Tag: connecticut events

Music extravaganza at Music Mountain Aug. 17 & 18

Music Mountain located in the heart of the Litchfield Hills has planned a musical extravaganza this weekend. On Saturday, August 17 at 6:30 p.m. the Galvanized Jazz Band returns to this venue for the 20th year with their high energy, exciting Dixieland, Blues and Stomps.

The Galvanized Jazz Band
The Galvanized Jazz Band

The Galvanized Jazz Band with its sparkplug leader cornet player Fred Vigorito and a group of hard playing skilled and very experienced colleagues will deliver another great show as they have done at Music Mountain for 19 years. This will be their 20th year here and will feature two special guests: Bob Price, banjo and Jim Fryer, trombone.

Dover String Quartet
Dover String Quartet

On Sunday, August 18 at 3 p.m., the Dover String Quartet returns for their second appearance this summer. They bring with them their recent European touring partner Roberto Diaz, a wonderful violist and president of the Curtis Institute, from which all the members of the Dover Quartet graduated.

In keeping with our 2013 theme, they will play 2 pieces seldom played at Music Mountain. The concert opens with the Haydn String Quartet in B Flat Major, Opus 76 # 4, one of the last instrumental pieces that Haydn wrote, which will receive only its 7th Music Mountain performance. The concert will close with Roberto Diaz joining the quartet to play the Mendelssohn Viola Quintet in B Flat Major, Opus 87 for its 2nd Music Mountain performance.

The middle piece is the Beethoven String Quartet in E Minor, Opus 59 # 2. It is performed at Music Mountain regularly and is a basic part of our repertory. One of the three Rasoumovsky quartets, this is the one with the Russian theme from a patriotic hymn in its third movement, the same melody that can be found in the opera Boris Godunov and other works by Russian composers, including the Arensky Quartet for 2 cellos, which was played on August 4.

Tickets
Saturday, August 17, Tickets in Advance: $30 Tickets at the Door: $35
Sunday, August 18 Tickets in Advance: $30, Tickets at the Door: $35

Music Mountain is located in Falls Village, Connecticut, in the northwestern corner of the state, approximately 100 miles or 2 1/2 hours from New York City.

Entrances to Music Mountain Road are on Route 63 near the junction of Route 126, and on Route 7, across from the Housatonic Valley Regional High School From the Route 7 turnoff, bear left at every intersection.
From either entrance, a short scenic drive will bring you to Gordon Hall atop Music Mountain. Free parking and picnic facilities are available. Arrive early, bring a box lunch or dinner and enjoy a stroll around our lovely grounds.

Buy your tickets online at www.musicmountain.org or Call 860.824.7126. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com.

JanetLeave a comment

Sharon Audubon Festival in Litchfield Hills

The Sharon Audubon located on Rte. 4 in the bucolic hamlet of Sharon Connecticut is hosting its’ 46th annual Audubon Festival on August 10 and 11. Gates to the festival open at 9:30 a.m. and close at 5:30 p.m. each day. Admission to the event is $5 per person or $20 per car load.

The Audubon Festival that takes place in the northwest corner of the Litchfield Hills features fun and interactive ways families can learn about nature. The staff of the Audubon have scheduled two full days of nature walks and programs, live animal presentations, and children’s activities that will engage kids and teach them about nature in addition to food, music, exhibits and a select number of vendors.

Scheduled programs such as Exploring Bog Meadow by Canoe, a Tree Identification Walk, Swarming Behavior of Honey Bees, Bird Banding, making Pressed Flower Bookmarks and much more will take place at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. each day. The Festival will also host a number of ongoing activities such as the children’s Merry Marsh Activity Tent.

There will be two keynote presentations that will take place each day that is perfect for everyone whether they are a seasoned naturalist or a young explorer. At 1:00pm on Saturday, storyteller Eshu Bumpus will present his engaging “Folktales,” sure to please young and old alike. A highlight of the day will take place at 3:30 p.m. when there will be a falconry demonstration by Brian Bradley of Skyhunters in Flight.

On Sunday, at 1 p.m. “Nature Nick’s Animal Adventures that feature 10-12 animals from all corners of the world will entertain festivalgoers. The grand finale of the festival will be an appearance by Atka the Wolf from Wolf Conservation Center at 3:30 p.m.

