Category: Connecticut Travel

This year marks the 86th Season of Music Mountain and concert aficionados from around the country will want to make room on their summer calendars for Music Mountain, America’s oldest continuing summer chamber music festival, this summer. Music Mountain will continue their season past Labor Day – making this season, once again, one of the longest running seasons since the 1930s! The summer will include many favorite returning chamber ensembles, first time guests, the ever-popular Saturday Evening Twilight Series featuring Jazz, Country, and Folk Music, and the first Great Artist Recital Series.

Concerts are scheduled through September 27.
In 2015, 28 works will be given their Music Mountain premiere. Including compositions of Dutilleux, Penderecki, Kurtag and Caroline Shaw. However, the core schedule remains what Music Mountain has long been known for: wonderful performances of the great string quartets, played by world famous artists. In addition, in a tribute to Music Mountain’s illustrious past, 12 works from the founding 1930 season will be reprised.

The Saturday Evening Twilight Series begins on June 20 (6:30PM) with The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players and continues with Cantata Profana (June 27);Jeff Newell’s New-Trad Quartet (July 4); Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks (July 11); The New Black Eagle Jazz Band (July 18); Swingtime Big Band (July 25); The Galvanized Jazz Band (August 15); Peter & Will Anderson with Alex Wintz (August 22); Michael Berkeley (August 29); The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival presenting Spuyten Duyvil (September 12); and Jive By Five (September 19). Special pre-concert themed dinners will also return as part of the Twilight Series.

The 86th season will also feature the first Great Artist Recital Series on select Friday evenings —- visiting Master Teachers Daniel Phillips, Kim Kashkashian, and Colin Carr will each perform a unique and exclusive program including works by Mozart, Bach, Brahms, and Kashkashian’s Grammy Award winning solo performance of György Kurtág: Signs, Games and Messages for Solo Viola.

Music Mountain is located in Falls Village, Connecticut on Music Mountain Road, where a short scenic drive will bring you to Gordon Hall atop Music Mountain. Free parking and picnic facilities are available. Food, wine & beer are also available for purchase.

Tickets for the Season Opening Concert & Reception on Sunday, June 14 are $75 and include a voucher for any regularly priced 2015 concert. Tickets for the Labor Day Benefit Concert & Reception on Sunday, September 6 are $75 and include a voucher for any regularly priced 2015 or 2016 concert. Two specially priced concerts on Sunday, June 28 with the Juilliard String Quartet and on Sunday, July 12 with Peter Serkin and Julia Hsu are $60.
Chamber Music Concerts are $35 at the door/$30 in advance. Twilight Series Concerts are $30 at the door/$27 in advance. Friday Evening Great Artist Recital Concerts are $35 at the door and $30 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. Chamber Music concerts are at 3pm on Sundays, unless otherwise noted. Group rates and pre season ticket vouchers are available. Discounts apply through participating organizations. For a complete summer schedule, special ticket prices, and to download a ticket order form visit www.musicmountain.org or call 860-824-7126.

2015 CHAMBER MUSIC SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 3PM
Calidore String Quartet
Daniel Phillips, Viola
Schubert: Quartettsatz in C Minor, D. 703 (1820) (8)
Caroline Shaw: Entr’acte (2011) (1)
Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F Minor Opus 80 (1847) (5)
Brahms: Viola Quintet in G Minor, Opus 111 (1890) (16)

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 3PM
Juilliard String Quartet
All Tickets: $60
Underwritten by an Anonymous Donor
Haydn: String Quartet in G Major, Op. 33 No. 5 (1781) (2)
Webern: Five Movements for String Quartet, Op. 5 (1909) (5)
Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, D. 810 “Death and The Maiden” (1824) (30)

SUNDAY, JULY 5, 3PM
Arianna String Quartet
Colin Carr, Cello
Mozart: String Quartet in D Minor, K.421 (1783) (13)
Boccherini: Cello Concerto in G Major, G. 480 (1770) (1)
Grieg: String Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 27 (1877) (6)

