Coney Island: Visions from the Boardwalk @ Lockwood Mathews Mansion

A new exhibition titled, Coney Island: Visions from the Boardwalk by Gail Ingis-Claus will  run through Sept. 30th at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT. 

Inspired by a lifetime of loving memories of Coney Island, her playground from childhood to maturity, artist Gail Ingis-Claus depicts this landmark resort through a collection of twenty-five works, ranging from the representational to the abstract. 

Bright hues and rhythmic brushstrokes highlight this magnetic and alluring destination of American culture where dizzying, neon-colored rides on the Cyclone and swings and slides on the Wonder Wheel, evoke images and memories of a by-gone era. Ms. Ingis-Claus’ work has been exhibited throughout the region including: the Fairfield Arts Council, Lyme Association, Madison Art Society, Guilford Art League, Barnes & Noble, both Westport, CT and Paramus, NJ, among others.

The exhibit will be on view as part of LMMM’s tours, Wed.-Sun. at noon, 1, 2, and 3 p.m. General Admission: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $6 for children and young adults, ages 8-18. The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark. For more information on schedules and programs please visit: www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799. For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Dance Party and Smooth Jazz Affair @ Palace Theatre in July

As part of the Summer Jazz Series being offered by the Palace Theatre on 100 East Main St. in Waterbury, ACT Jams Productions is presenting Chris "Big Dog" Davis' Birthday Bash, an All-White Attire, Smooth Jazz Affair on July 29 at 8 p.m.  This bash will take place in the orchestra lobby, featuring chart-topping flutist Althea Rene along with vocalists Barbara Fowler and Christi Jones.

Following the concert, guests will be invited to take to the dance floor for an Old School Dance Party featuring everyone's favorite R&B, funk, house and club classics spun by the evening's host, Al "DJ ACT" Taylor from 94.3FM WYBC. Attendees are encouraged to dress in their brightest white outfits and dance the night away!

Christopher "Big Dog" Davis is a Waterbury native and two-time Grammy nominated writer and producer, who has earned ten Billboard top #1 smooth jazz records over the past eight years.

Soul Jazz Flutist Althea Rene is one the world's most exciting solo improvisational flutists and regarded by some as a "master of her craft." Her hit song "In the Flow" allowed her to become the first flute player in the history of the Billboard Chart to reach the #1 spot.

Tickets may be purchased online  and are $38.75 per person. For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Booming Winsted Book Festival with Ralph Nader

The founder of the American Museum of Tort Law, Ralph Nader  located in Winsted is presenting the Booming Winsted Book Festival on Saturday, July 30 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, July 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 414 Main St. (Rte. 44) in Winsted.  There will be more than 200 all new non- fiction books available at discounted prices in addition to five authors making an appearance to sign their books and speak.

Part of the impetus of this event was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ralph Nader's groundbreaking book, Unsafe at Any Speed.  Mr. Nader will be speaking and signing his books, Unsafe at Any Speed and his latest book, Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Allianceto Dismantle the Corporate State on Saturday, July 30 at 10 a.m.

The next speaker to take the podium at 12:30 p.m. is Patricia Klindienst, the author of  The Earth Knows My Name: Food, Culture and Sustainability in the Gardens of Ethnic Americans.  This award winning book tells the story of what ethnic gardens have meant to newcomers to our land.

At 2 p.m., Nader will be joined by Pulitzer Prize winning American historian, Eric DeWitt Clinton, Professor of History at Columbia University, who will sign his book, Gateway to Freedom: Hidden History of the Underground Railroad. David Bollier, a world-leading scholar and advocate for the Commons will take center stage at 4 p.m. to present his book, Thinking Like a Commoner.  The book reviews the idea of the old commons (public lands and airwaves) and the new commons such as tax payer funded research and development and the ownership of intellectual property via the internet and what is owned but not controlled. All the books discussed at the Festival will be sold by the Hickory Stick Bookshop at regular prices.

On July 31, Historian and Western CT State University Housatonic Valley Regional High School teacher, Peter Vermilyea, the author of the Hidden History of Litchfield County and his new nook, Wicked Litchfield County will be at the festival to talk about and sign his books.