For up to the minute information on the festival visit www.sharon.audubon.org by August 1st or by calling 860-364-0520 for more information. For area information visit www.litchfieldhills.com

JanetLeave a comment

SEA ADVENTURES CELEBRATE SUMMER IN CONNECTICUT’S FAIRFIELD COUNTY

Hoist the sails on a tall ship. Explore an island. Trawl for lobsters and sea stars. Watch the sunset at sea.

Refreshing summer adventures at sea are a great way to celebrate summer along the Long Island shore in Western Connecticut’s Fairfield County. There’s something for maritime explorers of all ages.

Tall Ship Tactics

SoundwatersFullSail
Soundwaters, an environmental education organization in Stamford dedicated to protecting the waters of Long Island Sound, invites the public to set sail aboard their 80-foot, three-masted schooner Soundwaters most weekends through September. Afternoon sails from 3p.m. to 5 p.m. are ideal for families, with passengers invited to help raise the sails and to examine first hand the aquatic life that lives beneath the waves. Educators teach participants about the quality of the water, and how to test it.

Relaxing and romantic two-hour early evening sunset cruises are better suited to adults, who are invited to bring their own picnic dinners and beverages on board. Afternoon sails are $30 for adults, $20 for children; sunset cruises are $30 for all ages.

The Soundwaters is located on 333 Ludlow Street in the Stamford Harbor Park Marina just off of I-95. Information, schedules and reservations are available at www.soundwaters.org or by phoning 203-406-3335.

Deep Sea Secrets

Oceanic Research Vessel
Oceanic Research Vessel

Educators at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk show and tell what goes on from the water’s surface to the bottom of the sea for passengers on the aquarium’s 29-passenger research vessel. Oceanic. Crewmembers drop the nets and passengers haul them laden with treasures for close-up views. The haul may include plankton from the surface and a variety of creatures from the muddy bottom, perhaps fish, crabs, lobsters, sea stars and other little-seen creatures. The catch is important since the observations are recorded as part of the on-going Long Island Sound Biodiversity Data Project. Cruises lasting two-and-a-half hours go out every day at 1 p.m. in July and August and on Saturdays at 1 p.m. in September and October. Cruises are $20.50 per person. Children must measure 42 inches to sail. For reservations, phone 203-852-0700, ext. 2206, during regular business hours; or email reservations@maritimeaquarium.org.

Island Adventures

sheffield-7

Board the Norwalk Seaport Association’s 49-foot catamaran C.J. Toth for a salty 45-minute escape to Sheffield Island. Passengers enjoy a special day of picnicking, tours of a historic lighthouse, shell hunting, and walks to view the colorful sea birds sheltered in the marshes and sandy shores of the Stewart B. McKinney Wildlife Refuge.

Vistas of Long Island Sound from the 44-foot lighthouse tower are among the island’s highlights. On a clear day, the views reach to the distant skyline of New York City.

Trips to Sheffield Island will run weekends through September 29 with boats leaving at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3:30pm. Return trips are at 1:15 p.m., 4:15 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Weekday trips at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. are also available through Labor Day, and the fare is $22 for adults, $12 under age12,

Clambake cruises depart at 6 p.m. every Thursday evening to September 26, returning at 10 p.m. They are a true New England dining experience in a festive tented pavilion on the lighthouse lawn. The menu includes clams, mussels, corn on the cob, and a choice of lobster, fish, steak, or chicken. Roundtrip cruise and dinner is $65 to $79 per person, depending on entrée. Tours of the lighthouse are included with dinners.

Special theme weekends include Pirates Weekend July 13, 14 and July 20,21 and Haunted Lighthouse August 10, 11. Early bird watchers can board special bird-watching cruises at 8 a.m. on July 6 and August 3. For details and tickets www.seaport.org or phone 203-838-9444.

For information about nearby events and a free copy of UNWIND, a full-color,
152-page booklet detailing what to do and see, and where to stay, shop and dine in
Western Connecticut, contact the Western Connecticut Visitors Bureau, PO Box 968,
Litchfield, CT 06759, (860) 567-4506, or visit their web site at www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

JanetLeave a comment

Farms and Barns Art Show at The Silo at Hunt Hill Farm in Litchfield Hills

February - Eric Sloane
February – Eric Sloane

The Silo Gallery at Hunt Hill Farm located in the Litchfield Hills on 44 Upland Rd. in New Milford Connecticut is hosting an opening reception on Friday, August 2 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. for the new Barns and Farms Exhibit that runs through October 5. Tosto, Laurence Neufeld, son and nephew of the Neufelds, and Art Kerber, of Millerton’s Green River Gallery who is offering a selection of Eric Sloane paintings, will be greeting guests at the reception. The artwork in the gallery is available for purchase, and Tosto will also be accepting future commissions.

