Get Over Hump Day with the Seaport Association

Having made it through Monday and Tuesday, come Wednesday some folks need a little extra motivation to get to the weekend!   The Seaport Association in Norwalk is offering a series of adult only acoustic cruises through Norwalk Harbor and Islands every Wednesday in June, July, August, and September to get you over the hump!

This two-hour cruise departing at 6:30 p.m. and returning at 8:30 p.m. has the added attraction of a beautiful sunset on the water.  Imagine listing to the serene sounds of music while watching the sky fade into dusk amid the glimmer of city lights.  The views are fantastic and so is the music…it is like attending your very own private concert on the water with 48 other friends!

On June 20, join the New Orleans Beatniks on an evening cruise and relax to the music of New Orleans with a little bit of funk and a lot of soul!  Their unique musical style and the way they interact with their audience will make this cruise unforgettable.

On June 27, Pierce Campbell will perform. Campbell was appointed as the Connecticut State Troubadour for 2007-2008, and is well known as a storyteller and a fabulously talented guitar, piano and acoustic base player.  Passengers will unwind to his well-crafted songs, his rich and powerful voice and dazzling guitar work, with a story or two thrown in to round out an excellent night of entertainment.

To add to the ambiance, don’t forget to pack a picnic snack and your favorite bottle of wine or beer.

How to Book the Cruise

The Seaport Wednesday Acoustic Cruise is available in June, July, August and September.  The vessel leaves the dock at 6:30 p.m. and returns at 8:30 p.m.  Passengers should arrive 30 minutes before departure, boarding begins at 6:15 p.m. Passengers are welcome to bring snacks and their favorite bottle of wine or beer aboard…don’t forget to bring plastic glasses!  The vessel leaves from the Sheffield Island Lighthouse Dock located at the corner of North Water Street and Washington Street in historic South Norwalk.  Parking is available adjacent to the dock and the Norwalk Maritime Garage.  Tickets for this Adult cruise only is $25 ($26.87 with service fee). For tickets click here https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3342004?cookie_header=1

About the Seaport Association

The Seaport Association was founded in 1978 by a group of local citizens in Norwalk who had a vision to revitalize South Norwalk and preserve Norwalk’s maritime heritage.  This year makes the 150 anniversary of the Sheffield Island Lighthouse.

The Norwalk Seaport Association offers a cultural, environmental, and historical journey to the Norwalk Islands.  The Sheffield Island Lighthouse and the Light Keeper’s Cottage provide a unique historical and educational venue that strives to increase awareness, appreciation and consideration for our environment and how the preservation of historic buildings and nature contribute to our quality of life.

It is our belief that preservation strengthens the perpetual partnership between the past, the present and the future. The combination of the Lighthouse and the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge offers an unparalleled opportunity to educate children of all ages and adults about the importance of preserving Long Island Sound, our environment and maritime heritage.

Lecture - Bringing the Arts and Crafts Style to Torrington

The Torrington Historical Society is pleased to host a presentation about noted architect E.G.W. Dietrich on Wednesday, June 6^th .   Architect E.G.W. Dietrich: Bringing the Arts and Crafts Style to Torrington will be presented by Dietrich scholar, Christopher Jend, and will feature information about Dietrich and his design for the Luther Turner House in Torrington, one of the city’s most prominent historic homes.  This presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Torrington Historical Society Carriage House Gallery, 192 Main Street, Torrington.  The program, free to the public, is sponsored by the Torrington Chapter of UNICO National.

Architect E. G. W. Dietrich (1857-1924) was a native of Pittsburgh, PA and came to prominence in the 1880’s for his eye-catching designs of shingle style country residences. Finding success on the East coast, he relocated to New York City where he would practice for nearly forty years. He was an early proponent of the Colonial Revival and Arts and Crafts styles. Through his collaboration with furniture designer Gustav Stickley, Dietrich is recognized as designing the first “Craftsman” house published in Stickley’s Craftsman Magazine in May 1903.

At the beginning of the 20^th century, Dietrich was hired to design a house for Luther G. Turner (1845-1924), one of Torrington’s most prominent citizens.  Turner made his career with one of Torrington’s largest industries, the Turner & Seymour Manufacturing Company, eventually serving as President of the firm prior to his retirement in 1915.  The house, built circa 1904 and located on a prominent lot at the corner of Migeon Avenue and Gleason Street, went through several design iterations.  Coinciding with Dietrich’s design of the first “Craftsman” house, the Turner residence is an outstanding example of Dietrich’s work in the Arts and Crafts Style.     

