Quince Festival Nov. 3 & 4

Quince is an ancient fruit, found in Roman cooking and grown across Turkey and southeast Asia. It grows on small trees and is closely related to apples and pears, but it lacks their immediate edibility and appeal.  The fruit is knobbly and ugly, with an irregular shape and often a gray fuzz — especially when the fruit has been picked underripe. The ripest, nicest quince will have a golden tone and smooth skin like pictured directly above. But even ripe quince doesn’t taste very good raw.

Quince was popular in 18th century New England.  Nearly every home had a quince tree in the yard because quince provided a natural and plentiful source of pectin that was necessary for home canners to ensure that preserves they were putting up for the winter were properly set and preserved.  After powdered pectins were invented, quince fell out of favor.

The first clue that quince hides something special is its aroma. If you leave a quince on a sunny windowsill it will slowly release a delicate fragrance of vanilla, citrus, and apple into your kitchen. It’s a heady, perfumed scent that is completely at odds with its appearance. Maybe this is why the quince is slowly making a comeback and is celebrated at White Silo Farm in Sherman on November 3 at the 5th annual Quince Festival from 12 noon to 4 p.m. They will be serving 6 dishes made with quince. Their menu includes poached quince with honey ricotta and pistachios, homemade pretzels with quince mustard, quince pannacotta, quince panini, quince butternut squash soup, and the NY Times featured White Silo Thanksgiving recipe with quince, onion, and bacon.

Admission is free. Pay for wine and food. Quince mustard and Quince jam will be available to take home. Live music Saturday (1-4 PM) with the Hummingbirds and Sunday (1-4 PM) with Guy Tino. Free outdoor tours weather permitting.

4th Annual Cemetery Tour @ New Canaan Historical Society

Get into the spirit of Halloween October 31st  from 1-3:30 p.m. at the New Canaan Historical Society's  4th Annual Historical Society Cemetery Tour lead by board member Patricia Funt Oxman. 

The tour leaves by van from the Townhouse at the Historical Society at 1pm and this year's destination is the Sellecks Corners Cemetery, a very well kept and fascinating part of New Canaan's history. Many of the genealogical roots of New Canaan and environs are represented at Sellecks Corners, including the Scotts of Scott's Corners, the Cody family known for the Cody Drug Store, a number of Civil War Veterans, and of course, the Sellecks for which the Cemetery was named. The tour will even include a look into the Sellecks Corners Chapel opened in 1851. 

The tour returns to the Townhouse for seasonal refreshments and a short talk with local author Patricia Brooks, who has written a number of books on the final resting places of noteworthy people. 

Tickets are $25 per person. The tour is October 31st from 1pm to 3:30 pm. The tour leaves from the Townhouse at the Historical Society. 

FREE ADMISSION OFFER* FOR COSTUMED KIDS OCT. 27 & 28 AS THE MARITIME AQUARIUM TRANSFORMS INTO THE AQUASCARIUM

Kids in costume can get free admission to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk on the weekend before Halloween when the popular family attraction transforms into the AquaScarium.
Children age 3 to 12 who come to the AquaScarium in costume on Sat., Oct. 27 and Sun., Oct. 28 will get free admission (a $17.95 value) with each paying adult. Adult admission is $24.95. (The offer requires one paying adult for each free costumed child.)

“There’s no trick about this treat,” said Dave Sigworth, the Aquarium’s spooksperson. “The AquaScarium weekend offers a fun chance to try out your kids’ costumes, show off your kids’ costumes, and even earn some savings through your kids’ costumes – all in one of the best family attractions in Connecticut.”

The AquaScarium itself will be ghoulishly decorated for Halloween, with jack-o’-lanterns, seasonal accessories, and staff dressed in costume. Sigworth stressed that the celebration is an AquaScarium in name only, with no frightening aspects for young children.