SUNDAY, JULY 12, 3PM
Peter Serkin and Julia Hsu, Piano, 4 Hands
All Tickets: $60
Underwritten by an Anonymous Donor
Schumann-Bizet: 6 Etudes in Canonical Form for Pedal-Piano, Opus 56 (1845; 1873) (1)
Bizet: Selections from Jeux d’Enfants, Opus 22 (1871) (1)
Mozart: Sonata in B Flat Major, K. 358 (1733-4) (1)
Schubert: Lebensturme in A Minor, D.947 (1828) (1)
Schubert: Theme & Variations in B Flat Minor, D. 603 (1824?) (1)
Schubert: Rondo in A Major. 951 (1828) (1)
Brahms: Four Hungarian Dances. WoO 1 (1869) (1)

SUNDAY, JULY 19, 3PM
Enso String Quartet
Soyeon Kate Lee, Piano
Moravec: Dialogue with the Past I (2015)
(commissioned by Music Mountain; world premiere)
Schumann: String Quartet in A Major, Opus 41, No. 3 (13)
Dohnanyi: Piano Quintet #1 in C Minor, Opus 1 (1895) (22)

SUNDAY, JULY 26 3PM
Avalon String Quartet
Jan Opalach, Bass-Baritone
Jonathan Yates, Piano
Fauré: Mandoline, Opus 58 #1 (1891) (1)
Debussy: Mandoline, L. 29 (1882) (1)
Debussy: Fêtes Galantes II, L. 104 (1869) (1)
Debussy: String Quartet in G Minor, Opus 10 (1890) (36)
Lili Boulanger: Elle était descendue au bas de la prairie (1913-1914) (1)
Ravel: Don Quichotte à Dulcinée (1932-33) (1)
Ravel: String Quartet In F (1903) (44)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 3PM
Penderecki String Quartet
Matt Haimowitz, Cello
Dedicated to the memory of Michael Janeway
Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor BWV 1008 (1717-1723) (1)
Beethoven: String Quartet in C Sharp Minor Opus 131 (1825) (16)
Schubert: Cello Quintet in C Major, Opus 163. D. 956 (1828) (25)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 3PM
St. Petersburg String Quartet
Pamela Mia Paul, Piano
Sulkhan Tsintsadze: 5 Miniatureson Jewish Folk Tunes for String Quartet (1990) (3)
Arensky: String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 35 (1894) (4)
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57 (1945) (26)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 3PM
St. Petersburg String Quartet
Daniel Austrich, Violin
Melvin Chen, Piano
Prokofiev: String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92 (1941) (11)
Ravel: Violin Sonata No. 2 (1923-27) (1)
Chausson: Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet in D Major, Op. 21 (1889-91) (14)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 3PM
Harlem String Quartet
Francine Kay, Piano
Beethoven: Scherzo from String Quartet In C Minor, Opus 18#4 (1798-1800) (24)
Turina: La Oración del Torero (1925) (25)
Bartok: Scherzo from String Quartet # 2 Opus 17, SZ 67 (1915-7) (4)
Borodin: Nocturne from String Quartet No. 2 in D major (1881) (25)
Dvorak: Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81 (1887) (45)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 3PM
Dover String Quartet
Alexander Fiterstein, Clarinet
Dutilleux: Ainsi La Nuit (1976) (3)
Dvorak: String Quartet in F major, Op. 96 “American” (1893) (24)
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581 (1789) (14)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 6:30PM
Shanghai String Quartet
Haydn: String Quartet in D Major, Opus 20#4 (1772) (12)
Beethoven: String Quartet in F Minor, Opus 95 “Serioso” (1810) (33)
Penderecki: String Quartet No. 3 “Leaves from an unwritten diary” (2008) (2)
Beethoven: String Quartet in B Flat Major, Opus 18 # 6 (1798-1800) (30)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 3PM
Labor Day Benefit Concert & Reception: All Tickets: $75
(Includes a Voucher for any Regularly Priced 2015 or 2016 Concert)
Shanghai String Quartet
Gilbert Kalish, Piano
Jonathan Yates, Piano
Brahms: Selected Waltzes for Piano, 4 Hands, Opus 39 (1865) (1)
Beethoven: String Quartet in C Major, Op. 59 No. 3 (1806) (39)
Brahms: Piano Quintet in Minor, Op. 34 (1864) (45)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 3PM
Cassatt String Quartet
Ursula Oppens, Piano
Clara Schumann: Romance Variée for Solo Piano in C Major, Op. 3 (1833) (1)
Mendelssohn: String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 13 (1827) (10)
Schumann: Piano Quintet in E-Flat Major, Op. 44 (1842) (41)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 3PM
Borromeo String Quartet
Bach: Fugue in C# Minor from the Well Tempered Klavier, Book 1, BWV 849 (1722) (1)
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 12 in D-Flat Major, Op. 133 (1968) (2)
Beethoven: String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 130/133 (1825-6) (15; 10)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 3PM
Amernet String Quartet
Vivek Kamath, Viola
Edward Arron, Cello
Haydn: String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76 No. 2 (1796-7) (11)
Bartok: String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85 (1927) (4)
Tchaikovsky: Souvenir of Florence, String Sextet in D Minor, Op. 70 (1890) (7)
2015 TWILIGHT SERIES SCHEDULE
(subject to change)
Saturday, June 20, 6:30PM
The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players
The Wandr’ing Ministrels and H.M.S. Pinafore, plus G&S Favorites!
Pre-Concert Dinner at The Falls Village Inn
(Limited to 70)
Dinner (5pm) & Concert (6:30PM): $65
Concert Only: $30 at the door. $27 in Advance
Must Reserve for Dinner by Friday, June 19

