"Thinking Visually features work of 15 Connecticut Illustrators

Fifteen internationally acclaimed local artists will show selections from their works in “Thinking Visually: The Art of Connecticut Illustrators,” an exhibition celebrating the rich diversity of illustration as an art form that will run through Sunday, Dec. 3, in the Visual and Performing Arts Center Art Gallery at Western Connecticut State University. 

The exhibition is open to the public during gallery hours from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

The exhibition will provide a sweeping presentation of works encompassing a broad spectrum from popular children’s book illustrations, magazine covers, cardboard constructions and stamp designs for the U.S. Postal Service to evocative graphic images for cartoons, albums, advertising, video games, films and television series. Each of the participating illustrators resides in Connecticut and has attained critical recognition nationally and abroad through unique contributions to the art of illustration.  

Artists who will be featured in the show include Guy Billout, Leslie Cober-Gentry, Robert Crawford, Bruce Degen, Randy Enos, Robert Giusti, James Grashow, Gerard Huerta, Roger Huyssen, Christine Kornacki, Ross MacDonald, Wendell Minor, Jon Sideriadis, Bill Thomson and David Wenzel. 

Keep it local @ Flanders Nature Center's Artisan Holiday Market

Looking for a distinctive handmade gift that will truly be appreciated by the special people on your shopping list? Decked out in festive style, the historic Van Vleck House at Flanders Nature Center located at the corner of Flanders and Church Hill Roads in Woodbury is the setting for their annual “Artisan Marketplace”. 

This popular annual event will run through December 17, 2017.  At the Artisan Marketplace  you  will find a wide variety of quality creations handmade by local crafters and artisans including quilts, wreaths and greens, jewelry and pottery, toys, chocolates, ornaments, home décor, hand painted wine glasses,  hats and hand dyed scarves, skin care and pet items as well as wool from  Flanders own sheep and much more. 

Artists and crafters will also be exhibiting their items and also showcasing their talents through demonstrations and workshops as featured artisans of the day. Proceeds benefit local artisans and Flanders land conservation and educational programs.

The Van Vleck house is located at the corner of Flanders and Church Hill Roads in Woodbury. The “Artisan Marketplace” will be open Saturdays and Sundays 11-4 through December 17th. This holiday season keep your shopping handmade and local!

50th Anniversary Gingerbread Village and Christmas Bazaar Dec 2-9, 2017

The holidays start early at St. George's Episcopal Church in Middlebury, CT, most notably marked by the distinct warm scents of gingerbread and candies wafting through the halls. This year commemorates the 50th anniversary of the beloved Gingerbread Village and Christmas Bazaar, and promises to be an extra special celebration full of both joy and delight.

Fifty years ago, the village humbly began as a few small gingerbread houses in the corner of the church Christmas Bazaar. Today it has evolved into a week long tradition cherished by the entire community. This December, come back and visit for the very first time, or for the 50th! Experience everything this magical occasion has to offer.

Each piece displayed in the village is handcrafted and completely edible. Houses are often built from not just gingerbread, but pretzels, pasta, beans, candies, gum and breakfast cereal. In addition to houses, visitors will likely see sleigh riders, snowman, reindeer and perhaps even Santa. All items are on sale and will be available for pick up on the final day.

In addition to the village, gingerbread kit houses will also be for sales which provide everything needed to create your own masterpiece at home. The bazaar offers a bake shoppe (with delicious breads, cookies, cakes, muffins etc.), the opportunity to decorate your own gingerbread cookie (fun for all ages), raffle baskets galore (with many great gifts), and our own version of dollar store with holiday items. The children of St. George's will again host a room with Christmas crafts for sale. The proceeds go to support their mission work with the Indian nation of South Dakota.

Lunch will be available on Saturday December 2nd and Saturday December 9th from 11:00am to 2:30pm. All you can eat breakfast on December 9th from 8:30-11am.

