“FLAMBOYANCE” OF FLAMINGOS FLOCK FOR THE SUMMER TO THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK

No bird may claim a cultural influence as big and long as the flamingo, and no place in Connecticut is featuring the big pink icons this summer except The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. A small flock, or "flamboyance," of flamingos will be standing – often, on one leg – in the aviary on the Aquarium's riverfront courtyard through Labor Day, Sept. 4. The exhibit is free with Aquarium admission.

For family fun this summer, The Maritime Aquarium has more big sharks, the greatest variety of jellyfish, the only black dragon and the 'greenest' research vessel, while also being the most affordable aquarium in New England. This flamingo exhibit is the pink icing on the cake. The flamingos exhibit will complement the new IMAX® movie, "Amazon Adventure," opening July 1 on the Aquarium's six-story screen.

People love flamingos because they're just such a big and beautiful and interesting bird. Cultures have been celebrating them for ages – literally – and now you can too at the Maritime Aquarium. Ancient Egyptians are said to have used the flamingo to represent the reincarnation of their sun god. The birds have turned up in cave paintings in Spain and in ancient art of Peru. Alice used a flamingo as a croquet mallet when she went through the looking glass. And, of course, pink flamingos became a cultural icon of leisure and tropical travel in 1950s' America ... although today the image has evolved to represent hip high kitsch.

Displayed at The Maritime Aquarium will be six Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis), a larger species – 4 to 5 feet tall – native to southern South America. They're distinguished from other flamingo species by their paler plumage, by the downward half of their bills being black, and by their greyish legs with notably pink "knees." (Although, technically, what looks like their knees are really their "ankles.")

Chilean flamingos are considered to be "Near Threatened," with humans representing their main threat because of hunting, egg harvesting and by the loss of – and changes to – their natural habitats. The birds at the Aquarium are on loan for the summer from a zoo in Louisiana. Get details about all of the Aquarium's summer offerings – including cruises onto Long Island Sound, a mesmerizing expanded jellyfish area, and the new IMAX movie "Amazon Adventure" – at www.maritimeaquarium.org.

Tour Hummock Island with Westport Historical Society

On September 2 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. the Westport Historical Society is offering a special experience right in their own backyard - a tour to visit Hummock Island, the site of the charming historic oyster house that sits in the middle of Sherwood Mill Pond.

If you have wondered who lived there and what the history of this house is this is your chance to find out! Jeff Northrup’s family built this house in 1747 and he will be sharing wonderful stories about their oyster family business. Once on the island, Jeff, our Hummock Island tour guide will tell you about the history of oystering in CT and his family legacy. As part of the tour, we’ll have an oyster tasting and shucking lesson, along with wine and other light bites on the front porch of the island house overlooking the water.

Tour participants will meet in front of Elvira’s Market, 222 Hillspoint Rd; please arrive promptly at 5:15 pm, as you will board the boat to the island at 5:30 pm. If you do not have a Westport beach sticker, arrangements will be made to shuttle you from the Hillspoint Elementary School parking lot to the Mill Pond.

Reservations are required for this exclusive tour. Seating is limited to the first  30 people. Tickets https://westporthistory.wufoo.com/forms/slamiz40fjhsey/are $110 per person. Proceeds support the educational programs at WHS.

Peach Festival in Oxford August 26

There is nothing as delicious as a summer peach and the Oxford Historical Society has organized a festival to celebrate this delicious fruit on Saturday, August 26 from 4-7 pm at the Great Hill United Methodist Church, located beside the Route 188 rotary at 225 Great Hill Road in Seymour.

Thi star of this event is scrumptious homemade peach shortcake with fresh Market 32 peaches and Rich Farm handmade peach ice cream plus a choice of beverages.  Admission to the festival is $1.

Each year the Peach Festival has a theme and this year's is “Oxford 100 Years Ago”. Highlights of this theme showcase life in this small New England farming town from 1915 -1920, as residents served abroad in World War I and worked at home to support the troops.  One soldier who enlisted and was wounded in France was Clarence Roberts from Quaker Farms.  His letters, uniform, and a number of artifacts from his years of service will be on display.