Saturday, June 27, 6:30 PM
Cantata Profana
A wildly gifted young ensemble performing two 20th century masterpieces
Stravinsky: Sacre du Printemps, (arr. for Piano, Four Hands) (1917) (1)
Stravinsky: L’histoire du Soldat (1918) for narrator, strings, winds & percussion (1)
Saturday, July 4, 6:30
Jeff Newello’s New-Trad Quartet
Historic American music re-iomagined. Sousa, Foster, old hymns & more Allin Celebration of July 4.
“compelling..original ” -Chicago Tribune

Saturday, July 11, 6:30PM
Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks
(Underwritten by Norman Fields)
“The Finest of the Big Bands”
Grammy Award Winners
“An erupting wellspring of Euphoria. That would describe the Vintage Swing emanating from Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks”…. NY Times
Pre-Concert Dinner at The Falls Village Inn
(Limited to 70)
Dinner (5pm) & Concert (6:30PM): $65
Concert Only: $30 at the door. $27 in Advance
Must Reserve for Dinner by Friday, July 10
Saturday, July 18, 6:30PM
The New Black Eagle Jazz Band, With Dancing!
That soulful New Orleans Sound from the 1920’s and 1930’s
“So far ahead of other traditional Bands…there is scarcely any basis for comparison”.. NY Times
Pre-Concert Dinner at The Falls Village Inn
(Limited to 70)
Dinner (5pm) & Concert (6:30PM): $65
Concert Only: $30 at the door. $27 in Advance
Must Reserve for Dinner by Friday, July 17

Saturday, July 25, 6:30PM
Swingtime Big Band, With Dancing!
Their 8th Annual Music Mountain appearance bringing back the music of Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and others
Pre-Concert Dinner at The Falls Village Inn
(Limited to 70)
Dinner (5pm) & Concert (6:30PM): $65
Concert Only: $30 at the door. $27 in Advance
Must Reserve for Dinner by Friday, June 24

