Give A Basket of Love On Valentine’s Day from Tina’s Baskets & Woven Art

Every relationship is important in life. On Valentine’s Day, sometimes words aren’t enough to convey messages of love, caring, and appreciation. The joy of giving on Valentine’s Day is thriving with possibilities at Studio #305 @ Tina’s Baskets and Woven Arts, Whiting Mills in Winsted. This amazing studio owned by Tina Puckett, a national and international award-winning artist, known for her woven art and dimensional weaving has some extraordinary gift ideas that can be found nowhere else.

Puckett is also, once again, rolling out the red carpet for those in search of an exceptional Valentine’s Day gift. The studio is open every weekend in January and February from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. or by appointment. While browsing in Puckett’s studio, and chatting with Tina as she weaves her magic, enjoy chocolates and champagne. If you are on the hunt for an unforgettable Valentine’s Day gift basket to fill with goodies, this is the place, a real artist’s studio in fact, to check out!

“I offer many hand-woven baskets from reeds that I dye and bittersweet that I forage, at a variety of price points. Each basket is a one-of-a-kind piece woven with love, and something that can be used repeatedly and, most importantly, loved for years to come.” Best of all, the baskets are 14% off during the Sip and Shop event at Whiting Mills on February 11th, and Sunday, February 12th. This is your chance to purchase a basket and fill it with goodies.

If you can’t make it to the studio, head to the website and order away. Tina is offering a 14% discount on all website purchases from February 1 to February 14, 2023.

Shopping for your Valentine’s is not an easy task, especially when trying to avoid the clichés. A basket from Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art shows your special someone that you truly care.

About Tina’s Baskets
Tina Puckett is a nationally awarded weaver of baskets and woven art that is the owner of Tina’s Baskets which is located at Whiting Mills in Winsted, Connecticut. Tina has been weaving since 1981 using hand-dyed reeds, bittersweet, and a variety of objects like beads or seagrass. Her work is showcased at a variety of galleries across the United States as well as at her gallery/studio where you will often find her weaving on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Custom orders are accepted and appointments can be arranged by texting 860-309-6934.

National and International Award Winning Artist, Tina Puckett Talk @ Westport Library

Tina Puckett, a national and international award-winning Connecticut artist has been invited to make a presentation at the Westport Library on January 5 at 6:30 p.m. in conjunction with the show currently hung in the Library’s South Gallery called “Speak to Me.”

A Garden of Flowers

During this thirty minute presentation, guests will learn about Puckett’s life changing journey into the world of basket making and three-dimensional woven art. As a self-taught artist, her story is intriguing and insightful into the mind’s eye of an artist. A highlight is learning how Puckett creates woven art from the harvesting of bittersweet vines to the hand dying of reeds that result in her unforgettable whimsical and intricate designs. There will be a question and answer period after the presentation. Light self-serve refreshments will be available in addition to wine and seltzer.

Smile

Afterward, guests are invited to view Puckett’s pieces of woven art that are on display. A Garden of Flowers, an organic look at flowers using Puckett’s popular Dimensional Weave, while Whimsical circle pattern plays hide and seek with the bittersweet vines. Waves of Many Colors is a dramatic wall hanging with the reeds giving the illusion of the ebb and flow of the waves as they crash against the shore. Smile, achieves a sense of harmony and balance that is sure to make you smile.

The Gallery is open Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Waves of Color

About Tina’s Baskets
Tina Puckett is an internationally awarded weaver of baskets and woven arts. You can see her works in her studio #305/ Tina’s Baskets. Located at Whiting Mills in Winsted, Connecticut. Tina has been weaving since 1981 using hand-dyed reeds, bittersweet vines and a variety of found objects like beads or seagrass. Her work is showcased at galleries across the World and as well at her own gallery/studio where you will often find her weaving on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are preferred and can be arranged by texting 860-309-6934.