The festival also features displays on the Hale-Coleman Peach Farm, once located on Great Hill and Peach Farm Roads.  Raising peaches was once a major enterprise in Seymour and Oxford.

Music Memoir by Charlie Karp @ Westport Historical Society

On August 21, music legend, Chaarlie Karp brings his "musical memoir" to the Westport Historical Society from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

The History 

Ever since he opened for The Doors while still at Coleytown Junior High, Charlie Karp has been making his mark on the world of music. Karp became a local legend in 1970 when, in the middle of his junior year at Staples High School, he was invited to join the Buddy Miles Band. At age 16, after recording his first 45, Karp began touring internationally with Miles and contributed an original song to the band's renowned Them Changes album.

He opened for Jimi Hendrix at The Forum in Los Angeles and for Three Dog Night at the Cotton Bowl, recorded with Arthur Lee, and got his own record contract with RCA Records as the co-founder of White Chocolate with David Hull – all before age 20. From this unique perch, Charlie Karp had an up-close look at some of the all-time rock greats, while witnessing the transformation of the music industry.

Karp's musical experiences have found their way into a new memoir, and now he will share some of those stories while performing the music that inspired him. In "Charlie Karp's Musical Memoir," playing his guitar alongside a keyboardist, the renowned rocker brings alive the magical soundtrack that shaped the years 1964 through 1972.

About the show

This show is more than a concert. It's also an inside look at what happened when the music business moved from 45s to albums, and from small concert venues to dedicated rock clubs, arenas, and then stadiums.

Reservations strongly suggested, call 203-222-1424. Doors open at 6:30 and there is a $15 suggested donation and light refreshments will be served.

Sharon Historical Society presents Exhibition and Sale of Artwork through Sept. 8

The Sharon Historical Society located on 18 Main Street in the historic village of Sharon has organized an exhibition and sale of art by members of the Sharon Woman's Club through September 8, 2017.

The Sharon Woman's Club was organized in 1910 with the purpose to stimulate and encourage all efforts toward intellectual and social betterment in the home and in the community. The organization's motto is "In Good Things, Unity; In Small Things, Liberty; In All Things, Charity." The Club has consistently responded to the needs in our community throughout its history, compiling an impressive and enviable catalog of civic, educational and cultural contributions and accomplishments.

There is a wide range of subject matter in a variety of media created over the past two years by the talented members of this organization. Artworks will be available for purchase. All purchases support the Sharon Historical Society & Museum's mission.

The Gallery @the SHS is located in the Sharon Historical Society & Museum at 18 Main Street in Sharon, CT. Museum hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 4:00 PM, Saturday from 10:00AM to 2:00PM and by appointment. For more information and directions to The Gallery @the SHS, call (860) 364-5688.

Dish Walking Tour uncovers Bethel

Established to walk the sidewalks of downtown Danbury, CT,  DisH Liv(ing) Walking Tours has expanded to take a peek at its neighboring downtown community of Bethel. On Saturday August 19th, 11:00am to 1:00pm, host Ted Killmer, a downtown Danbury resident, will introduce walkers to a Bethel book store that specializes in all things Connecticut, artisanal makers of 3D chocolates, a mural that celebrates the town's famed P.T. Barnum's Jumbo, a fascinating story about a doughboy that became a lamp, a circus school that really sparks, and more.   

DisH Liv(ing) Walking Tours is supported, in part, by the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition, the Walks also receive support by the  the more-than-generous participation of eateries, shops, businesses, and local folk who line the day's Walk.

"I'm so delighted to take on a new Downtown, to uncover it, and revel in it," says Ted.  He suggests that you wear comfortable shoes, bring your camera, and a few friends. "Its about the conversations we have as we walk, not the Walk itself."

 

The Walk is FREE, though tips are welcomed. As much as possible, stops are wheelchair accessible, family friendly, and do not require difficult climbs. To participate, reservations are required. RSVP to dishliving@gmail.com with your name, the number in your party, and a phone contact, or call (475) 289 3113. A confirmation will let you know where to meet.  The itinerary remains, appropriately, to be discovered. 