Christopher Jend began researching architect E. G. W. Dietrich seven years ago.  In that time, he has documented more than 350 of Dietrich’s designs and visited Dietrich projects in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.  Mr. Jend researched and wrote the successful nomination of the John Mollenhauer House in Bay Shore, New York to the National Register of Historic Places.  He has presented his research on Dietrich at the Bay Shore Historical Society and the Warwick Historical Society (Orange County, New York).  The latter was part of the Warwick Village Sesquicentennial and included an exhibition of drawings, renderings, and photographs of Dietrich designs.       

For more information, please contact the Torrington Historical Society at torringtonhistorical@snet.net. 

Free Admission @ Institute of American Indian Studies June 9

Connecticut Open House Day is an annual event scheduled the second Saturday of June, where cultural organizations and tourism attractions throughout the state open their doors to invite folks to discover – and rediscover Connecticut's museums. One of the best ways to celebrate Open House Day is at the Institute of American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.  Best of all, on June 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. visitors will get in free!

If you want to learn about archeology and native cultures past and present, this is the place to visit.  A special highlight of the Open House Day at the Institute will be the traditional flute music played by Allan Madahbee, an Ojibway artist, and musician.  In Native American culture, the flute is deeply rooted in Eastern Woodland Indian traditions as well as in the culture of indigenous peoples of the Americas.  The sound of the flute is hauntingly beautiful and unforgettable. The gift shop is also offering an interesting selection of these rare handmade flutes crafted by Madahbee.

The Collections at IAIS are divided into two categories, Ethnographic and Archaeological. Both categories of the collection are used for exhibition, research, and study. 

The Ethnographic Collection contains over 6,000 cultural items and represents indigenous communities throughout the Western Hemisphere. Ethnographic items generally date to the near (Post-European contact) past. The objects were collected, purchased, bartered from or gifted by indigenous owners to others, and often passed down as heirlooms by indigenous and non-indigenous families. These objects represent the diverse history and continued presence of Native American societies, many of whom still dwell on the homelands of their ancestors and maintain their cultural traditions today.

The Archaeological collection features over 300,000 artifacts representing over 1,300 New England Native American archaeological sites. Archaeological items are mostly from below-ground archaeological sites. Some, however, were disturbed from their original location and brought to the surface either by natural causes or human activity. The vast majority of these are nonperishable items such as stone tools and clay pottery fragments. Most of the perishable materials used in the past are rarely found due to the acidic soils and temperate climate of the Northeast. 

The archaeological collections in the care of the IAIS span over 12,000 years of indigenous history, including objects from the oldest known site in Connecticut: the Templeton site (6LF21) in Washington. 

The IAIS holds overall the largest collection of artifacts from Western Connecticut anywhere in the state. This collection spans from the earliest known occupation to the colonial and Federalist periods of Euro-American history and holds enormous historical significance. The majority of the sites where these artifacts were retrieved have been destroyed by urban development, river erosion, sea level rise or other factors. The only remains of the culture and activities from these sites are the items in this collection.

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.

Books, Blooms and Garden Tours in Cornwall

The village of Cornwall is rolling out the red carpet on Saturday, June 9 in an annual townwide festival.  Participating in the events being hosted by a wide variety of groups in this gem of a village gives visitors the experience what life is like in small-town America.

The Cornwall Library will be hosting a Books and Blooms Sale, as well as a country garden tour from 10, am to 4 pm.  The garden tour will include four country gardens including those of Jane Garmey, Juliet and John Hubbard, Lynden B. Miller and Amelia Starr and Matthew Ziehl, click here for more information and tickets.  The Library will also be selling new and out of print gardening books at the Library located on 30 Pine Street in Cornwall.

In the village of West Cornwall, on Rte. 128 by the Covered Bridge, the Souterrain Art Gallery is hosting an artist reception for Peter Joslin, Trout Markings and Landscapes in collaboration with the Housatonic Valley Association from 3 pm - 6 pm. Don't miss browsing at The Wish House, located above the gallery, one of the most interesting shops in the Litchfield Hills. 

On the lawn of the Wish House, where the Farmers Market is held, there will be a workshop for kids where they can build a tinkerwagon with Joe Brien of Lost Arts Workshop form 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

If you like furniture, pop into Ian Ingersoll Cabinet Makers and check out the shaker furniture made there and don't miss a visit to Cornwall Bridge pottery that displays a wide array of pots, lamps, bowls and many other objects, all handmade in Cornwall Connecticut.

For the outdoorsy, the Cornwall Conservation Trust is welcoming visitors at their new office and exhibit space on 9 Railroad Street and, Clarke Outdoors and Trout Unlimited is planning specials for the day, click here for details.