Woldemar Neufeld
Woldemar Neufeld

This exhibit that is hung in the hayloft gallery at The Silo features the work of some of the areas best known artists: Eric Sloane and Woldemar Neufeld. Also on display will be works from Kate Neufeld, Woldemar’s sister, and by Merryall resident Frank Tosto.

The artists, each in their own style, have documented buildings, vistas and the history of their era. While the Neufelds and Sloane are deceased, Tosto carries on the tradition of recording the landscapes of our time for posterity.

Frank Tosto
Frank Tosto

This exhibit shows that barns are are more than just buildings. They are a witness to centuries of change. In this era of sustainable agriculture, part of the mission at Hunt Hill Farm is their focus on teaching future generations the importance of farming and barns through active adaptive usage of our historic buildings.

The Barns and Farm exhibit will be augmented in September by the addition of Barn Again, a retired Smithsonian Institution Main Street exhibit, now in the hands of Hunt Hill Farm.

The Silo Gallery and Store are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, please call Liba Furhman at (860) 355-0300 or visit http://www.hunthillfarmtrust.org.

For area information http://www.litchfieldhills.com.

About The Silo at Hunt Hill Farm
Drawing on the creative legacy of Skitch and Ruth Henderson, the Henderson Cultural Center at Hunt Hill Farm, a Smithsonian Institution affiliate, is a vibrant and unique regional resource, offering the public opportunities to explore music, art, cuisine, and permanently protected historic open space.

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Summer exhibits at Silvermine Arts Center

Kite - Charles Hinman and Master Printer Gary Lichtenstein
Kite – Charles Hinman and Master Printer Gary Lichtenstein

Silvermine Arts Center, located in New Canaan, CT will be kicking off its summer exhibitions with an exciting collaboration of works by Charles Hinman and Gary Lichtenstein, and new works by Guild Artist Christ Durante. Silvermine’s new Viewing Room features presentations of new works on paper by Guild Artists Roger Mudre and Robert Gregson. The exhibitions will open on Sunday, July 28th with a reception from 2pm-4pm, and will run through September 7th.

“Kites” features the latest collaborative silkscreens between three dimensional painting pioneer Charles Hinman and Master Printer Gary Lichtenstein. A working relationship which began in 2011 with their prints Gems, this latest body of work continues their exploration into translating the visual vocabulary of Hinman’s signature hard-edged shaped canvas into the realm of prints. By combining a mutual understanding of color and the use of subtle hand embossing, they have created a suite of prints that epitomizes the core of Hinman’s ideology: “Though the works at first glance appear serene and placid, they are ever changing as the surface of the ocean or the expanse of the sky. Ever dynamic, they are ever alive.”

A prime example of this idea can be seen in Kite 2. At first glance, the silkscreen faithfully reconstructs Hinman’s paintings down to the inclusion of subtle lines referencing the support system of his three dimensional work. As the viewer gazes at the work, the true complexity of its arrangement of space unfolds into an ever changing visual experience that expands upon Mr. Hinman’s longstanding commitment to visual perceptions of space.

In his new exhibit “No Mans Land,” Guild Artist Chris Durante has constructed an environment of what he calls “considered hanging,” where viewers can visually and physically traverse his works. An artist who is never satisfied with making work that neatly fits into prescribed categories, Durante continually explores and blurs the lines between mediums and artistic genres. Using a combination of paintings, drawings,graffiti, found objects and a collection of other materials, Durante creates a space that furthers his exploration of boundaries into a visual experience, creating a thought provoking space, a “place of freedom,” if you will, where viewers can explore ideas. About his work, Chris comments, “The inability to couple a thought with a sustained and focused action can be an asset if one can be patient and accept that condition as temporary. Let the mind wander and the hand fiddle. Attention is a slippery proposition. The unison of idea and craft will come, eventually.”

Drawing - Robert Gregson
Drawing – Robert Gregson

Silvermine’s new Viewing Room, will present works by Guild Artists Roger Mudre and Robert Gregson. A selection of new abstract silkscreens by Roger Mudre which were produced in collaboration with Master Printer Gary Lichtenstein and an installation of recently created optically fetching geometric drawings by Robert Gregson will be featured through the summer. For more information about the exhibitions and other upcoming events at Silvermine Arts Center call 203-966-9700 or visit our website at www.sivermineart.org.

