Connecticut Travel

With 36 miles of coastline, the sea has always played a significant role in the history of Greenwich. Since the town’s founding in 1640, boats plying Long Island Sound were a regular and reliable means of commercial trade and passenger transport. Yet by June 1896, the last market sloop sailed from the Lower Landing in Cos Cob to New York, signaling the end of an era.

With the rise of pleasure yachting, new maritime pursuits appeared on the horizon. Yachting soon became both a sport and a leisure activity associated with the grand lifestyle of the wealthy tycoons who built the great estates. Over time, as boating became more affordable, Greenwich once again witnessed a proliferation of boats of every size and description that resulted in the establishment of many organizations dedicated to boating.

Through paintings, photographs, maps, charts and instruments this exhibition will explore the rich history of maritime Greenwich and share the myriad stories that link Greenwich to it’s coastal roots.

For more information about Greenwich Historical Society visit www.greenwichhistory.org and for more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

The Torrington Historical Society, located at 192 Main Street, is now open for the 2016 season and will remain open through October 31st. The Society is home to three attractions: the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum, the permanent exhibit, No Place Like Home: The History of Torrington, the Hendey Machine Shop exhibit Pursuit of Precision: The Hendey Machine Shop 1870-1954. Hours for the house museum and the two exhibits are Wednesday – Saturday, 12-4 p.m.

Fodor’s Guide to New England described the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum as “one of the better house museums in Connecticut”. Built in 1900, this grand Victorian mansion was commissioned by Orsamus and Mary Fyler and was designed by New Haven architect William H. Allen. The house was built by Hotchkiss Brothers Company, a Torrington firm. The Torrington Historical Society acquired the home in 1956 when Gertrude Fyler Hotchkiss, daughter of the original owners, bequeathed the house and its contents to the Society.

Today, visitors to the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum can see the home as it was when last occupied by Gertrude Fyler Hotchkiss. This grand home is rich in details: mahogany paneling, ornate carvings, stenciled walls, murals, parquet floors and ornamental plaster. Family furnishings include impressive collections of porcelain, glass and oriental carpets as well as paintings by Ammi Phillips, Winfield Scott Clime, E. I. Couse, George Lawrence Nelson and Albert Herter.

Guided tours of the house museum are available for $5 per person; children 12 and under are free. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12-4; the last tour is at 3:30 p.m.

The Torrington History Museum, adjacent to the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum, contains an award-winning permanent exhibit, No Place Like Home: The History of Torrington. This self-guided exhibit explores the city’s history while showcasing photographs and artifacts from the Society’s collection. Audio and video components and hands-on interactive stations are featured in this exhibit. Admission is $2; children 12 and under are free.

Another self-guided exhibit, Pursuit of Precision: The Hendey Machine Company 1870-1954, traces the history of the Hendey Machine Company, a former manufacturer of lathes, shapers and milling machines. This exhibit features an operational belt-driven machine shop, a video kiosk, and a photographic history of the company. Admission to this exhibit, which is located in the Carriage House, is free.

The John H. Thompson Memorial Library houses archives pertaining to Torrington history. Researchers may visit the library Wednesday-Friday 1-4, or by appointment. For more information about the Society or to become a member, please visit www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org or contact the Society at (860) 482-8260.

For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

he Hitchcock Chair Co., Ltd., is once again celebrating the beginning of summer with their historic Barn Sale in Riverton CT. Owners Rick Swenson and Gary Hath are hosting this Barn Sale at the main barn at the Riverton Fairgrounds and in their retail store at 13 Riverton Road, Riverton, CT on May 28, 29, and 30 from 10:00 am through 5:00 pm each day.

In the barn, shoppers will find special savings on brand new chairs and tables, as well as scratch and dent pieces, factory seconds, fully restored items, and “gently used” furniture. This year’s sale will also feature a hundreds of restored and “as is” items from the historic Yankee Pedlar Inn, which recently closed. Visitors are also invited to go to the main retail store at 13 Riverton Road for sale prices on all in stock merchandise and to see special one-of-a-kind pieces.

For more information, visit our website at www.hitchcockchair.com, “like” us on Facebook, or contact the store at 860-738-9958.

For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com
About The Hitchcock Chair Co., Ltd. LLC
In 1818, Lambert Hitchcock founded an innovative chair company in the northwestern hills of Connecticut, where he produced his beautiful hand stenciled furniture.

