Category: Connecticut Travel

Once again this year the Westport Historical Society located on 25 Avery Place in Westport is hosting it’s popular Holiday Market on November 18 from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on November 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Holiday Market will feature vintage gifts, antique prints and handmade jewelry, soaps and letterpress cards. Highlights include a wine reception Friday evening, Nov. 17, talks and book signings by guest authors both Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18, and a BBQ food truck will be at this festive event on Saturday.

Three of the sellers craft their own products that includes: Cynthia Alexander, who designs and makes her own jewelry and also has an aromatherapy line of lavender-filled silk pillows and accessories, Catherine Romer of Nod Hill Soaps in Wilton who makes makes soaps, candles and body lotions and Karen Zuckert of Gingerbitz Bakery in New Canaan who bakes gingerbread houses and cookies.

The list of sellers also includes:
M&F Antique Prints, owned by Fiona Mittag of Wilton, has original architectural engravings, some dating to the mid-1600s, and hand-colored lithographs. Subject matter includes Italian palaces and churches, flowers, flora and fauna and china, decorative porcelain and urns. Mittag, who has a degree in art history and studied interior design at Parsons, also sells high-end custom frames in 22-carat gold leaf and in woods such as cherry, maple and walnut. Some are hand carved. Visit the website at M&F Antique Prints

Suzanne Saltzman sells silk shawls made of fabrics from India, Italy, France and Nepal and scarves and evening bags. She decorates the items herself with black onyx, lapis, picture jasper, crystals, turquoise, Chinese jade and mother of pearl. The Manhattan resident formerly designed a line of jewelry sold at Bloomingdale’s and other department stores across the country.
Jean Forte Vintage Gifts carries antique and vintage flatware, sterling, glassware, silver plate, one of a kind vintage jewelry pieces, what she calls “an eclectic mix of beautiful things.” Forte, a former fashion designer and Norwalk residents, also has her own catering business. Visit the website at Jean Forte Vintage Gifts.
Anita Designs offers a line of natural linen napkins, fingertip towels and tissue box covers designed by Anita Sobelson of Weston. Sobelson also sells scented candles and other gift items.

Grano, of Cynthia Alexander, is a former investment banker who developed an interest in semi-precious stones while visiting Hong Kong on business. Some of her jewelry features jade carved in the traditional Chinese style that has “a Zen feeling.” She also has eye pillows filled with lavender and flax seed that are “very calming”.
Visit the website at Cynthia Alexander.

Saltbox Press, owned by Lynda Campbell of Wilton, specializes in custom wedding invitations and greeting cards made of cotton paper, which gives “a rich, soft, feel.”
For the Holiday Market she will have a calendar with a separate letterpressed sheet for each month as well as holiday themed single cards with vintage images. Campbell does all of her printing in the basement of her antique saltbox house. Visit the website at Saltbox Press.

Talks will be given by Marina Marchese of Red Bee Honey of Weston and Dr. Sasha Carr, a psychologist specializing in child and family sleep.

Talks are scheduled for:

Friday, at 3:00 p.m. – Marina Marchese of Red Bee Honey. Visit the website at Red Bee Honey.
Marchese, a former illustrator and designer, switched careers in 2000 and now runs a successful honey business. She is also the author of “Honeybee: Lessons from An

Accidental Beekeeper” and co-author of “The Honey Connoisseur: Selecting, Tasting, and Pairing Honey.”
Saturday, at 11:00 a.m. – Dr. Sasha Carr Visit the website at Dr. Carr.
Carr says she that after becoming a mom she “discovered there’s a science (and art) specific to dealing with children’s sleep within the context of a family,” an experience that led her to receive postgraduate training at the Family Sleep Institute. She is the author of “Putting Bungee to Bed,” an illustrated bedtime book for children.

This November the Beardsley Zoo located on 1875 Noble Ave. in Bridgeport is welcoming two new guests to the New England Farmyard exhibit — an adorable pair of miniature horses! Miniature horses are derived from many sources and are the result of nearly 400 years of selective breeding. In prehistoric times small horse breeds were most likely the products of surviving harsh natural climates and limited feed. Today, knowledge of genetics has made the possibility of breeding specifically for size a reality. The first mention of a miniature horses dates back to 1888 and research shows little public awareness until the 1960s.

Typically, miniature horses are no bigger than a large dog and can be found in many color patterns. The pair of miniature horses now residing at the Beardsley Zoo are approximately 9 hands high or about 36 inches at the withers which refers to the ridge between the shoulder blades.

