The Spirit of Spring @ Institute for American Indian Studies

If you have kids home from school on their spring vacation and want to plan a special excursion that will both educate and fascinate, head to the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.  The Institute has planned a perfect combination of programs from April 18 to April 20 that will fascinate and educate your children.  Best of all the schedule is relaxed so whatever time you visit the museum, you are sure to find excellent programs to participate in.

The highlight of the day on April 18 will be a series of family activities that will focus on woodland animals found on the grounds...deer, squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes and even bears.  Kids will learn how to ID animals by the tracks they leave behind.  There will also be an outdoor scavenger hunt along our trails leading up to the Native American Village that promises to be entertaining and educational at the same time.  If your children enjoy making things, there will be a craft session where kids will make the animal of their choice and be able to take it home as a memento of their visit.  The day will wind down with animal stories, like how the chipmunk got his stripes by Traditional Storyteller and the Education Coordinator of the Institute, Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke.

On April 19, the focus of the day will be honoring the trees and the gifts that they bring us. If you want your children to learn how to identify different trees, this is the day to visit the museum.  There will be a self-guided nature walk on the well-marked trails of the museum and a tree identification activity.  In addition, a craft session for kids is planned that will highlight trees and a special story time when Native American legends are told. Perhaps one tale will be the Cherokee Legend of why trees lose their leaves.

Native Americans have lived off the land and have used herbs and plants as a source of food, building material and, for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Programs on April 20 will focus on how Native Americans use plants and herbs. A highlight of the day will be the Iroquois story told by a Traditional Storyteller and the Education Coordinator of the Institute, Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke of the "Three Sisters" Garden of corn, beans, and squash.  There will also be a Three Sisters’ Garden planting activity to make and take them home. Children will delight in exploring their crafty side using natural materials found on a hike.

These events will take place from 12 noon to 4 p.m. on April 18-20 and all activities are included in the price of admission with one parent or guardian per group getting free admission!  Admission is $10 adults, $8 Seniors, and $6 children, members of the Institute of American Indian Studies get in free.

The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.


The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.  

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HOLLISTER HOUSE GARDEN ANNOUNCES NEW ‘BARN TALKS’ SERIES

Following a successful first year of programming in the newly renovated 18th Century Barn, Hollister House Garden located in Washington Connecticut announces a new series of educational workshops and lectures called  ‘Barn Talks’. 

The goal of ‘Barn Talks’ is to engage, educate and bring together both amateur and professional gardeners. The roster of presenters includes horticultural industry professionals with decades of experience, who will share their passion and knowledge.

The Saturday series begins with ‘New England Orchard Revival: Resurrecting the Heirloom Apple’ presented by Peter J. Jentsch of Cornell University.  Additional ‘Barn Talks’ include ‘The Living Lawn: Simple Steps to Organic Lawn Care’ with Chip Osborne of Osborne Organics, ‘Creating a Landscape for your Table’ and ‘Decorative Kitchen Containers’ with designer Chris Zaima, ‘and How to Create a Small, Productive Cutting Garden’  led by Elisabeth Cary of Cooper Hill Flower Farm.   The annual Hollister House Garden Spring Plant Sale is planned for May 12 and features Broken Arrow Nursery, Falls Village Flower Farm, McCue Gardens and Something to Crow About Dahlias.

Recently the board of directors approved adding the position of Program Coordinator to plan and implement a series of lectures and workshops thus reaffirming a commitment to making Hollister House Garden an important resource for the gardening community.  The Board welcomes Deborah Brown of Roxbury, a longtime friend and volunteer, to this newly created position. Ms. Brown has worked in the horticultural field for over 30 years as a landscape contractor and as a garden/floral designer.

“Our goal is to make Hollister House Garden a center of learning and inspiration for all gardeners. We hope to present programs that offer both practical knowledge and insight as well as those that affirm the joy of gardening” says Deborah Brown.

The official 2018 opening day of Hollister House Garden is Friday, April 27^th.   In addition to ‘Barn Talks’, the garden will continue to offer a full program of cultural and educational events like ‘Music in the Garden’, ‘Twilight in the Garden’, ‘Photography in the Garden’, and more.  A complete listing of dates, times and registration links for ‘Barn Talks’ and all other upcoming events can be found at www.hollisterhousegarden.com/events. 

