Swedish Music and Culture: A Musician’s Journey Through Scandinavia

At 1 p.m. on November 17, the Gunn Historical Museum will present Swedish Music and Culture: A Musician’s Journey Through Scandinavia in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Library in Washington Connecticut. Katie Trautz, a native Vermont fiddler who has toured nationally and internationally sharing traditional music and original folk songs, will give a performance of Swedish music playing fiddle, guitar and banjo crossing genres with her varying ensembles.

SpringMuseum

Trautz’s bands include: Mayfly, Wooden Dinosaur, and Kick ’em Jenny Stringband. She has studied with some of the greatest fiddle players in the US, including Dirk Powell, Pete Sutherland, James Bryan, Jimmy Tripplett, and Bruce Molsky. Katie has played alongside and shared the stage with many well-known bands including: Aoife O’Donovan Band, Brittany Haas & Lauren Rioux, Dirk Powell and Riley Baugus, Deadly Gentlemen, Sheesham and Lotus, David Wax Museum, Matt and Shannon Heaton, Rusty Belle, Michael Chorney and Dollar General, Brown Bird, Devil Makes Three, 4tet, Pete Sutherland, Brown Bird, and many others. Katie is also the co-founder of the non-profit folk music school ‘The Summit School of Traditional Music and Culture’ based in Montpelier, VT.

Traditional Swedish music is known for the rich harmonies expressed by twin fiddles, lilting polska rhythms, and the thematic play on light and dark. These are the motifs that drew the Vermont-based fiddle player, Katie Trautz, to Scandinavia. Her travels landed her at an intensive musical immersion on a farm north of Stockholm, where traditional music and culture are still thriving. After a visit with one of the country’s most renowned folk artists, a journey through the Fjordlands of Norway, and a stop at a small venue along the way to give a performance, Katie brings her travels to life with a demonstration of Swedish fiddling, storytelling and imagery.

Gunn Historical Museum is located on 5 Wykeham Rd. in Washington. For additional information call (860) 868-7586 or visit At 1 p.m. on November 17, the Gunn Historical Museum will present Swedish Music and Culture: A Musician’s Journey Through Scandinavia in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Library in Washington Connecticut. Katie Trautz, a native Vermont fiddler who has toured nationally and internationally sharing traditional music and original folk songs, will give a performance of Swedish music playing fiddle, guitar and banjo crossing genres with her varying ensembles.

Trautz’s bands include: Mayfly, Wooden Dinosaur, and Kick ’em Jenny Stringband. She has studied with some of the greatest fiddle players in the US, including Dirk Powell, Pete Sutherland, James Bryan, Jimmy Tripplett, and Bruce Molsky. Katie has played alongside and shared the stage with many well-known bands including: Aoife O’Donovan Band, Brittany Haas & Lauren Rioux, Dirk Powell and Riley Baugus, Deadly Gentlemen, Sheesham and Lotus, David Wax Museum, Matt and Shannon Heaton, Rusty Belle, Michael Chorney and Dollar General, Brown Bird, Devil Makes Three, 4tet, Pete Sutherland, Brown Bird, and many others. Katie is also the co-founder of the non-profit folk music school ‘The Summit School of Traditional Music and Culture’ based in Montpelier, VT.

Traditional Swedish music is known for the rich harmonies expressed by twin fiddles, lilting polska rhythms, and the thematic play on light and dark. These are the motifs that drew the Vermont-based fiddle player, Katie Trautz, to Scandinavia. Her travels landed her at an intensive musical immersion on a farm north of Stockholm, where traditional music and culture are still thriving. After a visit with one of the country’s most renowned folk artists, a journey through the Fjordlands of Norway, and a stop at a small venue along the way to give a performance, Katie brings her travels to life with a demonstration of Swedish fiddling, storytelling and imagery.