Saturday, August 1, 6:30PM
The Sharon Playhouse
Broadway at Music Mountain!
Show tunes from the popular musical theatre repertoire of yesterday and today!
Guest Performers to be announced!
Pre-Concert Dinner at The Falls Village Inn
(Limited to 70)
Dinner (5pm) & Concert (6:30PM): $65
Concert Only: $30 at the door. $27 in Advance
Must Reserve for Dinner by Friday, July 31

Saturday, August 8, 6:30PM
“Trios Fur Zwei – Trios for Two”
Ensemble Les Inégales – Rodrigo Tarraza, Traverso
Christine Gevert, obligato Harpsichord
Bach: Sonata in B minor, BWV 1030
Plus Sonatas by his contemporaries Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Joachim Quantz & C.P.E. Bach

Saturday, August 15, 6:30PM
The Galvanized Jazz Band, With Dancing!
Dynamic and Energetic New Orleans, Dixieland Jazz, Blues, Stomps, Struts & Spirituals!

Saturday, August 22, 6:30PM
Peter & Will Anderson, Saxophone & Clarinet
with Alex Wintz, Guitar
Thrilling audiences with their broad repertoire of swing, Latin, and original works. Direct from touring Europe, South America, and Asia.
The Washington Post: (about their recent album) “imaginatively unfolding in ways that consistently bring a fresh perspective to classic jazz and pop.”
“You dudes are the future!” Quincy Jones
“Virtuosos on both clarinet and saxophone.” (NY Times)
Saturday, August 29, 6:30PM
Michael Berkeley presents “There is no Tune like a Show Tune”
(Underwritten By an Anonymous Donor)
Celebrate the Golden Age of Broadway with Michael Berkeley & Friends in the acoustically perfect Music Mountain Concert Hall. Thrill to your favorite show tunes in this nostalgic and fast-paced musical revue!
Pre-Concert Dinner at The Falls Village Inn
(Limited to 70)
Dinner (5pm) & Concert (6:30PM): $65
Concert Only: $30 at the door. $27 in Advance
Must Reserve for Dinner by ??

Saturday, September 12, 6:30PM
The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Presents Spuyten Duyvil, With Dancing!
A leading & very popular folk band returns to Music Mountain with the Falcon Ridge Spirit! Spuyten Duyvil, a mighty 7-piece powerhouse of soaring vocals & traditional jug band energy join us for a barn-burning romp through the last 100 years of American Roots music.

Saturday, September 19, 6:30PM
Jive By Five, With Dancing!
This Connecticut favorite returns with the Sizzling Dance Music of the Jazz Age. From the Charleston to the Two-Step & the Fox Trot – the wild rhythms of the 1920’s for your listening & dancing pleasure!
GREAT ARTIST RECITALS

Friday, June 19, 7:30PM
Daniel Phillips, Violin
Jonathan Yates, Piano
Mozart: Violin Sonata in E Flat Major, K.380 (1781)
Bach: Sonata # 1 for Solo Violin in G Minor, BWV 1001 (1720) (3)
Eugene Phillips: Fantasy Étude (1913) (1)
Brahms, Sonata for Violin & Piano #1 in G Major, Opus 78 (1878-9) (5)
Wieniawski: Polonaise de Concert in D Major, Opus 4 (1852) (1)

Friday, June 26, 7:30PM
Kim Kashkashian, Viola
György Kurtág: Signs, Games and Messages for Solo Viola (1998-2005) (1)
(Grammy Award winning performance)
Interwoven with Bach: excerpts from Six Suites for Solo Cello 1-6, BWV 1007-1012 (1717-1723)

Friday, July 3, 7:30PM
Colin Carr, Cello
Jonathan Yates, Piano
Bach: Suite # 1 for Solo Cello in G Major, BWV 1007 (1717-1723) (2)
Beethoven: Sonata for Cello & Piano #3 in A Major, Opus 69 (1808) (5)
Bach: Suite # 6 for Solo Cello in D Major, BWV 1012 (1717-1723) (1)

All programs subject to change

The Sharon Audubon Festival is back and will be taking place at the Sharon Audubon Center, located on Route 4 in Sharon, CT on Saturday, June 13th with several refreshing changes. The Sharon Audubon Festival is an event where people of all ages can learn about nature in a fun and interactive way, and features a full day of nature walks and programs, live animal presentations, children’s activities, food, music, exhibits, local craft vendors and more. Whether one is a seasoned naturalist or a young explorer, there are activities for all ages and experience levels.

