Friday, January 10, 2014

Little Coyote Story Hour at The Institute for American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies is located in Washington Connecticut on 38 Curtis Road was founded in 1975 as an outgrowth of local efforts to recover New England's then-largely-unknown indigenous history.  A respect for the earth and for all living things is central to Native American lifeways and this is reflected throughout this museum, which is nestled in 15 acres of woodlands and trails.



Inside, the museum exhibits present information on a spectrum of topics related to the lives and cultures of prehistoric, historic and contemporary Native Americans. Permanent exhibits include Quinnetukut: Our Homeland, Our Story; From East To West: Across Our Homelands; Digging into the Past: Archaeology in Connecticut; a Sachem's wigwam (longhouse) classroom with a beautifully painted lifeways mural; and a replicated early-1900s Northeastern reservation house room.

The Institute also presents a series of special programs throughout the year. On January 14 and January 28, the Museum is presenting "Little Coyote Story Hour" from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.  This program will introduce pre-school age children to the wonders and joy of traditional Native American stories! Why does Bear have a short tail? Who is Gluskabi and from where did his superpowers come? And why is Coyote known as a "trickster"? Kids are invited to join Janis "Four Hearts Whispering" Us of Mohawk-Shinnecock descent in a beautifully replicated 16th century indoor Sachem's house for delightful and heartwarming stories. The story hour is included with regular admission - Adults: $8, Seniors:$6 and Children: $5, members are free. 

Outdoors visitors will find a Simulated Archaeological Site, Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens, as well as a replicated 16th century Algonkian Village. The village is based upon traditional knowledge and archaeological research and is built from local natural materials. Self-guided trails let visitors explore the seasonal world of Woodland Indian peoples.

Changing exhibits and the shop's Artist's Corner round out the experience. IAIS is open seven days a week year-round. 

For more information visit www.iaismuseum.org or call 860-868-0518. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com.


Thursday, January 9, 2014

Historic Marble Dale Church Celebrates 250th Anniversary

Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church of Marble Dale, located in the township of Washington in the Litchfield Hills will launch the celebration of its 250th year on January 12, 2014, at 9:30 a.m.,with a period service based on the 1764 liturgy and congregants attired in vintage dress.

The Episcopal Church in Connecticut began with the conversion of The Reverend Solomon Palmer, pastor of the Congregational Church in Cornwall. He founded a church in 1760, and the first St. Andrew’s was built in 1765. A second church building, located adjacent to the Northville Cemetery, was used from 1793 until the present church in Marble Dale was built in 1822. This landmark brick church, at the blinking light on Route 202 in Marble Dale, is one of the earliest Gothic Revival structures in New England.

The church was built with local materials, chestnut timbers from Aspetuck sawmills, marble quarried from a nearby stone mill, and brick fired in an area kiln.

Nathaniel Wheaton, grandson of Joseph Wheaton and the founder of St. Andrews, was ordained and became the first President of Trinity College. He retired to Marble Dale where he purchased and occupied the present Rectory on Wheaton Road. He directed the addition of the Church’s transept and chancel in the 1850’s. The original Nave windows, parts of which were saved, were replaced with stained glass windows made by Tiffany in 1880.

Smaller changes were made to the building in the 1960’s, and a complete restoration was done in 1994 and 1995. St. Andrew’s is now the second oldest church building in the Town of Washington and is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

In addition to its rich architectural history, St. Andrew’s has played a pivotal role in the communities of both Marble Dale and Washington since Colonial times.

The January 12 service will give the community a rich view of life in Colonial Marble Dale, including the plain homespun clothing of the tradespeople and farmers and the richer dress of more prosperous residents. Everyone is welcome to attend the January 12 service, along with other period services and special events that will be held throughout 2014.

St. Andrew’s is located at 247 Litchfield Road, Route 202, Marble Dale, across from The White Horse Pub. There is plenty of parking on Wheaton Road. Call 860-868-2275 or  www.saintandrewsmarbledale.org for more information.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Franklin Street Works presents new art show

Franklin Street Works, www.franklinstreetworks.org presents Neuromast: Certain Uncertainty and Contemporary Art. The group exhibition explores “emergence,” the theory that says unforeseeable results happen when a system reaches a certain level of complexity. The show’s title is inspired by a very specific emergent phenomenon, “neuromast,” which is the sensory organ that allows fish to effectively behave in unison against the threat of predators. Neuromast features sculpture, videos, text-based works, photographs and more by contemporary artists, writers and theorists interested in theories of emergence.
Exhibiting artists are: Kari Altmann, Christian Bök and Micah Lexier, Ingrid Burrington, Kaye Cain-Nielsen, Mircea Cantor, David Horvitz, Brian House and Jason Rabie, Juliana Huxtable, Thilde Jensen, Carolyn Lazard, M. M. Mantua, Preemptive Media, Robert Spahr, Elizabeth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle’sSexecology collaboration, and The Waterwhisper Ilse.