Lime Rock Turns Sixty - Celebration

On September 2, Lime Rock is celebrating 60 years of tradition, beauty and speed at Lime Rock Park.  It is also a kick-off fundraising event for the "Legends of Lime Rock" commemorative area in A Paddock.

The celebration – cocktails, a sit-down, family style dinner, music, entertainment, auctions – will be highlighted by a special gathering of legends, people who are particularly important to Lime Rock's history and legacy. David Hobbs, PJ Jones, Sam Posey and Jim Haynes – all drivers at heart, of course, but each of whom became influential beyond the cockpit – will engage in a lively discussion: Expect invigorating repartee amongst these racing icons, and tales will surely be told that few have heard before.

About the Guests 

David Hobbs... Aside from his exploits at Le Mans, as well as in F1, IMSA GT, the Indy 500 and even NASCAR, David's biggest successes at Lime Rock were during F5000's halcyon days. In the five F5000 races at Lime Rock between 1969 and 1972, Hobbs never qualified lower than fourth. He won twice (including during his 1971 title-winning year) and finished on the podium in two others. His lone LRP DNF was due to a diff failure in 1972, F5000's last race here.

Sam Posey... Sam's racing career was not only the equal of Hobbs in its diversity, but our hometown hero actually learned his craft at Lime Rock. Sam famously won the 1969 LRP Trans-Am race in a Shelby-run Mustang, subbing for Peter Revson, and won the IMSA GTU race two years in a row, 1978 and 1979. Motorsports' reigning Renaissance Man par excellence is today a painter, writer, designer, broadcaster... Sam in person never fails to charm and enlighten.

PJ Jones... Representing 1990s-era Lime Rock during its IMSA Camel GTP heydays, PJ is not done racing; he's a star in Robby Gordon's spectacular Speed Energy Super Truck series and competes in the SCORE Baja off-road races. PJ, son of the legendary

Parnelli Jones (who raced and won at Lime Rock in Trans-Am Mustangs), on Saturday, May 29, 1993, turned an amazing lap of :43.112 in his #98 All American Racers Toyota Eagle MkIII IMSA Camel GTP prototype during qualifying for the Toyota Trucks Lime Rock Grand Prix. And a quarter century later, this is still the lap record at Lime Rock! PJ is articulate, funny, engaging – and not afraid to go toe-to-toe with Sam and David.

Jim Haynes... Flying up from Tampa, Fla., it was Jim's essential and creative management of Lime Rock in the 60s, 70s and 80s that ensured the success we all enjoy today. As a driver, Jim won multiple SCCA National titles, but he's best known for running Lime Rock with grace and wit. It's not hyperbole to say Jim was a major force in American racing during his stewardship of Lime Rock. He was an important early ally of John Bishop's nascent IMSA series and was a leader in promoting vintage racing, helping it reach the astounding success it enjoys today. His post-LRP career – for nine years he ran Road America, a track similar to Lime Rock in its appeal – gives Jim a unique perspective as he looks back on what Lime Rock means to him.

In addition, Historic Festival 35 Honored Guest Richard Attwood as well as Honored Collector Bruce Meyer will be in attendance.

The Auction

There are many great auction items available to bid on to round out the fun.  A highlight of items include:

► Lucas Oil Race School: Two-day accredited school, for two people

► Lime Rock Drivers Club Track Day, in LRP Spec Miata race car
includes overnight accommodations at Falls Village Inn

► For BMW Fans: Race-worn Bill Auberlen helmet and race-worn David Donohue race suit

► Huge "Car Guy" Package with the best products from: Thule Carriers and Racks; a full set of your choice of Nokian Tyres (including its famous Hakkapeliitta winters or zLINE hi-po summers); Wheels of Time winter car storage; tickets to the Ridgefield Playhouse "F1 Season Wrap with NBC's Matchett, Hobbs and Diffey"; Spectro Performance Oils & Lubricants; premier car-detailing by Explicit Design "Celebrating Lime Rock's past... while building for the future."

