Connecticut Travel

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

Kick off the holiday shopping season and give back to the community at Sip and Shop Night at the Norwalk Historical Society Museum on Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 6:00pm – 8:00pm. The museum is located at 141 East Avenue next to the Norwalk Health Department, in the red brick house with blue double front doors. Parking is available at Norwalk City Hall, 125 East Avenue. Shop for one of a kind holiday gifts, meet local artist/designer Karen Ponelli and pay it forward by donating to our women’s “Suit Drive” benefiting Dress for Success. The event is free and includes a wine and cheese reception. RSVP: info@norwalkhistoricalsociety.org.

A special highlight of this event is a talk by local artist/designer Karen Ponelli who will discuss how her contemporary art techniques are transformed into scarves and accessories. Ponelli will be selling unique silk and textured scarves from her new line of contemporary artwork. Some of her scarves were created by a California based company using the artists’ paintings and designs to produce wearable products. In addition, Ponelli will have her one of kind scarves available that she creates from start to finish, which includes selecting and hand-dyeing the fabrics. Shop her hand-dyed silk flower accessory pins, framed and matted artwork, hand painted gift wrap and stationery as well as other unique, artful items great for gift giving.

More treasures await in the Norwalk Historical Society Museum Gift Shop, where you’ll find a collection of locally handmade items. A perfect place to find unique holiday gifts produced by Connecticut artists and artisans. Round out your evening with wine, cheese and a peek at the museum’s three exhibits: Norwalk Collects: Celebrating Four Historic Collections; Norwalk: Portrait of Diversity and Eating off the Landscape: The Farrington-Lockwood Dessert Service.

About Dress for Success

Suit Drive” benefiting Dress for Success, which promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Donations of clean in-season “interview appropriate” clothing, handbags and accessories, no more than three years old will be graciously accepted. Donations must be on hangers and tax-deductible receipts will be provided upon request. For a specific list on what to donate please visit http://www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org.

To sign up for a monthly newsletter on what to see and do in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

The P.T. Barnum Museum located in Bridgeport is offering a very special behind the scenes tour of the treasures of this museum for a lucky winner and eight friends. The bidding opens on November 1 and concludes on November 15. Winners must take the tour by May 31, 2017.

The aptly named “Tiny Tour” will focus on the extraordinary life of “General Tom Thumb” and his wife, Lavinia Warren. The museum tour will include a behind-the-scenes look at rarely seen personal items in the collection, such as the couple’s jewelry, custom-made clothing, accessories, calling cards, and even a slice of their wedding cake, now more than 150 years old! (But don’t worry, it isn’t moldy or gross – and you’ll find out why during the tour.) Guests will also see hand-colored books and prints, special souvenirs, and rare broadsides promoting Tom Thumb’s tours. To place a bid visit https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/item/browse.action?auctionId=264831017

The Tiny Tour is your special opportunity to discover some of the most treasured collections at the Barnum Museum. While the gallery features incredible artifacts such as the couple’s miniature carriages and furniture, this tour also introduces you to items not usually seen by the public. In order to preserve these rare and unique items for future generations, many cannot be continuously displayed. You and up to seven additional guests will be welcomed by the Barnum Museum Director and the tour will be led by the Curator. At the conclusion, guests will be treated to “tea” featuring cake similar to the kind made for Charlie and Lavinia’s wedding.

A little biographical information! Charles S. Stratton was a Bridgeport native, born in 1838. He weighed over 9 pounds at birth, but stopped growing around 7 months old. P. T. Barnum met “Charlie” shortly before the boy turned five, and quickly recognized his innate charm and natural ability to entertain. Barnum brought Charlie and his parents to his American Museum in New York City, taught him to act, and gave him the stage name “General Tom Thumb.” Charlie was also known as the “Man in Miniature” because he was only two feet tall but perfectly proportioned.

Tom Thumb became famous and wealthy through his performing and partnership with P.T. Barnum, and the two traveled overseas as well as touring America. Tom Thumb’s acts included singing, dancing, miming and most famously, portraying characters like Cupid and Napoleon Bonaparte. His 1863 marriage to Lavinia Warren, a beautiful and bright “woman in miniature” from Massachusetts, became front-page news at the height of the Civil War, and their wedding attracted thousands of guests. The couple did a three-year tour of the world, becoming America’s first international celebrity couple. Sadly, Charles died of a stroke at age 45, on July 15, 1883. Lavinia remarried in 1885 and lived to be 77.