Kent Shop Hop in Litchfield Hills

Ready to chase away the winter doldrums? The town of Kent in the unspoiled Litchfield Hills of Northwest Connecticut has the answer! The Kent merchants have gotten together to organize a family fun event on March 7, 8 and 9 with something for everyone and they are calling it the Kent Shop Hop.

Visitors to Kent are invited to stop in at any of the participating shops to pick up a map of shops that offer a treasure trove of bargains, special sales, exciting promotions and special events. As you go from shop to shop be sure to enter the drawing for a fabulous gift basket worth hundreds of dollars.

For more information visit www.kentct.comwww.kentct.com. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Famous Native American Potter at the Institute for American Indian Studies

The contemporary pottery of Melvin C. Cornshucker of Cherokee descent is being featured in the Litchfield Hills at the Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Rd. in Washington CT through the month of March.  Cornshucker is an award winning Cherokee potter, who works in stoneware, porcelain and raku clay. 

Mel's work can be found in collections across the United States, Europe, and Africa, and he has been invited to exhibit at museums in Illinois, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, California, Kansas and now Connecticut. Mel also participates in annual juried shows and exhibitions including the Santa Fe Indian Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Eiteljorg Indian Market in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Pueblo Grande Museum Indian Art Show in Phoenix, Arizona, the Contemporary Indian Art Show at Cahokia, Illinois, and many other notable venues.

His work is widely sought in international collections as well as in the United States. His work has been exhibited and sold all over the world from Santa Fe, Arizona to South Africa.

Mel's work is noted for being unique, functional, and aesthetic art pieces that are decorated primarily with Native American motifs.  His signature designs are influenced by the generations of jewelers and weavers in his family. Mel strives to make his stoneware, porcelain and raku clay pieces visually pleasing and functional. It is his desire to create pieces that communicate the Native American spirit both past and present. 

Mel, born in Oklahoma but raised in Missouri, comes from an artistic family. His father was a silversmith, his grandfather a rug weaver and his aunts are basket weavers. While attending law school at Southwest Baptist University, he became interested in a ceramics class. After completing the class, he left school to pursue his new passion of pottery making. Within a few years, he became a master potter. Mel owns and operates a studio in Tulsa,

Oklahoma where he sells his work and teaches the art of pottery.

This Exhibition is in the "Four Directions" Gift Shop of the Institute for American Indian Studies and runs through March 31, 2014. There is no charge for this exhibition.  The museum is open Monday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm Sunday 12 Noon to 5 pm and the last admission 4:30 pm. For more information http://www.iaismuseum.org. For information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

Exhibit: Collections, Community & Conversation at the Danbury Historical Society

The Danbury Museum & Historical Society located on 43 Main Street in Danbury will be launching an 2014 Accessible Art Exhibit, in conjunction with the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, on Saturday, January 18, 2014

The exhibit cases in Huntington Hall will be filled with a wealth of interesting objects gleaned from the collections of individuals from The Greater Danbury area; including vintage photographs on display from guest curator, Catherine Vanaria, Professor of photographer at Western Connecticut State University. She is also President and Co-Owner of Connecticut Photographics, Inc., a professional photographic and digital lab located in Danbury.

On display will be an eclectic mix of objects including sewing machines, turn of the century postcards, milk glass, examples of antique book bindings, slide rules, colonial apothecary items, vintage toys, dolls, vintage pins and more.

The exhibit will be open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. To 4:00 p.m. Collections will be on display through March. The museum will be hosting several roundtable discussions and will sponsor an educational program, 'How to Start a Collection' and 'Preserving Treasured Photographs,' presented by Catherine Vanaria on March 15, 2014. A schedule of events and additional information will be available on the museum website.

For more information visit www.danburymuseum.org or call 203-743-5200.  For information on Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

ABOUT THE DMHSA: The Danbury Museum & Historical Society was formed in 1947 to acquire, preserve, exhibit and interpret New England's past; focusing particularly on the heritage of Danbury. Situated in downtown Danbury, the museum preserves the John and Mary Rider House (c.1785), the Dodd Hat Shop (c. 1790), the Marian Anderson Studio and the Charles Ives Birthplace. Huntington Hall, a modern exhibit building houses the museum offices and research library.