Book lovers that  buy two books in the $5 category get one free and with every $40 purchase patrons of the festival get at $10 coupon to Noujaim's Restaurant that is next door.  For those whose combined purchases and or charitable contributions to The Law Works equal to or exceeding $500 will receive one autographed copy of the 50th anniversary commemorative edition of Unsafe at Any Speed.

Don't forget to visit, the American Museum of Tort Law, the only one of its kind in the world -- it is educational, fun and a definitely eye-opening!  And, parents, bring the kids, there is a new teachable toy exhibit created for youngsters.

For more information www.litchfieldhills.com

New Milford Village Fair Days July 29 & 30

The center of New Milford located in the scenic Litchfield Hills is noted for its long traditional village green laid out in 1872. Here you will find monuments from past wars as well as a bandstand, first built in 1891 that is a symbol of New Milford's sense of community.

You can also explore many exceptional galleries, boutiques, restaurants and antique shops that are clustered in the heart of this village. Many are located in beautifully restored 18th and 19th century homes and buildings. Town Hall, facing the Green, marks the home of one of New Milford's most illustrious citizens, Roger Sherman, the only Connecticut man whose signature is on all key documents of the founding of this nation.

On July 29 and July 30, 2016 the New Milford Green becomes a hive of activity with the many activities and family fun offered up at the 49th Annual New Milford Village Fair Days.

Organized by the Greater New Milford Chamber of Commerce, this is the largest annual event in New Milford. Hundreds of vendors including local businesses, organizations, church groups and clubs exhibit their unique offerings. If you like crafts, you won't be disappointed as many skillful crafters offer their wares.

Food is a big element of any Fair and New Milford's food vendors won't disappoint. There is even a dining tent and two days of entertainment that add to the festivities. Participants in this year's food court include: New Milford Rotary Club, Water Witch Hose Co 2, The Cookhouse, CC's Spiral Potatoes, Crab Cakes & Coconut Shrimp, Alfredo's/Colosseo Restaurants, New Milford Lions Club, Thomas's Ice Cream Truck, American Pie Company, Greek Isle and Primos Deli.

Exploring the south Green you will find a variety of businesses, organizations, church groups and clubs, while the north Green hosts master crafters. Food vendors can be found in the mid-section of the Green where fair goers will find everything from tasty snacks to a wonderful meal that can be enjoyed in the large sit-down dining area.

The Fair opens at 10:00 am and closes at 10:00 PM on both days. Among the many highlights on the 29th are the tour of town hall at 2:30 p.m., a performance by Theatre Works from 1:30 p.m. - 2 :00 p.m., an historic walking tour of Main Street at 4 p.m., an Old Fashion Pie eating contest at 5 p.m., the Kid's Fun Run at 6:00 PM and music by Hire & Hire from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

On Saturday, July 30th the Fair opens at 10:00 am and closes at 10:00 PM. Highlights on the 30th include: the 49th Annual 8 Mile Road Race & 14th Annual Fair Days 5K at 8:30 am, a town hall tour at 2:30 p.m., the band The Blue Yodels from 3:15 PM – 4 PM, an historic tour of Main Street at 4 PM and the band Zenith from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

For further information, please contact the Chamber of Commerce at 860.354.6080 or visit http://www.newmilford-chamber.com for up to the minute information.

Connecticut Wine Festival July 23 and 24

This year on July 23 and 24 at the Goshen Fair Grounds located on 116 Middle Road (Rte. 63) in Goshen thriteen Connecticut Vineyards have come together to present the 2016 Connecticut Wine Festival. The participating vineyards include:Bishop's Orchards Winery Paradise Hills Vineyard DiGrazia Vineyards Priam Vineyards Holmberg Orchards & Winery Sharpe Hill Vineyard Hopkins Vineyard Sunset Meadow Vineyards Jonathan Edwards Winery Taylor Brooke Winery Jones Winery White Silo Winery and Miranda Vineyard.

Visitors are invited to come and sample the best of Connecticut's wineries as well as sample delicious locally produced specialty foods, browse for handicrafts while listening to live music.  The tickets are 27.00 in advance/$35.00 at the gate and $10.00 Designated Driver. Advance Tickets are available until midnight on Saturday, July 16th and can be purchased online or at the gate.

Tasting Tickets include admission to the festival, samples of up to 4 wines at each of the wineries, a free CT Wine Festival wine glass and a CT Wine Festival tote bag. Designated Driver Tickets include admission to the festival, a free CT Wine Festival tote bag and free water. 

