Author: Janet

I like to share travel deals, destinations, and travel tips!

Lockwood Mathews Mansion Open for the Season with New Exhibit

A new exhibit entitled, Tropical Luxuriance: The Mansion’s Conservatory, 1868 to 1880 will open on April 8, 2015 at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT. This Gilded Age Conservatory, with its ribbed half glass dome and Minton tiles, is a great example of early domestic conservatory architecture in the United States.

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Accessed directly from the Library, this small yet distinctive glass room has been brought to life with a rich installation of silk plants designed by Danna DiElsi of the Silk Touch, and pots and furnishings of the era. The Conservatory provides a glimpse into the beauty and diversity of, and passion for, the plant world as seen through the vision of the original owners of the Mansion. Visitors can also take guided tours that showcase the decorative botanical details of architect Detlef Lienau’s original mansion design and view displays of selected artifacts throughout the museum from LMMM collections of–dresses, fashion accessories, silver, ceramics, books and more– with motifs inspired by flora and fauna.

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On April 9, 2015, 12-4pm a new exhibition entitled, Full Bloom: The Artist’s View on Gilded Age Botanicals, in collaboration with Center for Contemporary Printmaking (CCP), will opened at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT. This exhibition explores the beauty and relevance of botanical art, through the medium of printmaking, in connection with the newly refurbished Conservatory. Curated by Trustee Gail Ingis-Claus, this exhibition includes renowned printmakers and members of CCP, Margot Rocklen, who began making prints at Carnegie Mellon University, Betty Ball, Jane Cooper, Deidre de Waal, Sheila Fane, Sally Frank, Cynthia MacCollum, Joan Potkay, Eve Stockton and Ruth Kalla Ungerer. The works included cover a variety of techniques including: etching, monotype, intaglio, woodblock, and solarplate, to name a few. The exhibition will run through May 3, 2015.

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General Admission April 9 through May 3, 12-4 p.m.: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6, 8-18. The exhibit, Full Bloom: The Artist’s View on Gilded Age Botanicals is sponsored in part by Investmark. The Museum’s 2015 cultural and educational programs are made possible in part by generous funding from LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown, and the Museum’s Distinguished Benefactors: Klaff’s and The Maurice Goodman Foundation.
The restoration of the Conservatory was made possible in part by the Norwalk Historical Commission and the City of Norwalk. The Conservatory exhibit curated by Kathie Bennewitz is sponsored in part by Paul and Hadley Veeder and the LMMM Foundation.

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The Conservatory exhibit opens on April 8 and runs through Jan. 3. General Admission: $10 for adults, $8 for Seniors, $6, 8-18.
For more information http://www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com/

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A Taste of Wilton

A Taste of Wilton’ is a premier occasion that will bring together more than 350 attendees to sip, swirl and savor the best that local chefs, culinary personalities, mixologists and restaurateurs have to offer. This year the Taste of Wilton is being held on Monday, April 20 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the Wilton Historical Society on 224 Danbury Road.

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Organized by the Wilton Chamber of Commerce, this annual spring event attracts food and beverage purveyors from throughout the area who showcase samples of their specialties to hundreds of attendees. It is the quintessential venue for restaurants and caterers to showcase their products to the Wilton community and beyond.

A delectable array of cuisine will be available beginning at 5:30pm and lasting until 8:30pm, so gather at the Wilton Historical Society to nosh with friends, meet new people who share a passion for food and experience an evening of the best bites, wine and specialty cocktails Wilton caterers, mixologists, bakeries and restaurants have to offer. The tickets are available at http://www.wiltonchamber.com/2015/02/a-taste-of-wilton/

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Rediscover Weir Farm National Historic Site on National Park Weekend

Make it a National Park Weekend on April 18 and 19, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm with your neighbors at Weir Farm National Historic Site. Whether you’re looking for family fun, a unique glimpse into the past, or just a relaxing weekend outing, Weir Farm National Historic Site is the place to be.

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American Impressionist Julian Alden Weir not only left the world a treasure-trove of beautiful paintings, his story clues us into the power of light and color in everyday life. “National Park Weekend is the first of many opportunities to “Find Your Park” – a national movement to connect all Americans with their public lands before the National Park Service Centennial anniversary in 2016. As the only national park dedicated to American painting, Weir Farm National Historic Site is a fabulous reminder of how varied national parks can be. We can be your first stop as you plan to get outside and see them all, in-person or online!

