Tag: New England

Caroline’s Enchanted Garden: Fairy & Wizard Festival in Litchfield Hills

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Connecticut Landmarks’ Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden located on 9 Main Street in the scenic village of Bethlehem in the heart of the Litchfield Hills will host the fourth annual Caroline’s Enchanted Garden: Fairy & Wizard Festival, on Saturday, May 11th, from 1 to 4 pm.

Children and families can participate in many magical activities offered at this unique festival for kids. One popular activity is for kids to make a basket fairy house out of all natural materials including bark, leaves, twigs, pine cones, and moss to create a charming little home that any fairy would be pleased to move in to. Kids can bring the fairy house home as a souvenir or find a place for it in the Fairy Village to remain throughout the summer on the grounds of the Bellamy-Ferriday Gardens. Another activity for kids is to follow the trail of fairy house’s & woodland creatures made by staff and volunteers to the Fairy Village. Materials will also be available in the Fairy Village to make a fairy dwelling to stay on the property.

Fairy Castle
Fairy Castle

Back by popular demand, Cyril May, the Resourcerer and Director of Yale Recycling, will incorporate magic into a program that teaches children about the value of preserving open space using fairy and animal stories. He will tell tales while performing tricks around the Bellamy- Ferriday grounds, and give a Recycling is Magic show.

Other activities include a Garden Wizard offering children the opportunity to pot a small plant for Mother’s Day, a strolling musician, story reader and puppeteer Sue Meister, pony rides with Joan Coogan of Watertown’s Pony Tales and a game circle. Children are encouraged to come in fairy and wizard costume, and kids of all ages are invited to participate in hands-on craft activities, including making fairy wands out of apple tree suckers from the Ferriday orchard and creating wizard hats. The afternoon will conclude with a fairy and wizard parade around the Bellamy-Ferriday grounds.

Admission is $5 per person; $20 families/$15 CTL Member families. http://www.ctlandmarks.org/?page=bellamy-ferriday-house-garden. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

About the Bellamy Ferriday House and Garden

The Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, located at 9 Main Street North, Bethlehem is open May through October. Hours are as follows: May – September, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 12 – 4pm; October, Saturday & Sunday 12 – 4pm. Open on Monday Holidays: Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day. Admission is $7 for adults; $6 for students, teachers and seniors; $4 for children age 6-18; children under 6 and Connecticut Landmarks’ members are free. Families, 2 adults with children, are $15; groups of 10 or more are $5 each. For school groups and special curriculum-based programming, to reserve tours for groups of 10 or more, or to rent the facility, please call the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden at (203) 266-7596.

Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden embodies the dramatically different passions of two extraordinary individuals. Bethlehem pastor Rev. Joseph Bellamy, a renowned leader of the Great Awakening, the emotional religious revival of the 1740s, built the house around 1754. In 1912, New Yorkers Henry and Eliza Ferriday acquired it as a summer residence. Mrs. Ferriday and her daughter, Caroline, designed a formal garden which today features historic-style roses, peonies, and lilacs. The Ferriday’s other landscape improvements make the site a destination for gardeners. Caroline, an actress, conservationist and philanthropist, deeded the property and furnishings to Connecticut Landmarks on her death.

About Connecticut Landmarks
Founded in 1936, Connecticut Landmarks is the largest state-wide heritage museum organization in Connecticut. The historic landmark properties include: the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, Bethlehem; the Butler-McCook House & Garden and Main Street History Center, Hartford; the Buttolph-Williams House, Wethersfield; the Hempsted Houses, New London; the Isham-Terry House, Hartford; the Nathan Hale Homestead, Coventry; and the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden, Suffield.

Connecticut Landmarks’ mission is to inspire interest and encourage learning about the American past by preserving selected historic properties, collections and stories and presenting programs that meaningfully engage the public and our communities. For more information, please visit www.ctlandmarks.org.

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Impressions of Light at Weir Farm in Litchfield Hills

Black Birds Over Weir Farm
Black Birds Over Weir Farm

Weir Farm National Historic Site located in Wilton and Ridgefield is hosting an art show through July 7 called Impressions of Light that features the work of modern-day American Impressionist Dmitri Wright of Greenwich, CT.

This exhibition, Impressions of Light, includes paintings inspired by Weir Farm and by Wright’s plein air experiences. Wright has a long history with Weir Farm National Historic Site, having led the park’s Impressionist Painting Workshops since 2009 as Master Artist/Instructor. Continuing in the vein of Weir Farm’s first American Impressionists, Mr. Wright’s pieces for this exhibit were drawn “full-scale on location” in order express what is happening…behind nature.

In this show, Wright tries to communicate his visual experiences of how light changes the way matter appears and how refracted light affects color. As Master Artist and Instructor at Weir Farm, Wright seeks to help others fulfill their unique gifts through the creative process, by helping them connect with their natural ability and the technical knowledge of their chosen school or schools of art.