Also, during the Aqua-Scarium weekend (and every weekend in October), members of the volunteer dive team will carve pumpkins while submerged among the large sharks in the 110,000-gallon “Ocean Beyond the Sound” exhibit. The carvings will occur during the divers’ regular plunges – at 12:15 and 2:15 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. Purpose of the interpreted dives is to dispel myths about sharks; notably that they are all blood-thirsty man-eaters. The shark dives – and bonus underwater pumpkin carvings – are free with Aquarium admission.

Maritime Aquarium admission includes a daytime IMAX movie. Film choices during AquaScarium include “Oceans: Our Blue Planet,” “Pandas,” and “Backyard Wilderness,” which recently swept the Giant Screen Cinema Association’s 2018 Awards (the equivalent of the Oscars for IMAX movies).
For more details about AquaScarium, and The Maritime Aquarium’s exhibits, programs and IMAX movies this fall, go to www.maritimeaquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700.

Annual Ghost Tours: Explore Mysterious Bridgeport on October 26th

It’s October, and that means it’s time for the PT Barnum Museum's annual Wicked Walks!  Join historian Michael Bielawa, author of Wicked Bridgeport and Wicked New Haven to hear the strange and fascinating tales of Bridgeport’s past as you stroll through the historic downtown area. Focusing on Bridgeport’s magnificent historic sites, the 90-minute program will explore the intrigue and mysteries of the City’s 19th-century places and people. October provides the perfect time to visit scenes of suspected hauntings, Victorian-era murders, Men In Black sightings and other unexplained phenomena. Bielawa’s Bridgeport tales are based on research conducted at local and state libraries, historical societies, and through personal interviews.

As always, during Bielawa’s Wicked Walks, the author encourages participants to take photographs in order to help document the area’s paranormal activity.  The tour starts at The Barnum Museum, 820 Main Street. Please follow signs to enter behind the historic building from the plaza; go through the glass doors into the Peoples United Bank Gallery. Plan to arrive at 6:30 as the group will head out no later than 6:45 for approximately a one-hour tour. Wear comfortable walking shoes! Afterward, return to the Museum for cider; the author will be available to sign and sell books after the tour. On-street parking is free after 6 pm.

Advance reservations are required. Light-moderate rain will not cancel the tour; if severe weather is in question, please check our website for updates. Please visit our website for further information about the Barnum Museum: www.barnum-museum.org

Limited to 30 participants. $16 General Admission; $8 Museum Members. Refunds for cancellations will be made only up to 48 hours in advance of the program. In the event of severe weather and program rescheduling, a refund will be made if the ticket holder is unable to attend.  Click for Reservations/Tickets.

Spooktacular Concert in Waterbury

The Waterbury Symphony Orchestra is hosting a concert series to celebrate Halloween that is perfect for the whole family to enjoy.  The performance will take place on October 28 at 3 pm. at the NCCC Fine Arts Center on 750 Chase Parkway in Waterbury.  There will be a pre-concert showcase from 2-2:30 featuring WSO Education partners. 

Concert-goers will enjoy music from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Psycho, and other spooky selections. Audience members are invited to dress in their Halloween costume to enhance this spooktacular experience. Prizes for best costume to be announced from the stage after intermission. In the spirit of Halloween, all will be treated to a festive special treat by Sweet Maria’s, following the performance. For tickets click here.

PROGRAM  Featuring Selections by:

Strauss                               2001 Fanfare

Grieg                                   In the Hall of the Mountain King

Humperdinck                   Witches Ride from Hansel and Gretel

Mussorgsky                      Night on Bald Mountain

Hermann                            Car Ride and Shower Scene from Psycho

MacDowell                         In a Haunted forest

Saint-Saëns                       Danse Macabre

Dukas                                The Sorcerer’s Apprentice 

Williams                             Theme from Jaws 

Berlioz                               Dream of the Witches Sabbath 

Washington Green's Spooktacular Cemetery Tour

Take a candlelit tour along a path of 1,000 luminaries through the cemetery and meet some of Washington Connecticut's unforgettable residents from the past!  This spooktacular event takes place on Friday, October 26 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.  