Technology-Themed at the Maritime Garage

Free and open to the public, machines, gadgets, all things technology inspires the artwork at the exhibit at the Maritime Garage Gallery. The exhibit, entitled "Thingamabob", will run through April 25.

John Jackson, "Up the Creek"

The concept of the exhibit's theme is loosely based on the concepts of Rube Goldberg; the Thingamabob is a metaphor for the creative process and how artists feed one method into another when creating works of art. Some of the featured works in the exhibit highlight individual elements while others feature multiple systems.

"Thingamabob" features art that is in the eye of the mechanically inclined and in a group show of artists, including John Jackson of Jefferson, New York, Tom Hlas of Norfolk, CT, Lewis Schaffer from Ridgefield, Deborah Rauh from Westport, Sara Roche from Weston, and others.

Lewis Cohen, "Play the Dot Game" 

The Maritime Garage Gallery, located at 11 North Water Street, is part of the Parking Authority's "Art in Parking Places" initiative, an effort to support art in public spaces making Norwalk a more vibrant destination. The gallery is free and open to the public from 9:00am -5:00pm Monday through Friday. For more information, call 203- 831-9063, or visit www.norwalkpark.org/public-art

For information on Fairfield County www.visitfarifieldcountyct.com

Maple Syrup on tap in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County Connecticut

It’s a sweet New England tradition—toasting old man winter out the door with delicious new maple syrup. As soon as days are above freezing and the sap begins to run, the annual spring ritual begins.

Turning thin sap into thick, fragrant syrup is a fascinating process and Western Connecticut, where sugar maple trees abound, is one of the best places to see it in action. More than a dozen sugar houses in Fairfield County and the Litchfield Hills invite visitors to see how it is done, from tapping the maple trees to collecting the sap to boiling down the thin watery sap until it turns to the thick, fragrant syrup.

A variety of settings, from farms and nature centers to museums are among the maple possibilities, most offering tastes as well as show and tell, and many have take-home syrup for purchase as a sweet souvenir. While many sugarhouses invite visitors anytime during the first three weekends in March (see list below), some locations plan one festive day to celebrate the season.

To kick off the Maple Sugaring season, the Greenwich Land Trust is hosting a Sugar Maple Winter Walk on February 25 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Duck Pond Hill on 12 Burning Tree Rd in Greenwich. Participants will learn what what wildlife does during the winter to survive and how to identify trees without their leaves.  The highlight of this event is to watch a maple tapping and syrup boiling demonstration to learn what goes into making the sweet stuff!  Walking conditions may be a bit tricky because the walk will be on uneven terrain.  Refreshments will be served.  For more information visit www.gltrust.org.

                                                March Maple Events

The Stamford Museum & Nature Centers starts the month in gala fashion with its annual Maple Sugar Festival slated for March 1 and 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Every year, the Museum places buckets on more than 200 maple trees on its 118-acre site, collecting sap to produce maple syrup in the little red sugarhouse on its Heckscher Farm. Visitors will see firsthand the process of tapping and collecting the sap. Kids can make a maple-themed craft, go on a scavenger hunt, have their face painted and join in the fun on Saturday for the Chef’s Challenge, using maple syrup to make delicious treats. On Sunday everyone can join in the popular pancake brunch.  www.stamfordmuseum.org

 The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington will have a different take on sugaring at its annual Pancake Festival on March 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m..  Demonstrations will show how local Native Americans traditionally made maple syrup and its importance to their culture. Pancakes will be served with local maple syrup and there will be special activities for children. www.iaismuseum.org

Pancakes are also on the menu on March 2^nd from 8 a.m. to noon at the annual breakfast at Flanders Nature Center Sugar House at Van Vleck Farm Sanctuary in Woodbury. Staff and volunteers also will conduct demonstrations at the busy center March 1 and 2, 8 and 9 and 15 and 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. www.flandersnaturecenter.org

For those who can’t make the first weekend, March offers many other special events. The Sixth Annual Maple Festival at Sweet Wind Farm takes place in East Hartland on March 8. The busy day will include tree tapping, maple syrup and maple sugar making demonstrations with free syrup samples, a narrated slide show and video, cooking class, story time for kids, and --almost everyone’s favorite activity-- a sugar-on-snow candy making demonstration. www.sweetwindfarm.net

Another March 8 event is the annual Open House at the Great Brook Sugar House on Sullivan Farm in New Milford, one of the programs provided for the community’s young people by the New Milford Youth Agency.  Some 1600 trees are tapped on property donated by local residents. Dozens of high school and college students assist in the collection, processing, packaging and sales of the syrup. At the Open House guides will escort visitors around the farm to various sites to see demonstrations reflecting a 300-year history of maple sugaring. Syrup and other maple products will be available for purchase. Everyone is invited to visit the Sugar House anytime smoke from the chimney says that the syrup kettles are a-cooking.

