Weekend Workshops – Elmer Boyd Smith and Country Landscapes in Watercolor @ Wilton Historical Society

On Saturday, September 9th, from 11 am to 12 pm, the Wilton Historical Society will hold its very own Elmer Boyd Smith and Country Landscapes in Watercolor workshop for kids. Participants will view “The Town Book: E. Boyd Smith’s 20th Century Wilton” exhibit in the main gallery before embarking on a “make your own watercolor” adventure led by Museum Educator Catherine Lipper with modern images of known Wilton landmarks as inspiration.

Elmer Boyd Smith (1860-1943) was a prominent American painter and writer and illustrator of children’s books. Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, and raised in Boston, Smith was classically trained as a painter in France. He moved to Wilton during the early 1900s where he found a successful career as an author and illustrator. The images in his books were often inspired by or directly copied from the scenes he saw throughout Wilton.

Besides creating nationally recognized children’s books, Smith also was instrumental in building the first permanent home for Wilton Library and was an active member of the Board of Education despite having no children of his own.

Suggested for ages 6-10. Members: $10 per child; Non-members $15 per child. To register, please visit wiltonhistorical.org or email info@wiltonhistorical.org
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Celebrate the Glorious Twelfth with BraeVal in Litchfield

The Glorious Twelfth is today and @ BraeVal represents a time-honored ancestral tradition. August, is a special time at BraeVal whose Scottish roots are reflected in the Buffalo Plaid, that my Uncle, Big Jock McClusky brought to America in the 1800s. In Scotland, August 12th is like the New Year’s Day of hunting because it marks the 121-day grouse shooting season, which is known as the “Glorious Twelfth.” It has a storied history and is a ritual still observed today. In Scotland, the season begins with shooters in their kilts and hunting apparel. The sound of bagpipes resonates as people come to watch the big day begin. The dogs are ready to go and excitement is in the heather-scented air. Shooters tend to hunt for grouse in groups that are spread out among the moors with beaters beyond. It is always exciting to see who teams up together and wonder who has the sharpest skill in this hunt of luck, patience, and skill. It is a challenge. I like that – and I know you do too.

“Because I am in the field often with my champion hunting dogs, and I wanted to create a shirt that was as functional in the field as it is comfortable,” says owner Gregor McCluskey. In thinking about what I need in the field I think of the challenge of the Glorious Twelve and I know what it takes to make functional apparel because I try it out myself and test it for comfort and durability. Many of my clients from around the country, come back year after year for my sporting apparel. And that makes me proud.

Historically, August 12th, aka — The Glorious Twelfth became a popular event that went into the day books and diaries of Victorian and Edwardian estate owners, royalty, politicians, and sportsmen as the go-to celebration and hunt. It was a date officially set by statute in 1773, for the opening of the grouse shooting season in England and Scotland. This law specified that no one would be allowed to hunt or even buy back games between the 10th of December and the 12th Day of August, making it the first day of the season.

August 1922: M McDonald, a member of Lord Woolavington’s House Party, with a gamekeeper in a hide during a grouse shoot on Mannock Moors. (Photo by W. G. Phillips/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Grouse hunting and visiting the moors of Scotland became so popular in the 1850s, that Parliament was rarely in session after August 12th because many took off to Scotland to hunt. Participating in a grouse shoot honed the reputations of many as a marksman. This was an elite sport par excellence because of the investment in land and labor that was required to maintain a grouse hunt year after year, which was something that only the wealthiest aristocrat or monarch could aspire to. The coming of the railroad and the advancement of breech-loaded shotguns, made this summer escape to the Highlands the thing to do, for more outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen, and not just the aristocracy. Things really changed during the WWII years when the food supply was cut off in Scotland and Great Britain, and grouse hunting quickly became a matter of survival.

Today, The Glorious Twelfth is a holiday for everyone that loves the great outdoors and the thrill of tradition and the hunt. The red grouse are incredibly fast birds that are difficult to catch and something that makes them a challenging shooting experience. They are only found in the heather moorlands of Scotland and parts of the northern moors of Great Britain and are noted as the king of all game birds. It is easy to see why, they are rare, not easy to spot, and highly prized.