Village hours are Saturday December 2 - 10 am to 7pm, Sunday Dec 3 – 12(Noon) to 7pm. Monday through Friday 2:00 pm-4:00pm, 6pm-8pm. Saturday, December 9th - 10am-4pm. As always, parking and admission are free (donations welcomed). The church is handicap accessible.

For more information, please visit www.gingerbreadvillagect.com.

Stamford Art Association Presents Corner Store thru Dec. 14

The Stamford Art Association will present "CORNER STORE", a solo painting exhibit by Tara Blackwell at its Townhouse Gallery. Tara grew up in a household filled with artists-both her parents and her older brother-in a home teeming with differing artistic styles and modalities. The early deaths of her brother and father left her, a young painter, struggling to find her voice without her beloved teachers. In retrospect, processing these tragedies is what Tara, now a mature artist with a unique, exciting style, believes most accounts for the complexity and depth of her current work in which she employs bold colors, layers, and texture. 

In her debut CORNER STORE series, Tara utilizes her commercial design background to take us back to her childhood visits to the corner store for treats with her older brother. By recreating familiar logos and packaging into a visual narrative of her youth, she transports us back to our own-offering us a touchstone to pure childhood joy. Exploring vintage imagery with subversive wit and whimsy, she transforms symbols of the past into a contemporary artistic vision. For more information on the artist: www.bwellstudios.com 

Established in 1971, the Stamford Art Association is a nonprofit 501 (3)c organization whose members include painters, sculptors, printmakers, photographers and multimedia artists. In its 47th year, our mission as an arts organization is to provide a forum where emerging and professional artists can discuss and exhibit their work within the community and compete in juried shows. The Association's Townhouse Gallery holds eight consecutive shows each year, two of which are solo exhibits and six are juried exhibits with prominent jurors from art schools, galleries and institutions in New York and surrounding areas, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum, Bruce Museum, and Museum of Modern Art. The Gallery is open Thursday/Friday 11-3, Saturday/Sunday 12-3 and located on 39 Franklin St.

They host an international exhibit, the Faber Birren Color Award Show, and a High School Student Show for Fairfield County students. All artists, not just members, are welcome to submit their work for exhibits. Annual competitions draw submissions from local, regional, and national artists.  The SAA also curates the 4 yearly  "Art at the Ferguson" exhibits at the Ferguson Library. 

First Book on Connecticut’s First National Park to be Authored by Xiomaro in Deal with Arcadia Publishing

The first book about Weir Farm National Historic Site, Connecticut’s first national park unit and the only one dedicated to American painting, will be authored by Xiomaro, the park’s Visiting Artist, in a deal he signed with Arcadia Publishing.  About 150 of Xiomaro’s photographs will be accompanied with captions that, he explains, “tells the big story of a small park.”  The 60-acre site, nestled in Wilton and Ridgefield, is where J. Alden Weir (1852-1919), the father of American Impressionist painting, lived and created iconic works now seen at the Met, the Smithsonian and other world-class museums.

“Openings into the soul of the painter,” was how Xiomaro’s images were described in 2013 by Hildegard Cummings, an art expert who authored a book about Weir.  Since 2012, Xiomaro (pronounced “SEE-oh-MAH-ro”) has been creating fine art photographic collections of Weir’s house, studios, landscape and gardens under several commissions. 

The best of his photographs plus vintage snapshots will be featured in the book along with approximately 11,000 words of captions.  “It’s about the classic American story of transformation,” said Xiomaro, who – after overcoming cancer – also made a transition from being a music lawyer to an artist.  “Weir hated Impressionism, then championed it.  His property was threatened by development, then got preserved as a national park.  And the dramatic before-and-after renovations of the buildings will be seen in my images.” 

The book taps into a growing trend:  “heritage tourism” – travelers visiting historic house museums and gardens – ranks only third behind shopping, according to The National Trust for Historic Preservation, in Washington, DC.  The book will also cover the women of Weir, the buildings’ decorative treatments and architecture and “the landscape where one literally steps into a painting,” revealed the artist.