The Tour starts at Gunn Historical Museum, 5 Wykeham Road, Washington, CT 06793. Tours depart every ten minutes between 6:30 and 8:30 pm and last approximately one hour. Tickets will be distributed, on a first-come-first-serve basis, starting at 6:15 pm on Friday, October 26, and continuing through the evening until the tickets run out.  While there is no fee for this event, donations are greatly appreciated.

Tour guests are encouraged to bring a flashlight, dress warmly and wear comfortable walking shoes as they will be walking on uneven terrain.

Refreshments, face painting for kids, and a Halloween themed movie will be shown in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Memorial Library where attendees can wait inside for their tour group to depart.

Rain Date for the Cemetery Tour: Sunday, October 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

Crush in Norwalk - A new event Oct. 16-20

 Norwalk Now, the collaborative marketing organization that brings businesses together with the common goal of promoting themselves, each other, and ultimately, the city of Norwalk as a premier destination for dining, shopping, and leisure activities, prepare for their next event, CRUSH.  This 5-day schedule of thirst-quenching events is a celebration of beer, wine, and spirits (BWS) presented by Norwalk Now’s talented group of businesses and special guests from the BWS world.

“People continue to come together over great food and drink, “says Norwalk Now Director Linda Kavanagh, “And our appreciation and thirst (pun intended) for quality cocktails, craft beer, and fine wine only fuels our desire to learn more about the brands we are drinking, experience new things, and have a greater understanding of this evolving industry.”

CRUSH is an exciting and enlightening journey through the BWS world. Enthusiasts, as well as the novice, can partake in an active schedule of everything from beer, wine, and tequila dinners, premium scotch tastings, and tap take-overs, to Boozy Trivia nights, Libation Theater, Oktoberfest, and mixology for both beauty and cocktails. CRUSH will be introducing new-to-the-market name-brand spirits and brand activations throughout the week, in addition to hosting remote broadcasts with the premier food and drink broadcaster, Heritage Radio Network. Look for speakeasy fashions paired with local distillers, wine author book signings, guest speakers, and a simultaneous Happy Hour!

Sunday Bonus CRUSH activities include a DETOX run, walk, and bike ride, as well as healing yoga sessions.

CRUSH goers will be able to take advantage of parking discounts, UBER discounts, Norwalk train station shuttles, and designated driver incentive packages.

Our Hidden Landscape Stone Cultural Features & Native American Ceremonial Sites”

The Torrington Historical Society will host a FREE program on Wednesday, October 17th  in the Carriage House Gallery of the Torrington Historical Society, 192 Main Street.  The speaker will be Lucianne Lavin Ph.D., Director of Research and Collections at the Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT.  Dr. Lavin’s PowerPoint program, titled, “Our Hidden Landscapes: Stone Cultural Features & Native American Ceremonial Sites” will begin at 6:30 p.m.  This presentation is sponsored by the Torrington Chapter of UNICO National.  Admission is free; donations are welcome.

This program will explore the topic of stone features, many of which can often be seen as we hike through the woods.  Although some of these are the remains of abandoned farmsteads and industrial mill sites, many others represent Native American ceremonial sites.  Dr. Lavin’s PowerPoint presentation will illustrate the various kinds of European-American and indigenous stone structures found on our Connecticut landscapes. Although State regulations support the preservation of sacred Native American sites, these sites are often not recognized for what they are and subsequently, have been destroyed by development and suburban sprawl.  Even on protected lands, destruction is possible through logging, landscaping, or building placement.  This program will help individuals and organizations learn more about these Native American stone features so that we can identify them and help aid in the preservation of these significant indigenous stone features.

Lucianne Lavin, Ph.D., is Director of Research and Collections at the Institute for American Indian Studies, a museum and research and educational center in Washington, CT.  Dr. Lavin is an anthropologist and archaeologist who has over 40 years of research and field experience in Northeastern archaeology and anthropology, including teaching, museum exhibits and curatorial work, cultural resource management, editorial work, and public relations.  She has owned and operated an archaeological firm for over 25 years.   In addition, Dr. Lavin is the author of over 150 professional publications and technical reports on the archaeology and ethnohistory of the Northeast.  Her award-winning book, Connecticut’s Indigenous Peoples: What Archaeology, History and Oral Traditions Teach Us About Their Communities and Cultures, was published by Yale University Press (spring 2013).  She is a founding member of the state’s Native American Heritage Advisory Council and Editor of the journal of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut.  