Tickets

Tickets are $200 per seat, limited to the first 300 people to order online.

Preserving and Observing: Two Centuries of Norwalk Art

The Norwalk Historical Society has announced a new exhibit  set up in Town House on the Norwalk Historical Society's Mill House Historic Park that will be on display through July, 2018. This exhibition, Preserving and Observing is part of  the continuing celebration of Norwalk's heritage, and features 80+ pieces of art on paper highlighting the City's significant art collection. Mill Hill Historic Park is located on 2 East Wall Street in Norwalk.

Norwalk Harbor - Augustus Daggy

The exhibit curated by Sophia Gevas, is comprised of paintings and works on paper drawn from the four separate collections that comprise the Norwalk Collection: the City of Norwalk, the Lockwood family, the Norwalk Historical Society and the Norwalk-Village Green Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

The 80 plus  featured works created by artists who lived and worked in Norwalk is presented "Salon Style" in the recently restored 1835 Town House at Mill Hill. The exhibit is a survey presented in groupings of Portraits, Still-lifes, Scenes of Working Life and Nature.  The art work on display captures significant aspects and insights about city life through the ages.

Summer Art Show @ Oliver Wolcott Library in Litchfield

Liliana Kleid considers her work a celebration of life and nature, often changing courses along the way. It is her goal to honor the magical moments nature offers by using color, composition, and lighting, and to show the viewer something lively they wouldn’t normally get to see. 

She is always experimenting with different media and lately has been working with oils, acrylics and inks. Reflected in her work are the bold colors of indigenous crafts, clothing, and textiles that she was surrounded by  growing up in Peru. After years of traveling and experiencing new creative forms, the influence of Peruvian artwork’s vibrancy has informed her passion for abstract depictions of nature. This series of paintings is inspired by her latest trip to the coasts of both Italy and Spain, where the deep blue colors of the Mediterranean waters were always in her view.

Liliana was born in Lima, Peru. She came to the United States with her  American husband, Peter, in the early 1990s. They have been living in Litchfield for the past 15 years, with their two daughters and two poodles.

In between the development of each of her personal works, Liliana spends her time teaching art classes at the Litchfield Montessori School, and managing her boutique and gallery, Serendipity, in the center of Litchfield. In each of her projects, she promotes the integration of sustainability and creativity through the use of recycled and handmade materials.

In the Jamie Gagarin Community Room and Gallery: July 6- August 31, 2017. Opening reception on Thursday, July 6 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. At the Oliver Wolcott Library, 160 South Street, Litchfield, CT. 06759. 860-567-8030, www.owlibrary.org.

Journey with Jellies Bigger and Better @ Maritime Aquarium

Get close to some of the most strangely beautiful ¬– but painfully dangerous – animals in the sea as The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk offers a newly expanded exhibit of jellyfish.

With "Journey with Jellies," The Maritime Aquarium now displays the most jellyfish species in the region. Jellies – as they should be called, because they're not fish – have been among the most popular animals in The Maritime Aquarium for more than 20 years.

This bigger new space builds around the tall centerpiece display of moon jellies, and offers large new displays with such non-native species as Pacific sea nettles, flower hat jellies, Japanese sea nettles and more.

Journey with Jellies" has traditional "window" displays of jellies, but also unique displays of jellies living in cascading globe and half-dome habitats.

Jellies are among the most simple animals, thriving without a brain, heart, lungs, gills and really any of the other organs that we believe an animal must have to survive. Yet survive they have, for millions of years, in forms and colors that are fascinating.

Jellies, of course, also have stinging cells, and Aquarium guests can learn about how jellies sting and about their unique life cycles. In addition to jellies, this new exhibit space also includes a big new natural habitat for the Aquarium's giant Pacific octopus, as well as a new display featuring lionfish, a species with a large splay of venomous spines that are a troubling invasive presence on the Atlantic coast.