For foodies, grouse meat has a fantastic flavor and many Michelin-star restaurants in Scotland join in the festivities and serve fresh grouse that was shot that day.

About Braeval

BraeVal located in the center of Litchfield on South Street is one of the leading small manufacturers of sporting apparel that is ideal for sportsmen. BaeVal, the Scottish word for the Upland River Valleys that exist between the mountains and the rugged brae of the Scottish Highlands are known for their custom-created tartan and checked shirts that are made from Tiera, a technically advanced proprietary all-natural fabric ring spun of Merino wool and long-staple cotton. This amazing combination offers natural wicking and total comfort. Some shirts even come with quilted treated cotton on the right shoulder patch as well as a vented bi-swing back, large pockets, accessory loops, and even a hidden below-the-waist security pocket.

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What’s Good A Special Event @ Husky Meadows Farm

August is the crown jewel of the harvest season at Connecticut’s Husky Meadows Farm, a certified working organic farm in Norfolk. With this in mind, a very special weekend event, celebrating summer produce is being offered from Friday, August 25 through Sunday, August 27. This event, at Husky Meadows, “What’s Good: Summer Edition” celebrates the season along with nationally acclaimed chef and restaurateur Peter Hoffman and Beavertides Farm.

Guests attending this very special event will enjoy meeting Peter Hoffman, the celebrated chef of his restaurants Savoy and Back Forty, and the author of “What’s Good: Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients.” Hoffman is highly regarded as a “thinking cook,” that is as interested in the cultural and botanical history of food as he is in making his food delicious to eat. Guests will be fascinated by his stories and philosophy of blending traditional cuisines with the freshness of modern cooking. Listening and watching Hoffman in the kitchen is most likely to change the way you perceive what you are eating forever! As a pioneer in the farm-to-table movement and his ethos of attention to the integrity of the ingredients he uses, he is a kindred spirit and welcomed guest to Husky Meadows Farm. On Friday Night, Hoffman will prepare the welcome dinner and Farmer Brett will join the festivities with his insights of his transition from chef to farmer at Husky Meadows Farm.

Saturday morning, after a lavish breakfast, guests are invited for a farm walk in the garden with Farmer Brett. Guests will get an insider’s perspective on the work that goes into organic vegetable production and learn just what goes into raising the veggies for the weekend’s meals. Peter will again be cooking for guests on Saturday evening and will be joined by Dan Carr from Beavertides Farm to create an unforgettable feast that accentuates the delicate flavors of their pasture-raised meats.

On Sunday, the highlight of the weekend is a field trip to Beavertides Farm in nearby Falls Village for a tour of the farm. Guests will meet the sheep, goats, and Georgie, the family cow, and see the bees hard at work in the apiary on the pasture walk. Along the way, guests will learn about the ins and outs of rotational grazing and how this approach improves the land while raising healthy animals. After the farm walks Seed & Spoon Culinary Director, Tracy Hayhurst will be serving a relaxed Sunday lunch amidst the natural beauty of this special farm.

To learn more about this idyllic culinary weekend at Husky Meadows Farm full of enlightening experiences, convivial conversations, some of the best and freshest food you will ever taste, farm tours, and gracious accommodations please visit huskymeadowsfarm.com.

About Husky Meadows Farm
Situated on three hundred bucolic acres in Norfolk, Connecticut, Husky Meadows Farm grows certified organic produce for its kitchen, farm stand, and community-supported agriculture membership. The farm kitchen offers year-round prepared foods. At the height of the growing season from May – October the farm also offers intimate farm stays, cooking classes, community dinners, and special workshops on a variety of farm-to-table and ecological topics.

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W.E.B. Du BOIS SCULPTURE PROJECT SELECTS RICHARD BLAKE TO CREATE A STATUE OF W.E.B. DU BOIS FOR THE TOWN OF GREAT BARRINGTON

The W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, has selected artist Richard Blake to create a monument to W.E.B. Du Bois that will be placed in front of the town’s Mason Public Library.

Blake was one of three finalists who presented models of their proposed statues to the Sculpture Project jury. The models were displayed to the public at the Mason Library in Great Barrington and at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield, MA.

