Color, Pattern & Light at Pequot Library

The Beth Munro exhibition Color, Pattern & Light, opens in The Perkin Gallery at Pequot Library on Sunday, February 23, 2014, with a reception from 4:00pm – 6:00pm. The exhibition and sale runs from February 23 through March 30, 2014. It is free and open to the public.

beth_munro_pink__peonies

The pure pleasure of form, color, patterns, and texture are the qualities Beth Munro tries to capture in her paintings. Her still life paintings and interiors reflect her love of everyday objects and the beauty of the ordinary. Munro’s paintings are often based on both reality and sometimes derived from her imagination. The interaction of colors, shapes, and form create a harmonious rhythm, keeping the viewer’s eye constantly moving through the composition. Ms. Munro has been influenced by many artists and grew up in an artistic family. Further information about the artist can be found on her website http://bethmunro.com/

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 information: (203) 259-0346 ext. 15.

For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

JanetLeave a comment

Saltana Caves a great place to unwind

In Europe and Asia, salt caves are well known for their healing powers. Visitors to Litchfield Hills can experience the healing and wellness powers of a salt cave at Saltana Cave Spa, at the junction of Rte. 7 and Rte. 35 on 590 Danbury Rd. in Ridgefield located between Danbury and Norwalk. Here you will experience the European tradition and health benefits of a salt cave.

image3
Entering the salt cave at Saltana Cave Spa you are surrounded with tons of pink and tan hued health healing Himalayan salt crystals. The salt is underfoot and the crystals are literally and beautifully embedded in the walls. The room glows with a warm pink light that induces immediate relaxation.

image4-1

Saltana Caves offers speleotherapy better known as salt cave therapy as well as halotherapy, a special treatment that uses a salt vapor. Halotherapy is reputed to treat respiratory ailments, skin irritations and is said to combat mental lethargy.
As you get settled in zero gravity chairs the first thing you will notice is that you are entirely surrounded by salt, the cave even has a glimmering salt fireplace.

image5

Imperceptibly dry aerosol salt vapor is pumped into the air and is accompanied by a tape that details the health benefits of the salt minerals that surround you. Soft new age music follows the introduction to salt cave therapy and is perfect to unwind to. A highly regarded benefit of salt cave therapy is the naturally produced negative ions that are said to reduce stress, headaches, and lethargy.

image6
Cave sessions last about 45 minutes and run on the hour from noon to 7 p.m. (last session at 6 p.m.) from Tuesday – Friday. On Sat. the Cave is open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sessions for children one to eight take place Tuesday – Friday at 12 noon and 5 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Guests are asked to arrive 15 minutes early to allow time to be signed in. Call (203) 969-4327 for reservations. For more information http://saltanacave.com

image1

Several area hotels have packages with Saltana including Danbury Crowne Plaza that offers a package with a salt treatment for one through December 31, 2014 starting at $144 inclusive of overnight stay and salt cave treatment for one. Additional passes for the salt cave experience can be purchased. Call the Crowne Plaza for 203-794-0600 for reservations.

JanetLeave a comment

Civil Rights Programs at Litchfield and Torrington Historical Society’s

The Litchfield and Torrington Historical Society’s have teamed up to present two civil rights programs based on the Created Equal Film Series and will be presented on February 20 and March 20th. These documentaries with riveting new footage illustrate the history of civil rights in America. Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities that uses the power of documentary films to encourage community discussion of America’s civil rights history.

loving story

On February 20, (snow date Thursday, Feb. 27) at the Torrington Historical Society located on 192 Main Street in the heart of Torrington will host Tom Hogan who will discuss the film, The Loving Story, which examines the groundbreaking U.S. Supreme Court decision on interracial marriages. Tom Hogan, former lawyer and legal history professor at UConn, we will take a look at a groundbreaking case that dealt with the legality of interracial marriages. The documentary brings to life the Lovings’ marriage and the legal battle that followed through little-known filmed interviews and photographs shot for Life magazine. Participants will view film clips from the HBO documentary as well as supplemental materials provided by Mr. Hogan.

The second event in this civil rights series takes place on March 20 (snow date March 27) at the Litchfield Historical Society located on 7 South Street in Litchfield with the film, Freedom Riders. Litchfield blogger and history professor Pete Vermilyea brings to light the activities of the freedom riders in the last of our film series. Freedom Riders tells the terrifying, moving, and suspenseful story of a time when white and black volunteers riding a bus into the Deep South risked being jailed, beaten, or killed, as white local and state authorities ignored or encouraged violent attacks. The film includes previously unseen amateur 8-mm footage of the burning bus on which some Freedom Riders were temporarily trapped, taken by a local twelve-year-old and held as evidence since 1961 by the FBI.

