Connecticut Travel

On Saturday, January 9, 2016 and Sunday, January 10, 2016 the Warner Theatre will once again welcome the irrepressible Moses Pendelton and the internationally acclaimed dancer-illusionists troupe, MOMIX, as they present Opus Cactus on the Main Stage.

In this mesmerizing production, Opus Cactus brings the landscape of the American Southwest to life with Pendelton’s signature illusionistic style to create dynamic images of cacti, slithering lizards and fire dancers which one reviewer describes as, “exploding with a sense of magic, danger, sensuality, quirkiness, humour and beauty that can be found in that often hidden world.” This show is sure to captivate audiences of all ages!

MOMIX is a company of dancer-illusionists based out of Washington, CT and under the direction of Moses Pendelton. Known internationally, MOMIX performs on stages world-wide and has appeared in nationally-televised commercials. With nothing more than light, shadow, props and the human body, MOMIX has astonished audiences on five continents for over 35 years.

For tickets, call the Warner Box Office at (860) 489-7180 or visit www.warnertheatre.org

For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

The Mattatuck Museum located in downtown Waterbury on 144 West Main Street is hosting a special lecture on January 8 at 6 p.m. featuring Dr. Charles F. Stuckey. This gallery talk has been planned in conjunction with the current exhibition, Yves Tanguy: Surrealist Painter/Country Gentlemen. The lecture is free with museum admission.

Dr. Stuckey is the Head of Research for the Yves Tanguy catalogue raisonné for the Pierre and Maria-Gaetana Matisse Foundation in New York. Dr. Stuckey has held positions with the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, where he was a Senior Curator, with the Minneapolis Institute of Arts as the Patrick and Aimee Butler Curator of Paintings and Sculpture after 1800, with the National Gallery of Art where he served as the Curator of Modern Painting, and has served as the Frances and Thomas Dittmer Curator of Twentieth-Century Painting and Sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Dr. Stuckey has co-curated exhibitions including The Art of Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, 1840-1926, and Toulouse-Lautrec: Paintings. Dr. Stuckey specializes in twentieth-century art and has taught art history at Johns Hopkins University, New York University, and the University of Pennsylvania. He was a special curatorial consultant for the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. The French Ministry of Culture awarded him the title “Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters”. Dr. Stuckey holds his BA magna cum laude from Yale University and his MA and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

For more information on all of the museum’s programs, events, and exhibits visit the website at www.mattatuckmuseum.org or call (203) 753-0381. For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com.

In conjunction with the amazing new LEGO® universe, the Stamford Museum and Nature Center is hosting several interactive family workshops in January.

On January 9 from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. there will be a Space Race activity where kids 6 and up will build and race a LEGO brick spaceship or car.

On January 10, from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m, another activity, Rebel Alliance Battle for kids 6 and up is planned. Kids will build and fly a LEGO X-Wing fighter or design your own spaceship.

On January 23 and 24, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m, there will be a session to teach kids how to film LEGO animation with I LUG NY facilitators. Led by Alex Kobbs, of KooberzStudios, learn and film stop-action animation with LEGO creations and mini figures. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

Members: $40 (one adult & one child), $25 for each additional adult/child | Non-Members: $55 (one adult & one child), $25 for each additional adult/child (includes Museum admission). Pre-registration and pre-payment are required for all workshops. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Space is limited. Call 203.977.6521 to register.

The Stamford Museum Galleries are open, Monday – Saturday 9 am – 5 pm; Sundays 11 am – 5 pm. Members: Free | Non-Members: Free with gate admission. A Billion Bricks 3: Galactic Travels runs through February 7. For more information visit stamfordmuseum.org or call 203.977.6521. For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

The Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield located on 2325 Burr Street in Fairfield has organized a early morning New Year’s bird walk at 9 a.m. on January 2.

This could be the perfect way to start off the new year especially if you have resolved to spend more time outdoors and enjoying nature in 2016. If this is one of your resolutions, you can get off to a good start on Saturday, Jan. 2 with a guided bird walk in The Connecticut Audubon Society’s magnificent Larsen Sanctuary in Fairfield. The walk and talk is an excellent opportunity to explore the sanctuary’s varied habitats including wetlands, woodlands, ponds and meadows that are home to many species of birds.

All levels of birders, ages 12 and up, are welcome. Meet at 9 a.m. in the center’s parking lot by the trail entrance. Make sure that you dress for the weather and don’t forget your binoculars. After the walk, stop in the Nature Store to see the wide variety of identification books and other birding items that are available. The cost for this event is $2 per person. Please register in advance by calling 203-259-6305 ext. 109.

Visit Connecticut Audubon Society’s website at www.ctaudubon.org for a complete listing of programs and special events. For more information on Fairfield County www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Mark your calendars and plan to join the fun on January 3, 2016 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Derby Historical Society as they mark the end of the Christmas season with their annual “Twelfth Night Celebration” at the David Humphreys House. This event features tours of the 17th century David Humphreys house by costumed docents. You’ll take a trip back to an earlier time in American history when touring this beautifully preserved colonial home.

Try the mulled cider and punch alongside the buffet. Partake in samples of some items which would have been served in this house during the American Revolution. There will also be modern-day baked goods to enjoy.

Colonial skills such as spinning and weaving will be displayed. Before you leave, be sure to visit the Gift Shop, it will be open during this event.

For more information call 203 735 1908 or visit www.derbyhistorical.org. Limited parking is available in back of the house. Additional on-street parking is available on Elm Street (on the same side as the Humphreys House) and nearby Thomas Street.

Admission prices for 12th Night: $5.00 per adult/ $3.00 per senior citizen and child under 8 years old. For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Westport Historical Society will unveil an exhibit of photographs of historic Westport homes taken in the 1930’s under the auspices of the federal Works Progress Administration. All of the homes were at least 100 years old when photographed, making the exhibit a rare peek into the town’s past.

To show how the homes have changed, the WPA images will be displayed alongside photos taken today.In all, the exhibit will include photographs of 131 dwellings. Some will be displayed in the Society’s Betty R. & Ralph Sheffer Gallery and the Mollie Donovan Gallery. The remainder will be set aside in folders for visitors to look through. In addition, there will be booklets of historical information on the homes and their owners.

One of the sets of photos is of a house on Long Lots Road at the corner of Long Lots and North Avenue. Built in 1840, it was home to generations of Westport’s Adams family, which traced its ancestry to a Greens Farms clergyman who met twice with George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The family tree also includes the founder of Adams Academy, which still stands on North Morningside Drive, the Sherwood triplets, clipper ship captains who plied the seven seas. More recently, this house was owned by Martha Stewart.

Window to Westport’s Past and Present, runs through March 26, Mon-Fri, 10 am to 4pm, Saturday, Noon -4 pm, Westport Historical Society, 25 Avery Place, across from Town Hall. For more information about WHS: www.westporthistory.org. 203-222-1424.

For more area event information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com