A Brush With the Civil War At Weir Farm April 15

Weir Farm National Historic Site

Wilton Connecticut’s Weir Farm National Historic Site is hosting a special commemorative event on the relationship between J. Alden Weir and the Civil War on Sunday, April 15 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Weir Farm celebrates the life, artwork and artistic legacy of J. Alden Weir. What most people don’t know is that Weir and his family held deep ties to the Civil War. Born in 1852 in West Point New York, by 1861 nine year-old J. Alden Weir witnessed firsthand the escalating tensions at the U.S. Military Academy, and later watched his older brothers march off to war.

Join Park Ranger Allison Jordan for A Brush with War: The Weir Family and the Civil War, a special presentation to commemorate the Civil War sesquicentennial, and learn about the incredible connections the Weir family had to our nation’s bloodiest conflict.

Weir’s family included a Professor at West Point, a winner of the Medal of Honor, a sailor caught in the battle of Mobile Bay, a commander of the United States Colored Troops, and an artillery lieutenant whose actions at Gettysburg haunted him for the rest of his life.

There is no fee to attend A Brush with War, but registration is requited. Plenty of seating will be available. To register, or for additional information call 203-834-1896×12 or visit www.nps.gov/wefa/index.htm Weir Farm is located on 735 Nod Hill Rd. in Wilton CT.

About Weir Farm

In June of 1882, painter J. Alden Weir boarded a train from New York bound for his modest farm among the hills of Branchville, CT. Once here, Weir and his family transformed their summer retreat into a creative refuge for friends and fellow artists. After Weir, artists Mahonri Young and Sperry Andrews lived and worked here, continuing the legacy of artistic expression that still inspires today.

Weir Was here – Secret Rooms, Doors and Windows Now On Exhibit Through May 31, 2012

Stained Glass Detail Weir House

Weir Farm National Historic Site commissioned New York photographer and former Artist-in-Residence Xiomáro to create a photographic record of the interiors of the Weir House, Weir Studio, and Young Studio. The results of this photo expedition comprises the current show that is on view in the Burlingham House Visitor Center. The Center is open on Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., now through March 31, 2012 and from April 1st through May 31st, from Thursday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

All three buildings are currently empty allowing Xiomáro the chance to focus on the details of these spaces — features that might otherwise go unnoticed in a fully furnished setting. This is the first artistic collection of photographs of the building interiors in the site’s history, and captures the beauty and texture of these intimate spaces. “There is a mystery and secrecy to these relatively empty spaces,” Xiomáro explained, noting how “the same eyes and hands that created works of Impressionism also unlocked these doors and opened the shutters to take in the inspiring landscape framed by the windows.”

Weir Studio Door and Window

The selection of the images that comprise the new exhibit titled “Weir Was Here – Secret Rooms, Doors, and Windows”, offers visitors a small glimpse into the historic structures of Weir Farm while they remain closed to the public.

A special highlight of this show will be five gallery talks presented by Xiomáro from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm on January 7, February 5, March 4, April 1 and May 6. There is no fee to participate in the gallery talks, but registration is required. For more information on the exhibit, or to register for one of the gallery talks, please call (203) 834-1896 x12.

Weir House

To learn more about Xiomáro and his photography, visit www.xiomaro.com.

About Weir Farm National Historic Site

Weir Farm National Historic Site was home to three generations of American artists. Julian Alden Weir, a leading figure in American art and the development of American Impressionism, acquired the farm in 1882. After Weir, the artistic legacy was continued by his daughter, painter Dorothy Weir Young and her husband, sculptor Mahonri Young, followed by New England painters Sperry and Doris Andrews. Today, the 60-acre farm, which includes the Weir House, Weir and Young Studios, barns, gardens, and Weir Pond, is one of the nation’s finest remaining landscapes of American art. For more information about Weir Farm National Historic Site, please visit www.nps.gov/wefa or call (203)834-1896.