This year’s festival will feature several new highlights, including multiple live musical performances throughout the day, including bluegrass music by the bands Mama Tried and Too Blue at 10:30 and 2:30 respectively. Wildcat Creek will perform during a live contra-dance from 12:30-1:30 pm and the lively show will close out the day with a special fun, family performance by The Bossy Frog Band.

The 2015 festival will also showcase a variety of local crafters and vendors, who will be selling beautiful hand-crafted wooden bowls, archery bows, wildlife and nature paintings and prints, cards, children’s books, painted feathers, jewelry, natural soaps and much more. StrEAT Italiano and When Pigs Fly will be offering delicious food items for hungry festival goers and the Sharon Fire Department will be selling ice cream throughout the day!
Concurrent program sessions take place starting at 10:00 a.m. and include canoeing, bats, bobcats, bees, frogs, bugs, pond and stream searches, mushrooms, tracking, birds of prey, edible plants and more. There will be many ongoing exhibits and hands-on activities from other local environmental organizations and a children’s craft tent as well.

A falconry demonstration will take place at 11:30 a.m. Festival gates are open from 9:30 am-5:30 pm each day. The event takes place rain or shine. No pets are allowed inside the gates. Admission is $10 per person OR $25 per carload. A complete schedule and description of programs can be found at www.sharon.audubon.org or by calling 860-364-0520 for more information.

Shakespeare on the Sound has selected “All’s Well That Ends Well” as its 20th anniversary presentation and named nationally renowned Mary B. Robinson to direct The Bard’s subtle and poetic comedy in Pinkney Park June 11-28.

The provocative challenge to the conventions of gender unfolds under the stars in the natural outdoor amphitheater of the park in Rowayton where a family-festive audience assembles on blankets and low-slung deck chairs with picnic baskets crammed with goodies. Admission is free and so is parking nearby. At the same time, donations are collected at the gate, $20 suggested for adults, $10 for seniors and students. Reserved seating is also available for $50. To reserve: www.shakespeareonthesound.org or call (203) 299-1300.

“All’s Well That Ends Well” was selected for the theater’s 20th anniversary from Shakespeare’s inimitable 34-play palette that poetically synthesizes what it means to be human and crackles with wordplay and wit. The sheer lyrical force of Shakespeare’s top layer is engaging but Robinson is committed to adding a dimension that reveals the Bard’s intense passion and extraordinary mastery of the rhythms of life and perplexities of human behavior.
A 3 ½-week-run of the play “Intimate Apparel” at the Westport Country Playhouse last fall—recounting the relationship between an African-American seamstress and a Jewish tailor—is among the 60-plus productions Robinson has directed in New York City and across the U.S. over the past three decades. Judith Ivey has appeared on Robinson’s stage. So have Cynthia Nixon, Jeff Daniels and Buck Henry. Her productions have gained her acclaim from Hartford to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, from Louisville, KY to Seattle and from Cincinnati to Milwaukee.

Her book “Directing Plays, Directing People: A Collaborative Art” (Smith and Kraus, 2012, 188 pages) meanwhile has been described by Pulitzer Prizewinner Edward Albee as “an intelligent and useful guide for both the professional and the casual theater lover.” Robinson intends to mount “All’s Well That Ends Well” in the round,” meaning the audience in Pinkney Park would encircle the stage, just as the so-called “groundlings” did at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater 400 years ago outside London. As opposed to the Elizabethan era, however, she is setting the play in an Edwardian time bend, the early 1900s.