The program will begin promptly at 6:30.  For more information about the Torrington Historical Society, please visit www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org.    

BY SEA BY AIR BY LAND: MILITARY ART AND ARTIFACTS 100 YEARS AFTER THE GREAT WAR

Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War I, the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village (CT) will present in October and November the exhibit, By Sea By Air By Land: Military Art and Artifacts 100 Years after the Great War. Featuring maritime, aviation, and figurative artwork in painting, drawing, and photography by artists including Robert Andrew Parker, Pamela Berkeley, Robert Cronin, David Fertig and Lazlo Gyorsok, the exhibit also includes items from the Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society and from private collections. A reception with refreshments will take place at the Library on Saturday, October 20 from 4 to 6PM. The exhibit will remain on display through Saturday, November 24. David M. Hunt Library, 63 Main Street, Falls Village, CT, 06031. For more information call the Library at 860-824-7424 or visit huntlibrary.org. Hours: Tues 10-5, Thurs 10-5, Fri 3-7, Sat 10-1, Sun 11-1.

Not limited to the WWI era, the exhibit encompasses military culture, history and iconography from many countries and over several centuries from Pamela Berkeley’s portrait of the mythic knight Parsifal to an installation of Robert Andrew Parker’s wooden airplane models and a US 13^th Cavalry uniform that saw service in the “Punitive Expedition” to capture Poncho Villa during the Mexican Revolution and the concluding battles in WWI France.  A maritime painting by Norman Wilkinson (1878-1971), the British artist who invented the technique of dazzle camouflage that helped improve the safety of ships against attack in WWI, is also featured.

The painter Dave Fertig is known for his focus on the age of Napoleon and Admiral Nelson through the lens of the New York School, while Lazlo Gyorsok’s photography captures historical reenactors’ enthusiasm for the American Revolution and the Civil War.  Geoffrey Parker’s wooden model of the 1904 USS Constitution shares space with Lillian Lovitt’s SS LOVBERG, another wooden model.  Ken Musselman’s painting, Mighty Mo, depicts sailors readying a 16-inch gun on the USS Missouri, while Robert Cronin shows the tenderness of a lonely couple on the deck of the RMS Lusitania.  Sergei Fedorjaczenko’s watercolor features a Zeppelin and escorts going out on a bombing raid and Mary Jeys depicts a galleon on fire.  Emily Rutgers Fuller provides a landscape of a watchtower used to spot submarines off the coast of Maine during WWII.  A woven rug of a colonial soldier by Hendon will also be in the exhibition. Also included are items from private collections and the Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society including two bas-relief plasters by sculptor Gertrude Lathrop (1896-1986) commemorating WWI.

Garth Kobal, the curator of the exhibit and one of its artists, was inspired to assemble By Sea By Air By Land through family research into Elzie Dillard Rigdon’s WWI service in the famous “All-American”  82^nd Division of the 328^th Infantry.  Pvt. Rigdon, then 24 years old from Alma, Georgia and the father of Mr. Kobal’s husband, was wounded by shrapnel and gas on October 8, 1918, during the decisive Meuse-Argonne campaign in France that helped bring the Great War to its conclusion. His injuries, earning him a Purple Heart, took place on the same day and about two miles from where Sergeant Alvin York, also in the 82^nd Division, famously captured 132 German soldiers.

