New Art Exhibition Kicks of 50 Year Anniversary @ Lockwood Mathews Mansion

In collaboration with Silvermine School of Art, Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum kicks-off its 50^th Anniversary with a new exhibition by artist and professor of photography Bruce Dunbar. The exhibition titled, Endangered & Re-envisioned: Iconic Landmarks and Interiors will open to the public on April 7, 2016, 12-4 p.m. at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT.

Curated by artist and designer Gail Ingis-Claus, Endangered & Re-envisioned will run through July 6, 2016, with a fundraising reception on April 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; tickets for the reception are $10 for non-members and $5 for members. All proceeds will benefit the Museum’s cultural and educational programs.

 This exhibition will feature some of Mr. Dunbar’s analog and digital work focusing on several Connecticut structures built between 1870-1940, both private residences and public spaces, seeking to place them in their contemporary context of adaptive reuse. “I am seeking to unite the past history of the landmark with the present context in which it exists,” said Dunbar, “including both images of interiors and exteriors, in order to draw attention to the rich history of each landmark, it's various past import and current status as landmark."

This exhibition will feature some of Mr. Dunbar’s analog and digital work focusing on several Connecticut structures built between 1870-1940, both private residences and public spaces, seeking to place them in their contemporary context of adaptive reuse. “I am seeking to unite the past history of the landmark with the present context in which it exists,” said Dunbar, “including both images of interiors and exteriors, in order to draw attention to the rich history of each landmark, it's various past import and current status as landmark."

Born in Stratford, CT, Mr. Dunbar received his BA from Boston University and his MA from New York University. His photographs and mixed media have been exhibited in numerous group and solo shows in Connecticut and New York City. Currently, he teaches black and white and digital photography courses at Silvermine School of Art in New Canaan, CT, as well as several workshops exploring different aspects on the art of photography.

Click! Snap! Like! From April 7, 2016 through May 1^st, visitors are invited to participate in a photo contest sharing their talent and favorite photo of the Mansion on the Museum’s Facebook wall. All photos must be of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum’s exterior and submitted no later than May 1^st. The winner will be announced on May 3^rd. Prizes will be awarded on May 18.

The exhibit will be on view as part of LMMM’s tours, Wed.-Sun. at noon, 1, 2, and 3 p.m. General Admission: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $6 for children and young adults, ages 8-18.

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, a National Historic Landmark since 1971, reopens to the public on Wed. April 6, 2016. For more information on schedules and programs please visit: www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.

For additional area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

What is Obscura Day at the Barnum Museum

On Saturday, April 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Barnum Museum located on 820 Main Street in Bridgeport is opening their doors to all seekers of the rare, the unusual and the wondrous!

Conceived and built by American icon P.T. Barnum, the Barnum Museum has served a global audience since its opening in 1893. Although P.T. Barnum did not live to see the completion of the landmark site, the exotic building and collection is a reflection of Barnum's fascination with the world and his pioneering spirit to bring curiosity and wonder to all seeking knowledge.

Obscura Day guests will have the opportunity to join the Museum Executive Director and Curator on a special and private tour of the collections. Rarely seen artifacts including Tom Thumb's clothing, carriages and personal items, P.T. Barnum's wedding top hat from 1829 and his fascinating hand-written Copy Book that chronicles the European tour of Tom Thumb in 1845.

In addition, guests will have the opportunity to join staff on an exclusive hard-hat tour of the historic Barnum building. Currently under restoration after an EF1 tornado strike in 2010, the Museum has been actively restoring and re-envisioning its future. Guests are invited to be among the very first to witness the disaster recovery effort and learn the Museum's exciting plans for the future!

BRC Imagination Arts concept design for the future.

Following the tour, guests will have the opportunity to engage in lively conversations with the Museum staff and enjoy light refreshments in the special events gallery.  The cost is $35.

For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Planetarium shows at WSCU in Danbury

 Western Connecticut State University’s Westside observatory will host free, public planetarium shows and viewing parties on multiple Saturday evenings this spring. The observatory is on the university’s Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave.  Extension in Danbury, between the Westside Campus Center and Pinney Hall on top of a small hill. The entrance road faces the front of Pinney Hall.

Planetarium shows will run for an hour. The times will vary with the sunset. After the show, the public is invited to view the night sky through individual telescopes or take turns with the large, 20-inch telescope. Telescope viewing will run for two hours, weather permitting.

Schedule of events:

• April 2: 7 – 8 p.m. planetarium show; 8 – 10 p.m. viewing of the spring sky, Jupiter

• April 16: 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. planetarium show; 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. viewing of the waxing gibbous moon, spring sky, Jupiter

• April 30: 8 – 9 p.m. planetarium show;  9 – 11 p.m. viewing of the spring sky, Jupiter

• May 14: 8 – 9 p.m. planetarium show;  9 – 11 p.m. viewing of Jupiter, the moon past first quarter, Mars (late)

• May 21: 9 – 11 p.m. observing only, Jupiter, the full moon, Mars near opposition

Parking is very limited around the observatory, but more can be found on University Boulevard.

Planetarium shows are not appropriate for infants or toddlers. Public Nights may be canceled due to severe weather or hazardous road conditions. For updates, call (203) 837-8672 on the day of an event.