April 18 and 19 marks the start of the park’s 2015 season, with two full days of special access to the Weir House, Weir Studio, and Young Studio, followed by regularly scheduled tours beginning in May. Each nationally acclaimed building features one-of-a-kind furniture, décor, and art from generations of influential and inspiring artists. To celebrate the park’s 25th anniversary, the visitor center will feature a new exhibition of 25 paintings by Artists-in-Residence.

Wear Studio - Xiomaro
Wear Studio – Xiomaro

Get out of the house, stretch your legs and experience the place that prompted Connecticut residents to save Weir Farm 25 years ago. Take your time as you enjoy a stroll through the spring landscape that inspired Julian Alden Weir and other famous American artists. Help the National Park Service inspire a new generation of park enthusiasts when you earn your Junior Ranger Badge on Junior Ranger Day, April 18! Stay a while and plan a picnic or help yourself to free-to-use art supplies and laid back instruction from local professional artists.

Be sure to bring you web-enabled devices and share your unique experience using #findyourpark.

Please note, there will be no parking available at the park during National Park Weekend. All parking will be at nearby Branchville Elementary School, 40 Florida Road in Ridgefield, CT 06877. Free park and ride service will run continuously between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm each day.

For more information www.nps.gov/wefa For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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Cut Flowers from Paper Roads in Falls Village Connecticut

In the bucolic hamlet of Falls Village, the David M. Hunt Library is presenting an exhibit by Gail Jacobson, Cut Flowers from Paper Roads through May 9.

The artist’s work in this exhibit was created from old books bought at library and tag sales and then cut up, treated, and shaped into natural subjects such as flowers and insects.

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Jacobson, a self-described crafter, recently discussed her source of material and inspiration, “Today atlases and maps pile up at library sales, tag sales and in boxes marked “free” along the sides of the road. These documents of how to get places resulted from hundreds of years of work, adventure, and skill by thousands of explorers, travelers, and artists. Paper artists rejoice at this bounty, knowing that they are saving these relics from landfills. A bath of tea ages and helps to obscure their previous lives. Flowers, leaves and butterflies are cut from their pages and reassembled as Victorian bouquets full of cabbage roses, spiky mums and fantasy flowers that Mother Nature never imagined. No longer hidden away in seat pockets, the maps adorn our walls and remind us of our past and the miles we have traveled to get where we are.”

Gail Jacobson grew up in California where her father owned a printing business and scraps of paper were plentiful. She graduated from college with a BA in art. After her marriage to her husband Jeff they proceeded to move across the country and to England, settling in Cornwall, CT almost 20 years ago when they bought a 100-year-old hay barn and converted it into their home. Creating art has been a constant activity no matter where she is.

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After visiting the exhibit, stop in at the Falls Village Inn for lunch or dinner. This historic inn built more than 175 years ago has shaped the rich history of this quaint village nestled in the Litchfield Hills. For more information visit http://thefallsvillageinn.com

For area information visit www.litchfieldhills.com

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Eye Candy kicks off the Silo Gallery Spring Season

The Silo at Hunt Hill Farm’s upcoming gallery exhibition, ties together the works of Washington artists Ken Cornet and Tyler Farmen with works that entice the eye. The exhibit runs to May 5, 2015.

Tyler Farmen, Blue Drip
Tyler Farmen, Blue Drip

The exhibit is aptly named, as Cornet describes his work as enticing “the eye through color and movement either with free forms or structures to create a feeling of excitement or serenity, thereby instilling a sense of fun, comfort and well-being.” Farmen says, “My work combines the real and tangible, however it gives the feeling of a surreal fantasy. My intention is to provide viewers with a sense of comfort and at the same time question.”
Ken Cornet was born and raised in New York where he attended The Ethical Culture School and the highly selective High School of Music and Art, now LaGuardia High School. He went on to study painting at the Art Students League, fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and earned a degree from the New York School of Interior Design. From painting in pre-school to designing textiles and surfaces

In adulthood, Ken returned to painting and creating art. Cornet’s design collections were licensed by major home furnishing companies around the world under the Ken Cornet brand. While always mindful of the past, his style is contemporary and always innovative and playful. Cornet’s licensed product areas included apparel, bed and bath fashions, home textiles and wallpapers, rugs, ceramics, dinner and gift ware, and paper and party goods. His artistic versatility resulted in the New York State Department of Labor labeling his work as “art miscellaneous” in late 1960’s. Editors and buyers labeled his design collections as “contemporary classics” in the late 1980’s and into the 1990’s.