Gunn Historical Museum is located on 5 Wykeham Rd. in Washington. For additional information call (860) 868-7586 or visit www.gunnlibrary.org.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Get Real at the Bruce Museum

Martin Lewis (American, 1881-1962) Above the Yards, Weehawken, 1918 Aquatint and etching, 17 ½ x 23 ¼” Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly ©Estate of Martin Lewis
Martin Lewis (American, 1881-1962)
Above the Yards, Weehawken, 1918
Aquatint and etching, 17 ½ x 23 ¼”
Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly
©Estate of Martin Lewis

Highlighting the work of nine American artists who at the beginning of the twentieth century were inspired by the world around them to realistically depict everyday scenes, the Bruce Museum presents the new exhibition Telling American History: Realism from the Print Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly from August 31 through December 1, 2013.

The show features more than 40 original fine art prints including lithographs and etchings that chronicle daily life – the bustle of urban streets, boisterous moments of leisure, modern modes of transportation, and bucolic rural images – by leading artists who approached their subject matter through the lens of realism: George Bellows (1882-1925), Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975), Edward Hopper (1882-1967), Martin Lewis (1881-1962), Reginald Marsh (1898-1954), John Sloan (1871-1951), Benton Murdoch Spruance (1904-1967), Stow Wengenroth (1906-1978), and Grant Wood (1891-1942).

The artworks present visitors with a snapshot of America from 1905 through 1967. Each print featured in the exhibition was chosen for its subject matter and artistic merit and placed together they present windows into scenes of America’s past. Set amid a backdrop of events such as World War I, the Great Depression, New Deal programs, and World War II, the country was experiencing changes in its cultural, geographic, and demographic nature. The nation experienced a great upheaval as citizens and immigrants alike flocked to urban areas in hopes of greater economic prospects. At the same time, advances in technology and transportation were transforming rural regions.

Wengenroth_Grand Central Stow Wengenroth (American, 1906-1978) Grand Central, 1949 Lithograph, 8 ½ x 15 ¾” Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly
Wengenroth_Grand Central
Stow Wengenroth (American, 1906-1978)
Grand Central, 1949
Lithograph, 8 ½ x 15 ¾”
Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly

Drawn from different areas of the country, the artists shared a similar goal of creating artwork that was available to all. They embraced realism, using it to capture images of modern American society as it quickly changed around them. This distinguished their work from the traditional, idealized and romanticized work of European art. By illustrating everyday scenes, the artists featured in this show created connections for the average American and invited them to become part of the artistic dialog,because their images appealed through accessible subject matter and to the pocketbook of the everyday person.

A fully illustrated catalogue of the show will be available in the Bruce Museum Store. A series of public programs will be offered to complement the show, including Monday morning lectures, hands-on printmaking workshops for adults and students, a program for families with toddlers and one for seniors suffering from memory loss, as well as school tours.

Lewis_Misty Night Martin Lewis (American, 1881-1962) Misty Night, Danbury, 1947 Lithograph,11 x 15 ¼” Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly ©Estate of Martin Lewis
Lewis_Misty Night
Martin Lewis (American, 1881-1962)
Misty Night, Danbury, 1947
Lithograph,11 x 15 ¼”
Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly
©Estate of Martin Lewis

About the Bruce Museum
Explore Art and Science at the Bruce Museum, located at One Museum Drive in Greenwich, Connecticut. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm; closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for students up to 22 years, $6 for seniors and free for members and children under 5 years. Individual admission is free on Tuesday. Free on-site parking is available and the Museum is accessible to individuals with disabilities. For additional information, call the Bruce Museum at (203) 869-0376 or visit the website at www.brucemuseum.org.

For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Secret of Circles at Stepping Stones Museum for Children

What do a bagel, a ball and a banana all have in common? Cut them through the center and each one has a circle inside! Circles are extremely familiar because they are simply everywhere, but why? The solution to this mystery and many others can be found by exploring Secrets of Circles, a new 2,000-square foot exhibit at Stepping Stones Museum for Children through January 5, 2014.

