Calling all lovers of Tiffany Stain Glass Windows to Norfolk this weekend!

The bucolic little town of Norfolk located in the heart of the Litchfield Hills is rolling out the red carpet on August 5, 6 and 7 with a town wide festival  If you love stained glass, you are in for a special treat because all three  of Norfolk’s churches will be open at various times during Weekend in Norfolk to allow visitors to see their fabulous stained glass windows.

Battell Chapel windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany depict the seasons of Norfolk and a mountain stream. Photo by Christopher Little.

Church of Christ Congregational plans to have its Battell Chapel open most of the day on Saturday for viewing windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Maitland Armstrong. The Tiffany windows, located in a curved wall, depict the four seasons, two on either side of a woodland stream scene. The beautiful windows in the main church may be seen most of the weekend lighting the Haystack Quilters’ show.

Also on Saturday, the Church of the Immaculate Conception will be open to visitors who want to see its windows. These are by Franz Meyer & Co. of Munich, and were shipped to Norfolk from the factory in the mid 1920’s. The windows may also be seen after the church service on Sunday.

On Sunday, Church of the Transfiguration is having an open house for window viewing immediately after its service, which all are invited to attend. The windows are by several different artists; subjects include the innkeeper in the story of the Good Samaritan and the Transfiguration.

These splendid Franz Mayer windows adorn the Church of the Immaculate Conception.  Photo by Richard Byrne.

Church of Christ Congregational plans to have its Battell Chapel open most of the day on Saturday for viewing windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Maitland Armstrong. The Tiffany windows, located in a curved wall, depict the four seasons, two on either side of a woodland stream scene. The beautiful windows in the main church may be seen most of the weekend lighting the Haystack Quilters’ show.

Also on Saturday, the Church of the Immaculate Conception will be open to visitors who want to see its windows. These are by Franz Meyer & Co. of Munich, and were shipped to Norfolk from the factory in the mid 1920’s. The windows may also be seen after the church service on Sunday.

On Sunday, Church of the Transfiguration is having an open house for window viewing immediately after its service, which all are invited to attend. The windows are by several different artists; subjects include the innkeeper in the story of the Good Samaritan and the Transfiguration.

All events are free, with the exception of a small fee for the watermelon-eating contest. For times and other details, see www.weekendinnorfolk.org.  For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Celebrate Summer @ the 21st Annual Litchfield Jazz Festival

Set in the picturesque, rolling Litchfield Hills, the Litchfield Jazz Festival was launched in 1996 with a line-up any well-established festival would have been proud of. Once again this year, this highly anticipated popular event is taking place on Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 7 at the Goshen Fairgrounds located on Rt3. 63, 116 Old Middle Street in Goshen. Tickets are a bargain and range from $25- $500.

The themed program, Generations Of Jazz, pairs young stars-in-the-making who came out of the Fest's teaching arm, Litchfield Jazz Camp, with iconic players. Two decades of top jazz instruction by the best clinicians in the world at Litchfield Jazz Camp have produced the stars of today and tomorrow. We have selected a roster of ultra-talented, young musicians, players who have been a part of Litchfield Jazz Camp, to grace our Main stage alongside established jazz musicians who have served as their mentors and helped them grow as musicians.

Some of these pairings will surprise you. All will delight you. Young lions like saxophonist Albert Rivera and pianist Emmet Cohen will be joined by guitarist Paul Bollenback and saxophonist Jimmy Heath. Other well-known artists includes Steve Johns, Orrin Evans, Dave Stryker, Donald Harrison, Avery Sharpe. Matt Wilson and many more.

This year the Festival sports a new look with its Sunday kickoff, Scat & Scramble- A Jazz Brunch with a New Orleans flair in food and music led by saxophonist Donald Harrison and an all-star band. Brunch tickets are included with all Best Friends and Sunday VIP Tickets. Delicious food Southern style by festival favorite O'Deens BBQ and music to match. Donald Harrison will head up a big band of our top jazz campers and instructors in music from the Big Easy. Get ready for a swinging good time and bring those second line umbrellas. We'll bring the beads!! Brunch tickets are included in all Sunday VIP passes.