“The best thing is that the book will celebrate the park in time for the striking of the special Weir Farm quarter,” announced Xiomaro.  In 2020, the park will be depicted as part of the US Mint’s “America the Beautiful” series.  The Mint’s website says the series “captures the breathtaking beauty of America’s natural landscapes that have inspired countless poets, adventurers, and artists.  Today, these hallowed sites are… enshrined” through the quarters designed by the Mint.

The worldwide deal with Arcadia Publishing will release the book as part of the Images of Modern America series, which the company website describes as uncovering “amazing aspects of American history that are all too often overlooked by standard texts” and “filled with expertly penned content and stunning full-color images.”  Arcadia, based in Charleston, South Carolina, is the leading publisher of local and regional books in the United States with a library of more than 14,000 titles.

Xiomaro is an internationally-recognized artist, writer, speaker and curator whose photography has been covered by The New York Times, CBS Eyewitness News, News 12 and The Huffington Post.  His work has been widely exhibited at venues such as Harvard University, Fruitlands Museum, the State Capitol in Hartford and Congressman Jim Himes’ Bridgeport and Stamford offices.

 

A free photo e-book about Weir Farm is available at www.xiomaro.com while supplies last.  For information about visiting Weir Farm National Historic Site, go to www.nps.gov/wefa. 

Westport Country Playhouse Announces 2018 Season

Westport Country Playhouse announces its 2018 season, featuring five productions that are “big for the soul,” according to Artistic Director Mark Lamos.  The Connecticut professional theater’s lineup includes two comedies, one modern and one classic; a drama; a musical; and a world premiere, running from May 29 through November 17.  2018 season tickets are now on sale. 

“In this American Moment of turmoil and mistrust, unsteadiness and accusation, comes a season of productions at our historic Playhouse that digs deep into the heart and gives the soul an uplift,” said Lamos.  “A wide human canvas of emotions, from joy and surprise to tears of hope -- this is what characterizes the coming 2018 season of drama, comedy, and thrilling musical theater. Five productions. Five chances to connect with feelings we can sometimes only access when we confront, and are embraced by, live performance.”

The 2018 season will begin with “Flyin’ West,” playing May 29 – June 16, written by Pearl Cleage, directed by Seret Scott.  Set in 1898 when the Civil War is still a living memory, the all-black town of Nicodemus, Kansas, offers a refuge for many former slaves. At one homestead lives a family of courageous and sharp-witted women determined to make a place for themselves. They overcome tremendous odds in a heroic effort to escape the scars of the past in this uplifting story of bravery, pride, and sisterhood.

“A Flea in Her Ear,” a new version of Georges Feydeau’s farce, written by David Ives and directed by Mark Lamos, is scheduled July 10 – 28.  The comedy is a co-production with Resident Ensemble Players at the University of Delaware.  Raymonde has everything a turn-of-the-century Parisian housewife could want.  Everything, that is, except for a husband who lavishes her with attention in bed. Doubting his fidelity, she gets a “flea in her ear,” sending all involved on a wild ride of accusations, mistaken identities, and riotous confusions.

“The Understudy,” written by Theresa Rebeck and directed by David Kennedy (2017 Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Best Director of a Play), will run August 14 – September 1.   Audiences mob the theater when a Hollywood action star takes the Broadway stage in a recently discovered play by Franz Kafka. But what if he can’t go on? Enter Harry, the understudy, a journeyman actor who has the chops but not the résumé. This hilarious look at life backstage gets even crazier when Harry reunites with the stage manager (his ex-fiancée) and dukes it out with the film star as obstacles mount and tensions rise.

“Man of La Mancha,” written by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, lyrics by Joe Darion, and directed by Mark Lamos, will be staged September 25 – October 13, 2018.  Winner of 5 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and based on Cervantes’ masterpiece, this “Impossible Dream” comes to life in an imaginative journey with Don Quixote as he tilts at windmills and battles for good and the love of his fair maiden Aldonza. 