There will be a gallery talk on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m. when Wright will discuss the challenges and rewards of plein air painting. He will use Weir Farm National Historic Site’s unique setting to discuss the history behind, and future of, American Impressionism. Participation in these gallery talks is free, but space is limited and registration is required. To register or for more information, please call (203) 834-1896 ext. 28.

The exhibit can be viewed in the Burlingham House Visitor Center Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

About Weir Farm National Historic Site
Weir Farm National Historic Site, the only National Park Service site dedicated to American painting, was home to three generations of American artists including Julian Alden Weir, a leading figure in American art and the development of American Impressionism. Today, the 60-acre park, 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.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

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Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum Announces New Season’s Events

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will reopen its doors in April for an eventful Spring season. This season, the Mansion will highlight Victorian era technology, a cutting-edge art movement called Steampunk, and a nod to the Mansion’s beginnings with its annual Victorian Tea.

Lookwood Mathews Mansion
Lookwood Mathews Mansion

The Mansion will kick off the season with an Opening Night Gala & Exhibitions Preview on April 13, 2013 at 7:00pm. This black tie dinner will allow guests a sneak peak of the Mansion’s two new exhibits, What Is It? Technologies and Discoveries of the Victorian Era and Steampunk: Nature & Machine. The Gala includes a special presentation by history of technology luminary Steven Lubar, Professor of the Departments of American Studies, History, and History of Art and Architecture at Brown University.

What Is It? Technologies and Discoveries of the Victorian Era features 19th century technological and scientific marvels of the Mansion’s heyday that revolutionized the way people lived. The exhibit is made possible thanks to a grant from the Connecticut Humanities (CTH), a non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities that funds, creates and collaborates on hundreds of cultural programs across Connecticut each year. CTH brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to express, share and explore ideas in thoughtful and productive ways. From local discussion groups to major exhibitions on important historical events, CTH programs engage, enlighten and educate. Learn more by visiting http://www.cthumanities.org. The exhibit opens to the public on April 17th and runs through October 6, 2013.

Herter Brothers Furniture LMM

Also in April, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum presents an exciting short-term exhibit, Steampunk: Nature & Machine. At this, the first Steampunk exhibit in Fairfield County, visitors will catch a view of this bold new style, a neo-retro aesthetic that borrows imagery from the Industrial Revolution and Victorian eras and has influenced everything from literature and product design to fashion and fine art. The exhibit will feature the art of renowned Steampunk artists Bruce Rosenbaum, Katie Shima and Leslie Mueller. There will be an opening reception on April 25, from 6:00 – 8:00pm. The exhibit runs until June 15.

Rounding out the 2013 spring season is the Mansion’s Victorian Tea on Sunday, May 5 at 2:00pm. The family-friendly event features a formal English tea in the Mansion’s Rotunda, including a wide selection of desserts, sandwiches, the traditional scones and cream, as well as music and other entertainment. The Tea is sponsored by Cottages & Gardens Publications and King Industries.

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The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark located at 295 West Avenue in Norwalk. Tours will begin in April and are offered Wednesdays through Sundays, at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.

For more information on tours and programs, visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799. For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

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Concerts at Keeler Tavern

The Louise McKeon Chamber Music Concerts will return to the Keeler Tavern Museum, (http://keelertavernmuseum.org) located at 132 Main Street in Ridgefield on Sunday April, 14th at 3 PM . The first concert of the season will feature Threeds, an oboe trio based in New York City. The trio includes oboists Kathy Halvorson, Katie Schele and Mark Snyder. Formed in 2008, the trio enjoys creating new paths for the oboe and English horn.

keeler tavern

The ensemble plays their own arrangements of pop, rock, jazz, folk and world music while using improvisational techniques. A special guest of Threeds at this concert will be Christof Knoche who plays the bass clarinet. Threeds has also arranged music to accompany local singer-song writers and has recorded at Avatar Studios and Daytone Records.

One of the founding principles of Threeds is to make the oboe an instrument more accessible to the general public by bringing their music out of the concert hall to bars, galleries and other public places that include sites from Joe’s Pub to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Recently, the trio was invited (by audition) to participate in MTA’s Music under NY where they will play in the New York subway.

Over the last few years Threeds have performed in Los Angeles, Providence, Philadelphia, Cape May as well as at the New York and Arizona Summer Music Festivals. The trio is composed of accomplished musicians that have performed with many prestigious orchestras, including Broadway Shows and Emmy nominated independent film tracks. In addition to the trio, the artists of the trio have taught at WestConn University, C. W. Post, Rudolph Steiner School, and the Brooklyn Conservatory among others.

Tickets at the door are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students, and $10 children under 12 years. Members of the audience are invited to enjoy conversation with the musicians following the concert. Light refreshments will be provided

The final performance of the 2012-2013 season on Sunday May 19th at 3 PM will feature the Devonshire Players, a string quarter.