The exhibition is curated by Taliesin Gilkes-Bower and Terri C Smith and is on view from December 12, 2013 through February 23, 2014. It will open with a free, public reception on Thursday December 12 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm.
With Neuromast: Certain Uncertainty and Contemporary Art, several shared themes arose among the thirty-one works, including: how culture and gender contribute to constructing identity; the dynamic between an individual’s health and the medical industry, commerce, or the natural environment; and the collection and distribution of digital information as it relates to business, personal security, and persona.
A primary inspiration of the show was a series of photographs by Thilde Jensen called The Canaries, which served as an inspiration for the exhibition. Her photographs document the lives of individuals living with heightened levels of sensitivity to the toxic chemicals and powerful electromagnetic radiation found in modern, built environments. Preemptive Media’s Air project also explores emergence and the environment. Their portable air quality measurement kits demand reflection on the proliferation of smart phones and pocket computers that do little beyond promise increased entertainment and productivity. Mircea Cantor’s video installation Deeparture juxtaposes predator and prey by placing a wolf and a deer in a typical white cube gallery space. The artist calls into question traditional narratives of danger and the inevitability of death while he simultaneously hijacks the gallery by excluding art objects and audience. With Elizabeth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle’s Sexecology project, the artists approach nature very differently, creating performative weddings that link the concept of a couple’s love to our love of the planet via inclusive, largely unscripted community events.
Neuromast also approaches personal identity as a microcosm of larger complex systems. Juliana Huxtable’s portrait series Seven Archetypes explores her process of gender transitioning through cultural expectations of performance. M. M. Mantua’s sculptures ask viewers direct questions that hint at the unequal distribution of privacy between viewer and artist while creating cognitive engagement through language. Brain House and Jason Rabie’s Facebook Portraits present identity through algorithm and data, attempting to humanize the ways in which social networks identify and classify their users. Kari Altman’s site- specific iteration of her Smart Mobility/Invisible Protection series calls into question abstract ideals of security as they relate to identity in finance and branding.
Moving out in scale to broader social phenomena, lngrid Burrington’s Center for Missed Connectionsidentifies configurations of socially and sexually disconnected people in New York City through the missed connections section of Craigslist. David Horvitz also tried to change collectively authored online information through his zine documenting the artist’s attempted removal of himself from the group-edited encyclopedia site Wikipedia. Another text-based work that involves collaboration and an unpredictable outcome is Two Equal Texts by Christian Bök and Micah Lexier. The large vinyl wall work is an elaborate anagram that consists of two texts placed on either side of a freestanding wall. One side features Lexier’s descriptive text, which outlines the terms of the collaboration; the other side hosts Christian Bök’s elegantly resolved anagram of Lexier’s original text. Kaye Cain-Nielsen’s installation Mirandafurther explores the social consequences of shared responsibility in relationship to her own experience as a potential paid egg donor to an infertile couple.

Using contemporary art as its starting point, the artists in Neuromast investigate complex systems within social, environmental, and personal fields. The exhibition shows ways in which collective small-scale actions can prevail against seemingly insurmountable odds. Writer and activist Adrienne Marie Brown adds, “Rather than laying out big strategic plans for our work, many of us have been coming together in community, in authentic relationships, and seeing what emerges from our conversations, visions and needs. …We can define emergent strategy as intentional, strong because it is decentralized, adaptive, interdependent, and creating more possibilities.” The artists in Neuromast: Certain Uncertainty and Contemporary Art join in an interdisciplinary conversation on emergence via the adaptive and generate approach Brown sites, giving us insights into the often invisible, yet shared, complex systems that pervade our everyday lives.
Franklin Street Works is located at 41 Franklin Street in downtown Stamford, Connecticut, near the UCONN campus and less than one hour from New York City via Metro North. Franklin Street Works is approximately one mile (a 15 minute walk) from the Stamford train station. On street parking is available on Franklin Street (metered until 6 pm except on Sunday), and paid parking is available nearby in a lot on Franklin Street and in the Summer Street Garage (100 Summer Street), behind Target. The art space and café are open to the public on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. with extended hours on Thursdays, 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Franklin Street Works does not charge for admission during regular gallery hours.
Franklin Street Works is a not-for-profit contemporary art space, café, and social gathering place in Stamford, Connecticut. It produces original on-site and off-site exhibitions, artist projects, and related programming. Located in renovated row houses on Franklin Street, the two-story space includes three galleries and a café. Franklin Street Works embraces innovative art and exhibition practices, a DIY attitude, and a workshop approach to its programming, audiences, and organizational structure. The activities and attitudes of the café reflect and expand on the organization’s mission as a contemporary art venue.
For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Learn the Most Embarrassing Things about George Washington Through Improv

On a one dollar bill, George Washington may appear to be an imposing figure, but did you know that he, too, was embarrassing sometimes? Join the Litchfield Historical Society in welcoming Christina Frei on Wednesday, January 8 at 3:00 pm as we explore the Top 10 Most Embarrassing Things about George Washington!


No need to sit in front of a screen on this half-day—using games, magic, and comedy improvisation, participants will learn all about our first president. Through this funny and interactive program, your kids will learn all sorts of new and embarrassing historical facts to share at the dinner table. No stage experience is necessary!