"Journey with Jellies" is included with Aquarium admission. For more details about exhibits, programs and IMAX® movies, go to www.maritimeaquarium.org.

Water Ski Show on Bantam Lake

The Bantam Lake Ski Club's Show,  has been a highlight of summer fun in Litchfield Hills for 58 years.  This year the show is taking place on August 11 and 12 at Sandy Beach in Morris.  This water ski show that always amazes and entertains spectators will start at 2 p.m. on both days. Admission to the beach will be $10 per car.

Photo credit Litchfield County Biz Doug Parker

The 2017 theme of the show is  "a night at the movies."  This Cypris Garden style water ski show is held the second weekend every August. Highlights include multi-tier pyramids, jumping, ballet lines, barefooting, mixed doubles, boat O's, trick skiing, wake boarding, kids ski lines and much more.

The Bantam Lake Ski Club of Connecticut was established in 1958 by a group of local water ski enthusiasts. It is the oldest, continuously operating water ski club in the United States with over 100 members. 

Bantam Lake is located in the towns of Litchfield and Morris, much of it is protected by White Memorial Foundation. It is the largest natural lake in the state that has been protected and preserved by the Bantam Lake Protective Association.

11th Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition @ Center for Contemporary Printmaking

The Center for Contemporary Printmaking located on 299 West Ave. in Norwalk is once again hosting the biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition in its galleries from June 4-August 27. The Gallery is open Tuesday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wed. - Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. from noon to 5 p.m.  The gallery is closed on Monday.

The highlight of this juried exhibition and competition is that all artwork is limited to works that are no more than four square inches or 25.8 square cm. in size.  The purpose of this show is to encourage artists to explore the miniature print format. It is also an opportunity for artists and the public to view the current concerns of printmakers from around the world. Since its inception in 1997, the competition has attracted entries by more than 1500 artists from around the world.

This year, the first prize winner is Dorothy Cochran from New Jersey, the second place winner is  Michaela Winter from Germany and the third place winner is Christine S. Aaron from New York.  For a complete list of award winning artists as well as artists accepted to display their work in this exhibition visit the website. This is truly an international show with works on display from artists living in: Denmark, China, Croatia, the U.K., Greece, France Ireland, to name a few, as well as many participants from the U.S. 

This year, the Juror is Freyda Spira, Associate Curator, Department of Drawings and Prints, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Spira earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, and specializes in Early Modern German art, works on paper, and Reformation imagery. She has authored several articles and books, including: Daniel Hopfer and Early Etched Armor in Augsburg; Imperial Augsburg: Renaissance prints and drawings, 1475-1540 with Greg Jecmen; Dürer and Beyond: Central European drawings before 1700 in The Metropolitan Museum of Art with Stijn Alsteens; and The Power of Prints: The Legacy of William M. Ivins and A. Hyatt Mayor (2016). She is currently working on an exhibition about Renaissance etching.

Two Top Performers Give Artist Talks at Litchfield Jazz Fest

Ever wonder what goes into learning an instrument, composing the music, or choosing to become a professional player? Each summer, Litchfield Jazz Festival offers audience members the chance to meet festival stars up close to hear their personal stories and learn what shaped their lives in music.

The Festival’s Artist Talks are led by Frank Alkyer, Publisher of Down Beat Magazine, the world’s largest-distribution jazz magazine. DownBeat is a long- time sponsor of Litchfield Jazz Festival and Frank a well-informed, personable and witty interviewer. The talks take place in the intimate Student Stage Tent, and ticketholders are invited free of charge.

This year’s guest artists are clarinetist Ken Peplowski and saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa.  Ken headlines the Saturday August 5^th lineup with his Benny Goodman Tribute, featuring Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, Joe Locke, vibes, Nicki Parrott, bass, Euhud Aherie, piano, and Matt Wilson, drums.  His Artist Talk is scheduled for Saturday at 6:30 immediately before his set at 7:45.