A family member located Pvt. Rigdon’s embarkation papers, which led to the discovery of a photograph of the Walmer Castle, a dazzle camouflage-painted British mail ship that transported the American Expeditionary Forces from Hoboken to Liverpool.  It was this image, Kobal said, “that brought E.D. and the whole conflict to life for me.  My husband’s dad—a young green farmer who I never met—sailed to WWI in a painting so-to-speak, experienced incredible hardship and injury, and was a participant in this brutal and devastating world-changing event.  I immediately sent the photo of the Walmer Castle to Robert Andrew Parker in Cornwall (CT) and he jumped on it, painting a pair of watercolors that are the starting point of this exhibit. Parker was integral to making the exhibit what it is as many of the artifacts featured in the exhibit are from his private collection.  Add to that his wooden airplane models, paintings, and etchings and you have an exhibit largely built around Parker’s work, one of our greatest living artists with a truly historical and twentieth-century perspective.”

If Your House Could Speak @ Wilton Historical Society

On Thursday, Oct. 11 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. join Kelly Morron at the Wilton Historical Society located on 224 Danbury Rd. for a talk on how to research your historic home.

Have you ever wanted to learn more about your historic house, property or neighborhood? Do you ever wonder about who used to live in your historic house, and what they did for a living? Curious about the road’s interesting name, or why certain property features exist? Kelly Morron, a long time Wilton resident, had all these questions and more about her historic house and will present If Your House Could Speak: How to Research Your Historic Home. 

She will discuss how to research a historic structure through land records, deeds, maps, photographs, and other reference materials. Nick Foster, Collections Coordinator for the Society, will explain what kinds of resources are available in the Wilton Library’s History Room, which houses the archives and works on paper of the Wilton Historical Society. A light lunch is included.

Wilton Historical Society Members free, non-Members, $10 per person. Please register: info@wiltonhistorical.org or call 203-762-7257.

The Naugatuck Railroad’s Fall Foliage and Family Fun Trips

Enjoy the best of Connecticut’s fall foliage and take a train ride to the Pumpkin Patch where the kids can select their own pumpkin, and everyone can savor cider and donuts. The Railroad Museum Of New England’s Naugatuck Railroad kicks off its 11^th Annual “Pumpkin Patch” Train Rides kicks off the first weekend in October.

"It's a great opportunity to fall in love with fall in Connecticut," shares Howard Pincus. Chairman of the Railroad Museum Of New England.  “Bring your cameras, capture the beauty of the season.  And great memories. Where else can you combine picking up a pumpkin and a trip back in time, aboard our restored rail cars? Only at the all-volunteer Railroad Museum of New England." 

Pumpkin Patch Trains are scheduled for Saturdays, Sundays throughout October at 10am, 12 noon and 2pm. After the children select their pumpkins and families take photos, passengers re-board the train for the ride back to the historic Thomaston Station. 

The fares are $18 for Adults and $16 for Seniors (age 62+) and Children (ages 3-12). Children 3 and under are only one dollar. Purchase tickets online at www.rmne.org or phone 860-283-7245 anytime.  All tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

Trains depart from Thomaston Station at 242 East Main St, Thomaston, Connecticut.  Tickets are picked up at Thomaston Station's “WILL CALL” window on the day of your train ride.  Please arrive at the Station 30 minutes before departure time.  Trains leave promptly at the scheduled times.

The RMNE, located at the historic Thomaston Train Station, is a not-for-profit, all-volunteer,, educational and historical organization that dates back to January 1968. The mission of the RMNE is to tell the story of the region’s rich railroad heritage through our educational exhibits and operation of the Naugatuck Railroad.  The museum concept is more than just artifacts; it's also a story of the region and the development of society around the railroad.

More information about the Railroad Museum of New England can be found at: www.rmne.org.

Two Hidden Tunnels in Litchfield Hills make an interesting autumn walk

Connecticut has a rich train and trolley history.  Even today, many commuters depend on the train to get them to work.  In the past, before the major commuter rail lines were established, tunnels were often carved out of living rock in order to connect towns to one another.  In Litchfield Hills, there are two examples of these tunnels, one in Plymouth and the other in Washington Connecticut.  These two tunnels are perfect places for an autumn stroll in the woods.