Circles are pretty amazing shapes. If you look around, you’ll find them in the wheels of a car, the clocks on the wall, the Frisbees you play with or the tortillas on your table. So simple, and yet so incredibly powerful, the circle is found in many places in nature and has been used in many ways by people throughout time and across cultures. But why are they so ubiquitous? What makes them the best shape for both pizza and a barrel? What other secrets can they possibly have?

Discover the secrets at Stepping Stones this fall. Explore this intriguing phenomenon with eighteen interactive, original components that place visitors at the center of experiences rich with the math, science, engineering, and beauty of circles. Whether you are drawing a perfect glow-in-the-dark circle at the Compass Table or building your own gear contraptions in Gear UP!, children and adults alike are uncovering the properties of a simple shape with powerful applications.

Circles are one of the first shapes that very young children learn to identify. As children get older, studying circles helps them understand basic STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) concepts. The exhibit is not only educational, but provides hands-on activities that are really fun for children and families.

Secrets of Circles is designed to intrigue a wide range of ages, as well as visitors from different backgrounds. Signage is tri-lingual, (English, Spanish, and Vietnamese) and spaces are wheelchair accessible. The rich colors, beautiful bamboo plywood, eco-friendly building materials, and cultural and historical artifacts within the exhibit represent people and circles from around the world and over time. The exhibit will inspire many questions and encourage further investigation.

Visit Secrets of Circles and your world will suddenly be transformed into a delicious puzzle for your investigation. After all, circles are everywhere, and each circle has a secret for you to uncover!

ABOUT STEPPING STONES MUSUEM FOR CHILDREN

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. For more information about Stepping Stones, to book a field trip or schedule a class, workshop or facility rental call 203-899-0606 or visit http://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is located at 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT, exit 14 North and 15 South off I-95. Museum hours are: Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday-Sunday from 10 am-5 pm; and Labor Day through Memorial Day, Tuesday—Sunday and holiday Mondays from 10 am-5pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free. To learn more visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org or call 203 899 0606.

Halloween Naturally…..

Pumpkin_Express (1)

On October 27, Bridgeport’s Beardsley Zoo located on 1875 Noble Ave., is hosting a spooktacular afternoon that includes harvest hayrides and many other seasonal enjoyments from 12:00pm – 3:00pm. Special scarecrows are guaranteed to delight and fright all visitors to the Zoo adding a ghoulish flair. Make sure you are on hand to congratulate the winner of this years scarecrow contest…a perfect photo opportunity. Best of all, if you’re under 12, in costume, and are accompanied by a paying adult, you get in to the Zoo for FREE! http://beardsleyzoo.org

Stamford’s Heckscher Farm
Stamford’s Heckscher Farm

Stamford’s Heckscher Farm, at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center on 39 Scofieldtown Rd., is hosting the annual ICK Fest on October 27 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Children of all ages are invited to don their Halloween costume and head up to Heckscher Farm to trick or treat with their favorite farm friends! Be sure to grab a map and head off in search of different “treats” at the trick or treating stations around Heckscher Farm. See what Dakota the Clydesdale, the farm’s calves Moose and Monty, and the farms new little piglets have to offer. Then, celebrate all things creepy and crawly at the annual “Ick Fest” at the Overbrook Nature Center building where you can visit with the center’s snakes, tarantulas, lizards, worms and other animals! Don’t miss the slime table! Activities of the day include making bats and spiders and even a photo opportunity with one of the center’s snakes. Don’t forget your treat bag. Members: FREE| Non-Members: FREE with gate admission. http://stamfordmuseum.org

RR Museum of New England
RR Museum of New England

All Aboard

Once again this year, the festively decorated Railroad Museum of New England in Thomaston is scheduling Halloween Weekend train rides on its vintage trains on Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 27 at Noon and 2:00 PM from Thomaston Station. Take a ride to the Pumpkin Patch aboard the Naugatuck Railroad, costumes welcome! During the ride, you may stretch your legs and choose your pumpkin in the Naugy’s own pumpkin patch, one per child as long as the supply lasts. Re-board the train for a fun and scenic one hour and 15 minute train ride that runs along the Naugatuck River south to Waterbury and north to spectacular Thomaston Dam amid splendid fall foliage across the Litchfield Hills. (860-283-7245; www.rmne.org.

