Connecticut Travel

Wildlife artist Melody Asbury, a signature member of the prestigious Society of Animal Artists is offering a four-week class series where individual instruction will be given on learning anatomy, gesture and characteristics of various animals. Now that the weather has warmed this will include the animals grazing in the Flanders’ pastures and homed in their North Barn as well as a collection of taxidermy and photographs. Any medium can be used and all artistic levels are welcome. Students should bring a sketchbook, pencil and other supplies of their choice to the first class.

The first four class series will begin on Wednesday June 28 with classes also held on the following Wednesdays of July 5, 12 and 19. All classes will be held from 7 to 9 PM at the Flanders’ studio which is located on the corner of Flanders Road and Church Hill Road in Woodbury.

The cost for the four class series is $100 for members or $150 for non-members. Preregistration is required. Those interested may register online at www.flandersnaturecenter.org or call 203-263-3711, ext. 10, for more information.

The Connecticut Art Trail, a collaboration of world-class museums and historic sites across the state, welcomed three new and returning members in 2017: Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, and Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University in Hamden.

The CT Art Trail began as the CT Impressionist Art Trail in 1995; it has since grown considerably to expand the group’s scope beyond Impressionism to showcase the diversity of collections within the state.

“As a founding member of the Connecticut Art Trail, the Florence Griswold Museum has seen the Trail grow from representing museums specializing in Impressionist art to embracing the variety of Connecticut’s contribution to American art. We value our association with the state’s finest art institutions. Participation in the group is one of the most effective tactics in our yearly marketing plan,” notes Tammi Flynn, Director of Marketing at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme.

New CT Art Passport
The collaboration between the 18 CT Art Trail members makes it possible for CT residents and visitors alike to visit all member museums within one year with a $25 Art Passport. The Art Passport is an enhanced version of the previous Art Pass, which will offer pass-holders additional benefits, discounts, free gifts, and a valuable cultural experience suitable for all generations. The Passport has a $90+ value, and is available to buy at any member museum and online at http://ctarttrail.org/the-art-pass/ starting May 1, 2017.

The upgraded Passport is made possible by an exclusive sponsorship from Delamar Hotels.

“The Delamar Hotels and the Greenwich Hospitality Group are delighted to partner with the Connecticut Art Trail and its wonderful array of 18 member institutions, said Charles Mallory, Founder and CEO of Greenwich Hospitality Group. “We pride ourselves on delivering a level of hospitality and culinary excellence that will nourish the visitor experience in the same way that the Art Trail members will stimulate their patrons and Passport holders.”

About the Connecticut Art Trail
The Connecticut Art Trail is a nationally recognized partnership between eighteen world-class museums and historic sites, created to promote Connecticut’s rich cultural assets as part of a travel experience.

The Trail was launched in 1995 as the Connecticut Impressionist Art Trail, celebrating Connecticut’s ten museums and historic sites that highlighted American Impressionism. In 2005, the member museums voted to expand its membership beyond Impressionism to include even more quality museums and historic sites, increasing the membership to eighteen today. This strategic initiative was accomplished in order to reach a broader audience and showcase the diversity of collections within the state. The Connecticut Art Trail also offers the Art Passport, granting visitors one-day access to each museum along the trail for a small fee. More information about the Art Trail can be found online at ctarttrail.org.

Carol Peck’s Good News Restaurant and Bar​ located on 694 Main Street South in Woodbury has announced a ​new show, on display through August 14,“A Retrospective Journey of Sebastian DiStefano’s Art” that is an exhibition of the work of the late Sebastian DiStefano’s, a Waterbury native.

Mr. DiStefano spent his life painting abstract and non-objective art, a medium where he felt most comfortable. Color and balance were two focal areas for him. He was inspired by the Abstract Expressionists and Color Field artists but also moved by the Baroque painters. The incorporation of light and dark contrasts can be found weaved into his works; and, as he painted, he continually turned his pieces around to seek balance. Even in the pieces that appear unbalanced, balance is found. This allows many of his works to be viewed from different perspectives, even though he had seen it in one particular orientation and allowing any owner of his works to hang these pieces from their own perspective.
In reflection of the late Sebastian DiStefano’s life and art, the family is showing a broad selection of Sebastian DiStefano’s work from the 1960’s to the present included watercolors, oil on Masonite, and acrylics which depict how he explored color, line, and composition. In being the product of five decades, these paintings depict a full expression of the emotional experiences of his life. As in the words of Mr. DiStefano, “I love the elements of painting; it sets my mind in motion where I am seeking the balance even if the piece ends up unbalanced. I don’t speak for my paintings they speak for me.”

Sebastian DiStefano’s paintings will be on display at Carole Peck’s Good News Restaurant & Bar​ located on 694 Main Street South in Woodbury from June 14th, 2017 – August 14th, 2017. An opening reception will be held on June 18th, 2017. The reception is free to the public. The Good News Restaurant & Bar is open from 11:30am to 10pm daily
Closed Tuesday and open from 12Noon to 10pm Sundays.