2ND ANNUAL LITCHFIELD HILLS CREATIVE FESTIVAL

The NWCT Arts Council is hosting the second annual Litchfield Hills Creative Festival on Saturday, August 20 in Downtown Torrington. The festival will include artist vendors at Franklin Plaza, an evening beer garden to support the Arts Council, a block party on Main Street, live music, open artist studios and workshops, and many other public activities for all ages hosted by participating organizations and venues. All events will be presented for free to the public.

This year’s Litchfield Hills Creative Festival is sponsored by Housatonic Heritage, Torrington Savings Bank, Northwest Community Bank, Thomaston Savings Bank, Matthews Group, Torrington Downtown Partners, Eversource, WSHU Radio, WAPJ Radio, the Republican American, and O&G Industries.

A variety of local artists and artisans will hold booths at Franklin Plaza with original works of art, clothing, jewelry, books, and more, for sale from 11 am to 4 pm.

At 2 pm, The Warner Theatre will hold a performance of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical”, performed by the teens of the Warner Theatre’s Summer Arts Program, sponsored by Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, and the AKC Fund. The performance is free and open to the public and will be shown in the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre.

The Warner Theatre will also host the first-ever Warner Block Party, at 5 pm on Main Street in downtown Torrington. The Main Stage will be emceed by national performing artist, Lucinda Rowe, co-owner of the Red Room Sound Studio. The setlist will begin with performances by Lee Totten, Frank Viele, and Audio Jane, and end with a headlining performance by Jason Ingriselli & the Miles North Band. The Block Party is sponsored by Red Room Sound Studio, Building Healthier Communities Fund, and the AKC Fund.

Participating artists will open their studios to the public from 2 to 6 pm. Buskers organized by Rock Yer Block will be playing at various locations downtown throughout the day. Other events include an open yoga class with Sanctuary Power Yoga, an art opening featuring work by Sophia DeJesus-Sabella at Howard’s Bookstore, an old-fashioned candy-making workshop at the Nutmeg Fudge Company, as well as events with Five Points Gallery, the Nutmeg Ballet, Artroom Atelier, Culture 4 a Cause, Our Culture is Beautiful, Trinity Church, and KidsPlay Children’s Museum. From 6 pm to 10 pm, street performers including stilt walkers and fire spinners will be performing.

For full details about the Litchfield Hills Creative Festival, visit artsnwct.org/litchfield-hills-creative-festival

Lacrosse – More Than Just A Game New Exhibition @ Institute for American Indian Studies

Lacrosse was originally played by eastern Native Americans and Canada’s First People. The Institute for American Indian Studies located at 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut has just opened a fascinating special exhibition, “More Than a Game: The Story of Lacrosse,” that will be on view at the Institute through August 2022.

This well-researched exhibition touches on a variety of subjects, many of which are unexpected in light of the game many of us know today. Some of the most interesting aspects of the exhibition relate to the spiritual importance of lacrosse and how it connects to creation stories, the way they settle differences, and its continued social and communal significance.

This exhibition also explores the appropriation of lacrosse by Euro-Americans and Canadians. In the 1860’s Dr. George Beers of Canada wrote the first standardized rulebook for lacrosse in an attempt to “civilize” the game. By the 1890s, Native American communities were banned from participating in national competitions. This part of the exhibition includes documentation in the form of newspaper clippings and images that depict the history of lacrosse in popular culture and how it was interpreted.

More Than a Game also highlights how traditional lacrosse sticks evolved in North America. Several lacrosse sticks on display showcase the three major styles of Native American lacrosse and demonstrate the different regional interpretations of the game.

This exhibit touches on the relationship between lacrosse and Native communities today. It delves into the saga of the Iroquois Nationals, the only Native American athletic team
permitted to compete in international competitions. Don’t miss the exhibition’s video that shows Native Americans making wooden sticks in the traditional way and relating why it is important to the future of their culture. This exhibit can be summed up by a quote by Rex Lyons, Onondaga, “Lacrosse is part of the story of our creation, of our identity, of who we are. So when we play the game, we always say that there’s a simultaneous game going on in the Sky World and our ancestors are playing with us.”

