Category: Connecticut Travel

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Norwalk Historical Society will be presenting a new lecture entitled: Women in the American Revolution: Putting the ‘Her’ in Heroics by local researcher and Norwalk Historical Commissioner, Eric Chandler, on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at 1:00pm at the Norwalk Historical Society Museum. 141 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT. Women in the American Revolution: Putting the ‘Her’ in Heroics will introduce some of the women who risked their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to lift the yoke of British control of the 13 Colonies. Women who are missing from our history books, their stories as soldiers and spies left untold. Admission is $5, payable at the door. An RSVP is required as seating is limited. RSVP to: info@norwalkhistoricalsociety.org. Parking is available at Norwalk City Hall, 125 East Avenue. The museum is in the red brick house with blue double front doors, next to the Norwalk Health Dept. If there is inclement weather, the lecture will be rescheduled for Sunday, March 5, 2017 at 1:00pm.

George Washington, Paul Revere, the Marquis de Lafayette are all names taught in school as having been heroes of the American War for Independence. Molly Pitcher is a name we see given to a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. But who was Molly Pitcher? Was she one person or a composite of two or even three women who performed similar acts of courage? Whether one, two or three, “Molly” was not the only example of women who served the cause of independence between 1775 and 1783. There are many tales of courage to be revealed in this 45-minute illustrated talk, about these largely unsung heroines of the American Revolution.

About Eric Chandler
Eric Chandler has been involved in American Revolutionary War Living History since 1974. Mr. Chandler has portrayed infantry, light infantry, whale-boat raider and both mounted and dismounted dragoons. He is a resident of Norwalk, CT, a Norwalk Historical Commissioner and a retired land title insurance underwriter. Mr. Chandler’s artistic endeavors have included cartooning, working in local theater and decades as a musician playing saxophones in area Rock & Roll and Blues bands.

For more information: visit www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org, e-mail info@norwalkhistoricalsociety.org , or call 203-846-0525. The Norwalk Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

A perfect way to spend a cold winter afternoon is to wander through the galleries of the Mattatuck Museum located on 144 West Main Street in Waterbury. The museum is hosting several evocative exhibitions that run through March 12 including Components, the Art of Robert Cottingham, Winter Scenes, Linda Nelson, Ceramics by Mindy Horn and Ann Mallory and Zing by James Biederman.

Zing is an exhibition that features the artwork of James Biederman who started painting minimalist drawings and wall sculptures that examined two-and three-dimensional ways of seeing in the 1970s. In recent years he has moved to painting boldly colored gestural abstractions. This exhibition of works completed since 2010 shows the current state of the artistic journey, the legacy of both abstract expressionism and minimalism, and the manner in which Biederman has taken these movements and reshaped them in new ways.

Robert Cottingham is known for his paintings and and prints of the urban landscape with its neon signs, movie marquees, and shop fronts, Robert Cottingham often uses letters and words, isolated and treated like objects, as carriers of style and meaning. This exhibition features subjects that were originally derived from engineering textbooks. These “components” are machine parts that were likely, facets of large industrial machines.

Another exhibition, Winter Scenes by folk artist Linda Nelson are the folksy scenes of simple life inspired by her childhood days on a farm in Illinois. Small towns and country settings provided imagery for the calendars and cards that has made her work familiar. More than 25 works of are make up this show and focus on Nelson’s winter and holiday scenes.

If you like work in clay, don’t miss the ceramic exhibit by Mindy Horn and Ann Mallory. Their works vary in size: some are delicately small, inviting close-up inspection, while others are imposing in scale. These technically and aesthetically ambitious works are experimental in shape and dazzle in an array of glazes.

The Gallery is open Tues. – Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sun. noon to 5 p.m. For a free newsletter on events and things to do and places to go visit the homepage of www.litchfieldhills.com to sign up!

Join lead Museum Educator Valerie Rodgers at the Mattatuck Museum on Wednesday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. for a folk art experience celebrating the rich cultural legacy of the Baltic country of Lithuania. Participants of this workshop will learn margučiai, the Lithuanian art of egg decorating, using the scratch and carve method.

The workshop is $8 for Museum members, $12 for non-members, and free for BRASS members. All supplies will be provided. No experience necessary. Pre-registration is appreciated.

Located in the heart of downtown Waterbury’s architectural district, the Mattatuck Museum is a vibrant destination, known locally and regionally as a community-centered institution of American art and history. For more information on all of the Museum’s programs, events, and exhibits visit the website at mattmuseum.org or call (203) 753-0381.

Most visitors to Iceland tour Reykjavík, the popular Golden Circle and the southern coast with just a small number of visitors traveling to one of Iceland’s best-kept secrets – the Westfjords located in the country’s northwest corner. Isolation and poor roads have preserved this largely uninhabited region in relatively unspoiled wilderness. Here ancient glaciers carved dramatic fjords lined with steep mountains now dotted with tiny fishing villages.