Tickets are on sale now online.  Visit the website www.litchfieldjazzfest.com or call 860-361-6285 for assistance and information. For information on where to stay and dine www.litchfieldhills.com

The line up*:

Saturday 8/6
Adrew Hadro w/ Tony Malaby
Richie Barshay w/ Jimmy Greene
Albert Rivera w/ Paul Bollenback "Back At It"
Nicole Zuraitis w/ Dave Stryker
Daryl Johns w/ Orrin Evans "Saluting Errol Garner's Concert by the Sea"

Sunday 8/7
Friends of the Festival Scat & Scramble Brunch w/ Donald Harrison
Big Bass Blowout w/ Avery Sharpe & Matt Wilson
Emmet Cohen w/ Jimmy Heath
Litchfield Jazz Orchestra "Earth Wind & Wonder"
The Curtis Brothers w/ Donald Harrison

*line up is subject to change

August at White Memorial Foundation in Litchfield

White Memorial Foundation, the state's largest nature sanctuary has a fun filled August planned with something for everyone. On August 3, August 10 , August 17 and 31 for example, there is yoga in the garden from 8:00 am – 9:00 am. This is an all levels, all ages program and requires no prior yoga or meditation experience! Recent studies have shown the benefits of yoga, which include stress reduction, improvement in strength, flexibility, and balance. Please bring a mat and water (and sunscreen/bug repellant if desired). Each class is $10.

On August 6 join Betsy Rogers Knox to learn about the fascinating story of the Monarch Butterfly by drawing and painting its unique lifecycle, including its host plant the Milkweed. No experience necessary! For ages 10 and up. All supplies included! 1:30 P.M. – 4:30 P.M., A. B. Ceder Room, Members: $35.00, Non-Members: $45.00, Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. You can register for this program online at: www.whitememorialcc.org.

There is a Nature's Nursery Series on August 8 that is designed just for children 3-6 years old. Every session will include a story, an encounter with a live animal, and an activity or craft. Bring your young nature lovers out to White Memorial for a jam-packed hour of hands-on learning. Parents, we ask that you stay for the duration of the program. Meet in the A.B. Ceder Room. 4-5pm. Advanced registration is required. Space is limited and fills up quickly. To register, please call 860-567-0857 or visit whitememorialcc.org → Education → Public Programs for Children. Members: $7/child per session, Non-Members: $12/child per session.

In mid. August, from the 17 - 23 children get into the museum free of charge and on August 20 there is a Bantam Lake Day and Museum open house planned. Visitors are invited to celebrate Connecticut's largest lake in this day-long event sponsored by the Bantam Lake Protective Association and White Memorial Conservation Center. The Museum will be open to the public all day free of charge! Alain and May White managed to acquire 60% of the shore around Bantam Lake which today is managed by the White Memorial Foundation! The day will be celebrated with three walks in which the lake plays a major role.

On August 26 the ever popular "star party" is scheduled with members of the Litchfield Hills Amateur Astronomy Club and the Mattatuck Astronomical Society. Weather permitting; there will be star gazing after the program. 8:00 P.M., A.B. Ceder Room. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. You are invited to bring your own telescope or binoculars. This program is free of charge.

On August 27, pack a picnic lunch and get ready to explore lesser known areas of White Memorial Foundation with Gerri Griswold. Babbling brooks, towering trees, a bevy of birds, and a view of the vineyard will be highlights of this exploration.  Meet at 10 a.m. in front of the A.B. Ceder Room.

White Memorial Foundation is located on 80 White Hall Road in Litchfield. For more information http://www.whitememorialcc.org

For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Yayoi Kusama: Narcissus Garden at the Glass House

The Glass House located on Elm Street in New Canaan  is pleased to present Yayoi Kusama: Narcissus Garden, a landscape installation that will be on view throughout the 2016 tour season to celebrate the 110th anniversary of Philip Johnson's birth and the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Glass House site to the public. First created fifty years ago in 1966 for the 33rd Venice Biennale, this iteration of Narcissus Garden will be incorporated into the Glass House's 49-acre landscape. Tickets start at $25 including a tour of the site that is open Thursday - Monday 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Photo © YAYOI KUSAMA

The Narcissus Garden, comprising 1,300 floating steel spheres, each approximately 12 inches in diameter (30 cm) has been installed in the Lower Meadow and forest, creating a dramatic view to the west of the Glass House. Drifting in the newly restored pond, the spheres will move with the wind and follow the pond's natural currents, forming a kinetic sculpture. Their mirrored surfaces will reflect the surrounding Pond Pavilion (1962), wooded landscape, and sky.