In 2006, the famed Hitchcock Chair Company closed its doors. For four years, the name lay dormant. Those who recognized its unique quality and craftsmanship were able to find fully restored Hitchcock furniture through Still River Antiques, owned and operated by Rick Swenson.

In the spring of 2010, Rick and his business partner, Gary Hath, purchased the Hitchcock name, plans, and artwork. Their goal is to continue the Hitchcock legacy, bringing Hitchcock furniture into the 21st century while maintaining the quality and integrity of Lambert Hitchcock’s original dream.

The Westport Arts Center is presenting Two Steps Forward: Contemporary Cuban Art, an exhibition featuring a diverse and compelling range of works by emerging and established Cuban artists, on display through June 4.

Two Steps Forward: Contemporary Cuban Art features a significant collection of contemporary Cuban art from the private collection of Greenwich, Connecticut residents Terri and Steven Certilman. The Certilmans, who have sourced pieces directly from the artists during their travels to Cuba over the last decade, are dedicated to promoting the country’s artistic talent.

Steven Certilman offers the following insight into the Cuban art world, “The unique political, social and economic conditions in Cuba have combined to catalyze what may be the world’s highest concentration of artistic talent. Their works are as diverse as the country’s rich cultural heritage. It is said that the eyes are the windows of the soul. Art is the window to the Cuban soul.”

The painting and sculpture in the show, curated by Certilman and guest curator Arianne Faber Kolb, explore Cuban identity, its diverse cultural heritage, and the political climate and its resulting geographical isolation and emigration. The works are expressions of the soul, beauty, and fortitude of the Cuban people, and how they have met and overcome the circumstances imposed upon their lives.

The Two Steps Forward title refers to the current political and artistic climate in Cuba and the thaw in relations with the United States. The lifting of travel and trade restrictions between the two countries has allowed artists to have access to more resources and to gain more exposure. However, change is slow and economic strains continue for much of the population. Thus, the title is designed to imply a reference to the adage, “two steps forward, one step back.”

The artists represented in the exhibition include established figures, such as Abel Barroso, Luis Enrique Camejo, Manuel Mendive, Juan Roberto Diago, Jose Roberto Fabelo, and Kcho. Barroso’s wooden sculptures and intricately constructed mixed media works made of pencil shavings are witty and humorous commentaries on the economic situation. Kcho’s images of precariously stacked rafts refer to the desire and the risks involved in fleeing from one’s circumstances. Fabelo’s monumental and iconic Mermaid’s Dream depicts a sleeping figure (Cuba) detached from reality and surrounded by drifting boats.

The young artists emerging on the art scene and making their mark include Joniel Leon, Harold Lopez, William Perez, and Mabel Poblet. While Leon and Lopez describe the desires of Cubans through their highly crafted drawings and paintings, Poblet and Perez make statements about the Cuban identity by employing a variety of materials in innovative ways.

FFor more information, contact the Westport Arts Center at (203) 222-7070 or www.westportartscenter.org. The Westport Arts Center gallery is open Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT. For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Recent research has noted that asparagus is one of the world’s healthiest foods and that it is being heralded as an anti-inflammatory food because of its nutrients. Among these anti-inflammatory nutrients are asparagus saponins, including asparanin A, sarsasapogenin, protodioscin, and diosgenin. It is also rich in vitamin C, beta carotene, vitamin E, and the minerals zinc, manganese, and selenium.

What better way to celebrate this vegetable, that has been considered a delicacy since ancient times than to go to the 9th Annual Asparagus Festival at White Silo Farm and Winery located on 32 Route 37 E in Sherman on May 21 and 22.

White Silo has planned to serve six scrumptious dishes prepared from their freshly picked asparagus that they grow on the farm. The menu includes: asparagus BLT’s, asparagus gelato, asparagus flatbreads, asparagus frittata, asparagus carpaccio and grilled asparagus with White Silo Quince mustard. Food items are $5 – $6.

To add to the fun, there will also be tours of the winery and farm as well as live entertainment on both days. On Saturday, Guy Tino will perform and on Sunday Martin Meyer will provide the entertainment. This is a child friendly event. Admission is free and reservations are not required.

For more area information http://www.litchfieldhills.com