Connecticut Travel

The first book about Weir Farm National Historic Site, Connecticut’s first national park unit and the only one dedicated to American painting, will be authored by Xiomaro, the park’s Visiting Artist, in a deal he signed with Arcadia Publishing. About 150 of Xiomaro’s photographs will be accompanied with captions that, he explains, “tells the big story of a small park.” The 60-acre site, nestled in Wilton and Ridgefield, is where J. Alden Weir (1852-1919), the father of American Impressionist painting, lived and created iconic works now seen at the Met, the Smithsonian and other world-class museums.

“Openings into the soul of the painter,” was how Xiomaro’s images were described in 2013 by Hildegard Cummings, an art expert who authored a book about Weir. Since 2012, Xiomaro (pronounced “SEE-oh-MAH-ro”) has been creating fine art photographic collections of Weir’s house, studios, landscape and gardens under several commissions.

The best of his photographs plus vintage snapshots will be featured in the book along with approximately 11,000 words of captions. “It’s about the classic American story of transformation,” said Xiomaro, who – after overcoming cancer – also made a transition from being a music lawyer to an artist. “Weir hated Impressionism, then championed it. His property was threatened by development, then got preserved as a national park. And the dramatic before-and-after renovations of the buildings will be seen in my images.”

The book taps into a growing trend: “heritage tourism” – travelers visiting historic house museums and gardens – ranks only third behind shopping, according to The National Trust for Historic Preservation, in Washington, DC. The book will also cover the women of Weir, the buildings’ decorative treatments and architecture and “the landscape where one literally steps into a painting,” revealed the artist.

“The best thing is that the book will celebrate the park in time for the striking of the special Weir Farm quarter,” announced Xiomaro. In 2020, the park will be depicted as part of the US Mint’s “America the Beautiful” series. The Mint’s website says the series “captures the breathtaking beauty of America’s natural landscapes that have inspired countless poets, adventurers, and artists. Today, these hallowed sites are… enshrined” through the quarters designed by the Mint.

The worldwide deal with Arcadia Publishing will release the book as part of the Images of Modern America series, which the company website describes as uncovering “amazing aspects of American history that are all too often overlooked by standard texts” and “filled with expertly penned content and stunning full-color images.” Arcadia, based in Charleston, South Carolina, is the leading publisher of local and regional books in the United States with a library of more than 14,000 titles.

Xiomaro is an internationally-recognized artist, writer, speaker and curator whose photography has been covered by The New York Times, CBS Eyewitness News, News 12 and The Huffington Post. His work has been widely exhibited at venues such as Harvard University, Fruitlands Museum, the State Capitol in Hartford and Congressman Jim Himes’ Bridgeport and Stamford offices.

A free photo e-book about Weir Farm is available at www.xiomaro.com while supplies last. For information about visiting Weir Farm National Historic Site, go to www.nps.gov/wefa.

The Connecticut Master Chorale, under the direction of Tina Johns Heidrich, will present its annual Holiday Prelude Concert on Sunday, November 19, at 3 pm at the First Congregational Church, 164 Deer Hill Avenue, Danbury. Ring in the season with a glorious selection of outstanding choral music reflecting many cultures, featuring “A Celtic Christmas”, and music for Thanksgiving, Advent, Hanukkah and Christmas and more! Opening with a resplendent brass fanfare, jubilation and majesty combine in a dramatic new “Gloria in Excelsis Deo!”.

The program also features “A Celtic Christmas”, an eclectic grouping of three Celtic pieces, and “Christmas in the Great Hall”, a majestic choral fantasy featuring unique arrangements of seven time-honored carols. “African Star Carol” from South Africa and “La Trulla” from Puerto Rico and “Believe” from the movie “Polar Express” will contrast with the jazzy standard “That’s What I Want for Christmas”, first made famous by Ella Fitzgerald and a Big Band version of the spiritual “Mary, Mary!”.Also included are works by Dan Forrest, Ridgefield’s Stephen Schwartz, and a gorgeous musical setting of a Rachael Field poem, along with many other festive selections that will assure a joyous and memorable start to the Holiday Season.