Ken Cornet, Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition, 2014, 11 x 8.5. Gouache collage on Paper.
Ken Cornet, Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition, 2014, 11 x 8.5. Gouache collage on Paper.

Tyler Farmen was born in Washington, CT in 1982. He received a BA in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn NY in 2004. Tyler lived and worked as a designer in New York until 2006 when he moved back to CT, where he is currently Head of The Fine Arts Department at Rumsey Hall School and working on various creative projects.

In addition, Farmen runs a small art gallery in Lakeside, CT called The Gallery, which features local and national artists as well as a one of a kind gift shop. Tyler has a wide range of work from painting and sculpture to graphics and fashion. His ambition is to make people approach what they look at every day with new value. Referring to his latest oeuvre, Farmen says, It “consists of reinterpreted items that have been discarded by society and consumed by nature. Captured in time, these items are locked in a patina of eternal beauty.

Tyler Farmen, Red Oil 2
Tyler Farmen, Red Oil 2

My artwork is a combination of the many people, places and feelings that I experience in everyday life. “I started painting and creating to break the confines and guidelines of my career as a designer. I don’t restrain myself to one medium or process. I enjoy exploring all avenues of creating taking the pain and anguish that I feel in the universe and portraying it in a positive light through my paintings and sculptures. My work combines the real and tangible, however it gives the feeling of a surreal fantasy. My intention is to provide viewers with a sense of comfort and at the same time question.”

The Silo Gallery and Store are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, please call Liba Furhman at (860) 355-0300 or visit www.hunthillfarmtrust.org.

For area event information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

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Catch the BIG ONE at the Riverton Fishing Derby on the Farmington River

April 11, the official opening of the fishing season in the Nutmeg State is the day when fly-fishing aficionados from near and far flock to the Annual Riverton Fishing Derby in the Riverton section of Barkhamsted, located in the beautiful Litchfield Hills.

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The day starts before daybreak with a hearty breakfast beginning at 4 a.m. at the Riverton Fire Department on 3 Riverton Rd. in the center of town. Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be available at the Riverton General Store located in the center of town in a mid.-19th century building that is the hub of activity for this village. Green mountain coffee, made to order sandwiches, homemade soups, chili, salad and pastries are just some of the things offered here. For more information on Riverton General Store www.rivertongeneralstore.com.

This exciting Litchfield Hills event takes place on April 11th on the West branch of the Farmington River, a Nationally designated “Wild and Scenic” river that is known to host an abundance of rainbow, brown and brook trout. As a matter of fact, on Friday afternoon before this event, over 100 fish are purchased and released into the Farmington River adding even more incentive to catch the “big one.” The contest, complete with prizes, begins at 6 a.m. and lasts for about four hours, ending at 10 a.m. and it’s all-free; and there is no registration or fee required.

The public is always welcome to attend this event and to cheer on their favorite fisherman. Last year some 500 enthusiasts participated in the derby. An even bigger crowd is expected this year. Prizes include items donated by local merchants as well as by Orvis, and Cabela’s. The coveted grand prize is a village chair of Riverton donated by the Hitchcock Chair Company. The Hitchcock Chair Company Store is located in Riverton and stocks an excellent selection of this classic hand stenciled furniture. For information about the Hitchcock Chair Company visit www.hitchcockchair.com.

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A bit further upriver a section of the flowing waters especially stocked for the occasion, is set aside for the “Kid’ Derby”. Any tot under 16 who is able to hold a fishing pole, can join in the fun. Special prizes are awarded to kids.

To find out more about the Fishing Derby and other events in Riverton, visit http://rivertonct.com.

The easiest way of getting a fishing license is to visit the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s online sportsmen licensing at https://ct.outdoorcentral.net/InternetSales. Fishing licenses are also available from town clerks and this website has a complete listing of town clerks and businesses that sell fishing licenses. The website also has a weekly fishing report that runs from opening day through the end of November. The report is a summary of fresh and saltwater fishing activity in the state as reported by tackle stores around the state.

For more information on Litchfield Hills, where to stay, dine and what to see and do visit www.litchfieldhills.com.

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