Connecticut Travel

The Hickory Stick Bookshop located on 2 Green Hill Road in Washington Depot will join over 420 other independent bookshops across the nation to celebrate the second annual Independent Bookstore Day on April 30th, 2016.

The Hickory Stick Bookshop will sell exclusive merchandise created especially for Independent Bookstore Day by major publishers and authors. There will be in-store activities throughout the day featuring a table of prizes to win, a dance party and much, much more! Additional activities will include:

A Literary Costume Contest – ALL AGES – Don your favorite bookish character or author costume and join us for a parade around the bookstore and prizes awarded to crowd favorites at 4pm!

TWO Storytimes: At 11am and 3pm, The Hickory Stick Bookshop welcomes all children to come and enjoy a Duck and Goose and Curious George storytime!

Rad American Women Dance Party- Join us for a dance party featuring the Rad American Women vinyl album (an exclusive Independent Bookstore Day item) at 5pm right here in the store! Even if you are not a Rad American Woman, you are welcome to this party!

A Bookish Scavenger Hunt! – Think you know books? Challenge yourself with our literary scavenger hunt through the bookshop and enter to win prizes!

Make Your Own Bookmarks – ALL AGES – We have the supplies, you just need your imagination!

SO MANY PRIZES!! – All day long (until 4:30pm) you can earn tickets to enter to win one of their many prize packages. For every book purchased in our store on Independent Bookstore Day, you earn 1 ticket. Buying an Independent Bookstore Day exclusive item? You get two tickets! Drawings will be held at 4:30pm.
This event is free and open to the public. For further information about this event please visit www.hickorystickbookshop.com or email books@hickorystickbookshop.com. For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

– In collaboration with Silvermine School of Art, Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum kicks-off its 50th Anniversary with a new exhibition by artist and professor of photography Bruce Dunbar. The exhibition titled, Endangered & Re-envisioned: Iconic Landmarks and Interiors will open to the public on April 7, 2016, 12-4 p.m. at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT.

This exhibition will feature some of Mr. Dunbar’s analog and digital work focusing on several Connecticut structures built between 1870-1940, both private residences and public spaces, seeking to place them in their contemporary context of adaptive reuse. “I am seeking to unite the past history of the landmark with the present context in which it exists,” said Dunbar, “including both images of interiors and exteriors, in order to draw attention to the rich history of each landmark, it’s various past import and current status as landmark.”

Born in Stratford, CT, Mr. Dunbar received his BA from Boston University and his MA from New York University. His photographs and mixed media have been exhibited in numerous group and solo shows in Connecticut and New York City. Currently, he teaches black and white and digital photography courses at Silvermine School of Art in New Canaan, CT, as well as several workshops exploring different aspects on the art of photography.

Click! Snap! Like! From April 7, 2016 through May 1st, visitors are invited to participate in a photo contest sharing their talent and favorite photo of the Mansion on the Museum’s Facebook wall. All photos must be of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum’s exterior and submitted no later than May 1st. The winner will be announced on May 3rd. Prizes will be awarded on May 18.

The exhibit will be on view as part of LMMM’s tours, Wed.-Sun. at noon, 1, 2, and 3 p.m. General Admission: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $6 for children and young adults, ages 8-18.

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, a National Historic Landmark since 1971, reopens to the public on Wed. April 6, 2016. For more information on schedules and programs please visit: www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799. For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

The historic Merwinsville Hotel, located on 1 Browns Forge Road in Gaylordsville is holding its first annual Spring Arts & Fine Craft Show on April 30th and May 1st from 10am – 5pm. to celebrate spring and Mother’s Day. This event is in Gaylordsville is conveniently located 15 minutes from Kent, Sherman, New Milford and the Harlem Valley/Wingdale Railroad Station.

Just in time for Mother’s Day shopping this show will feature exceptional pieces of work from over 50 local artists and artisans representing glass, jewelry, blacksmithing, woodturning, painting, photography, pottery and more. For the first time, they will be offering live artist demonstrations throughout the weekend that will include blacksmithing, woodturning and metal smithing. Fairgoers will have an opportunity to watch local artists in action, ask questions and discuss their craft. There will also be a fine selection of locally grown delights from Meadowbrook Garden and The Village Farm Shop and Greenhouse!