“All three of our applicants were talented, highly regarded sculptors, each with a unique vision of Du Bois,” said jury leader and board member Lauren Clark, a gallerist. She was joined on that panel by painter/sculptor Reginald Madison and writer/activist Delano Burrowes. “Ours was a difficult decision, but after much discussion, we found Blake’s model the most responsive to our vision.”

“My public sculptures commemorate social activism and those who have contributed or fought for social justice,“ Blake explained. “I want to shed light on often overlooked or marginalized American heroes of color.”

Richard Blake earned a degree from the Tyler School of Fine Arts, Temple University. He recently completed a statue of Frederick Douglass for Abolition Park in New Bedford, MA.
Blake’s other works include a sculpture of Rosa Parks for the U.S. Architects of The Capitol. His other monuments include the Martin Luther King Monument for Fairleigh Dickinson University, the Milton & Catherine Hershey Monument, Hershey, PA., and the Martin Luther King Monument at the University of CA, Peace Garden. Blake was recently awarded, the coveted “Medal of Honor” for his contributions to American Sculpture (2023) by The National Sculpture Society.

“We were awed at the astounding talent of all three applicants,” said Julie Michaels, co-chair of the W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project, a non-profit created to raise funds for the statue. “We are also delighted that the proposed figure has received such universal support from the community.”

The organization is still raising funds for the sculpture and for the renovation of the Mason Library Plaza where the statue will be installed in the fall of 2024.

About the W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project
The W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project was launched in May 2022 by a volunteer group of local citizens with the goal of recognizing Du Bois’ scholarly achievements in the fight for racial equality. The Project celebrates Great Barrington, a town whose long abolitionist history and powerful commitment to public education helped shape the person Du Bois became. The Sculpture Project is endorsed and supported by the Great Barrington Library Trustees and W.E.B. Du Bois Town Legacy Committee, among many others.

About W.E.B. Du Bois
W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) was born and educated in Great Barrington. He was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. A world-famous sociologist, historian, and founder of the NAACP, he wrote The Souls of Black Folk, a seminal work in African American literature.

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August Cooking Classes @ Husky Meadows Farm

August at Husky Meadows Farm, a working certified organic farm located in Norfolk, Connecticut is a special time of year. The garden on this 300-acre farm is at its peak for summer produce. With this in mind, Husky Meadows Farm is offering a series of cooking classes in August and early
September to celebrate their peak gardening season and more. What makes these cooking classes special on this working certified organic farm, is that participants will learn techniques from professional chefs and guest instructors that know how to bring out the freshest flavors from the produce grown right here on the farm.

seed and spoon husky meadow farm

Husky Meadows Farm’s cooking classes are open to all skill levels. The hands-on classes are small with no more than ten participants. Tracy Hayhurst, the Culinary Director, has enjoyed over 25 years in the field of nutrition as a consultant and celebrated chef. Hayhurst’s passion is to share her deep understanding of fresh fruit, veggies, and locally grown products with participants and to teach them the best ways to cook them. “It gives me great joy to share my knowledge of creating delicious meals because I believe sharing a dinner or lunch together is a primal bonding experience that defines our humanity,” says Hayhurst. For more information and to book a cooking class, click here.

Create a garden fresh bouquet!

On August 18, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Husky Meadows Farm is offering a “Build a Bouquet Happy Hour” that is a perfect introduction of how to grow and care for cut flowers at home. The event begins by going into Husky Meadows’s organic garden and choosing freshly picked flowers then heading back to build a flower bouquet with the farm crew. Enjoy sipping wine, signature non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks while creating your floral arrangement. Best of all, you will take your arrangement home and enjoy it for days to come.

Its so much fun to build a cheese board @ Husky Meadows

In New England, there are a multitude of artisanal cheese makers and this class will introduce you to some of the best. On August 20, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. join Genevieve Watts at the “Build Your Own Cheese Board” to learn how to build an unforgettable cheese board that will be gobbled up at your next soiree. Watts is a San Francisco native and has been a cheese monger at The Cheese School which teaches the in-depth study of cheese varieties and production. Watts also was involved with Cheese Plus which specializes in gourmet cheeses, and Cowgirl Creamery which specializes in artisan and organic cheese. Need we say more? In this informative class, cheese lovers will learn how to build a balanced and delicious cheese board for entertaining while sipping wine and non-alcoholic pairings that compliment the luscious cheese participants will taste.