The male, Nutmeg, and the female, Caramel, are both 8 years old and are part of a rescue operation and living on a horse farm in Vermont managed by one of the Zoo’s former employees. Now they are safe and sound at the Beardsley Zoo and waiting to meet many new friends.

When visiting the Zoo, don’t miss the construction zone by the Rainforest Building. This new space will be a 760 square foot addition and will house an expanded animal commissary. When finished visitors will be able to watch staff prepare food for their charges. There will also be an above ground refrigerator/freezer for animal food, new dry food storage space, an office for the Zoo’s Animal Registrar, and zookeeper locker rooms. Expected completion is early 2017.

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On November 12 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the Wilton Historical Society located on 224 Danbury Road in Wilton is hosting a cranberry wreath making workshop for kids to commemorate Veterans Day. The children will be making a wreath to remember our vets, decorated with cranberries. The ceremonial laying of a wreath at a grave site or memorial is practiced around the world. Heads of state, the U.S. president, military and veterans honor departed members of the armed forces by laying a wreath of flowers and greenery at the site.

While fashioning their wreath, the children will hear from Lola Chen, Museum Educator, about the history and significance of Veteran’s Day and wreaths. This activity also includes a snack. The cost to participate is $10 per child Wilton Historical Society Members, maximum $25 per family; the cost for non-members is $15 per child, maximum $35 per family. Please register: info@wiltonhistorical.org or call 203-762-7257.

Did you know?
The symbolism of the wreath has been used at funerals since antiquity to represent a circle of eternal life. Laurel is also a commemorative symbol. Woven into a wreath, it was used by the ancient Romans to crown victors and the brave as a mark of honor.

Wreaths are commonly laid at the tombs of soldiers and at memorial cenotaphs during Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day ceremonies. Wreaths may also be laid in memory of persons lost at sea, either from an accident or due to navy action. In a memorial service at sea, the wreath is lowered to the water and set adrift.

The Housatonic Valley Association’s Annual Auction to Benefit the Environment is marking its 26th year on Sunday, November 6 at 1 p.m. at the Washington Primary School located at 11 School Street in Washington Depot. It is gearing up for another successful auction. The proceeds enable HVA to carry out its mission of conserving the natural character and environmental health within the communities of the Housatonic River watershed.

Supporting the auction helps conserve riverfront land, clean up pollution, protect drinking water, save wildlife habitat, allow countless children toi enjoy and learn about our natural world – and so much more in the Housatonic River Valley.

Christine Baranski, HVA Board member and costar of CBS’s The Good Wife, is chairing the Benefit Auction Committee along with Seth Meyers and Alexi Ashe, Sam and Lynn Waterston, Diane von Furstenberg, Linda Allard, Pam and Jack Baker, Robert Couturier, Diane Meier and Frank Delaney, Carolyn Klemm, Hamilton South, Anne Swift, John Favreau, Heather and Damian Woetzel and Judy Auchincloss.

Auctioneer extraordinaire Tim Luke takes center stage at 3 pm. He has been featured on HGTV’s Cash in the Attic. With his co-auctioneer Greg Strahm, he keeps auction bidders on their toes with high energy, humor and warmth.

Washington’s own Chris Zaima is bringing his design expertise to the setting this year and, along with Debby Bennett of Kent Greenhouse and Gardens, will create just the right ambience for music (Miles of Swing), delectable edibles (Executive Cuisine), cocktails, wine, and exuberant bidding.

Honorary Auction Committee members at the Diamond and Platinum sponsorship level are invited to a special Bellini Brunch reception hosted by Linda Allard and Baranski at Linda’s home from noon to 1 p.m before the auction.

The auction has been a sold-out event for the past several years and raises over $150,000 annually for projects that protect land, rivers and local drinking water. Last year it grossed $250,000. Donors, along with more than 225 guests, make this possible.

The auction lineup of donations from friends throughout the Valley includes exotic vacations and weekend country getaways as well as theater and sporting event tickets, fine dining, home furnishings, antiques, artwork, outdoor gear and adventures and unique opportunities not available at any other event.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 860-672-6678 or online at www.hvatoday.org.

About HAV
Founded in 1941, HVA is uniquely dedicated to protecting the entire Housatonic River Watershed. The watershed includes about 2,000 square miles of land stretching from western Massachusetts through western Connecticut and eastern New York to Long Island Sound. HVA’s offices are in Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut; South Lee, Massachusetts and Wassaic, New York. For more information, please visit hvatoday.org.