An exhilarating retelling of the Christmas story, “Down in Bethlehem!” will close our program with the spirit of joy, energy and excitement found only in gospel music!

The Connecticut Master Chorale is an ensemble of 55 vocalists in their 19th year of singing in Western Connecticut. They will be accompanied by the Connecticut Master Chorale Holiday Brass and Joseph J. Jacovino on piano and organ.

Admission to the concert is $20 in advance and $25 at the door. The venue is handicap accessible and doors will open at 2:15. Please call (203) 743-0473 for ticket purchase and visit http://www.cmchorale.org for additional information.

The New England Carousel Museum located on 95 Riverside Ave. in Bristol will hold its 3rd annual Bizarre Bazaar Art and Craft Fair on Saturday, November 18th 10 AM – 4 PM. This juried holiday craft fair will feature a variety of items available for purchase by talented artists and artisans. Get a jump start your holiday shopping and find beautiful, unique gifts for loved ones, or purchase something special for yourself.

There will be two floors of over 50 exhibitors showing off their art, homemade crafts, delicious treats, and holiday gifts. Vendors include many favorites from previous years, as well as some exciting new additions. Wares include blown glass by TSP Uncommon, woodcarvings from CT Woodcarvers, Ashley Lodovico Watercolors, custom jewelry, children’s books, photography, and more!

Bringing the kids? There will be an arts and crafts area for children to enjoy. Admission to this event is only $1 and includes free carousel rides for children throughout the day.

On Thursday November 16th, Schwenke Auctioneers will hold its November Fine Estates Auction with an offering of over 390 lots of freshly consigned estate property from estates throughout Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. The auction includes a broad selection of Asian decorative arts, American, English and Continental decorative arts, folk art and American country furniture, English & other sterling silver, jewelry, fine art, miscellaneous decorative arts, and estate oriental rugs.

This auction is an online sale with absentee and phone bidding, plus live internet bidding on multiple platforms. Bidding begins at 12:00 noon on November 16th. Preview times are Sunday, November 12th from noon to 6:00pm; Monday, November 13th, Wednesday, November 15th from 10:00am to 5:00pm, and Thursday, November 16th from 9:00am to 12:00 noon sale time. Preview is also available at other times by appointment. The gallery is closed from 12:00 noon on Thursday, auction day.

The top lot of the sale is an extensive set of Gorham sterling flatware in the “LaScala” pattern, comprising thirty five dinner forks (84.608 OZT), thirty two luncheon forks (49.295 OZT), twenty seven soup spoons (44.195 OZT), eighteen fish forks (14.660 OZT), eighteen tablespoons (33.855 OZT), eighteen teaspoons (22.485 OZT), nineteen dinner knives, seventeen luncheon knives, eighteen fish knives, nineteen fruit knives, seventeen butter knives, two serving forks (5.2 OZT), three serving spoons (16.835 OZT), one ladle (2.62 OZT), one pie server, two pickle forks, (1.265 OZT), one pierced server (3.345 OZT), three pierced salad servers (10.396 OZT). Total weighable silver 282.859 OZT. Provenance: Property of a CT Private Collector.

Other lots of sterling silver include a Black Starr & Frost sterling pitcher, 7 1/2″ high, 8 1/2″ wide and weight: 17.875 OZT, provenance Property of a New York City Private Collector; a Gorham sterling handled tray with repousse floral border; and a set of four sterling candlesticks, by Hawksworth Eyre & Co. American coin silver lots include several different groups of coin silver flatware and other items, but most notably a three piece coin silver tea set, marked “Wm. Thomson-New York”, comprising a tea pot, lidded sugar bowl and a creamer, with total weight 70 OZT, and provenance: Property of a CT Private Collector.

Also offered in some quantity is Native American and Mexican sterling silver jewelry, including three Navajo silver cuffs, a Navajo silver and multi-stone ring and belt buckle, and two Mexican sterling bracelets including an onyx or jet inlaid hinged bangle signed with illegible hallmark.