The Glass House will also install Kusama's recently created enormous steel PUMPKIN(2015). The placement of PUMPKIN will be on the hillside meadow, east-northeast of the Brick House (1949), on a concrete sculpture footing where Ellsworth Kelly's Curve II (1973) was once installed.  "The first time I saw a pumpkin was in a farm in elementary school.  In Japanese, a 'pumpkin head' is an ignorant man or a pudgy woman, but for me, I am charmed by its shape, form, and lack of pretension." says the artist.

About the Glass House

The Glass House was built between 1949 and 1995 by architect Philip Johnson, the Glass House is a National Trust Historic Site located in New Canaan, CT. The pastoral 49-acre landscape comprises fourteen structures, including the Glass House (1949), and features a permanent collection of 20th century painting and sculpture, along with temporary exhibitions. The tour season runs from May through November and advance reservations are required. For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit www.theglasshouse.org.

 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded nonprofit organization that works to save America's historic places to enrich our future. For more information, visit.www.savingplaces.org.  

More Music Than Ever During Weekend in Norfolk, Coming Up August 5, 6 and 7

Norfolk, Conn., has long been a mecca for those who love music of all kinds, but Weekend in Norfolk, its town-wide open house coming up August 5, 6 and 7, promises to be extra special. From Infinity Hall’s pop, rock, blues and jazz concerts to classical music and other performances at the Music Shed to pop-up musicians all around town, you’ll find music in the air everywhere you go.

Infinity Hall, with its Queen Anne architecture and vivid green paint, is an unmissable presence on Route 44. Built in 1883, the building housed an auditorium for concerts and lectures upstairs and a grocery and a dry goods store on the ground floor. The theater fell into disuse in the 1940s and had subsequent ups and downs, but in 2007 Infinity owner Dan Hincks bought the building and completely redid the interior, adding a state-of-the-art sound system and creating an intimate, friendly setting for live music of all genres. Singer Jane Monheit and the Glenn Miller Orchestra will both appear on Saturday, and bluegrass band Seldom Scene is slated to perform Sunday.

The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival is believed to be the oldest summer music festival in North America. Since the 1940s, it has held its concerts in the Music Shed, hailed as “an acoustic marvel” by the New York Times. The Music Shed, modeled after Steinway Hall in New York City, was built in 1906, and over the decades its beautiful redwood interior has welcomed many world-famous musicians to its stage. During 

Weekend in Norfolk, the Music Shed will feature concerts by the world-renowned Emerson String Quartet, faculty and students from the Yale Summer School of Music, and the U.S. Coast Guard Band.

And don’t forget those unexpected pop-up musicians, many of them recruited from Norfolk’s talented residents, who will be performing at the farmers market, on the village green, in the library, in the center of town and …well, come and be surprised.

For a full listing of all the Weekend in Norfolk musical events, plus the rest of the more than 60 events scheduled as well as places to eat, sleep or shop, visit weekendinnorfolk.org. If you have questions, send an email to info@weekendinnorfolk.org or call 860-542-5829.

Get Inspired by Art in Stamford

Get inspired and celebrate the arts at the 2nd Annual Stamford Art Festival at Harbor Point, taking place on Saturday, July 30 and Sunday, July 31 from 10 am to 5 pm, rain or shine.

A juried event featuring more than 100 artists selected locally and from across the country, Canada and Israel,the Stamford Art Festival offers a selection of paintings, photography,drawings, prints, sculptures, mixed media, jewelry, ceramics, fiber, metal and glass pieces that are original works and available for collecting in every price range.

Held at the beautiful Harbor Point waterfront in Stamford, exhibitors will display their work on the gorgeous new boardwalk overlooking Stamford Harbor – an extraordinary backdrop for this visual feast.

Visitors will be able to browse and buy from a wide variety of artists. The Festival includes live musical performances on both days, as well as free arts activities and demonstrations for children and adults, plus a variety of food temptations ranging from gourmet food to homemade desserts. Sunday, July 31 features a Farmers Market to enjoy. And it all happens rain or shine, under tents.

Admission to the Stamford Art Festival is free. There is ample free parking. Harbor Point in Stamford is easy to reach via Connecticut Exit 7 on I-95 northbound and southbound. For more information, visit www.StamfordArtFestival.org

For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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