The Steep Rock Railroad Tunnel was constructed in just nine months between 1871 and 1872 in Washington Depot.  It was constructed as part of the Shepaug Valley Railroad. A crew of coal miners from Pennsylvania built this 235 foot long curved tunnel by hand using picks, dynamite and nitro to blast through Steep Rock Ridge. Today hikers can enjoy the cool damp air of this tunnel as they explore the natural beauty of Steep Rock Preserve.

The Pequabeck Tunnel also known as the Terryville Tunnel is located in Plymouth and is rumored to be haunted with reports of sightings of two ghostly figures.  The tunnel is about a half mile long and 32 feet wide and 26 feet high. The tracks ran as a passenger line for about twenty years, but currently, it is a still active freight line that connects New Britain to Waterbury.

Witchcraft in Colonial Connecticut

The Glebe House Museum will be kicking off the fall season of events with a brand new program; “Witchcraft in Colonial Connecticut”. Linda Barr-Gale will present the history and origins of the witch hunts in Colonial Connecticut, told from the voice of Moll Cramer, Woodbury’s very own infamous resident witch (or was she?)!  The program will take place on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 5 pm.  The cost is $12 members and $15 non-members. To register call 203-263-2855.

The keeping room of this historic house will come alive as Ms. Barr-Gale shares stories of other notable witches and tales about those who were hung for witchcraft. She will bring to light the heroes of the time and answer audience questions; all with a touch of humor!
Colonial treats and refreshments will be served. (Recipes will be available)

Linda Barr-Gale is a long time Glebe House Docent and Volunteer. Her portrayal of Moll Cramer during the Glebe’s “All Hollow’s Eve” event has made Moll one of the most popular spirits in the cemetery. Last year she presented a “one witch” show in the cottage at the Glebe during the event. While researching information to present about Moll Cramer’s full story, she became interested in the history and origins of the Connecticut Witch Trials. Her research was extensive and was much more than could be presented in such a short time during “All Hollow’s and so this program was born.

New IMAX Movie @ Norwalk Maritime Aquarium Opening Oct. 5

The wonders and surprises of Earth’s “final frontier” will splash across the six-story IMAX Theater screen beginning on Fri., Oct. 5 with the premiere of “Oceans: Our Blue Planet” at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

This beautiful new film offers larger-than-life encounters with such familiar animals as dolphins, sea otters, and walruses, while also introducing unusual deep-sea species like “yeti” crabs, a barreleye fish and dumbo octopus. “Oceans: Our Blue Planet” will play at 11 a.m. and 2 & 4 p.m. daily through March 14, 2019.   It’s narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Kate Winslet, and sponsored locally by the Santa Family Fund.

“We’re excited to give audiences this inspiring, beautiful exploration of the world ocean,” said Dave Sigworth, the Aquarium’s publicist. “We love how the movie blends new discoveries, while also serving as a primer for those who are new to the ocean environment and issues affecting it. And, of course, it is spectacular on our IMAX screen.”

The Maritime Aquarium has the largest IMAX Theater in Connecticut. Its giant screen and 70mm film-projection system combine the brightest, clearest images at almost 10 times the resolution of standard-projection formats with powerful, laser-aligned digital sound and customized theater geometry to create the world's most immersive film experience.

The 41-minute movie transports audiences through ocean habitats of increasing depths, from coral reefs in warm tropical “shallows” to the surprisingly populated deep black sea. Among the encounters are those with a very cunning octopus and an ingenious tuskfish, whose use of a tool to feed was previously believed to be beyond the ability of fish.

“Even ocean creatures that we already knew were smart are continuing to surprise us,” Winslet says of a scene that has a pod of dolphins passing down knowledge to a young calf.
In kelp forests, the balance of nature plays out as sea urchins – which can ravage kelp – are kept in check by hungry urchin-eating sea otters.

And, thanks to technologies that take ocean exploration to new extremes, the film introduces audiences to such deep-sea creatures as “yeti” crabs (with “hairy white arms on which they farm bacteria to eat”) and a barreleye fish (“with a transparent head so that it can look up through its skull”).