A large number of Asian decorative arts items are being offered, including Chinese and Japanese cloisonné urns and vases, Satsuma porcelains, Chinese export and domestic porcelains, Asian bronzes, Chinese wood carvings, Japanese woodblock prints, Asian folding and hanging screens, and Asian furniture and architectural elements. Among the fine cloisonné items is a Chinese cloisonné enamel vase, Qianlong mark, in a flattened pear form with dragon and flaming pearl amid clouds, measuring 9″ high, 7″ wide, 2″ deep. Another Asian item of interest is a Chinese blue and white porcelain charger with scalloped edge and decorated with a peacock and flowering blossoms, measuring 18″ diameter, provenance: Property of a West Coast Private Collector. Also featured is a Chinese cast bronze censer with wild boar masks and eight immortals in relief, four character mark to underside, mounted on hardwood stand, dimensions 10 1/2″ wide, 4 1/2″ high.

Many lots of Chinese hardwood furniture are being offered, including several pair of Chinese carved hardwood arm chairs from a Connecticut estate, as well as pairs of Chinese marble top tables and a Chinese carved marble top altar table. Two unique large carved Chinese palace tables are also being sold, also from a Connecticut estate. Among the many carved Chinese architectural panels being sold is a Chinese carved and polychrome wood panel depicting sparrows among cherry blossoms, measuring 11″ high, 16 1/4″ wide, provenance: Property of a New York City Private Collector.

Estate accessory items are plentiful in the sale, with notable examples including two Louis Vuitton vintage suitcases, a Victorian octagonal Garnkirk pottery chimney pot, a French collapsible traveling wash stand, an English mahogany campaign medical apothecary case, a pair of brass ecclesiastical altar candlesticks, a Victorian wooden croupier box, a pair of French 18th century brass candlesticks, and an Art Deco marble inkwell stand and blotter.

European and American fine arts abound in the sale. Among the more noteworthy lots are an oil on canvas by Jose Maria Llopis de Casados (Spanish fl. early 20th C.), depicting an elaborate church interior scene, signed lower left, titled “Interior” on Panama-Pacific International Exhibition label, verso, 42″ high, 33 1/2″ wide; Reginald E. Nickerson (American, 1915-1999) “Nantucket” Nautical Scene, oil on canvas, signed lower right. A marine artist and ship painter, Nickerson painted as William C. Trenholm and Thaddeus Bannister before he signed his paintings as Reginald Nickerson. Measuring 21 1/2″ high, 43 1/2″ wide, the work carries provenance: Property of a Greenwich CT Estate.

Of special interest are three framed works by Fritz Scholder, (Native American, 1937-2005), including a signed lithograph “Indian/Pistol”, signed, numbered in pencil “114/150″, 30 1/4″ high, 37 1/4″ wide; and an oil on linen of a native dancer, signed lower left, bearing Elaine Horwitch Gallery label verso, 23 3/4″ high, 19 1/2” wide, both works with provenance: Property of a CT Private Collector.

An early English work being offered is an engraving by James Gilray, (English, 1756-1815), satirical hand colored print “The Bridal Night” published May 18, 1797. Dimensions are 16″ high, 22″ wide, with provenance: property of a NYC Estate; also, a portrait of a gentleman by F.C. Von Hausen, depicting seated gentleman, possibly comedian Jack Benny, in double breasted suit with red pocket kerchief, signed lower right “F.C. von Hausen ’36”, measuring 40 3/4″ high, 32″ wide. F.C. von Hausen was perhaps the most famous portrait artist in Florida during a fifty year career painting the wealthy and glamorous socialites of Florida. Provenance is the property of a CT Private Collector.

From another CT Private Collector is a rare oil on canvas in the manner of Paolo Veronese “Boy with Shield” (Italian, 1528-1588), with a partial Metropolitan Museum label verso with title, artist information and owner “Mrs. H.S. Sanford”. Second label: “The Page – Paul Veronese, bequeathed by her mother to Miss Wilhelmina Sanford”, measuring 45″ high, 30″ wide.

