Tag: Greenwich CT

Greenwich Historical Society Bike Tour of Greenwich Point June 24

Pond at Greenwich Point with Tod Mansion in Background circa 1935, Collection of Greenwich Historical Society

The Greenwich Historical Society will sponsor a “Greenwich Point History on Wheels” family bike tour on Sunday, June 24, 2012. Join them to explore the rich history of Greenwich Point and learn how an idyllic 19th century island estate (complete with private golf course), built by millionaire J. Kennedy Tod on the original 1640 Greenwich founder’s Elizabeth Neck, evolved into the fabulous recreational Town park it is today.

Participants will engage with local historians stationed throughout the park to learn about the original beachfront golf course; about the groundbreaking architect who designed the award-winning (newly restored) Innis Arden Cottage; about the humble origins of the Old Greenwich Yacht Club; about the historic “Chimes Building” uses; why the Eagle statue stands guard over the estate’s pond and much, much more. As you cycle through the tour, you’ll stop along the way to hear stories, take a closer look at some of the ruins, and see vintage photos from the Historical Society’s collection that capture snapshots from different eras. Kids will enjoy their very own scavenger hunt as part of the tour. Don’t miss the chance to learn more about this beloved fixture of the Greenwich landscape and how it evolved over time.

“Greenwich Point History on Wheels” is being held in conjunction with the “Experience the Sound” celebration co-sponsored by the Greenwich Shellfish Commission and To The Point whose aim is to expand the community’s awareness of coastal marine life, nature, outdoor recreational pursuits and the environment by showcasing local organizations .and education institutions that care for and promote them.

Participants will gather at the first parking lot on the right after entering the park. The tour is open to bike-riding singles, families and children over seven years old who are able to ride a bicycle. Bring bikes and wear bike helmets (water bottles also recommended). Tours will begin at 1:00 and 3:00 pm. Admission is free but reservations are recommended. To reserve a space, or for additional info, please call 203-869-6899, Ext. 10. For more information visit http://www.hstg.org. For regional information http://www.visitfairfieldct.com

JanetLeave a comment

Coming Full Circle: Greenwich Art Society Celebrates 100 Years at the Bruce Museum

Neapolitan Fisherboy by Carpeaux

On the occasion of its Centennial this year, the Bruce Museum is mounting an exhibition of recent and promised gifts to the permanent collection.

Featuring paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints and photographs, the show spans the ages – offering a variety of examples including the Old Masters, American paintings and Contemporary art – and reflects the diversity of taste among local collectors and supporters of the Museum.

According to Executive Director Peter Sutton, the exhibition highlights the remarkable donations received in recent years. “The Museum has benefitted from collectors who are as generous as they are discerning.”

The splendidly tranquil luminist landscape, Sunlight on Newbury Marshes, by the American 19th-century painter Martin Johnson Heade underscores the truth of this observation; as do the 19th-century European works Faun and Bacchante by William-Adolphe Bouguereau and a fine bronze sculpture of a Neapolitan Fisherboy by Jean Baptiste Carpeaux.

Gifts of Modern and Contemporary sculpture have been especially welcome and include the intimately scaled maquette by Henry Moore as well as large-scale works like Robert Rauschenberg’s Greyhound Nightmare sculpture and the promised gift of the exuberantly monumental Keith Haring sculpture Untitled (Three Dancing Figures) Version A. The fastest growing collections at the Bruce are of works on paper, which include recent donations of pieces by Signac and Cuevas, and one of O. Winston Link’s most famous photos, Hotshot Eastbound.

Sutton notes that the permanent art collection of the Bruce Museum includes more than 15,000 objects representing a wide variety of world cultures, with special strengths in American and European art. “These are essential to the many object-based educational programs offered at the Museum and serve to inspire the shows that we organize.”

Installed in the Arcade Gallery, the exhibition will be presented in two successive shows of approximately 50 objects each. The first show will be on view through July 8. The second show opens July 21.

About the Bruce Museum
Explore Art and Science at the Bruce Museum. 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. The Bruce Museum is located at One Museum Drive in Greenwich, Connecticut. For additional information, call (203 869-0376) or visit the website www.brucemuseum.org.

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“Divided Light and Color: American Impressionist Landscapes” AT The Bruce Museum Through Jan. 29

Still among the best loved of all artistic movements, Impressionism records the world with a memorable alacrity, capturing scenes with spontaneous shorthand of divided light and color. The Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, presents a new exhibition, “Divided Light and Color: American Impressionist Landscapes” that runs through January 29, 2012.
One of the greatest strengths of the Bruce Museum’s permanent collection and local private collectors’ interests is the American Impressionist landscape. This exhibition brings together two dozen fine examples of impressionist art in a show with imagery that continues to enchant and endure.

Recent acquisitions by The Bruce Museum include examples of the some of the pioneers of American Impressionism, including the distinguished painters, Theodore Robinson (1852-1896), John Henry Twachtman (1853-1902), and Childe Hassam (1859-1935).
Childe Hassam is well represented locally, with outstanding masterpieces recording his time in France and summer art excursions in New England. He is also well known for his work of the local Greenwich scene, including the Holley House, site of the famous Cos Cob Art Colony, as well as Mill Pond and railway bridge in Cos Cob.

