Crafting and Image - Trading Posts and Native American Art Virtual Program November 28

The Institute for American Indian Studies is hosting a special virtual program on Saturday, November 28 at 4:30 p.m. centered around the Institute's new temporary exhibition, Crafting an Image. The Zoom program will kick off with a tour of the new exhibit with Curator, Paul Wegner who will delve into the history of some of the artifacts on display. To register for this event click here.

The new exhibition centers on trading posts as marketplaces where people could go to purchase a myriad of items, from furs to food to rugs. They were a quintessential part of Native trade in the 20th century, particularly when it came to Native art. They shaped the projects of many artists and artisans, urging them to create for the wider American public in ways that they hadn’t done previously.  This exhibition focuses on what happened to these trading posts, and, more importantly, what happened to Native arts as a result?

A highlight of the program will be a live discussion with managers of the Cameron Trade Post in Arizona about the importance of trade posts to Native American Art throughout the post's long history. This historic trading post was established in 1911  by two brothers. At that time the trading post was visited by the Navajo and Hopi locals to barter their wool blankets and livestock for dry goods.  Cameron Trading Post has existed for more than a century and people that work here have done so for generations making their perspectives and insights fascinating.

In addition to the live discussion, there will be the chance to listen to a previously recorded interview with Kwagu’l (Kwakwaka’wakw) artist Calvin Hunt about his work, his family legacy, and the importance of art to indigenous peoples throughout the Americas. This interview is part of IAIS's Native Artist Series, co-sponsored by the Connecticut Community Foundation, which features interviews and lectures by Native artists beginning November 21, 2020. 

About the Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT

Sign Up for a Lantern Tour in Torrington on December 5, 2020

The Mayor’s “Christmastime in Torrington” committee and the Torrington Historical Society will present a series of eight, 45 minutes long, Holiday Lantern Tours of downtown Torrington on Saturday, December 5th.

Each tour is limited to eight persons and the tours will start every 15 minutes from 5 pm to 6:45 pm. Registration is required and admission is $3 per person. To register for a tour, visit www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org/lanterntour. Tours will begin at the Torrington Historical Society, 192 Main Street and will end on lower East Main Street. Join in the holiday spirit by bringing your own lantern or flashlight to carry on the tour. Face masks and social distancing are required. Holiday tours will include information about the historical buildings on Main Street and the fascinating story of Torrington’s first Christmas tree. Under the Warner marquee, Dick Terhune will present Marley's ghost scene from his one-man show “A Christmas Carol." Several featured storefronts will have displays of vintage toys, clothing, and household goods from the 1950s that would have been available for purchase at that time in Main Street department stores.

All proceeds from the tours will support the city’s “Christmastime in Torrington” celebration. In case of inclement weather the lantern tours will be rescheduled for Sunday, December 6th at the same times. For more information contact Mayor Elinor Carbone 860- 489-2228 or Mark McEachern at Torrington Historical Society, 860-482-8260.

Enter the Warner Theatre's Gingerbread House Contest!

 

In the spirit of the festive winter season, Torrington's Warner Theater is welcoming young baking artists between the ages of 8-17 to put their creative hats on and enter our first-ever Warner Community Gingerbread House Contest!  To enter/participate, baking artists between the ages of 8-17 must design, build, and decorate your own gingerbread house/building/setting and submit a short video (45 seconds or less) of you showing off your creation and explaining why you chose your design and what it means to you. The winners’ entries will be featured on our Facebook page and in our e-Newsletter!  Register to enter by Tuesday, December 1 by emailing your name, age, and town to Isabel Carrington at icarrington@warnertheatre.org. Once registered, completed video entries via email must be received by Tuesday, December 15.  Most creative/unique design(s) will win! For more info email icarrington@warnertheatre.org. Happy Holidays to all!

About the Warner Theatre

Built by Warner Brothers Studios and opened in 1931 as a movie palace (1,772 seats), the Warner Theatre was described then as "Connecticut's Most Beautiful Theatre." Damaged extensively in a flood, the Warner was slated for demolition in the early 1980s until the non-profit Northwest Connecticut Association for the Arts (NCAA) was founded and purchased the theatre. The Warner reopened as a performing arts center in 1983, and restoration of the main lobbies and auditorium was completed in November 2002. In 2008, the new 50,000 square foot Carole and Ray Neag Performing Arts Center, which houses a 300 seat studio theatre, 200 seat restaurant, and expansive school for the arts, was completed. Today, Warner is in operation year-round with more than 160 performances and 100,000 patrons passing through its doors each season. Over 10,000 students, pre K-adult, participate in arts education programs and classes. Together, with the support of the community, Warner has raised close to $17 million to revitalize its facilities. NCAA's mission is to preserve the Warner Theatre as an historic landmark, enhance its reputation as a center of artistic excellence and a focal point of community involvement, and satisfy the diverse cultural needs of the region. To learn more about the Warner Theatre, visit our website: