Tag: CT Travel

George Geary, Award-Winning Cookbook Author, TV Food Judge and Educator to teach at the Silo Sept. 20 and 22

Do you want to learn what its like to be a Critic Judge for ABC’s “The Taste” with Anthony Bourdain – and to work on television productions like “America’s Next Best Baker” with Jeff Foxworthy, “Hells Kitchen” and many others?

Do you want to meet an award-winning world-traveling cookbook author?

Do you want to take classes with the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) 2014 Culinary Educator of the Year?

You can do all this and more at The Silo Cooking School in New Milford, CT.

Join Chef George Geary on Saturday, September 20, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., and again on Sunday, September 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Novice and experienced chefs alike will learn to prepare amazing and elegant dishes.

Silo_Exterior_440w-1

Chef Geary is passionate about cooking and sharing that passion with others. His tenth and newest book, “Hollywood Restaurants of the Gold Age,” will be the focus of Saturday’s class and will feature classic dishes including Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Sauce from Spago’s, Paul Newman’s Red Potato Salad, and Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Icing from Clifton’s.

On Sunday, September 21, participants will be “Baking with the Best.” Recipes include Mini Fruit Cheesecakes, Five-Chocolate Brownies with dusting of Bittersweet Ganache, Mini-Apple Crumb Tarts with Grated Cheese Crust, and Pucker Up Meyer Lemon Bars with Raspberries.

When not in a kitchen or television studio, George leads culinary tours of major cities in America and Europe and teaches aboard Holland America Lines.

The Silo Cooking School at Hunt Hill Farm, named “Best Cooking School” in the state by Connecticut Magazine, is located at 44 Upland Road in New Milford. Housed in a converted barn, c.1800, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places it is surrounded by hundreds of acres of open space, and active farmland, stonewalls, and woodlands. The school is part of the Smithsonian Institution affiliated Hunt Hill Farm, a non-profit organization, which provides the public with diverse opportunities to explore the culinary, musical and visual arts amid historic farm buildings and protected open space in the heart of Connecticut’s northwest corner. It is conveniently located – just 90 minutes from New York City and a short drive from Fairfield
and Hartford counties.

The cost of the class is $90 per person. Enrollment is limited. For more information and to register for the class, or to learn about other upcoming classes, call (860) 355-0300 or visit http://www.hunthillfarmtrust.org. Registration is also available at The Silo during regular business hours. 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. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m.

JanetLeave a comment

Coffeehouse at the Westport Historical Society salutes Peter Seeger

On August 29 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. join -songwriter Suzanne Sheridan and other local musicians for an evening of Civil Rights and Vietnam War protest songs in tribute to the late folk icon Pete Seeger.

Suzanne-300x199

The writer of such Sixties anthems as “If I Had a Hammer,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and “Turn, Turn, Turn,” Seeger was also an environmental activist and co-founder of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater project. He died Jan. 28 at the age of 94.

The evening kicks off with a set by Weston’s Bruce Taylor, a retired teacher and maker of string instruments who was a friend of Seeger’s. Taylor specialized in the “Seeger- style” 12- string guitar and the long-neck five-string banjo that he created just for Seeger. He and Seeger collaborated on a few songs and also performed together, usually in support of the Clearwater project.

Sheridan, who began her music career writing jingles for such companies as Pepsi, Hasbro toys and Texaco and writing music for The Electric Company and PBS television, has been traveling the world the last three years doing tributes to the music of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. In addition to Seeger’s “If I Had a Hammer,” she will perform other favorites of the Counterculture era.

Also joining the songfest will be Westport keyboardist Bob Cooper. Cooper played piano in the John Mooney Blues Band from 1978 to 1981, and keyboard for Harvey Robbins’ Doo-Wop Hall of Fame concerts from 2000 to 2009.

So, if you were wondering where all the flowers had gone back in the Sixties, or just love great music, come out to the Westport Historical Society on August 29 for an evening that combines Seeger’s songs with a bit of recent U.S. history.
Admission is $15 and reservations are recommended. Light refreshments will be served. For more information and to reserve, call (203) 222-1424.