Small Town Fun

The 20th Annual Halloween on the Green in Danbury will take place on Saturday, October 26 from 2 pm to 4pm with a Costume Parade scheduled for 3:30 pm. Prizes will be awarded for Most Original, Scariest, Cutest and Funniest get-ups. Children will have their own costume parade and games. There will be a special goody bad for the first 500 costumed children. (203-792-1711; www.citycenterdanbury.com).

The New Cannan Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the annual Halloween Parade, on October 27 at 12 -noon rain or shine. Kids are invited to meet at 12 p.m, in the Park Street Parking Lot where goodie bags will be given out at this free event until they run out! At 1 p.m. children are invited to participate in the 32nd. Annual Halloween Parade that loops down Elm Street to Main Street and back. Vehicular traffic is closed for this fun-filled event.

Plymouth Lit up!
Plymouth Lit up!

On October 26, Rain date Oct. 27, Plymouth is holding a PumpkinFest on the Green, 10 Park Street from 4 to 7 p.m. Bring your carved jack-o-lantern to enter the carving contest prizes will be awarded. At 6 p.m. all the pumpkins will be lit for a spectacular display. Other event activities include face painting, live music, lantern tours of the old burying ground and a costume parade led by a bagpiper.

Everyone is invited to join the 37th Annual Kent Pumpkin Run on October 27th. The festivities begin with a Kids Fun Run at 11:15 AM followed by the 5 mile run / walk at noon. The spectator friendly certified course starts and finishes at Kent Green in front of Town Hall. Festivities include music, refreshments (including Billy’s famous Pumpkin Soup!), face painting, Halloween fun and much more.

Vanishing America at the Sharon Historical Society

The Sharon Historical Society, located in the Litchfield Hills of northwest Connecticut is hosting an art exhibit by Jeffrey L. Neumann titled Vanishing America: The Disappearing Commercial Landscape of the 20th Century through October 25.

Painting By Jeffrey L. Neumann
Painting By Jeffrey L. Neumann

This exhibit is a celebration of the exuberance and independent spirit of life in post WWII America tempered by the inexorable march of time. With a focus on the mom and pop eating establishments, motels and movie theaters of roadside America, Neumann’s paintings take the viewer on journey down the two-lane highways of the twentieth century. They allow us to experience a part of our past that is being rapidly replaced by the widespread influence of corporate conformity.

The cultural and anthropological aspect of Neumann’s work is balanced by his uniquely personal vision. The artist, born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1953 and currently residing in Copake, NY, cannot be considered a regional painter. The subjects of his oil and watercolor paintings come from all across the nation. They are influenced by Neumann’s childhood years living in New Mexico and California and his numerous trips on Route 66 in the back of the family station wagon. His work is noted as finding profound meaning in places often overlooked.

On October 13 at 3 p.m. there will be a gallery walk and talk with the artist.

Running concurrently with Neumann’s Vanishing America exhibit in The Gallery @the SHS, the Sharon Historical Society & Museum will present Now you see it…in the exhibit galleries. This exhibit will take its audience backwards in time, challenging the viewer to use objects and images that are familiar today as a roadmap to the past. Focusing primarily on the changes that have occurred in town from 1850 to the present day, visitors will be confronted with familiar scenes, such as the Sharon War Memorial, the Sharon Fire Department, Mudge Pond Beach, the Sharon Valley Tavern, Sharon Hospital and the Sharon Center School, and with the help of objects from the museum collection, will be transported back in time to pivotal junctures in the town’s development.