The 2018 season culminates with the world-premiere drama, “Thousand Pines,” written by Matthew Greene and directed by Austin Pendleton, playing October 30 – November 17, 2018.  The new drama was incubated in early 2017 by Westport Country Playhouse’s New Works Initiative.  Thanksgiving feels hollow this year to the families of a small suburban town where the memories are still too fresh. Nothing is the same since the day when Thousand Pines Junior High School was on every news channel and in everyone’s hearts. This important and uplifting tale of redemption shows that everyone is the same in wanting to feel safe and in wanting to heal.

In addition, “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” will return by popular demand for a special engagement in December 2018, directly following the regular season.  The acclaimed musical memoir stars Grammy-nominated pianist and storyteller Mona Golabek, and is directed by Hershey Felder.  In 1938 Vienna, a 14-year-old piano prodigy finds her dreams of becoming a concert pianist threatened by the looming war in Europe.  When her parents buy her a one-way ticket to England on the Kindertransport, the children’s survival train, a story of art preserving life begins. 

All play titles, artists, and dates are subject to change.

The performance schedule is Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 2 and 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.  Special series feature Taste of Tuesday, LGBT Night OUT, Opening Night, Sunday Symposium, Open Captions, Thursday TalkBack, Together at the Table Family Dinner, Playhouse Happy Hour, and Backstage Pass. 

5-Play and Pick 4 season tickets are now available, including online purchasing capability 24/7.  Patrons who purchase before Saturday, October 14, will receive a one-half price guest pass, and save 25% on “The Pianist of Willesden Lane,” if added to their package.  All season ticket holders receive a host of benefits not afforded to single ticket buyers, including up to 35% off single ticket prices, priority seating, free and easy ticket exchanges, and discounts at selected Westport restaurants. In addition, they will be invited to a season preview event in the spring with Lamos and other artists. 2018 Flex Passes are also currently on sale for those seeking to see any combination of shows on varying days and times. Single tickets will go on sale in March. 

For more information and to buy season tickets, visit www.westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

About Westport Country Playhouse

The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater worth talking about and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus.  The Playhouse creates this relationship with the community and provides this experience in multiple ways by offering: Live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos, from May through November; educational and community engagement events and opportunities to further explore issues presented by the work on stage; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings throughout the year to deepen relationships with audiences and artists alike; the renowned Woodward Internship Program training program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations from December through May to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; youth performance training through Broadway Method Academy, the Playhouse's resident conservatory; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round. The value of the Westport Country Playhouse to all it touches is immeasurable.

Osborne Homestead Museum Holiday Tours

One of the most popular and free events in the Litchfield Hills are the holiday house tours offered by the Osborne Homestead Museum located on 500 Hawthorne Avenue in Derby.  This year's tours take place from Friday, November 24 - Sunday, December 17 with tours being offered Thursdays thru Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Each year, many wonderful clubs contribute to the holiday festivities here. The clubs are: Derby Garden Society, Garden Club of Orange, Long Hill Garden Club, Naugatuck Garden Club, Olde Ripton Garden Club of Shelton, Oxford Garden Club, Roxbury/Bridgewater Garden Club, Women Redefining Retirement from Milford, and Ye Olde Kellogg Garden Club. Since the clubs rotate rooms each year to a different theme, the decorations are always new and creative.

The Osborne Homestead Museum, a classic colonial house constructed in the mid-1800's and enlarged and completely remodeled in the Colonial Revival style during the 1920's is transformed into a holiday showcase. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, its restored interior is embellished with holiday decorations that are displayed amid the original contents of the estate, which constitutes a significant collection of antiques and fine arts.  The theme of this years event is with the theme of "Night at the Opera".

A special highlight of this event are the Holiday Twilight Tours that take place on Fridays on December 1, 8, and 15 from 4 pm. to 7 p.m. This is a magical time to visit this house that is bathed in soft lighting where beautiful holiday floral arrangements and decor are sure to put  you in the spirit of the season. To round out the fun, a special holiday gift market is planned and will take place on Friday December 1, 4 PM to 7 PM and Saturday December 2, 9 AM to 12 PM. Groups of more than 8 people to call (203) 734-2513 to reserve a tour date and time.