Tag: New England

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

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Litchfield Jazz Fest in Litchfield Hills CT Aug. 9-11

View-of-tent-from-lawn_LJF2012_photoby-NathanTurner

Litchfield Jazz Festival marks its 18h season August 9 – 11, 2013 at the Goshen Fairgrounds and is strategically timed so die –hard jazz lovers can attend both the Litchfield and Newport Festivals. The Festival has tent and lawn seating and adjacent, free parking.

The Litchfield Jazz Festival opens Friday evening, August 9, with a Gala for “Friends” ($150) and “Best Friends” ($350 for the Gala and VIP all weekend). Music at this gala event is provided by some of the most outstanding students of Litchfield Jazz Camp. Tickets to this gala help support the Jazz Camp’s scholarship program. The Gala will be followed by two sets on the Mainstage. The first at 7:45 is the Emmet Cohen Trio and includes a pianist, who recently took 3rd place in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Piano competition. The second set includes the multi-Tony Award Winner Christine Ebersole, who teams up with virtuoso jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein and his Trio. The Festival grounds open 5:00 PM and all festivities and music wrap up at 10:15.

Ebersole and Weinstein
Ebersole and Weinstein

On Saturday, August 10 at Noon (grounds open at 11 a.m.) the remarkable Flamenco guitarist Val Ramos and his ensemble brings his Rhumba Flamenco – the Spanish jazz-equivalent– to the Fest for the first time. Next up at 1:45 p.m., the Fest presents its first foray into Gospel with the iconic bassist Avery Sharpe presenting Gospel Explosion & Sacred Songs, a program featuring Sharpe’s Trio with Yoron Israel on drums and Onaje Allen Gumbs, piano, and members of his Extended Family Choir and the Williams College Gospel Choir which Sharpe directs.
The Gospel set will be followed by Gary Smulyan’s Baritone Summit, a six-time Grammy winner and Festival Artist-in-Residence joins forces with Claire Daly, Lauren Sevian and Andrew Hadro for a smashing Bari Quartet backed by a rhythm section with Helen Sung on piano, Matt Wilson on drums, and Jon Michel on bass. The next set stars college linebacker-turned Grammy-nominated vocalist, Gregory Porter who took the festival world by storm last season with his acclaimed performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. The day ends on an upbeat with the 9-time Grammy Winner and newest NEA Jazz Master, the great Latin bandleader and pianist Eddie Palmieri and his Latin Jazz Band. Palmieri has been a giant on the jazz scene for more than 50 years, and his vigor is undiminished.

Eddie Palmieri
Eddie Palmieri

On Sunday, August 11, the Fest opens at Noon, with the exciting Orrin Evans Trio. Next up is, vocalist June Bisantz discovered early last year by the Festival’s Founder and Artistic Director, Vita Muir at Hartford’s hippest series, Music @ Japanalia. June makes her Litchfield debut with Music Director Alex Nachimofsky on piano, Norman Johnson on guitar, Gabor Viragh on trumpet and Matt Dwonszyk on bass in a tribute to the late, great trumpeter/vocalist, Chet Baker.
It has been five years since Litchfield Jazz Camp Music Director, saxophonist Don Braden, has graced the Festival Mainstage as a leader. So this year, he’s back again with an all-star band. His quartet features special guest Geri Allen on piano, Avery Sharpe on bass, and Alvin Atkinson.

At 5:30 just back from a European tour, the Vincent Herring-Eric Alexander Quintet will delight the audience with a set titled “In the Spirit of Coltrane and Cannonball.” The band features Harold Mabern on piano, Joris Dudli on drums and Joris Teepe on bass.
In what seems to be becoming a tradition, Litchfield Jazz Festival 2013 closes with a rousing Latin Dance Party with the great Puerto Rican trombonist and Grammy nominated recording artist Papo Vázquez and the Mighty Pirate Troubadours.