Also on offer is a James K. Bonnar (American, 1883-1961) oil on canvas titled “From a Rear Window”, signed lower right, with Bethel Inn exhibition label verso, and measuring 23″ high, 27 1/4″ wide.

An important portrait of Sir John Beckett, attributed to British portrait painter John Hoppner is being sold. Hoppner trained at the Royal Academy, and in 1789 he was appointed portrait painter to the Prince of Wales (later George IV) and after the death of Reynolds, he and Lawrence were the leading portraitists in Great Britain. The portrait, measuring 32″ wide, 37″ high, has the original stretcher and frame, and the provenance is Sotheby’s NY, Sale #1267, lot 267, January 18, 1989; CT Private Collection.

On a more modern note, three Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976) signed lithographs are on the block, one a signed artist’s proof entitled “Variations”. The work measures 29″ high, 36 1/4″ wide and is offered for a CT Private Collector.

Many lots of fine English and European furniture and related decorative arts will be hammered, most notably a George III serpentine inlaid mahogany chest, late 18th century, with various exotic wood veneers and satinwood crossbanding, inlaid bracket fee, dimensions 35 1/2″ high, 42 1/2″ wide, 22 1/2″ deep, offered for a Westchester County private collector. Also from the collection are a rare Continental Biedermeier sofa with gilded winged griffin feet; a superb George III inlaid mahogany linen press; a unique Scandinavian mahogany secretaire abattant with multiple secret drawers, and a French Empire gilded and figured mahogany pier table with matching pier mirror.

Over two dozen estate oriental carpets will cross the block, including Persian, Caucasian, Indian and Turkoman room and scatter sized rugs, together with a large collection of Chinese Art Deco rugs of varying styles and sizes. Select among the estate carpets is a very fine Persian room size rug, in blue and red tones, measuring 13’ 8” long by 10’ 2” wide, from a New York City Private Collection.

The catalog for the sale is viewable at www.woodburyauction.com. This sale is an online only sale, with absentee and phone bidding available by registering directly with Schwenke Auctioneers. Live internet bidding is available on the firm’s website, and the sale will be broadcast live through Live Auctioneers and Invaluable. For additional information please call the auction hall office at 203-266-0323.

The Square One Theatre Company in Stratford, Connecticut announces that its 28th Anniversary Season will include Core Values, “an entertaining play with many genuinely funny, laugh-out-loud moments” (theatremania.com); White Guy on the Bus, “an unusually frank drama…This one goes for the jugular.” (Chicago Tribune) and The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelky, which “leaves you beaming with joy” (The New York Times).

In Steven Levenson’s Core Values, the owner of a small, struggling travel agency finds the world around him is changing at a dizzying pace. Clinging to the values he holds most dear: teamwork, loyalty and the incalculable importance of good trust falls, it takes a weekend staff retreat for him to realize that his team-building exercises won’t stave off the realities of a rapidly evolving marketplace. Steven Levenson is also the book writer of Broadway’s award-winning Dear Evan Hanson. Core Values opens on Thursday, November 2 and continues through Sunday, November 19, 2017.

Bruce Graham’s White Guy on the Bus, replaces the originally announced Agnes of God. Graham also authored The Outgoing Tide, which garnered critical and popular acclaim for Square One two seasons ago. In this recent Off-Broadway production, a wealthy white businessman rides the same bus, week after week, befriending a single black mon. As they get to know one another, their pasts unfold and tensions begin to rise, igniting a disturbing and crucial exploration of race. According to BroadStreetReview.com, “Playwright Bruce Graham has a delicious way of penning realistic-sounding talk that seems to meander, but actually articulates important themes and ideas entertainingly and without preachiness”. White Guy on the Bus opens Thursday, March 1 and continues through Sunday, March18, 2018.