The area is also home to Europe’s most westerly point and one of the world’s greatest bird cliffs, with large numbers of puffins, razorbills and other seabirds. Arctic foxes can be seen as well as numerous wildflowers including several species of orchids. Another area that does not receive many visitors is nearby Flatey Island. It is only a mile long and a half-mile wide with one farm road and no cars or trees. Winter population is five people but it is a bird- and nature-lovers paradise during warm months.

On Friday evening, March 3rd Naturalists and photographers Barbara and Peter Rzasa will present a slide show of the geological features, birds, and flowers that can be found while traveling through Iceland’s Westfjords, Flatey Island and Western Iceland. On display will be their collection of Iceland’s volcanic rocks as well as guidebooks, literature and nature field guides. Join them as they provide information and interesting stories, and a brief overview of Iceland, its people and its natural history.

The program will be held at 7PM at the Flanders’ Studio which is located on the corner of Flanders Road and Church Hill Road in Woodbury.
The cost is $10 for members or $15 for non-members. Those interested may register online at www.flandersnaturecenter.org or call 203-263-3711, ext. 10, for more information.

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.

A fun family activity that is hands-on! Come Build Westport using 70,000 LEGO building blocks!
“Come Build Westport – One LEGO at a time” will take place Sunday, March 12, at Christ and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 75 Church Lane. The program is designed by award-winning architect Stephen W. Schwartz and sponsored by Karen Bergemeyer Home, a kitchen and bath design firm located at 175 Post Road West in Westport.
The event gives families the opportunity to make LEGO replicas of vintage homes and commercial buildings selected by the Historical Society. “The goal,” Schwartz says, “is to make the public aware of the town’s rich architectural heritage, so that when they are out and about they might notice the design features that make some of Westport’s buildings notable.”

The list of buildings includes such iconic Westport landmarks as National Hall, Saugatuck Congregational Church, the former Westport Bank & Trust Building, Tavern on Main, Christ and Holy Trinity Church and the Society’s Wheeler House.

The buildings are located near downtown on both sides of the Saugatuck River, and many are on the National Register of Historic Place. The list will number 55 buildings, and Schwartz will pick 50 that lend themselves to LEGO construction. “Churches are always good,” he says, “because they have a spire.” The event will accommodate 50 families.
Schwartz says the program was born 18 years ago when his daughter, a second grade teacher, asked him to show her class how towns and cities are planned. Today the architect and his wife travel the country staging the LEGO program. All are for the benefit of local historical societies.

The finished buildings are to be placed on a floor map of downtown Westport measuring 17 ½ by 25 feet, Schwartz says. “Then we talk about the architectural history of Westport a little bit to make people aware of it,” he adds. “That’s the point of the workshop.” The final step is to reduce the floor map to an 11-by-17-inch Westport Architectural Treasure Hunt Map that the families take with them on a walking tour of downtown.

Learn more about Schwartz’s program at buildingblocksworkshops.com. Mr. Schwartz, an architect, specializes in the design of retail spaces and has won numerous prizes for work at the Mall at Short Hills and other venues in northern New Jersey. His firm is located in Livingston, N.J. Schwartz says the workshops have no connection with the LEGO company itself and that all are made possible by the sponsorship of local businesses and organizations.

There is a $35 donation and is limited to the first 50 families and then a waiting list will be started! There must be at least one adult present to help the kids think through their project. Viewers are welcome at 3:45 pm at no charge.

An outdoor buffet in winter may not sound tempting to most of us, but to our national bird, the regal American bald eagle, it is a rare treat. When fishing grounds in their homes further north freeze over, these graceful birds make an annual journey to the Shepaug Dam on the Housatonic River in Southbury, in Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills.

They favor this spot because the turbulent waters of the dam not only prevent freezing, but push fish to the surface, easy pickings for eagles who can swoop down and feast on their favorite dish. Thrilling to see in full flight, the majestic bald eagle can measure 34 to 43 inches in length with a wingspan of six to seven and a half feet.

Their flight speed is between 36 to 44 miles per hour. Everyone is invited to view these fascinating winter guests at the Eagle Observation Area near the Shepaug Housatonic Hydroelectric Station. An organized eagle watch takes place every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March 12. Admission is free but since space is limited reservations are required; group and individual reservations are accepted. In addition to eagle viewing,the CT Audubon will host a birds of Prey show on Saturdays throughout the viewing season. This year for the first time reservations can be made on-line .

The shelter, maintained by FirstLight Power Resources, is located 1000 feet from the river, affording safety for the eagles while providing an excellent vantage point. High powered telescopes are set up on tripods for visitors. Knowledgeable Audubon volunteers are on hand to assist in spotting and answer questions about the birds.
The volunteers maintain a helpful website, http://shepaugeagles.com, with information about eagles and recent visitor statistics. Reservations can be made on this site.

Nearly 148,000 people have visited the observation area since it was opened to the public in 1986. On an average day in past years, six or seven eagles were sighted, but lucky viewers on the best days in the past have spotted as many as 15 to 21 eagles in action. Chances are best on cold clear days when the surfaces of most other rivers and ponds have frozen. Visitors are advised to dress warmly in layers and to allow plenty of time to wait for the eagle action to begin.

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