Hollister House Garden is a non-profit corporation and one of only 16 exceptional gardens designated a Preservation Project by the Garden Conservancy, whose mission is to identify and preserve important private gardens across America for the education and enjoyment of the public. In 2010  Hollister House achieved its prestigious listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The property has also been named a Town Landmark Site by the Town of Washington.

Hollister House Garden is open to visitors April 27th through October 6th. Friday hours are 1-4PM and Saturdays 10-4PM. Private group visits are welcome weekdays by appointment only.  Directions to the garden’s 300 Nettleton Hollow Road location are also available on the website.  Contact:  Pamela Moffett, 860-868-2200 office@hollisterhousegarden.org. 

Medicinal Monday - American Licorice

When thinking of licorice most of us think of it as the main ingredient in candy and beverages, but this sweet root has a long history noted for its medicinal benefits. The use of wild licorice in North America as medicine begins with Native Americans.  They used every part of this plant in an impressive list of applications.

When thinking of licorice most of us think of it as the main ingredient in candy and beverages, but this sweet root has a long history noted for its medicinal benefits. The use of wild licorice in North America as medicine begins with Native Americans.  They used every part of this plant in an impressive list of applications.

Medicinal Uses

American Licorice was widely used by the Native Americans throughout the country.  A common use of this plant was to make a  medicinal tea from the peeled dry roots to treat an upset stomach or diarrhea.

The Cheyenne, Montana Indians and Northwestern Tribes ate the tender spring shoots raw.  The Lakota's used the root of the plant as a medicine for the flu and the Dakota's steeped licorice leaves in boiling water to make a topical medicine for an earache.  The Blackfeet made a tea from the root to relieve coughs, chest pain, and sore throat.

Wild licorice leaf poultices were an excellent remedy for sores on people and on horses.  Young shoots of this plant also had a use, they were nibbled on to keep the mouth sweet and moist.  Even burrs of this plant were used and were sucked on by Buffalo runners of the Black Foot Indians to keep from getting thirsty.

Wild Licorice Today

The way we use this plant today has its roots in the way it was used by Native Americans. Wild Licorice is high in anti-inflammatory flavonoids, free radical scavenging antioxidants, estrogen balancing isoflavones and soothing saponins.  Today, many health food stores and online shops sell a variety of licorice extracts that can be used for a variety of ailments.  One of the most popular forms of the plant is licorice tea that is thought to promote digestive, respiratory and adrenal gland health.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.

 Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.

Hands on HIstory @ Wilton Historical Society

If you are looking for a history lesson your kids won't forget, check out the spring break program offered by the Wilton Historical Society from April 9-15 from 9 am - 3 pm. 

From the moment they arrive, twelve lucky kids will be using all their senses to experience history in this engaging and fun Hands on History Spring Break Camp! The program will be held at the Wilton Historical Society from April 9 - 15, 9:00 – 3:00 daily in the 1860 Abbott Barn.  Kids will get a chance to dig into a variety of activities, including making bread; weaving, mosaics, woodworking; making a sock puppet; Colonial cookery; and more!  There will be time every day to play outdoor games, learn something new, and make new friends.  Bring your own lunch, daily snacks provided!

Suggested for ages 6 – 10/ Grades 1 – 5.  Limit 12 campers. Hands-on History Spring Break Camp is led by a certified instructor and three assistants.

Cost per child: Members $375; Non-members $475

To register, call museum educator Lola Chen at 203-762-7257 or contact her at education@wiltonhistorical.org

Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT  06897   203-762-7257   www.wiltonhistorical.org

Rock and Revolution @ Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury

Now through April 22, there is a special exhibition of photographs by Jim  Marshall @ the Mattatuck Museum located on  144 West Main Street, in Waterbury. Jim Marshall's fly-on-the-wall photography is showcased in this exhibition featuring images of major rockstars from the '60s and '70s, including Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and, Janis Joplin. 

Jim Marshall (1936-2010) is widely acknowledged as one of the premier photographers of the rock 'n' roll era, visually recording the changing times and the explosion of creativity and celebrity in the 1960s. In addition to street scenes of New York and San Francisco, this exhibition demonstrates his quietly intimate style, a merging of fly-on-the-wall observation and portraiture. Among the celebrated rock stars are Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead and The Who.  The Museum is open Tues. - Sat. 10 am - 5 pm and Sun. 12 pm - 5 pm.