Learn to cook fireside!

To herald the end of summer, Husky Meadows is hosting a very special cooking class… “Campfire Cooking.” There is something romantic about campfire cooking, even for those of us that don’t like to camp! A carefully tended open fire with food sizzling and friends sitting around swapping stories are how memories are made. On September 2, from 5 p.m. to 9 pm, Husky Meadows Farm is hosting the not to be missed, Campfire Cooking Class. The process of cooking on an open fire not only brings out some real and unexpected flavors it also becomes an enjoyable experience. This hands-on cooking class at Husky Meadows goes far beyond burgers and steaks and will show their campfire guests how to get creative around the campfire as they learn to make everything from starters with garden fresh veggies to desserts. Cocktails, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages add to the ambiance, not to mention, the beauty of the landscape at Husky Meadows Farm.

About Husky Meadows
Farm Situated on three hundred bucolic acres in Norfolk, Connecticut, Husky Meadows Farm grows certified organic produce for its kitchen, farm stand, and community-supported agriculture membership. The farm kitchen offers year-round prepared foods. At the height of the growing season from May – October the farm also offers intimate farm stays, cooking classes, community dinners, and special workshops on a variety of farm-to-table and ecological topics.

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Washington’s Institute for American Indian Studies Holding Green Corn Festival Brings Visitors and Indigenous People Together August 13

The Institute for American Indian Studies, located in Washington, CT, is holding its 18th annual Green Corn Festival on Sunday, August 13th from Noon to 4:00 pm at River Walk Pavilion, 11a School Street, in Washington, CT. This festival gives visitors a glimpse into Native American life and traditions.

Corn is an integral part of the annual lifecycle of Native American people that have welcomed the season when corn ripens with a celebration for centuries. In recognition of this time-honored tradition, join IAIS Museum Staff as they welcome the first corn of the summer 2023 season with flute music by Allan Madahbee (Ojibwe), drumming, children’s activities curated by the Institute’s staff like making corn husk dolls to take home, and traditional stories told by a professional Native American Storyteller.

For shoppers and collectors, don’t miss the vendors that are selling Native American-inspired arts and crafts at a variety of price points. All the festivities are taking place in a beautiful park with a sheltered wooden pavilion, picnic tables, and plenty of free parking.

If you have always wondered what Indigenous food tastes like, you will be able to try some authentic Native American cuisine and more at the Green Corn Festival. Jason Cogswell Lamb, Schaghticoke, of Mashquanon’s Wetu will be cooking up some of his favorite contemporary and traditional indigenous cuisine sure to delight the palette. GV Bites Food Truck will be whipping up Colombian fusion food, and Polar Sweets Ice Cream will be serving more than 40 flavors of ice cream that will help beat the heat!

The annual highlight of the Green Corn Festival is the Native Nations Dance Troupe led by Erin Meeches, from the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. Each dance performed has an uplifting and unique story or purpose. Some use movements that imitate animals and others represent an aspect of cultural significance. These traditional dances are sure to delight because they evoke the beauty, honor, and tradition of Native People. The Quahog Bay Drum Group led by Devin Wixon from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Nation will accompany the dances. The dancing will take place at 1 p.m. and at 3 p.m.

Admission for this event held rain or shine, is $15 for Adults, $12 for seniors, $10 for children, $10 for IAIS Members, and free for members’ children. Pre-registration is greatly appreciated, click here to register https://iaismuseum.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/13017.

About Green Corn
The expression “Green Corn” refers to the first ripened sweet corn that you can eat. The Green Corn Ceremony is marked with dancing, feasting, fasting, and religious observations. In the Eastern Woodland areas, Native people depended on three staples – corn, beans, and squash. These food items were so important that they were called “The Three Sisters.” The Three Sisters were mixed together to make a vegetable dish called succotash that is still popular today.

About Institute for American Indian Studies
Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

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