For area information www.visitwesternct.com or www.litchfieldhills.com

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The Beauty of Botanical Illustrations in Litchfield Hills

Betsy Rogers-Knox has been drawing and painting since childhood. Her interest in botanical illustration began in Boulder, Colorado where she worked for a botanist and learned by close observation to appreciate the intricate beauty of Colorado wildflowers. This interest led her to the botanical illustration program at the New York Botanical Garden. Her final project included paintings of historic plants from the gardens of the Bellamy Ferriday House in Bethlehem, Connecticut.

Betsy_R-Knox-_Cherry

Betsy is enchanted by the full lifecycle of the plants she portrays in watercolor, and typically observes a plant for a full year before beginning a composition. Published work includes cover designs for Herb Quarterly magazine, the illustrations for the bookHerbs, Leaves of Magic and White Flower Farm’s catalog, as well as over thirty greeting card designs internationally distributed by Renaissance Greeting Card Company and Sunrise Publications.

Betsy_R-Knox-Common_Mullein

She has exhibited extensively including the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., London’s Kew Gardens, the Horticultural Society of New York, and the New York Botanical Garden. In April 2013 she will show several works at the Royal Horticultural Show in London. Betsy also teaches drawing and watercolor painting to both adults and children from her studio in Bethlehem. Her website is www.betsyrogersknox.com.

Betsy_R-Knox-_Indian_Corn

A selection of the work of Betsy Rogers Knox will appear in the Gallery of the Oliver Wolcott Library located on 160 South Street, Litchfield, CT. through April 26 2013. For more information call 860-567-8030. or visit www.owlibrary.org. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

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The Artist in Venice at Darren Winston, Bookseller

On Saturday, April 6, from 2 to 4 p.m., bookseller and gallerist Darren Winston located in Sharon Connecticut in the Litchfield Hills will host a reading and book-signing by Adam Van Doren to celebrate the publication of The Artist in Venice, at Darren Winston, Bookseller (81 Main Street, Sharon, Connecticut). A selection of paintings by Van Doren, including pieces featured in the book, will be on display from April 2–28.

Van Doren’s new book showcases not only his virtuosity as a painter but also his writing talent. He first went to Venice to paint in 1986, to escape the “barren and cheerless” New York winter. He left as an architecture student and came back a painter—and “Venice was responsible.” The Artist in Venice presents twenty-five glorious watercolor paintings of that city, accompanied by sketches, maps, and the artist’s insightful narrative and history.

In the introduction to the book, the writer Simon Winchester observes: “Adam Van Doren has a way with light. His painterly calling-card is, in its essence, illumination. It is opalescence, iridescence, brilliance.” Publisher’s Weekly says of the book: “Architect and artist Van Doren offers a love letter to Venice in this elegant and slender volume, and he sings his praise to the city through majestic prose and 25 beautiful watercolor paintings.”

Adam Van Doren was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1962 and is of the distinguished New York literary and artistic family that includes his grandfather Mark Van Doren—the Pulitzer Prize–winning poet and celebrated Columbia professor—and his great-uncle Carl Van Doren, the Pulitzer Prize–winning historian. His great-aunt Irita Van Doren was the editor of the Books section of The Herald Tribune for forty years, and his grandmother Dorothy Van Doren was a novelist and editor at The Nation. His mother is a painter and was integral in cultivating his artistic sensibilities.

Van Doren studied at Columbia University and the National Academy of Design. He has exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., among other institutions, and his work is included in the Art Institute of Chicago, the Princeton University Art Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts (Houston), the Yale University Art Gallery, The Addison Gallery of American Art, and The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of American Art, among others. Van Doren has been a Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome and an instructor at the Institute of Classical Architecture in New York. He is an Associate Fellow and former Lustman Fund Lecturer at Yale University. He maintains a studio in Manhattan, where he exhibits annually.

Although he was raised in New York, Van Doren and his family have deep connections to the Litchfield Hills in northwest Connecticut. While growing up he spent summers in Cornwall Hollow on the old farm owned by his grandparents, and now he splits his time between that property (in a new house he designed and had built there) and his home in Manhattan. In a recent interview he remembered stories of how his grandfather and uncle had to travel from Manhattan for five hours in a Model-T to reach the farm in Connecticut. “I can only imagine what it was like,” he said. “It might have meant they didn’t come up too often. They went for the summer and stayed there.” Van Doren returns to Darren Winston, Bookseller following the bookstore-gallery’s popular October 2011 exhibit of his paintings, which garnered favorable coverage in The New York Times.

For more information about Darren Winston, Bookseller, please call (860) 364-1890 or e-mail darrenwinston@gmail.com. The shop’s hours are Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment, and the website is www.darrenwinstonbookseller.com. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com.

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