“Oceans: Our Blue Planet” concludes in the Arctic to show that shrinking ice caps are creating new challenges for such animals as walruses and polar bears. “Just as we’re beginning to understand the sophisticated lives of sea creatures, so we begin to recognize the fragility of their home,” Winslet says. “There has never been a more crucial time to continue this journey of discovery because our future too depends on a healthy blue planet and who knows what other secrets are out there, waiting to be discovered.”

“Oceans: Our Blue Planet” is a collaboration between BBC Earth and OceanX Media, based during a global odyssey with researchers aboard Ocean X’s 184-foot research vessel, the M/V Alucia.

Other IMAX movies showing at The Maritime Aquarium this fall – and their show times beginning Oct. 5 – are “Backyard Wilderness” (noon daily) and “Pandas” (1 & 3 p.m. daily). One daytime

IMAX movie is included with Maritime Aquarium admission: $24.95 for adults; $22.95 for seniors (65+); and $17.95 for children (3-12).

Watch the three films’ trailers, access educational materials and purchase your tickets at www.maritimeaquarium.org/imax.

From the Forest - Native American Porcupine Quill Art New Exhibit @ Institute For American Indian Studies

Native Americans have a deep artistic sense and a great knowledge of our natural environment. This aesthetic can be seen in the objects of art, both decorative and useful at the new exhibit, From the Forest at the Institute For American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut. Porcupine quillwork looks amazingly like delicate embroidery. This type of quillwork was most likely the first purely decorative art practiced by Native Americans. It is highly sought after by collectors, each piece representing hundreds of hours of work by the artist.

Porcupine quillwork is a distinctive Native American art form. The quills are folded, twisted, wrapped, plaited and sewn using a wide range of techniques to embellish articles of clothing, bags, knife sheaths, baskets, wooden handles, pipe stems and many other items.. Native Americans in 17th century New England used porcupine quills to decorate their clothing and accessories. They would also decorate containers made from birchbark because it was light, long lasting and flexible.

Quill working flourished from New England to the tribes of the Great Plains until the arrival of Europeans with ready-made glass beads that were incorporated into the work. Although considered a 'lost art' by many, some artists still practice the tradition from tribes such as the Sioux, Cree, Ojibway, and others carrying on the tradition of quill embroidery.

The Exhibit

This exhibit showcases artifacts on loan to the museum from the Meg Buda Collection consisting of many Native American decorative and useful items that have been embellished with porcupine quill embroidery. There are examples of flat as well as tufted quill embroidery on a variety of objects from moccasins and baskets to jewelry and containers. Some of the workmanship on the tufted birchbark baskets is extraordinary because of the variety of natural dyes used on the quills and the delicate floral or geometric patterns on the containers. Examples of tufted quillwork are only made by a few artists and are extraordinary in their detail and craftsmanship. In addition to this exhibition, the Institute has a large collection of Native American Artifacts, a 16th century reconstructed outdoor  Native American Village and a new Escape Room that is opening in late October called Escape from a Wigwam, 1518.

Porcupine Quills

One of the most enduring myths about the porcupine, a member of the rodent family that is only native to North America is that they are capable of throwing quills. The reality is the porcupine uses their quills as a defense mechanism. When in danger, the porcupine lowers its head and lashes out its tail, and if the predator is in striking range, the barbed quills are embedded in their hide or on their face. Once embedded, the quill with its needle-sharp barbules expands and every muscle movement pulls it deeper into the flesh. The porcupine quill is a modified type of hair, and like hair, it is shed when it is fully-grown. An adult porcupine has an average of 30,000 quills on its body that average about three inches in length. The spring and fall porcupine quills are said to be the best for decorative use because they are not waterlogged and don't break easily. Once the quills were carefully removed from the porcupine they were sorted by size then made pliable by soaking. Dyed and flattened, woven, wrapped, tufted or stitched the humble porcupine quill became part of a work of art as well as a means of self-expression.

About 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.