For a monthly newsletter on Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County visit www.litchfieldhills.com to sign up.

Once again this year the Sharon Historical Society located on 18 Main Street in Sharon has put together the popular “What’s the Big Idea 2?”, a juried exhibition and sale of small scale artworks in varied mediums by local artists. This show starts November 5 and runs through December 16.

Just in time for the holidays, the show is once again juried and judged by Sharon residents Carl Chaiet and Lynn Kearcher, creators of the Earnest and Telford series of children’s books. Cash prizes of $100, $75, and $50 will be awarded opening night to three works selected by the judges. In addition, guests who attend the show’s opening will have the opportunity to select their favorite work of art which will receive the “SHS Crowd Pleaser” award. The wine and hors d’oeuvres reception and awards presentation to which the public is invited free of charge will be held on Saturday, November 5 from 5:00 to 7:00PM. All purchases support the Sharon Historical
Society & Museum’s mission.

Carl Chaiet was born in New York City and grew up in Mt. Vernon, NY. He attended Hunter College as an undergraduate, Lehman College for graduate work, and completed his doctorate in Aesthetics at New York University. Chaiet taught painting and drawing in the New York public school system for many years. As an artist he worked in a variety of mediums from the 1970s through the 1990s, primarily sculpture and painting, before teaming up with his wife, Lynn Kearcher, to create their book series. His work has been exhibited throughout the Northeast.

Lynn Kearcher is a Sharon native who was raised to love restaurants. Her father owned The Woodland Restaurant in Lakeville. As a teenager she took cooking classes with James Beard in New York and later attended schools in California, New York and London. While living in New York she was a lifestyle editor for GQ magazine and a senior editor for Penthouse magazine, writing articles about food, wine and men’s fashion. Kearcher was very involved with The Gallery @the SHS in its early days and currently works with artist Jasper Johns.

The Gallery @the SHS is located at the Sharon Historical Society & Museum, 18 Main Street, Route 41, Sharon, CT. The Gallery and Museum are open Wednesday through Friday from 12-4, Saturday from 1-5 and by appointment. For more information and directions to The Gallery @the SHS, call (860) 364-5688. For additional information about the Sharon Historical Society & Museum and The Gallery @the SHS, visit www.sharonhist.org. To sign up for our monthly newsletter visit the homepage of www.litchfieldhills.com

The Greenwich Historical Society located on 39 Strickland Rd. in Cos Cob has organized a new exhibition called, An Eye to the East: The Inspiration of Japan that will be on view through February 26, 2016. Through paintings, prints, photographs, carvings, ceramics and textiles, An Eye to the East looks at the influence of Japanese art and culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with a special emphasis on the Cos Cob art colony. There will also be a special exhibition in a separate gallery of the work of Genjiro Yeto, who studied under John Henry Twachtman at the Art Students League in New York and spent part of each year from 1895 to 1901 at the Holley House. The work in this gallery features a recent donation of his work to the Greenwich Historical Society by his granddaughter.

During the early to mid 1800s Japan was a closed nation to the rest of the world and it wasn’t until 1854 when Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry established a treaty that opened trade between the United States and Japan that the west began to discover the culture of Japan. Perry could never have imagined the far-reaching effect that this trade document would have.

Within a year, French artist Félix Bracquemond “discovered” the woodblock prints of Hokusai and circulated them among his Paris art circle. Their influence was immediate, and visiting Cos Cob artists John Henry Twachtman, J. Alden Weir and Childe Hassam all took note. The introduction of Japanese art and culture made a splash at International Exhibitions in London (1862), Paris (1867) and Vienna (1873), and resulted in Europe’s captivation with all things Japanese.

The American Civil War delayed the introduction of Japanese art and culture in this country, but upon its introduction at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia and the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the “exotic” Japanese aesthetic was enthusiastically embraced. This exhibition traces the development and influence of Japanese art with a special look at the Cos Cob art colony.

A special tour, “the Curator’s Eye” is being offered with this exhibition and will take place on Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m. This will be a 20- to 30-minute docent-led gallery tour that will focus on exhibition highlights, themes and background stories that provide a framework for better understanding the art and objects on display. Docents will also answer questions and help you zero in on particular points of interest. These value-added tours are included in the price of admission.

For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com