About the Sharon Historical Society
The Sharon Historical Society and Museum is located at 18 Main Street, Sharon, Connecticut 06069. For more information, call 860-364-5688 or visit www.sharonhist.org. Museum Hours are Wednesday & Saturday from 10AM – 2PM, Thursday & Friday from 10AM – 4PM and by appointment.

For information on Litchfield Hills visit www.litchfieldhills.com

27th Annual Antiques Show in Litchfield Hills – Washington CT

The 2013 Washington Connecticut Antiques Show will take place October 4-6, opening at Washington Primary School with the traditional Preview Night cocktail party on Friday from 6:30 to 9:00pm. Cellist Mary Costanza will serenade guests during this opportunity for advance buying and browsing from an impressive assortment of exceptional antiques and contemporary collectibles.

The following evening, the Collectors Party will be held – Saturday, October 5 from 6:30 to 9:00pm. Visitors will enjoy browsing while listening to the smooth sounds of The Kerry Linder Brazilian Jazz Trio in an alluring setting of curated treasures and modern curiosities from around the world.

Reservations for the Friday and Saturday evening parties are highly recommended and can be made by visiting www.gunnlibrary.org. Entrance to each party begins at $125 per person. Daytime show hours are Saturday, October 5, 10am to 3pm and Sunday, October 6, 11am to 3pm. Daily admission to the show is $10, payable at the door. For additional information, please contact the Gunn Memorial Library at 860-868-7586 or email gunndevelopment@biblio.org.

Founded in 1985, the Washington Annual Antiques Show consistently draws dealers of the highest quality and offers diverse furnishings and decorative arts for both the period and modern home. The show features 21 dealers from the east coast. Visitors will find larger furnishings, works of art, exquisite jewelry, intimate furniture and decorative accessories.

This year the exhibitors includes:
Behnke Doherty Gallery
Washington, CT
www.behnkedoherty.com

Brad Reh Fine Estate Jewelry
Southampton, NY
www.bradreh.com

Brennan & Mouilleseaux
Northfield, CT
www.antiqueseclectic.com

C.M. Leonard Antiques
South Salem, NY

The Cooley Gallery
Old Lyme, CT
www.cooleygallery.com

Dallas Boesendahl
New York, NY

Donald Rich Antiques
New Canaan, CT

Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge
White Plains, NY
www.vandekar.com

Eckert Fine Art
Millerton, NY
www.eckertfineart.com

Embellish Antiques
Chapel Hill, NC
www.embellishantiques.com

George Champion Modern Shop
Woodbury, CT

KMR Arts
Washington Depot, CT
www.kmrarts.com

Melody Rodgers
New York, NY
www.melodyrodgers.com

Mountain Thistle Antiques
Waynesboro, VA
www.rubylane.com/shops/
www.mountainthistleantiques

Nemati Collection
New York, NY & New Preston, CT
www.nematicollection.com

Nula Thanhauser
East Hampton, NY
www.nulathanhauser.com

Ober Gallery
Kent, CT
www.obergallery.com

R.M. Barokh, Inc.
Bethlehem, CT
www.rmbarokhantiques.com

Roberto Freitas American Antiques
& Decorative Arts
Stonington, CT
www.robertofreitas.com

R.T. Facts
Kent, CT
www.rtfacts.com

Vintage Poster Art
Monroe Township, NJ
www.trocadero.com/vintagepa

The Museum’s current exhibit, “Coming to America: Washington’s Swedish Immigrants,” will be open to visitors free of charge Saturday and Sunday October 5 & 6 and features photographs and artifacts from its collection, on loan from descendants, and from local dealers Dawn Hill Antiques and Eleish van Breems Antiques. Rhonda Eleish and Edie van Breems, noted Scandinavian style experts, will present the lecture “The Elements of Swedish Style” and sign copies of their new book Reflections on Swedish Interiors on Sunday, October 6, at 1pm in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Memorial Library.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com