The exhibition attests to the importance of the local Cos Cob Art Colony and its founders and instructors, such as Leonard Ochtman (1854-1934), whose house overlooked the Mianus River and whose work is extensively represented at the Bruce Museum. Second generation American Impressionists, such as Elmer Livingston MacRae (1875-1953), Founder of the America Pastel Society and the Greenwich Society of Artists is also represented. A highlight is the work of Matilda Browne (1869-1947), a local resident of Greenwich, and one of the few women artists among the early American Impressionists.


The exponents of American Impressionist landscape painting also recorded American scenery as far afield as New Hope, Pennsylvania and Carmel, California. Uniting these diverse works is a response to changes in light, a strong palette, and the carefully observed atmospheric effects so characteristic of American Impressionism.

This is a beautiful show that should not be missed by lovers of Impressionist Art.

About the Bruce Museum
Consistently voted the “Best Museum” by area media, the Bruce Museum is a regionally based, world-class institution highlighting art, science and natural history in more than a dozen changing exhibitions annually. The Bruce Museum is located at 1 Museum Drive in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. General admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, and free for children under five and Bruce Museum members. Free admission to all on Tuesdays. The Museum is located near Interstate-95, Exit 3, and a short walk from the Greenwich, CT, train station. Museum hours are: Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Mondays and major holidays. Museum exhibition tours are held Fridays at 12:30 p.m. Free, on-site parking is available. For information, call the Bruce Museum at (203) 869-0376, or visit the Bruce Museum website at www.brucemuseum.org.

JanetLeave a comment

How Do You Know A Hero ? Find Out November 13th !


On Sunday, November 13th, The Greenwich Historical Society will host a paper crafts workshop led by award-winning children’s author, illustrator and educator Timothy D. Bellavia.

The How Do You Know a Hero? workshop was designed to help kids understand the important role first responders play in daily life. This workshop is a new spin on Bellavia’s well known franchise We Are All The Same Inside® workshop in which children create individual characters with the goal of learning to recognize our common humanity while embracing diversity.

How Do You Know a Hero? will challenge boys and girls to design their very own action figures by transforming plain templates into police officers, firefighters and paramedics. Kids will deck out their heroes with uniforms, badges and other pint-sized accoutrements replicated from objects and photos showcased in the Historical Society’s current exhibition Everyday Heroes: Greenwich First Responders. They’ll then set their creations’ heroic feats against scenes from the exhibition.

The workshop is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers and will be held at 1:00, 2:30 and 4:00 pm. Please note that reservations required.

For additional information, please visit www.greenwichhistory.org or call 203-869-6899, Ext. 10.

JanetLeave a comment

Find Mothers Day Gifts That Keep Giving At Plant Sales In Connecticut’s Fairfield County

Flowers may be fine on Mothers Day, but plants that give pleasure all year may be even nicer. Best of all, consider a day out with Mom to choose her own special plant. Two exceptional plant sales at the Garden Education Center of Greenwich beginning May 7 and the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford on May 7, the day before Mothers Day, offers a day in beautiful surroundings in Connecticut’s Fairfield County and experts to help with the choices.

MAY GARDENERS’ MARKET

This is the Golden Jubilee celebration of the May Gardeners’ Market at the Greenwich Garden Education Center, located in Cos Cob. The 50th anniversary celebration will run the entire week of May 7 at this organization dedicated to promoting home horticulture. It will feature landscape designers, garden planners, noted plant, garden sculpture and furniture sellers, and floral designers all week, culminating in an extraordinary Gardener’s Market of spectacular plants on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The setting of the Center in the 91-acre Montgomery Pinetum adds to the day’s pleasures. The property, once a private estate known as Wild Acres, features over 80 species of beautiful pines. From the flagstone terrace of the Garden Center office, the view is manicured lawns ending at a reflecting pool, framed in spring with masses of tulips, daffodils and early azaleas. Peony and primrose gardens always are at their best in May. The Garden Education Center of Greenwich is located at 130 Bible Street, Cos Cob. Phone 203-869-9242 or see http://www.gecgreenwich.org for further details.

SPRING PLANT SALE

Not far away in North Stamford, the Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens will be holding its own semi-annual plant sale, on Saturday, May 7th from 8:30 a.m.-3:00p.m. Expert advice will be available to customers from Bartlett staff and Master Gardeners from the University of Connecticut. Specialty made Herb Baskets will be available for purchase just in time for Mother’s Day. Hours are seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Proceeds help support the Arboretum, another exceptional 91-acre spot for strolling. The property features the best of Connecticut’s native landscapes, with award-winning Champion trees, themed gardens, red maple wetlands and boardwalks, ten woodland walking trails, and varied wildlife. Magnolias, rhododendrons and conifers are among the specialties at the Arboretum that is conveniently reached off the Merritt Parkway Exit 35.

The Visitor Center houses a horticulture resource library, an art gallery and a plant clinic that remains open during the growing season. The Bartlett Arboretum is located at 151 Brookdale Road in Stamford. For information: 203-322-6971 or see http://www.bartlettarboretum.org.

JanetLeave a comment