About Silvermine Arts Center

Silvermine Arts Center located in New Canaan, Connecticut is one of the oldest artist communities in the United States. Located on a four acre campus, the center consists of a nationally renowned artist guild, award winning school of art offering multi-disciplinary art classes for all ages, an art and fine crafts shop and galleries, offering over twenty contemporary and historic exhibitions annually.

The center also provides innovative free and subsidized arts education in Norwalk and Stamford schools through its outreach program, Art Partners; and hosts a lecture series, performances, and special programs throughout the year. Silvermine Arts Center is a nonprofit organization.

Gallery Hours: Silvermine Galleries are open Wednesday through Saturday, 12p.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1pm to 5 p.m. For more information, call (203) 966-9700 ext. 20 or visit the website: www.silvermineart.org.

For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

JanetLeave a comment

Birds Eye View at Westport Arts Center

Alex MacLean, Tree Shadows in Snow, Middlebury, VT, 1990. Chromogenic print. Hall Collection. Courtesy the Artist and the Yancey Richardson Gallery.
Alex MacLean, Tree Shadows in Snow, Middlebury, VT, 1990. Chromogenic print. Hall Collection. Courtesy the Artist and the Yancey Richardson Gallery.

The Westport Arts Center (WAC) has launched its summer exhibition, “Bird’s-Eye View”. This show is curated by Director of Visual Arts, Helen Klisser During, and features major contemporary photographs, paintings, and drawings that depict intriguing aerial perspectives where people, roads, buildings, cities, and the countryside are deconstructed and abstracted. The exhibition will be on view through September 8.

Damian Loeb, Eminence Break, 2012. Oil on linen. Hall Collection. Courtesy the Artist and Acquavella Gallery.
Damian Loeb, Eminence Break, 2012. Oil on linen. Hall Collection. Courtesy the Artist and Acquavella Gallery.

The exhibition features works by Richard Artschwager, Olivo Barbieri, Edward Burtynsky, Christoph Draeger, Fred Herzog, Damian Loeb, Alex MacLean, David Maisel, Richard Misrach, Melanie Smith, Massimo Vitali, and Thomas Wrede.
A bird’s-eye view, or in other words, ‘the big picture’, explores the world seen from an aerial perspective.

Olivo Barbieri, Iquazu, Argentina/Brazil, 2007. Archival pigment print; edition 2/6. Hall Collection. Courtesy the Artist and the Yancey Richardson Gallery.
Olivo Barbieri, Iquazu, Argentina/Brazil, 2007. Archival pigment print; edition 2/6. Hall Collection. Courtesy the Artist and the Yancey Richardson Gallery.

This viewpoint has fascinated philosophers, writers, historians, and artists for centuries; however, it’s not until the invention of flight that humanity has had a bird’s-eye view. The Westport Arts Center is privileged to create an exhibition of 18 significant works from the internationally-renowned Hall Collection.

Massimo Vitali, Rosignano Donna Sola, 2004. C-print with Diasec face; edition of 6. Hall Collection. Courtesy the Artist.
Massimo Vitali, Rosignano Donna Sola, 2004. C-print with Diasec face; edition of 6. Hall Collection. Courtesy the Artist.

Other programs being hosted by the Westport Arts Center includes the Wednesday Summer Cafe, an interactive series of talks takes place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on June 26, July 10 & 24 and August 14. The Art Cafe takes place on Fridays from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. and is free and open to the public. Hosted by Helen Klisser During, ArtCafé is a great way to meet other art enthusiasts and learn about exhibitions to visit in the greater community. Use The New York Times Friday Arts Section as a springboard to discuss the latest exhibitions.

On Thursdays, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. on July 11, 18 and 25 the WAC will host Plein Air seascape painting classes. Participants will join local artist, author, and teacher Judith Orseck Katz on an adventure of plein air watercolor painting of various seascapes throughout picturesque Westport. Students will discover how painting from life helps us to see and observe the affects of light and atmosphere and learn to develop clean, colorful, and dynamic compositions. This three-part workshop is designed to offer individualized attention and foster a creative space to gain self-confidence and expand your creative potential. All levels welcome, ages 15+. The cost is $65/class or $165 for series Non-Members; $50/class or $135 for series WAC Members.

For more information contact Westport Arts Center at (203) 222-7070, www.westportartscenter.org. The Westport Arts Center gallery is open seven days a week with summer hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., at 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT. For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

JanetLeave a comment