The Institute for American Indian Studies is open Wednesday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and admission is $12 for adults, $8 for children 3-12, $10 for seniors, and members are free.

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 that 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 on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

The Trained Eye: The Art of Railroads & Stations @ Lockwood Mathews Mansion

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will open a new exhibition entitled, The Trained Eye: The Art of Railroads & Stations, which will run through Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020.

A subject matter explored by some of the great artists of the 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Claude Monet, Edward Hopper, and Camille Pissarro, railroads and stations are familiar places that continue to inspire contemporary artists and impact society and the environment. “The artists featured in the exhibition, The Trained Eye,” said Ms. Ingis, “will look at this kaleidoscope of images and colors and render their own interpretation with works that range from photo-realism to post-impressionism and in a variety of media including oil, watercolor, acrylics, etchings, and photography.”

Curated by artist and Trustee Gail Ingis and Trustee Julyen Norman, the exhibition will feature artists: David Bravo, David Dunlop, Julie O’Connor, DeAnn Prosia, Helen Roman, Alexsander Rotner, Cathy Russell, Anthony Santomauro, Norm Siegel, and Rob Zuckerman.

The contemporary art exhibitions are sponsored in part by Gail Ingis and Tom Claus. The Museum’s 2019 cultural and educational programs are made possible in part by generous funding from LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown, LMMM’s 2019 Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk and The Maurice Goodman Foundation. The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark. For more information on schedules and programs please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.

Be a Winner @ Norfolk’s Weekend in Norfolk Aug 2-4

On August 2, 3, and 4 everyone is a “winner” in Norfolk. Fun for all is the watchword in Norfolk, Connecticut during the town’s Fourth Annual three-day, town-wide festival, A Weekend in Norfolk, better known as WIN. https://weekendinnorfolk.org. Everyone’s invited to come with family and friends to enjoy more than 80 events—mostly free—that Norfolk’s organizations, businesses, and individuals will be putting on to welcome visitors to their town.

On Friday, August 2, take a tour to see the magnificent Tiffany stained glass windows at the Immaculate Conception Church and in the Battell Chapel. If you are in a romantic mood, head to the picturesque village green to get married or to renew your vows, the organizers of WIN have bouquets, ring bearers, and witnesses standing by on the Village Green. There are also artisan demos, and the opening reception for the Norfolk Artists & Friends 11th annual exhibition, plus concerts at Infinity Hall and the Yale Music Shed. For literary lovers, there is a celebration of Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday at the Norfolk Library. If you like nature and are strong of wind and sound of heart, enter in the hike the peaks challenge, which is a three-day, six peak hiking challenge organized by the Norfolk Land trust.

The pace picks up on Saturday, August 4, with continuing art events, a furniture making demonstration, tours of Tiffany Stained Glass Windows, and multiple concerts, including a free concert at the Music Shed. The Norfolk Farmers Market is celebrating the day with a variety of special events for young and old alike including chef demonstrations. If you are a history buff, don’t miss a walk through Norfolk’s Industrial past with historian, Richard Byrne. On this walk, you will learn about the once thriving mills and factories on the Blackberry River. The popular kids’ fire hose water soccer event will take place from 12 noon to 3 pm. The day winds down with a Taste of the Town from 5 pm to 7 pm at the Manor House, and Family Fun Night at the Botelle School from 6 pm to 10 pm that will feature a DJ, field games, an outdoor movie, and food for sale. If just music is more your style there is a Debussy, Strauss and Shubert Concert at Yale Music Shed from 8 pm to 10 pm.

Sunday, August 5, is no time to go home—there are more tours including the Whitehouse (former Stoeckel Mansion), samples of a getaway day at Mountain View Green Retreat, Tiffany Stained Glass Window tours, farm tours, and an open house at the Norfolk Country Club with the chance to see its famed 9-hole golf course. In addition to the music and art shows, there will be a hot dog eating contest, a demonstration of fly tying and casting on the green, and a 5K- trail run.
For up to the minute information on WIN, Weekend In Norfolk, visit https://weekendinnorfolk.org for details.