For more information on the Westport Historical Society http://westporthistory.org.

JanetLeave a comment

Silvermine Arts Guild Faculty Exhibition and open house

Silvermine School of Art located on 1037 Silvermine Road in New Cannan celebrated its 90th birthday this year and was once again recognized in Moffly Media’s “Best of the Gold Coast” issue for best art classes for the third consecutive year. The Silvermine Galleries were also voted “best gallery” for the fourth consecutive year.

Liza_Masalimova Silvermine Pond Faculty Exhbition_2014
Liza_Masalimova Silvermine Pond Faculty Exhbition_2014

What distinguishes the Silvermine School of Art is the quality of its faculty. Acclaimed artists, many of whom are Silvermine Guild members, teach a wide range of disciplines and media from painting and drawing to metalwork.There will be an exhibit of their work in Silvermine’s Sara Victoria Hall from August 21st until September 11, 2014 with an opening reception at 6:30 pm on Thursday, August 21st.

To coincide with the Faculty Exhibition, the Silvermine Arts Center will host an open house on Sunday, September 7 from 2 to 4 pm. Visitors can tour the campus and studios, meet with faculty, see demonstrations by Silvermine faculty members, participate in hands-on activities, and register for courses and workshops.

The School of Art offers art students and working artists in-depth courses and workshops in traditional and nontraditional media. Beginners are welcome; in fact the School of Art now offers one-day workshops and evening mini-sessions for those who would like to try a Silvermine course for the first time or explore a new discipline or medium.

Some of the new classes at Silvermine include an anatomy and figure drawing class in which artists learn the structure of the body; a botanical drawing class; and an advanced stained-glass course that involves making the glass and painting onto it with enamels. One-day courses will be offered in pottery, metal sculpture, felting, and precious metal clay jewelry. In the precious metal clay workshop, students create their own crafted metal piece.

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

JanetLeave a comment

New Show at Torrington’s Five Points Gallery

Five Points Gallery, Torrington, will open a new show on August 7th which will run through September 6th. The work of four artists will be featured: Kathryn Myers, Stass Shpanin, Ebenezer Singh and Jason Wallengren. There will be an artist talk held on August 22nd at 6 pm. The public is encouraged to attend both events.

Stass Shpanin | The Last Sigh of Sleipnir | Oil on Canvas | 64 x 94 | 2013
Stass Shpanin | The Last Sigh of Sleipnir | Oil on Canvas | 64 x 94 | 2013

“Displacement”, an exhibition featuring the work of Stass Shpanin, will be the show in the East Gallery. Shpanin, a native of Azerbaijan, attended the Hartford Art School , where he graduated in 2012. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including a Fulbright scholarship. Shpanin has exhibited his work around the world and is represented in various public and private collections.

The West and TDP Galleries will showcase the work of three artists: Kathryn Myers, Ebenezer Singh and Jason Wallengren, in an exhibit titled “When Marco Polo Saw Elephants”. Myers’ paintings in gouache and oil, as well as her recent works in video, have been inspired by her interest and research on the art and culture of India. She has exhibited her work widely in the United States and India and has received numerous grants including: Fulbright Fellowships to India; Connecticut Commission on Arts and Culture grants, and the Marie Walsh Sharpe space program grants. Myers received her BA from St. Xavier College in Chicago, an MFA in painting from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and has been teaching painting and drawing at UConn since 1984.

Kathryn Myers | Ascendance | Gouache on Paper | 8 x 5 | 2013
Kathryn Myers | Ascendance | Gouache on Paper | 8 x 5 | 2013

Ebenezer Singh was born in India and studied at the Madras College of Art and at Kingston University in Surrey, U.K. He constructs images with allegorical and religious references, many of which reference several cultures. Singh has exhibited widely in galleries and India, Europe and the United States and his work is in public collections in Germany and India. He has been the recipient of grants, participated in Jason Wallengren is a conceptual artist who divides his time between Nurnberg, Germany and Connecticut. He received an MFA in Visual
Arts from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. Wallengren has exhibited in the United States and abroad.