A $2.00 donation per person is requested. Children under 12 are free. For further information, please call 860-350-4443 or visit www.merwinsvillehotel.org. For more area event information visit www.litchfieldhills.com

The City of Norwalk Parking Authority’s Maritime Garage Gallery unveils its new exhibit “Aqua” with an opening reception on April 13, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. “Aqua” runs through July 8, 2016. The Maritime Garage Gallery is located within the Maritime Parking Garage at 11 North Water Street in South Norwalk, Connecticut.

The pieces in “Aqua” take their inspiration from water. Gallery curator Sooo-Z Mastropietro explains. “With the 71% of the earth’s surface covered with water, we are constantly reminded of the beauty, the magic, the strength, and the importance of this substance. These pieces represent water in it’s many forms, powerful yet fragile, peaceful yet tremendous, abundant yet scarce.” Exhibiting artists include Kathy Conway of North Haven, Karen Kalkstein of Stamford, Bronislava Slagle of Wilton, Steve Wallerstein of Norwalk, and Gregory Dolnikowski of Boston, among others.

The Maritime Garage Gallery is part of the Parking Authority’s “Art in Parking Places” initiative, an effort to support art in public spaces making Norwalk a more vibrant destination. The gallery is free and open to the public from 9:00am -5:00pm Monday through Friday. For more information, call 203- 831-9063, or visit www.norwalkpark.org/public-art

On Sunday, April 24, 2016, from 4:00pm – 6:00pm, world-famous, Rudy Pensa, guitar player, maker, collector, shop owner, and author comes to Pequot Library to talk about his extensive collection, his craft, and to play. This program is free and open to the public.

“About 38 years ago, Rudy Pensa opened a guitar shop on Manhattan’s 48th Street called Rudy’s Music Stop, which soon became a world-famous destination for guitarists seeking the finest vintage and new guitars. Pensa has also had a great sideline career as a guitar builder, crafting axes for the likes of Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, Lou Reed, and Lenny Kravitz.” – Guitar Aficionado

Rudy Pensa moved to New York from his native Argentina in 1975 and immediately found employment in a music store on 48th Street, New York’s famed Music Row. In 1978, Rudy married his fiancée, Fran, and a few months later the newlyweds opened a small guitar store on the second floor of an old building in the heart of 48th Street. It didn’t take long for Rudy to earn the respect of the music industry and to become well-known throughout the world as a trustworthy, knowledgeable purveyor of guitars. He is especially interested in archtop guitars and owns a sizable collection of archtops that were crafted by master luthiers of their day. Rudy is the author of the book, Archtop Guitars: The Journey from Cremona to New York. The book was the inspiration for the exhibition “Guitar Heroes” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011. Rudy closed the store on 48th Street in August 2015 due to rising rent and imminent development of the area. SoHo is the new home of Rudy’s Music where Rudy and Fran are still at the helm of their “mom and pop” establishment. The couple lives in Westchester County, New York. Join other music, instrument, and guitar history lovers on Sunday, April 24 for this free program at Pequot Library.

Please visit www.pequotlibrary.org to learn more about this vibrant library, educational, arts and cultural institution. All classes and programs are open to everyone. For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

The Arts Desire, located at 97 Main Street in Torrington, CT, is hosting an art class fundraiser for Audubon Sharon on Thursday, April 21st from 6:30-8:30pm. Participants can join in for a fun evening of painting with friends and some of Audubon Sharon’s live birds will also be making a visit.

All art materials and aprons are provided; just bring your own beverage and snack as well as your enthusiasm! Leave with your very own beautiful canvas painting and the satisfaction knowing that some of the proceeds are benefitting Audubon Sharon’s programs and animals!

Participants will be painting a cheerful bluebird with spring blossoms background.
No art experience is necessary for this class.

An Arts Desire instructor will walk the class through the painting step by step in a fun and relaxing setting. Fee is $35 per person and space is limited. Please purchase your tickets online at www.theartsdesirect.com or contact Wendy at Audubon Sharon at (860) 364-0520 x105 or wmiller@audubon.org to register. If you register through Audubon, you can pay for your tickets at the door on the night of the event; please arrive a little early. Walk-ins are welcome the night of the program, but space availability is not guaranteed.

For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com