In between Mainstage acts all weekend long, ticketholders can listen to talented Litchfield Jazz Camp students, enjoy and purchase art, craft and photography at an excellent show curated by Heron Gallery’s Ellen Corsell of Kent, CT. Picnics are welcome and fine wines and excellent lagers from East Hartford’s Olde Burnside Brewing Company may be purchased. A dozen food vendors provide excellent meals at reasonable prices. Activities designed for families with young children are scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday in the festival’s new Kids Zone. Artist-in- Residence Gary Smulyan will host interviews on both weekend days with Festival stars. On Saturday, August 10th, an after Party & Jam follows at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Southbury.

Visit www.litchfieldjazzfest.com or call 860-361-6285 for tickets and info. Tickets: Advance: $30 Lawn, $55 Tent, $150 – $500 premium tickets and passes; Multi-Day Discounted JazzPasses available. Handling fees apply. Children 12 and under free on the Lawn with an adult.
For accommodations and lodging information www.litchfieldhills.com.

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Beatles to Bach, Jazz to Rock, Summer Means Music in Litchfield HIlls and Fairfield County Connecticut.

In concert halls, outdoor plazas and on the beach, music is in the air this summer in Western Connecticut. From classical to classic rock, there’s something for everyone on the rich agenda that includes string quartets, jazz all-stars and big bands in settings from the sandy Long Island shore to the leafy Litchfield Hills.

LITCHFIELD HILLS LUMINARIES

Two of the nation’s oldest and best known chamber music festivals take place each summer in Norfolk and Falls Village in the Litchfield Hills, along with a long-established jazz festival in Goshen. Rounding out the season are a new all-day Folk Music Jamboree in Falls Village and the second Beatles Festival in Danbury, this year a benefit concert for Sandy Hook relief.

Music Shed at Norfolk Chamber Music Festival
Music Shed at Norfolk Chamber Music Festival

Music Mountain in Falls Village, Connecticut, now in its 84th season, is the nation’s oldest chamber music festival. Concerts take place in Gordon Hall, dating to 1930 and noted for its legendary acoustics. Chamber music is only part of the lure of Music Mountain. The Saturday 6:30 p.m. Twilight series features jazz, Big Band and Country bands through August 17—with dancing on a festive outdoor dance floor. This year will include the first all-day Folk Music Jamboree from 12 noon to 9 p.m. on August 24. www.musicmountain.org

The Yale School of Music on its sylvan summer campus in Norfolk presents the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. The festival celebrates its 72nd season this year through August 17 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays by six internationally esteemed string quartets, playing alongside promising students and young professionals from around the world. Norfolk’s notable roster will include the Brentano Quartet, the Emerson String Quartet, and the Tokyo String Quartet. http://music.yale.edu/norfolk

The 18th annual Litchfield Jazz Festival August 9 to 11 at the Goshen Fairgrounds will continue its tradition of showcasing jazz legends along with up-and-coming talent on its tented big stage. One of the biggest names is two-time Tony winner Christine Ebersole, who will sing with the Aaron Weinstein trio on Friday, August 9 at 9:15 p.m. See the complete line-up at www.litchfieldjazzfest.com

Jazz Fest
Jazz Fest

Danbury Fields Forever, the Beatles Music Festival takes place on Saturday, August 3, at the Ives Concert Park in Danbury from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. This second edition of the festival will present 10 bands in 10 hours, featuring tribute bands representing different eras of Beatles music. The festival will pay special tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Fab Four’s final performance at the Cavern Club in Liverpool on Aug. 3, 1963. Proceeds for this concert go to Sandy Hook relief. For other performances visit www.ivesconcertpark.com.

Ives Concert Park
Ives Concert Park

FAIRFIELD COUNTY FESTIVITIES
The parks and beaches of Fairfield County will be offering many big names on big outdoor stages in Stamford and Norwalk and a notable Rock Concert will return to Bridgeport.