All program are free and open to the public. To register for any of these programs please call the Litchfield Historical Society at 860-567-4501 or email registration@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org. For more information visit http://www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/tours/createdequal.php

For information on the Litchfield Hills on where to stay, dine and shop www.litchfieldhills.com

JanetLeave a comment

Ski Mohawk Mountain in CT Presidents Day Week Deals

The skiing is terrific at Mohawk Mountain Ski Area located in the heart of the Litchfield Hills in Cornwall Connecticut. The lifts are running and 24 slopes are open and covered with over 14 inches of fresh new white powder on top of an amazing base making this year a perfect time to go skiing.

260925d35adb930598667b3e48c04b5f

Mohawk has big plans for Presidents week holiday, starting on Saturday, Feb. 15 and running through Sunday, Feb. 23, the ski lifts will start turning at 8:30 a.m. For you early birds, the lodge will be open at 7:30 a.m. for your convenience.

If you are renting skis, it is easy to convert your single day rental to a multi-day rental, which will save you time and money. Multi-day rentals are simply daily rentals that you keep for the length of your visit. You are required to take your equipment home with you which saves you time picking them up the next day when you want to hit the slopes again. Best of all if you rent skis for three days, you get a 10% discount on all three days, rent them for 5 days and get 15% off.

9ecd3a5b20196b3e9efbfd8c8804bb46

Mohawk’s Snowsports Discovery Center is offering ski and snowboard lessons for kids from 5-12 every day at 10 am for first timers and 1 pm for all levels of skiers. All levels of snowboarders are welcome at either session. This program has an excellent teacher -student ratio and is never overbooked making it a popular and worthwhile program. To reserve a spot call 860-672-6100 x 133 or email snowsports@mohawkmtn.com.

Mohawk Mountain Ski Area is located on 46 Great Hollow Road Cornwall Connecticut for information www.mohawkmtn.com For information about the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

This years schedule for President’s week holiday at Mohawk is:

ee81d340b2fecabacb1d6ad6d0d6636b

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2014
• Midweek prices, open 9:30 am to 10:00 pm
• PINE LODGE open 11 am to 7 pm
• Triple Espresso open 3 to 9 pm
• Learn to ski or board with a sweetheart deal! Our SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL is available on this Valentine’s Friday night! Lift/lesson/rental package for only $45.00 per person. It’s everything you need to get out on the snow – ski or snowboard options available. Lesson offered at 6:30 pm. No pre-registration required! Forget about love – ski or board with the one you’re with!
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014
• Holiday prices, open 8:30 am to 10:00 pm
• PINE LODGE open 9 am to 7 pm
• Triple Espresso open 9 am to 6 pm
• No Yeti Club or Mountain Division program
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2014
• Holiday prices, open 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
• PINE LODGE open 9 am to 3:30 pm
• Triple Espresso open 9 am to 3:30 pm
• No Yeti Club or Mountain Division program
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2014
• Holiday prices, open 8:30 am to 10:00 pm
• PINE LODGE open 9 am to 6 pm/ Triple Espresso open 9-6 pm
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014
• Holiday prices, open 8:30 am to 10:00 pm
• PINE LODGE open 9 am to 6 pm/ Triple Espresso open 9 am – 6 pm
• PAY A VISIT TO THE LL BEAN BOOTMOBILE! The bootmobile will be parked near the Main Lodge from 11 am to 2 pm! Come say hi to our friends from LL Bean, take some great photos, play games and win great prizes! It’s a very cool vehicle, and gets a ton of SMILES per GALLON!
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014
• Holiday prices, open 8:30 am to 10:00 pm
• PINE LODGE closed for private function
• Triple Espresso open 9 am to 6 pm
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
• Holiday prices, open 8:30 am to 10:00 pm
• PINE LODGE closed
• Triple Espresso open 9 am to 6 pm
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014
• Holiday prices, open 8:30 am to 10:00 pm
• PINE LODGE open 11 am to 7 pm
• Triple Espresso open 9 am to 6 pm
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2014
• Holiday prices, open 8:30 am to 10:00 pm
• OLYMPIC TORCH RUN! Show your pride in Team USA and join us in an Olympic style Torch Run down Arrowhead at dusk. We’ll gather at the top of Arrowhead as soon as darkness falls, extinguish the trail lights, and ski or ride down in formation. Each person will carry a foam light-up tube that they can take home. We will have an option for joining the parade near the top of the Nutmeg chair for those skiers and boarders that have not yet mastered blue trails. Limited to first 600 participants. Registration required/participant must be wearing a lift ticket or season pass/ no additional fees. Click here to register.
• PINE LODGE open 9 am to 7 pm
• Triple Espresso open 9 am to 6 pm
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2014
• Holiday prices, open 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
• PINE LODGE open 9 am to 3:30 pm
• Triple Espresso open 9 am to 3:30 pm

JanetLeave a comment

Snowshoeing in Litchfield Hills

Bredeson Outdoor Adventures is offering a day of guided snowshoeing in Washington and Warren, Connecticut in the heart of the Litchfield Hills. Participants will meet at 9:45 a.m. at Hopkins Vineyard located on Hopkins Road in New Preston overlooking beautiful Lake Waramaug.