Five Points Gallery is located at 33 Main Street, Torrington, CT. Hours are Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. The gallery is also open by appointment. For more information please visit http://www.fivepointsgallery.org.

JanetLeave a comment

History comes alive in Litchfield Connecticut this August!

The Litchfield Historical Society located on the corner of the village green and Rte. 63 south has planned a trio of events for lovers of this historic town. On August 20 for example, the Leather Iron Book Club meets at the society from 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. and will discuss this month’s book, Remembrance written by Theresa Breslin. This activity is perfect for kids 9 years or older. Remembrance is set in 1915 Scotland, and chronicles the experiences of young Red Cross nurses as they struggle with changes brought on by the Great War. Following the discussion of the book, games and crafts relating to the story will be offered. Register by August 9th to receive a copy of the book.

Tapping Reeve House & law SchoolJPG

An event not to be missed on August 23 at 10 a.m. is the walking tour of West Street, a centerpiece of Litchfield History. The walk begins at 10 a.m. at the Historical Society and is $10 for non-members. Participants will find out about the playhouse that was once on Litchfield’s West Street and learn about this bustling business center and the surrounding area. A tour guide will discuss the street’s residents, summer destinations, stores, and how the area has changed over time.

lvl2_lawschool-1

On August 29 at 6 p.m. the Historical Society is offering a lecture and guided tasting of the Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England. The lecture will take place on the lawn of the Tapping Reeve House and Law School located on 83 South Street (Rte. 63 south) and is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Corin Hirsch, award-winning food and drink writer, will be discussing about her new book “Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England.” Tippling was a common activity in colonial New England, and Hirsch has resurrected some of these delicious libations in her new publication. She will mix up drinks like flip and grog for participants to sample.

The Litchfield History Museum’s exhibit, The Lure of the Litchfield Hills through November29, 2015 explores the Colonial Revival Movement in Litchfield. This exhibit explores what was behind the Colonial Revival Movement, how the residents of Litchfield embraced their ancestral past and how the community came to look the way it does today. Visitors are invited to join in exploring his social movement that touched all aspects of American life from architecture and landscaping, to fashion, home decoration and beyond.

lvl2_museum

For more information about the Litchfield Historical Society visit www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org. For information about Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

JanetLeave a comment

Being, Nothingness and More: Roz Chast Beyond the New Yorker at the Bruce Museum

The Bruce Museum located on One Museum Dr. in Greenwich is presenting a new exhibiton of 30 works by the well known Roz Chast. A highlight of this exhibition will be examples of of Chast’s iconic work from The New Yorker magazine, as well as prints and drawings from other projects. Also on display will be tapestries and painted eggs in the pysanky tradition decorated with the artist’s signature images. The Show runs through October 19.

Roz Chast Painted Egg © Roz Chast
Roz Chast
Painted Egg
© Roz Chast

Roz was born in Flatbush Brooklyn and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her cartoons first began appearing in New York City in publications includingThe Village Voice.
Since the late 1970s, her work has been featured frequently in The New Yorker, and in 1986 her work was featured on the cover of that magazine for the first time. She has written or illustrated more than a dozen books, includingUnscientific Americans, Parallel Universes, Mondo Boxo, Proof of Life on Earth, The Four Elementsand The Party After You Left: Collected Cartoons 1995–2003 (Bloomsbury, 2004). In 2006,Theories of Everything: Selected Collected and Health-Inspected Cartoons, 1978–2006 was published, collecting most of her cartoons from The New Yorker and other periodicals.

Roz Chast Peas and Carrots Textile © Roz Chast
Roz Chast
Peas and Carrots
Textile
© Roz Chast

Her most recent book, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant (published in May), chronicles her relationship with her parents as they each approached the end of life.

The Bruce Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm, Sunday 1 pm – 5 pm, Doors close 1/2 hour before closing, and the last admission 4:30 pm. For more information about the Bruce Museum visit www.brucemuseum.org

JanetLeave a comment