Syrup Saturday at the New Canaan Nature Center on March 15 from ll a.m. to 3 p.m. is always a festive day. Events include tree-tapping demos, a maple sap boil down at the Sugar Shack, and a look at historic methods of making maple syrup plus a delicious Pancake Brunch.  Visitors are invited to join naturalists for a hike along "Maple Lane" to learn tree identification tips, then warm up around the campfire to share tall tales, and make a Maple craft to take home. www.newcanaannature.org

March 15 is also the date of the annual Maplefest! at the Sharon Audubon Center. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. guided tours will show how maple syrup is produced at the Center and samples of fresh syrup will be handed out to guests.  www.sharon.audubon.org

Visit Any Weekend

The sugaring season starts early at large facilities like Lamothe’s Sugar House in Burlington, where the public is invited to see how syrup is made every weekend from February 15 to the end of March. This family owned operation began as a hobby with seven taps and has grown to over 4500 taps and a year-round showroom. Their shop offers a tempting array of unusual foods like maple mustard and maple apple butter plus original maple-themed items from embroidered aprons, decorating sets, and cupcake shaped rubber spatulas to a cupcake carrier in the shape of a big cupcake.  www.Lamothesugarhouse.com

The following sugarhouse locations all welcome visitors the first three weekends in March, and some, like Lamothe’s begin in February as well. Weather can alter schedules, so a call ahead is absolutely necessary to verify openings, hours and directions before making a trip. 

Anstett’s Sugar Farm, 542 East Greenwoods Rd., Norfolk, 860-542-5013 www.anstettsmaplesyrup.com

Brookside Farm, 79 East Chestnut Road, Litchfield, 860-567-3805, mid-February-March

Brothers and Sons Sugarhouse, 998 Saw Mill Road, Torrington, 860-489-2719, mid-February-March

Dutton’s Sugarhouse, 28 Sunny Ridge Road, Washington, 860-0345, mid-February- March

Flanders Nature Center Maple Sugar House, Church Hill Rd., Woodbury, 203-263-3711, www.flandersnaturecenter.org

Great Brook Sugarhouse at Sullivan Farm, 140 Park Lane (Route 202), New Milford, 860-210-2030, mid-February-March, www.youthagency.org

Hilljack Sugar Shack, 74 Wilson Rd., Litchfield, 860-482-6052.

Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Rd., Washington, 860-868-0518. www.iaismuseum.org

Kasulaitis Farm and Sugarhouse, 69 Goose Green Road, Barkhamsted, 860-379-8787, mid-February-March

Land of Nod Vineyard and Winery, 99 Lower Rd., East Canaan, 860-824-5225, www.landofnodwinery.com

Lamothe’s Sugar House, 89 Stone Road, Burlington, 860-675-5043,mid-February-March. www.Lamothesugarhouse.com

McLaughlin Vineyards, Albert’s Hill Rd., Sandy Hook, 203-426-1533

www.mclaughlinvineyards.com

New Canaan Nature Center, 144 Oenoke Ridge Rd., New Canaan, 203 – 966-9577, www.newcanaannature.org.

Sharon Audubon, 325 Cornwall Bridge Rd., Sharon, 860-364-0520, www.sharon.audubon.org

Stamford Museum and Nature Center, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, 203-322-1646.