36505_494428940595383_663555482_n

A short shuttle ride will take participants to Macricostas Preserve, where you will explore the area’s boardwalks and admire the dramatic view of Lake Waramaug. This 368-acre parcel of land, known as Meeker Swamp is a mix of meadowland, farmland, wooded ridge and wetlands with a pinnacle that overlooks Lake Waramaug. Bee Brook and the Shepaug River wends its way through this lovely preserve.

The day will consist of intermediate snowshoeing or walking if no snow (approximately 4-6 miles total) in beautiful countryside under the leadership of a professional and enthusiastic guide. No prior snowshoeing experience is necessary; this but tour is rated intermediate because snowshoeing 4-6 miles requires a fair amount of energy, unless there is little snow. Due to the venue and optional winetasting, participants should be 21 years or older.

Participants will enjoy lunch and lake views upstairs in the warmth of the Hopkins Vineyard’s Hayloft Wine Bar and an optional wine tasting downstairs by the fire. The Breseson Outdoor Adventures Tour Company will provide lunch and hot tea and cocoa, information on where to rent snowshoes (they have a few pair available for rent), brief instruction and a day of winter fun. Tips and lists for what to wear, bring and do to enjoy a safe cold weather outing are also part of the package.

After lunch, participants will snowshoe through the vineyard and on Lake Waramaug. The cost of this outing is $63 per person. For more information visit http://bredeson.com/trip-sign-up. For information on Hopkins Vineyard www.hopkinsvineyard.com.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

JanetLeave a comment

Transcending Continents: A Black History Month Celebration

The Housatonic Museum of Art in collaboration with Shanna Melton of Poetic Soul Arts presents Transcending Continents: A Black History Month Celebration in the Performing Arts Center of Housatonic Community College at 900 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport, CT on Thursday, Febuary 27, 2014 from 6 – 9 pm, free and open to the public. Call 203-572-4937 or visit www.HousatonicMuseum.org for more information.

Bideew_Bou_Bess
This event includes artists from Senegal, Antigua and America who will explore how music, poetry and storytelling create a spiritual communication that transcends continents to create a psychic connection. Stories of love and ancestry that are universal are conveyed through the gift of art. Featured performers Bideew Bou Bess accompanied by Tony Vacca, along with Gina LeVon Simpson, Tenisi Davis and Iyaba Ibo Mandigo use words and sounds to share their experience.

Poet, painter, writer, actor and playwright, Iyaba Ibo Mandingo is a native of Antigua, West Indies, who came to the US in 1980 as a young boy. Mandingo appears regularly as an international performance poet. US venues include Nuyorican Poetry Café, Brooklyn Moon, and Next Door Café. He was the keynote performer at the 2011 Westchester, NY Poetry Festival. He was recently seen at 59E59 in Deb Margolin’s The Expenses of Rain (Laura Barnett, director.) Mandingo is the author of three chapbooks of poetry, 41 Times, Amerikkan Exile, and his latest, 40 days & 40 nites of write. His new novel, Sins of My Fathers, was released in 2013. He is a New York Theatre Workshop Summer, 2011 Artist in Residence. Mandingo was awarded a national Percent for the Arts Program artist grant, as well as grants from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, and multiple commendations from the Nassau County African American Museum. His artwork has been included in over a dozen group and individual international shows.

Gina LeVon Simpson, another performer that is a producer at Sound View Community Media, where she received two awards. Simpson has performed one woman shows, skits, poetry, drumming and presented workshops at many functions in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Ghana, West Africa, and in local community centers, libraries and churches. She was the Playwright and Creative Director of “The MAAFA Influence – Evoking the Pain of the Past…Building a Strong and Powerful Future” from 2004 through 2010. This original production showcased in Connecticut, Brooklyn, NY, and Aiken, South Carolina. Simpson is a minister, consultant, poet, storyteller, illustrator, producer, writer and director who passionately seeks to inspire, encourage, and teach through the many gifts she has embraced since childhood.

Tony Vacca’s Senegal-America Project combines the spectacle and spectacular performance of internationally renowned percussionist Tony Vacca and the West African hip-hop group Bideew Bou Bess. Vacca brings his American perspective to the African Balaphone, gongs and assorted other percussion instruments. Bideew Bou Bess, one of Senegal’s most popular and innovative bands is comprised of three brothers: Beydi, Moctar and Ibrahima Sall. They combine ancient griot traditions with global-minded contemporary Hip-Hop sounds. Together the four musicians create a very high energy, interactive cross cultural extravaganza.

JanetLeave a comment