The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelky features one actor portraying every character in a small Jersey shore town unraveling the story of Leonard Pelky, a tenaciously optimistic and flamboyant 14-year old who has gone missing. A luminous force of nature whose magic is only truly felt once he is gone, Leonard becomes an unexpected inspiration as the town’s citizens question how they live, who they love and what they leave behind. The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelky opens Thursday, May 3 and continues through Sunday, May 20, 2018.
Performances for each of the three productions begin the first Thursday (only) at 7pm and continue Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm and Sundays at 2pm.

Discounted three-play subscriptions at $50 each are available now through November 19, 2017, online at squareonetheatre.com or via US mail order through the administrative office of Square One Theatre Company at 656 Longbrook Avenue, Stratford, CT 06614.
Single tickets will be available beginning October 16, 2017.
Square One Theatre is in residence at Stratford Academy located at 719 Birdseye Street in Stratford, Connecticut. Those new to Square One Theatre should set the GPS for 719 Birdseye Street in Stratford, Connecticut, located off I-95 at either Exit 31 or 32 (northbound and southbound). There is ample FREE parking.

Stratford Academy’s stage has been re-configured by Square One into an intimate 64-seat black box-type theatre. The audience is seated in new padded chairs on the stage along with the actors, insuring that all patrons have a good seat to hear and see. With this redesigned, modern venue no audience member is more than 15 feet from the stage.

Tickets are:
$50 for three-play subscriptions
$20 for each adult single ticket
$19 for each senior citizen & student single ticket

Single tickets may be purchased:
By phone: Box Office at 203.375.8778(24/7)
Online at: squareonetheatre.com
In person: at box office 60 minutes prior to each performance
By mail: self-addressed, stamped envelope & check payable to Square One Theatre sent to Administrative Office; 656 Longbrook Avenue, Stratford, Ct 06614-5117

The Stratford Academy is wheelchair accessible. Please inform the box office of any special needs when reserving tickets.
For more information and up-to-date news about the theatre, the plays and the actors visit squareonetheatre.com
All play titles and dates are subject to change.

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When Leonard Cohen died on November 7, 2016, the thought of his music dying, too, was unacceptable to Westport’s singer-songwriter-performer Suzanne Sheridan, suzannesheridanmusic.com. “When I heard that Leonard had died, I immediately called my band members and asked them to join me at my home to play his music. Subsequently, I got on the phone and invited dozens of my friends to come over to hear us. We ended up with about 50 people at my home, sitting on chairs and on the floor. We were all singing together. It might well have been the first singing shivah.”

Sheridan will once again take the stage at The Coffeehouse at the Wheeler’s @ the Westport Historical Society to keep Leonard Cohen’s music alive and to honor the first anniversary of his death. Suzanne Sheridan has been performing the music of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen for audiences in many parts of the world. “Losing Leonard Cohen was one of music’s greatest losses ever. He has written hundreds and hundreds of songs and I am sure that if we had not lost him, he would have given us many more. But what we do have is his treasure trove and I look forward to performing at least 20 of those treasures on November 10.” Joining Sheridan on stage for this Leonard Cohen tribute will be Bob Cooper on keyboards and Joe Meo on saxophone, flute, and clarinet.

Among the 20 songs Sheridan will be performing are “Coming Back to You,” “Hallelujah,” “I’m Your Man,” “Dance Me to the End of Love,” “Anthem,” “Famous Blue Raincoat,” and “Closing Time.” To keep Cohen’s music alive and available to audiences is a goal that Sheridan promises to keep.

Jeff Burger, in the Preface of his book, “Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen,” writes, “How many of the 701 people inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by 2013 hit their peaks in their mid- and late seventies? Maybe just one: Leonard Cohen, who at age seventy-three, began his first tour in fifteen years in 2008, the same year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

The opportunities to hear Cohen’s music performed live are diminishing. But the opportunity to hear the music now is a rare and wonderful happening. Admission is $20 and includes light snacks and wine or beverage. Calling 203-222-1424 will allow you the opportunity to reserve your seats for this special occasion. The Westport Historical Society is located on 25 Avery Place in Westport