Sweetwind Farm, 339 South Rd., East Hartland, 860-653-2038, www.sharon.audubon.org

Three Pond Meadow Farm, 240 Ramstein Rd., New Hartford,

860-482-3628

Warrup’s Farm, John Reed Road off Route 107, Redding, 203- 938-9403,  www.warrupsfarm.com

West Hill Sugarhouse, 525 West Hill Road, New Hartford, 860-379-9672

Woodbury Sugarshed, 41 Washington Road, Woodbury, 203-263-4550, mid-February-March, www.woodburysugarshed.com

Louisiana-Styled Fun at the Carousel Museum Mardi Gras Celebration

Mardi Gras seems has never been more popular with events to fete the carnival season popping up all over. Mardi Gras refers to Kings Day and culminates in Ash Wednesday.  In French it means “fat Tuesday” referring to the practice of the last night of eating rich foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.  This year, the New England Carousel Museum will be in full carnival mode during its 24th Anniversary Mardi Gras celebration that is taking place on Saturday, March 1, 2014 from 7-11 PM.

The Museum has organized a Louisiana-styled evening that will feature dancing to the music of the acclaimed Billy Cofrances Jazz Quartet in the museum ballroom.  In addition to dancing, there will be with a silent auction with many exciting prizes up for grabs, a wine and bourbon tasting, and food a plenty!

Attendees are encouraged to wear a mask or come in full costume and to BOYB.  The evening festivities will culminate in the crowning of a king and queen of the ball.  “This party is sure to pull you out of your winter doldrums while helping to support the Museum’s educational programs.

Tickets are on sale at the Carousel Museum. RSVP by February 24, 2014 by calling (860) 585-5411. The cost is $50 per person pre-paid tables of 8 may be reserved. The proceeds will support educational programming and general operating costs. The event will be held on site at the New England Carousel Museum, 95 Riverside Ave., Bristol. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact The New England Carousel Museum at (860) 585-5411 or email info@the carouselmuseum.org.  For more information about the museum visit http://www.thecarouselmuseum.org. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Oysters, Pearls of Long Island Sound at The Bruce Museum

Found in estuaries around the world, oysters play a significant role in ecosystems and economies. These bivalve mollusks have sustained Native Americans and created waterside cultures. The Long Island Sound’s native oyster, the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), is a keystone species in the local environment, providing critical habitat and food for many other species, recycling nutrients, cleaning the water as it feeds, and driving an industry. Its value lies in these worthy attributes rather than in its potential for jewels. Like other true oysters, the Eastern oyster rarely produces a pearl. If it does make one, the pearl lacks the lustrous quality of those produced by pearl oysters, which are in a different family.

The Bruce Museum celebrates the Eastern oyster in the exhibition Oysters, Pearls of Long Island Sound, running through March 23, 2014.

The exhibition will explore the science and history of the Eastern oyster in Long Island Sound, examining how its nutritional and commercial values have made the Eastern oyster a popular commodity for residents along the Sound for eons.

 Native Americans harvested oysters from mile-long natural beds and collected individual oysters that were up to a foot long. By the early 1800s, the natural beds had become depleted and oysters were cultivated on artificial beds.

The oyster industry was a powerful force in the local economy by the end of the 19th century. However, overfishing, pollution, natural disasters, and disease brought about a decline and the industry was seriously threatened through the early to mid-20th century.

In recent years, the oyster trade has experienced resurgence as a result of improved aquaculture techniques and oysters’ popularity among food connoisseurs who enjoy their distinctive flavor, which varies with each local environment.

Organized with the assistance of scientists and historians and developed in cooperation with the Town of Greenwich Shellfish Commission, Oysters, Pearls of Long Island Sound features hands-on, interactive displays, videos, specimens of bivalves from around the world, and historical objects that appeal to all ages. Objects from the Bruce Museum collection are supplemented by loans of shells, oystering tools, food-related items, and boat models from local collectors including oysterman Norm Bloom and institutions such as the Yale Peabody Museum, Rowayton Historical Society, National Gallery of Art, Grand Central Oyster Bar, and Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Milford Laboratory.

Complementing the exhibition will be a science lecture series in the fall and a history lecture series in the winter in addition to a variety of programs suitable for all ages.

About the Bruce Museum

Explore Art and Science at the Bruce Museum, located at One Museum Drive in Greenwich, Connecticut. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm; closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for students up to 22 years, $6 for seniors and free for members and children under 5 years. Individual admission is free on Tuesday. Free on-site parking is available and the Museum is accessible to individuals with disabilities.  For additional information, call the Bruce Museum at (203) 869-0376 or visit the website at www.brucemuseum.org.  For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com