The festival’s founder Vita Muir first met Ken on The Jazz Cruise, a popular straight-ahead music voyage in which he plays a key role when he is not touring the world. Muir applauds Ken’s teaching philosophy “My goal,” he says, is to get students to learn how to teach themselves and to learn how to bring out their own best qualities. After all, jazz is about individuality---first you learn the rules, and then you break them. I would like to think of myself as a lifelong student!”

On Sunday afternoon at 3:30 Frank Alkyer will be talking with Rudresh Mahanthappa. Rudresh is appearing on the fest at 4:45 with his Indo-Pac Coalition. A renowned saxophonist/composer and second-generation Tamil-American, his music blends progressive jazz and South Indian classical music in a fluid, forward-looking form. He has won many awards and polls, including the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award and numerous first places for alto sax performance from Down Beat and the Jazz Journalists. He was appointed last year as the first Director of Jazz at Princeton University.

Naugatuck Historic Home Tour August 5

The Naugatuck Historical Society has organized a summer house tour on Saturday, August 5 from 10  a.m. to 3 p.m.  of some of the grand homes in this charming Connecticut Valley community that borders the Naugatuck River. Many of the architectural buildings in the center of the town were designed by the famous architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White making it a pleasant center to visit.

The house tour will feature a number of homes on Terrace, Hillside, Millville and Rockwell Avenues. The highlight of this house tour is a visit to the famous Tuttle House that will be the future home of the Naugatuck Historical Society. The Bronson B. Tuttle House is a brick brownstone house built by John Howard Whittemore in the Queen Anne style in 1881. The gable ends and tower dormers are decorated with a quarter sunburst design.  There is quatre-foil-pierced terra cotta cresting along the roof line. The house remained in the Tuttle family until 1935 when it was given to the Borough of Naugatuck.

The house tour is self guided and with a rain date of August 6. Advance tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members of the historical society.  Tickets on the day of the tour will be available at the historical society, starting at 9:30 a.m. located on 171 Church Street in Naugatuck and will be $30.

Tea for Two Hundred

This summer marks the 20th anniversary of Tea for Two Hundred held in Washington Connecticut on 63 River Road on August 12. This garden party benefit is held in the beautiful gardens of the Washington home of Mr. Gael Hammer and Mr. Gary Goodwin. Revel in an afternoon of delicious food, wine and dancing to the music of the legendary "Beehive Queen" Christine Ohlman.

Shop the fabled Silent Auction and bid on fabulous trips, dining experiences and spa packages. Participate in the beloved hat contest featuring guest judge Laura Daly, world renowned milliner.

Honorary Chair is Sheila Nevins, an American television producer and the President of HBO Documentary Films. She also has a new book that made it to the New York Times best-seller list. "You Don't Look Your Age... and Other Fairy Tales," (Flatiron Books).

Dress code is summer white attire. This garden party benefit will be held in the beautiful gardens of the Washington home of Mr. Gael Hammer and Mr. Gary Goodwin.

This year the Gunn Historical Museum and Interfaith Aids Ministry will benefit from this event. To register: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ee0s0tdifa37512f&oseq=&c=&ch=

About the Gunn Historical Museum

Founded in 1899, the Gunn Historical Museum is a non-profit organization with a mission to educate the public about the history of Washington, Connecticut and to preserve the town's history and culture. The Museum is located in a 1781 colonial home situated on the Washington Green. The museum has received national awards for its exhibits, conducts original research and creates educational programs for children, adults and seniors.

About Tea for Two Hundred

In 1998 Gael Hammer, along with Ted Hine and John Trainor, instituted Tea for Two Hundred as a memorial to Gael's partner Timothy Mawason and as a way to raise funds for AIDS awareness and other charities in western Connecticut. This year the proceeds will benefit the Gunn Historical Museum and Interfaith AIDS Ministry of Greater Danbury.

Now in its 20th year, the event held at the beautiful gardens of Mr. Hammer and Mr. Goodwin is widely considered one of Litchfield County's major social events of the season and draws hundreds of participants. Tea for Two Hundred has generated net proceeds approaching $1 Million for area organizations.

Photo: Rural Intelligence