If you are part of the 2016 Passport to Connecticut Wineries this is a perfect opportunity to get your passport stamped; wineries will not be stamping their individual pages, but the CT Wine Festival has a page of it's own to be stamped. Please remember to bring a valid I.D. and remember that there are no pets or outside food and beverages allowed on the fairgrounds.

Fairy Festival at Flanders Nature Center

Flanders will become inhabited by the “wee folk” on Saturday, July 16 from 10AM to 3PM.  Faeries are mystical little people who inhabit the land, living in harmony with nature.

It will be a magical day of viewing faerie houses that will enchant the trails and grounds of the nature center located at 5 Church Hill Road in Woodbury. There will be music, vendors, kid’s activities, food with a magical twist, roaming musicians, and faerie dancing. The magic continues with a 

Costume Contest and Faerie & Wizard Parade, a live owl presentation and woodcarvers on site creating wizard staffs and wands!

Admission to the festival is $6.00 per person and free for children aged 2 and under.

Participants are invited to build their own Faerie/Wizard house for display at the festival. Each participant will have a 4 foot by 4 foot outdoor space, in which to display the miniature home and “landscaping.” 

Organizers suggest working with a base structure, which could be a bird house or milk carton, adding “towers” and “turrets,” using paper towel tubes or tooth paste boxes and decorating inside and out with natural materials, highlighted by artificial flowers, doll house furniture or other creative elements. Houses must be set up between 8 and 10 a.m. on July 16 at Flanders. Ribbons will be awarded in various categories for the best designed faerie dwellings.

For more information on the festival, Faerie House rules or entry forms, visit www.flandersnaturecenter.org.  For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Sparks are flying this summer at the Bruce Museum

The Bruce Museum located on One Museum Dr. in Greenwich  will sizzle with excitement this spring and summer during their showing of Electricity, a special exhibition developed by The Franklin Institute. Electricity brings the science and history of electricity to life through engaging hands-on interactive displays including Plasma Tubes, Jumping Rings, Solenoid, and Jacob's Ladder. Visitors will learn the fundamental principles behind electricity such as magnetic fields, electric charges, and battery technology. Sparks will fly (safely) as museum goers examine concepts such as static electricity, attraction and repulsion, sparking, magnetic motion.

Reciprocating Motor Many early electric motors were reciprocating motors like this one that moves the wheel when the coils are turned turn on and off at just the right time.

Crowd-pleasing favorites include the lightning tendrils of purple, pink, and blue extended by the Plasma Tube and the Jumping Ring, which allows guests to wield electrical discharge, repelling a ring into the air. Visitors will learn how flowing currents relate to magnetic fields and how their own body can become a battery. The exhibition also highlights the applications and uses of electricity, how electricity gets into your home, sustainability, and electrical safety.

Plasma Tube - Colored light appears after voltage is applied to a gas in the plasma tube. 

Electricity will be on view in tandem with Electric Paris in the art galleries. This exhibition explores the way artists depicted older oil and gas lamps and the newer electric lighting that began to supplant them around the turn of the twentieth century. Whether nostalgic renderings of gaslit boulevards, starkly illuminated dance halls or abstracted prisms of electric street lamps, approximately 50 artworks will be shown by such artists as Edgar Degas, Mary Cassat, Pierre Bonnard, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Childe Hassam, Edouard Vuillard, James Tissot and Charles Marville.

The tightly coiled wire in this solenoid produces a strong magnetic force when the power is turned on. 

About the Bruce:
The Bruce Museum is a regionally-based, world-class museum promoting an appreciation of art and an understanding of science in more than a dozen changing exhibitions annually and with permanent galleries that feature the natural sciences. Each year, the Bruce Museum provides cultural, educational and experiential exhibitions and programs that appeal to a broad cross-section of people throughout Fairfield and Westchester Counties. The Museum welcomes approximately 80,000 visitors, including 13,000 school aged children annually and has over 6,000 public program attendees.

For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.  Like is on Facebook

Solos @ the Westport Art Center through Aug. 20

Now in its tenth year, SOLOS is a celebration of the artistic talent and diversity of the Arts Center's artist members. The exhibition will feature a diverse range of works, including paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, and mixed media. With entries from across the country, selected artists are from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.