The production runs Tuesdays through Sundays—Mondays are dark as they say in the theater—with patrons permitted to stake out space on the grounds with a blanket or deck chair starting at 4 p.m., 3 ½ hours before the curtain. Most night, one hour in advance, there is a special preview presentation for children.

The Stepping Stones Museum for Children, http://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org located on 303 West Ave in Norwalk is celebrating 15 years of family fun this year. They have planned many special events for the month of June including a birthday bash on Monday June 15 that they are calling 15 -on-the-15th. Visitors are invited to join the staff at Stepping Stones for imaginative birthday activities and surprises!

On June 6 at 2 p.m. there is an Around the World program at 2 pm called “Gator Hat.” Participating kids will discover more about alligators and the everglades and make a gator hat. This program has limited space – tickets available at 1:30 p.m. and is good for children ages 2 and older. The following day, June 7 the Stepping Stones is hosting a BooZoo, Bugs and Butterflies Garden Party from 2:00p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Don’t forget to registration for this event that is $5/person for members, and member guests are $10/person.

A second Around the World program is also being held on June 14 at 1:30 p.m. called Show Me a Tale. This session will feature Allison’s Alligator: A Tongue Twister Tale. Participants will also create a keepsake out box out of recycled shoe boxes and other reusable materials. There is limited space for this event and tickets will be available at 12:30 pm. This program is good for children ages 5 and older.

To round out the Around the World series for the month of June, on June 20 there will be a performance series at 2 p.m. featuring Florida’s amazing animal ambassadors. Kids will be invited to join the Animal Embassy on a journey through Florida, with a diverse group of incredible, live animal ambassadors! Kids will discover how important each animal is to its habitat, while meeting native species such as an American alligator, a common snapping turtle or alligator snapping turtle, a red-eared slider, a green tree frog and a corn snake. Kids will also interact with a number of invasive species which have come to dwell in the Sunshine State, such as a Burmese python, Cuban knight anole or green iguana and an Argentine black and white tegu. Participants will explore how these animals have been introduced to Florida, as well as their impact on the local ecosystem. Animal Embassy allows children to connect with the natural world with this unforgettable, live animal presentation!

The Stepping Stones Museum also offers a series of ongoing programs daily that are free with admission to the museum.

TUESDAYS:
Zelda the Zany Owl 12:15 – 1:15 pm
Learn your ABCs and 123s with our peppy, purple professor. Ages 36 months and younger.
Mutt-i-grees 1:30 – 2:00 pm
For children ages 3 and older.
Enjoy a special canine storytime and discussion followed by a visit from a shelter dog. Shelter dogs courtesy of P.A.W.S.

WEDNESDAYS:
Toddler Tales
Children join in an interactive storytime, followed by an art project in Tot Town. Storytimes:
9:45 am members only; 10:15 am open to all and 10:45 am, Cuentos para Ninos.
Music Time 1:30 – 2:00 pm
Join us for an exploratory musical playtime! Sing, dance and play a variety of instruments.
Zumba Kids 2:30 – 3:00
Join our fitness party, dancing your way to a healthy future!

THURSDAYS:
Junior Gadgeteers 1:30 – 2:00 pm
Calling all mini scientists! Engineer gadgets, devices and inventions of all sorts and sizes.
Art Cart 2:30 – 3:00 pm
Get creative! Try out a variety of art materials and techniques while design a Masterpiece of your own.

FRIDAYS:
Zelda the Zany Owl 12:15 – 1:15 pm
Learn your ABCs and 123s with our peppy, purple professor. Ages 36 months and younger.
Boogie, Bop, Skip and Hop 1:30 – 2:00 pm
It’s time to groove! Simple dance steps and a wide variety of music will have children and caregivers bopping and hopping!

SATURDAYS
Mutt-i-grees 10:45 am – 11:15 am
For children ages 3 and older.
Enjoy a special canine storytime and discussion followed by a visit from a shelter dog. Shelter dogs courtesy of P.A.W.S.

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