​

Once again this summer, Jones Family Farms located on 606 Walnut Tree Hill Road in Shelton is offering a series of summer garden cooking classes that begin on July 20 and run through August 24. The classes focus on farm fresh ingredients that are grown in the farm garden and highlight the preparation of easy, fresh-picked, healthy meals.

At the Kitchen Classroom, participants help the farm chef prepare the seasonal fruits and vegetables which are used in the evening’s recipes. Each summer class includes a “Harvest Tour” of the Kitchen Garden (weather permitting). The evening concludes with a relaxed sit-down supper accompanied by a glass of Jones wine, and an in-season fruit dessert prepared by their kitchen team. Eating together is their favorite way to honor and celebrate farmers and your time on the farm!

The Summer Series begins on July 20 with a Greek Inspired Idyll that includes a menu of Chickpea patties with tzaziki sauce, sautéed zucchini, Greek salad, and a yogurt parfait with honey strawberry sauce. The next class is just in time for prime berry season and is called You Can’t Beat Blueberries! The menu of this class held on July 27 will include: Frittatas with ricotta & blueberry chutney, shaved beets with orange, green salad with seasonal fruit & blueberry vinaigrette, and end with a scrumptious summer blueberry pie.

Jones Family Farms is offering three cooking classes in August. The first, on August 10 is called the “New” All American Cookout and will include: Black bean burger with homemade summer salsa, green bean & potato salad, roasted sweet corn, fresh coleslaw, and Elisabeth Jones’ double good blueberry pie. Get ready to head to the southwest on August 17 when the class will feature a Santa Fe Fiesta. This menu includes: Corn soup with adobo swirl, Santa Fe enchiladas with red & green chili salsa, southwest salad, and ground cherry squares. The final summer class takes place on August 24 and the theme is a Provencal Picnic that includes the following items on the menu: Ratatouille tart, French potato salad, herb salad with artichoke hearts, fresh garden carrots, and an artesian cheese plate.

The cost for each class is $70/person and all classes taught on Thursdays, 6:30-8:30pm. To sign up for a monthly newsletter on things to do and see, special events and travel tips in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County visit www.litchfieldhills.com or www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

The Litchfield Historical Society opens its 2017 special exhibit, America’s Pastimes: Sports and Recreation in Litchfield that runs through November 26. Swing a bat with the Tri-State Champion Cowboys. Race your way through the Litchfield Hills. Splash around in Bantam Lake. Ride a high wheel to the town green. Score a basket in the school gym. Play cricket with the students of the Law School.

Sports and recreation are universal experiences. Whether we make it to the big leagues or never leave our backyards, these activities play important roles in our lives. They promote health and wellness as well as leisure and relaxation. They teach us about competition, but also about working together. They help build teams and form lasting relationships. Above all else, they encourage us to move, to think, and to interact.

On April 16, 2016 the Litchfield Historical Society will open to the public its latest exhibition, America’s Pastimes: Sports and Recreation in Litchfield. The exhibit highlights the role of sports and recreation in town from its founding to today, showcasing the stories and experiences of Litchfield residents, players, coaches, fans, and enthusiasts. To communicate the active nature of this history, the exhibit groups together sports, games, and leisure activities of both past and present based on the actions they entail, from swinging a tennis racket to playing a game of chess. The exhibit incorporates several hands-on interactives for visitors to enjoy.

If you love gardens, history and crafts, the 26th annual Hidden Garden Tour scheduled for June 11 from 11 am – 4 pm organized by the Westport Historical Society should be on your bucket list of events to attend this summer. Tour-goers will have a very special opportunity to experience six spectacular, not-to-be-missed gardens in Westport, Southport and Easton. Each garden has been carefully selected in honor of this tour and one garden, a favorite of past tours is being showcased again so tour – goers can see how it has grown and evolved.

Exceptional sights to see include: a property inspired by the gardens of Monet in Giverny, France; a seven-acre estate with a pool and pool house adorned with parterres of pale pink Bonica roses edged in English boxwood; a garden belonging to a Master Gardener which is entered through a honeysuckle-covered arbor; a cottage garden with cast iron ornaments, walls, evergreens and dried grasses; a property set behind the Aspetuck Land Trust with an English Garden with a fountain and several garden areas; and a property with a pool and new Bluestone patio with tulips, lilacs and climbing roses.

To round out the fun, on the day of the tour, there will also be a Garden Market on the WHS Wheeler House lawn from 9am to 5pm. Admission to the Garden Market is free and will feature a variety of local artists offering items such as lavender filled silk pillows, meditation pillows, jewelry, necklace charms, as well as linen tabletop accessories. There will also be vendors selling antique prints and vintage silver, crystal and glass items.

Tickets are $50 for members and $60 for non-members in advance, $75 day of Tour. All proceeds benefit the educational and cultural programs of WHS. Hidden Garden Tour tickets and directions will be available for pick-up at Westport Historical Society on Tour Day starting at 10am. Tickets are available online.