreciation between them. LHRR has seen runners from all over the world, representing Ireland, New Zealand, Kenya, Great Britain, Belgium, Tanzania, Canada, Yugoslavia, Morocco and Poland, keeping pace with some of our more famous American runners, including Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit, Dave Dunham, Randy Thomas, Patti Catalano and Vin Fleming to name a few.

The challenge of this race for participants is to conquer “Gallow’s Hill, rated #8 by Runner’s World Magazine in their list of the greatest, most daunting hills in U.S. races— the hill that made Olympian Bill Rodgers shift to ninth gear! And of course no one wants to miss out on Death Valley” or as our younger generation calls a stretch of the race, the “Microwave Mile.”

Don’t miss the fun at one of the pre-race, race day and after race parties The race begins at 1 p.m. sharp on June 13! For ore information visit http://lhrr.com. For area information visit www.litchfieldhills.com

Hollywood icon Jimmy Cagney, master swindler Phillip Musica and operatic diva Lisa Roma appear in a gallery of illustrious personalities in “Monroe Through Time,” an illustrated chronicle of Monroe’s historic legacy to be launched June 7 (Sunday) at the landmark Castle on Route 111.

Their association with Monroe is detailed in a 100-page book assembled by the Monroe Historical Society that also reaches into the past of two additional women of accomplishment, Mary O’Hara, the author of the classic “My Friend Flicka,” and reclusive inventress Annie Moss.

What the houses and public buildings and landscape of Monroe looked like as far back as two centuries ago in contrast with how those same sites appear today is the theme of the publication and a backdrop for the profiles of celebrities—and notorious figures–who lived in town.

For the book launch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Monroe Historical Society has assembled a package for the public-at- large, offering:

Tours of The Castle that developer John Kimball purchased from the Sisters of Nazareth in 2013 and has converted into his home and office space, preserving the native stone exterior, Dutch oven in the basement and fireplaces inlaid with rose quartz from an open pit mine off Webb Circle.

A copy of the book (published by Foothill Media, Concord, MA) with a wrap-around color cover depicting a bird’s eye view of the

Monroe Center Green in 1940 created in acrylic by David Merrill of Southbury who grew up in Monroe and recalls, as a boy, playing pick-up football on the green.

Lunch under an all-weather tent on the grounds of the castle, also free parking.

Membership in the Monroe Historical Society (established 1959), a volunteer-driven nonprofit dedicated to conserving Monroe’s heritage and the proprietor of three historic buildings.

Samplings of two beers developed by the Veracious Brewing Company (on Route 25) with names linked to Monroe’s heritage: a pale ale called “1823 Inc.” (the year Monroe was incorporated) and “Owd Boreas,” a double-red ale named after the rooster that supposedly belonged to the mythic witch Hannah Cranna.

Cost of the basic ticket: $60 (discounted to $35 for those already members of the Monroe Historical Society and a member of a couple requiring only one book). Reservations are required. For information: Marven Moss at mmoss36@yahoo.com or 203.268.2961