Stamford’s Jazz Up series in Columbus Park will take place at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday from July 10 to August 7. Featured performers include Yankee baseball star- turned-musician, Bernie Williams, Diane Reeves, Chick Corea, and the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, a group formed by two son of the late jazz great Dave Brubeck. In case of rain, concerts will move to the Palace Theater. www.stamford-downtown.com/events

Alive at Five
Alive at Five

The Alive@Five series featuring rock and pop music takes the stage in Columbus Park at 5 p.m. on Thursdays July 11 to August 15. www.stamfordaliveatfive.com

Concerts are scheduled every Wednesday through September 4 at Norwalk’s scenic Calf Pasture Beach. The 2013 theme is Tribute Bands, with music saluting Neil Diamond, Fleetwood Mac, Sounds of the Sixties, A Salute to the 70’s, and Woodstock. Many concerts are preceded by a classic car show. Admission is free, but non-residents pay a $5 parking fee. www.norwalkct.org

calf pasture beach island lighthouser (1 of 1)

Rock fans will gather from near and far (many with tents and campers) for the 18th, Gathering of the Vibes set for July 25 to 28 in Bridgeport’s Seaside Park. The festival began as a memorial party saluting the Grateful Dead and the good vibes and non-stop music on two stages goes on. www.gatheringofthevibes.com

For more information on summer events and restaurants and lodging in the area, contact the Western Connecticut Visitors Bureau, PO Box 968, Litchfield, CT 06759, (860) 567-4506, or visit their web site at www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com or www.litchfieldhills.com. Ask for 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.

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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

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Bruce Museum features Durer, Rembrandt and Whistler

Joachim and the Angel ca. 1504 Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471-1528) Joachim and the Angel, ca. 1504 Woodcut From The Life of the Virgin Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly
Joachim and the Angel ca. 1504
Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471-1528) Joachim and the Angel, ca. 1504 Woodcut From The Life of the Virgin Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly

Located in Fairfield County Connecticut, the Bruce Museum located on One Museum Dr. in Greenwich is featuring prints of old masters and works from the 19th century through August 18th. This is one of the most distinguished local collections of prints that have been painstakingly assembled by Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly. The works include prints of Durer, Rembrandt and Whistler among other notable artists.

While Dr. Kelly’s collection has been comprised primarily of American 20th-century prints and prints by John James Audubon, in recent years he has also collected Old Master and 19th-century works extensively.

The Triumph of Mordecai Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669) The Triumph of Mordecai, ca. 1641 Etching and drypoint Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly
The Triumph of Mordecai
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669) The Triumph of Mordecai, ca. 1641 Etching and drypoint Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly

These encompass splendid sheets by the great German printmaker Albrecht Dürer, including a rare etching, woodcuts, and engravings of such iconic images as his Nemesis of 1502.

Dr. Kelly’s Dutch prints include several of the rare engravings after the influential Adam Elsheimer by Hendrik Goudt and no less than 28 images by the highly experimental printmaker Rembrandt van Rijn, ranging from early works of the 1630s to mature impressions from the 1650s.

Limehouse James Abbott McNeill Whistler (American, 1834-1903) Limehouse, 1859 Etching, printed in black on laid paper From “The Thames Set” Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly
Limehouse
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (American, 1834-1903) Limehouse, 1859 Etching, printed in black on laid paper From “The Thames Set” Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly

Dr. Kelly’s 18th-century holdings include sheets by the great Italian artists Canaletto and Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo and several fine sheets from Los Caprichos by the renowned Spanish artist Francisco de Goya y Lucientes.

Completing the collection is a group of etched cityscapes and figure studies by the American artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler.

Together the collection attests to the quality of some of the greatest printmakers in Western Art.

The exhibition – on view through August 18, 2013 and is accompanied by a scholarly catalog and a series of educational and public programs.

The Bruce Museum is grateful to Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly for sharing this extraordinary collection with the public.

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 on Fairfield County www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

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