Christina Frei is a motivational youth speaker and performer from Connecticut. She uses stories about the Founding Fathers and their “Revolutionary thinking” to turn children into confident leaders. A master at storytelling, Frei has also written a book, 5 Rockstars of the American Revolution: Surprising Stories and Big Life Lessons of the Founding Fathers. She has been featured on the History Channel, the Today Show, and NBC News.

This event is open to kids ages 9 and up, and is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Registration is required—please register by Monday, January 6 for this event by calling (860) 567-4501.

The Litchfield History Museum is located at 7 South Street, Litchfield, CT. For more information about this or other programs, please call (860) 567-4501 or www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.  For area information www.litchfieldhills.com



Thursday, January 2, 2014

Stepping Stones Museum for Children Announces 2014 Around the World Program

Exposure to the world’s diverse cultures and customs provides priceless educational opportunities for our children. Through the Stepping Stone Museum for Children’s highly popular and award-winning Around the World programming, families can explore the world without leaving Norwalk through cultural programs brought to life.



The Stepping Stones Museum for Children is proud to announce the 12 Around the World “destinations” selected for each month of 2014. Frequent Around the World participants will be able to achieve “World Traveler” status and attend an exclusive end-of-the-year event in December 2014.

Since 2009, Stepping Stones has been transporting children and parents to 12 different parts of the world each year. Each month, museum guests get an extensive look at a different country’s customs through their engaging, interactive Around the World Performance Series events featuring youth performers and professional artists and musicians and their Around the World Creative Kids offering hands-on cultural craft activities.

Throughout the month, the designated country is represented on the museum’s walls with a map display and travel guide, in the Multimedia Gallery with a short film and interactive digital media floor games broadcast at various times each day and in the Family and Teacher Resource Center with the Around the World Bookshelf offering children’s books about the featured country.  School vacation weeks are dedicated to Around the World programs and include special crafts, story times and activities.

From the program’s inception, participants have been receiving a keepsake Around the World “passport” that is stamped to keep track of each destination they have “visited.”   Stepping Stones registers each child’s passport to keep track of his or her participation.  If a child “visits” at least 6 countries during the year, he or she will receive “World Traveler” status and will be invited to the special World Travelers’ event in December 2014.

Experiencing the world’s diverse cultures can be enriching and rewarding. Below is the 2014 roster of countries that will be “explored” at the Stepping Stones Museum for Children located on 303 West Avenue, exit 14N or 15S off I-95 in Norwalk.  Museum hours are Labor Day through Memorial Day, Tuesday—Sunday and holiday Mondays from 10 am-5pm; and Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday-Sunday from 10 am-5 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free. To learn more, call 203 899 0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org

2014 Around The World Performance Series Schedule:

January 18, 2014
Ballet Los Pampas – Argentina 

February 15, 2014
Soro Bindi – Ghana

March 8, 2014
Inca Son – Peru

April 19, 2014
Kahana Hula – Samoa

May 3, 2014
Rossijanochka Folk Dance Troupe – Russia

June 21, 2014
Didgequest  – Australia

July 26, 2014
Music and Dance of the Scottish Highlands – Scotland
August 16, 2014
Surcari  – Chile

September (Date TBA)
Greek Mythology – Greece

October 25, 2014
The Catskill Puppet Theater presents The Lion’s Whiskers – Ethiopia

November 8, 2014
Shane Long – United States (Native Americans)

December 13, 2014
ABBA Girlz – Sweden






Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Beardsley Zoo welcomes three new Nigerian Dwarf goats!

A special way to celebrate the New Year is to visit Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo. The Zoo welcomed a special delivery in December: Nigerian Dwarf goat triplets – two males and one female.

Their mother, “Cupcake,” is two years old and their father, “Rodney,” is a year and a half old. The baby goats, known as “kids,” are all healthy and happy. They join two additional kids, a male and a female born in early November. All five kids will be on exhibit through Spring 2014, at which time they will be transferred to their new home at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island.

Cupcakes’ kids eat hay and grains and will spend the next few months nursing. The kids are not named as of yet. Rodney is the father of all five kids. Visitors may remember that Cupcake and Peaches both gave birth to twins this past spring. Rodney was the father of those four goats, as well. All four were transferred to Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Kentucky in August.
About Nigerian Dwarf goats

Nigerian Dwarf goats are miniature dairy goats. The milk produced by these goats has higher butterfat content than their larger counterparts and tastes much sweeter. A doe (a grown female) can produce up to two quarts of sweet milk a day. Most females will grow to around 18 inches, while males can reach 23 inches. They weigh just around 75 pounds when fully grown and can be a full spectrum of colors, from black, brown, and white to spotted or striped. Bucklings (young males) may be fertile around 7 weeks of age, while mature females can breed as early as 8 months of age. These goats can breed year round as the gestation period is approximately five months.


Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is closer than you think and 362 days a year from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Adult admission (ages 12 & older) is $12.00, children (ages 3 -11) and senior admission (62 and older) is just $10.00, and children under 3 years old are free. Zoo members also are admitted free. Parking at the Zoo is free of charge. For more information www.beardsleyzoo.org