Barbara Ringer, "Psychotherapeutic Game for Children," Mixed media, 29 x 36 inches.

Selected artists include: Nina Bentley, Mixed Media Artist (Westport, CT), Cynthia Cooper, Painter (Farmington, CT), Larry Gordon, Painter (Larchmont, NY), Allan Gorman, Painter (West Orange, NJ), David Kalman, Photographer (Westport, CT) ,Daniel Lanzilotta, Sculptor (Westport, CT), Barbara Ringer, Photographer (Ridgefield, CT) and David Sheskin, Printmaker (Bethel, CT). This exhibition celebrates a disparate group, which in fact is the underlying purpose of SOLOS – it's about 21st century artists embracing daring innovations, unusual media and bold new techniques.

David Sheksin, "The Control Group -- Museum Viewer," Original digital print, 24 x 24 inches.

For more information, contact the Westport Arts Center at (203) 222-7070 or www.westportartscenter.org. The Westport Arts Center gallery is open Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT. For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Larry Gordon, "Space," Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 24 inches.

Best Book Sale in New England July 22-26 in Southport

Known as "The Best Book Sale in New England", Pequot Library located on 720 Pequot Ave. in Southport is hosting the 56th Annual Summer Book Sale from Friday, July 22 – Tuesday, July 26, 2016.  This year's summer book sale will be held under the tents on the Great Lawn, parking lot, in the Auditorium, Reading Room, and in the Rennell Room of Pequot Library.  Visit www.pequotlibrary.org for daily hours and pricing.

New this year will be an Eclectic Print and Art Sale, Friday, July 22 - Sunday, July 24, 2016. An amazing collection of 1,700 prints, original photographs, and art will be for sale.

This summer's sale boasts a solid collection of many hundreds of high quality jazz CDs available in the Media Tent. Interesting ephemera such as post-WWll sheet music, circa 1928, coveted by collectors, musicians, music teachers, and even collage artists and illustrators will be for sale.

Large, original pastel drawings by Bernhard August "Hardie" Gramatky, Jr. (April 12, 1907 - April 29, 1979), an American painter, author, and illustrator, will be available. He wrote and illustrated several children's books, most notably Little Toot. There is also an increase in the number of contemporary children's books on sale this summer.

For adults, first edition books by such notable authors as Gabriel Garcia Márquez and J. D. Salinger will be for sale, as well as high quality photography magazines.

In addition there will be over 140,000 other books, CDs, DVDs, and records in over 60 categories. Admission is free and open to the public. Proceeds help fund Pequot Library's over 750 annual programs and events. High quality books at reasonable prices can be purchased. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted. Help Pequot Library save the environment by bringing your own reusable bags.

There will be a "Specials" Online Catalog available at pequotlibrary.org on July 17, 2016. Buyers have an opportunity to purchase two (2) Specials in advance of the sale, at a premium of 25% above the catalog price. The advance sale will field requests in order of submission at 12:01am on Sunday, July 17th. Viewing items is by appointment only, schedule yours at booksale@pequotlibrary.org. Links go live Friday morning, July 15, 2016.

Over 60 categories, including your favorites: Art & Architecture, Astrology & Occult, Atlas & Dictionary, Biography, Business, Children, Children Young Adult, Classics, Coffee Table, Cookbooks, CT & NE & NY, Crafts & Hobbies, Education & Text, Exotica, Family & Parenting, Fiction, First Editions, Foreign Language, Gardening & Nature, Graphic Novels, Health Issues, History & Politics, Humor, Impulse, Large Print, Law & Crime, Maritime, Military History, Music, Nutrition, Diet & Exercise, Mystery, Old and Interesting, 'Ologies, Performing Arts, Pets & Animals, Photography, Poetry, Records, CDs, Tapes, DVDs, Videos, Religion & Philosophy, Science, Science Fiction, Self Help, Sets, Sheet Music, Signed Books, Sociology & Anthropology, Specials, Spies/Espionage, Sports (Large selection of Golf books this year), Travel, Vintage Children, Transportation, Writing, Literature, Journalism And more!

Parking: In Pequot Library's parking lot, or the Trinity Episcopal Church* parking lot (on the corner of Pequot Avenue and Center Street), or in the Southport Congregational Church parking lot (524 Pequot Avenue and across from church) or, on the weekend, in the train station parking lot (400 Center Street).

For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com