“A Walk through New Preston in the 1960s”

Join the Gunn Historical Museum  at the Washington Senior Center on Monday, April 2, 2018, at 10 a.m. for “Readings from the Archives of the Gunn Historical Museum”. A reading of the paper, A Walk Through New Preston in the 1960s, written by W. Douglas McHan, Jr., will take place. Doug brings readers on a tour of the village of New Preston, a place that he says “had everything a boy could ever want”, and he shares stories of the people and places from his childhood growing up there. Join us for this nostalgic look back at New Preston’s past!

Readings from the Archives of the Gunn Museum meets the first Monday of the months of October, January and April at 10 a.m. at the Washington Senior Center. Museum staff presents a paper about the history of Washington from the museum's archive, related photos and artifacts from the museum are displayed and a discussion follows.

Everyone is invited to attend this free program. The Washington Senior Center is at 6 Bryan Hall Plaza, Washington Depot, CT. Call the Gunn Museum at 860-868-7756 or view www.gunnmuseum.org for more information.

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum presents Alex Schweder and Ward Shelley: Your Turn

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum located on 258 Main Street in Ridgefield  is pleased to present Alex Schweder and Ward Shelley: Your Turn, an architectural environment for two that shapes the occupants' behavior. In a series of performances Schweder and Shelley will physically occupy the structure for extended periods during which they will negotiate the sharing of nine basic amenities while engaging the public with their daily routines and conversations. Schweder and Shelley's collaboration is primarily based on balance: not only the balance needed to successfully work in a partnership, but also the social balance needed to share resources limited by the confines of their construction. Their practice conflates architectural form and function with performance art, coaxing meaning out of both the practical and the absurd. The exhibition will be on view through April 22, 2018.

Schweder and Shelley's unique collaboration of over a decade has coalesced into what they call "performance architecture," a new genre in which the two artists design, construct, and then physically occupy structures, blurring the boundaries between architecture, sculpture, design, and performance, exploring both the nature of social space and the way architecture influences human behavior. For their exhibition at The Aldrich, they will construct a twenty-four-foot-high living environment, which they will inhabit as both the authors and living subjects of the work. An adjacent gallery will present the first survey of their reverse paintings on Mylar, which not only act as preliminary renderings for their projects, but also as autonomous works that reinforce the formal aspects of their practice.

The artists will occupy opposing sides of the monolith with nine amenities (including a bed, a desk, an easy chair, a kitchen, a sink, and an enclosed composting toilet), each of which will slide on steel tracks from one side of the structure to the other. So, when Shelley is sleeping in the bed, Schweder cannot sleep; when Schweder is writing at the desk, Shelley cannot use it. The sharing of the amenities is based on both a pre-planned schedule and spontaneous negotiation. For the performance periods the artists will wear identical jumpsuits, bring all necessary supplies with them, and occupy the structure twenty-four hours a day. The artists' lives, while within the structure, will be on public view when the Museum is open, and visitors are free—in fact, are encouraged by the artists—to engage them in conversation. When awake, Schweder and Shelley will each read, work, prepare meals, and complete acts of simple daily hygiene.

Alex Schweder received a BA from the Pratt Institute School of Architecture, an MArch from Princeton University School of Architecture, and a PhD from the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge, UK. Recent exhibitions include the 2014 Venice Biennale, the Tel Aviv Art Museum, the 2013 Moscow Biennial, the 2013 Lisbon Architecture Biennial, and the Tate Britain. He has been an artist in residence at the Kohler Company and the Chinati Foundation, and was awarded the Rome Prize in Architecture at The American Academy in Rome.

Ward Shelley received a BFA from Eckard College and an MA from New York University. Solo exhibitions of his work include Pierogi Gallery, NY; Massimo Carasi Gallery, Milan; Center for Contemporary Art and Launch Projects, Santa Fe; and Socrates Sculpture Park, NY. He has received a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, an award from the Joan Mitchell Foundation, two fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, and a fellowship from The American Academy in Rome.

The Aldrich is open: Sun. noon - 5. Mon. 10-5, Wed. - Sat. 10 - 5. Closed Tuesday.