For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Hickory, Ash, & Reed: Traditional Baskets, Contemporary Makers @ Wilton Historical Society

The Wilton Historical Society located on 224 Danbury Road is hosting a new exhibition through October 15 that will feature both old and contemporary baskets. 

This exhibition showcases the work of select contemporary basket makers including Jonathan Kline, Stephen Zeh, Lois Russell, Kari Lonning, and Marion Hildebrandt and contrasts them with historic baskets from the Society's permanent collection. The work of these artists is grounded in the use of natural materials including brown ash,
black ash, hickory, willow and reed.

Working with familiar forms ranging from wide, shallow baskets to lidded baskets; large rectangular, loosely woven baskets to upright hampers; baskets designed for use in harvesting vegetables and fruit; carrying or storing a variety of household objects, their beautifully crafted work shows the influence of Shakers, Native Americans, and the traditions of the Northeast.
A highlight of the exhibition are the  contemporary Nantucket baskets made by Harry A. Hilbert and Gail Halvorsen.

For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

LAKE COMPOUNCE TO AWARD FIRST RIDE ON PHOBIA PHEAR COASTER TO 12 FANS WITH MAJOR PHEARS

Starting today, Lake Compounce Family Theme Park is inviting guests to share their deepest, darkest phobias with park officials via www.lakecompounce.com/phobiaphearcontest.Twelve terrified riders will be chosen to be the first to experience Phobia Phear Coaster on the park’s opening day, May 7^th at 11am. The 12 chosen guests will be highlighted on the park’s social media pages starting May 1^st along with their phobias. The general public is encouraged to attend this event on May 7^th to watch the 12 brave riders and to then ride Phobia themselves.

Lake Compounce announced this innovative and record breaking rollercoaster in July of last year. Phobia features an inversion at 150 feet in the air—one of the highest in existence and the tallest in the Northeast.  Guests will experience speeds of 65 mile per hour with many exciting and unique elements including multiple launches, a twisting heart-line inversion, and ascending and descending twists.

This rollercoaster, manufactured by Premier Rides, is both technologically innovative and environmentally sound including the most advanced magnetic launch system and a highly innovative power modulation system that represents cutting-edge green technology. This Smart Energy System uses high-tech military grade hardware designed to dramatically reduce high-end power requirements in order to lower peak demands to the regional power grid. 

About Lake Compounce

Lake Compounce, part of the Palace Entertainment family of parks and New England's premier family theme park opens May 7th for the 2016 season. Celebrating its 170th season, Lake Compounce is the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America. Summer Season Passes are currently on sale for the 2016 season starting at $55. More information and the park's operating schedule can be found at lakecompounce.com.

 

Westport's National Hall Historic District Walking Tour April 2

Join Bob Mitchell and the Westport Historical Society on April 2 from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.  for a walking tour of the town's Business Center District and discover facts about such historic sites as National Hall and the former Westport Bank & Trust Company building. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The one-hour walk kicks off at 3 p.m. at Jesup Green and will be led by Bob Mitchell.  This tour shows how important the Saugatuck River was to commercial economic development of Westport.

The riverbank area near Jesup Green is where Ebenezer Jesup, one of the town's most successful early businessmen, had his wharf, warehouse and store. In 1807, Jesup donated some of his land to the Connecticut Turnpike Company for the Post Road bridge over the river.

From Jesup Green the history tour will cross the Saugatuck to National Hall, built in 1870 by another prominent Westport entrepreneur, Horace Staples, to house his bank. Over the years this red-brick and cast-iron building has also been home to a newspaper, a furniture company, a plumbing store and the Inn at National Hall.

The tour will then return to the east side of the river, where Mitchell will discuss the old Westport Library, the former YMCA, and the wedge-shaped Westport Bank & Trust Company Building. The Y was built by Westport philanthropist Edward T. Bedford in 1923 on the site of the old Westport Hotel. The bank, also constructed in 1923, was purchased by a local developer in 2005 and is now occupied by Patagonia. The tour will go inside to view two murals that Westport artist Robert L. Lambdin painted for the bank in the 1960's.

On the way back to Jesup Green, Mitchell will talk about No. 76 Post Road East, which was formerly the site of Petrie's Ice Cream Parlor and the Fine Arts Theater. The first theater in the area to show foreign films, the Fine Arts, was closed in 1999 and its building remodeled by Restoration Hardware.

There is a $10 suggested donation. No charge for children 12 and under. Meet at Jesup Green in front of Westport Public Library's lower entrance. Parking is available at the town lot on Jesup Green (Taylor Public Parking Lot). For more information about the tour and to register, call (203) 222-1424. 

For more area event information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Learn baking tips @ cooking class hosted by Kent Historical Society

The Kent Historical Society is hosting a baking workshop with Patsy Stroble on April 15 and 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Kent's Parish House kitchen on 97 Main St. North in the center of Kent. Participants will take home treasured recipes, pick up valuable baking tips, and learn fancy decorating techniques. 

A $75 ticket to either of the baking workshops, April 15 or 16, also includes a ticket to the April 17 Musicale and Spirited Tea Party featuring music from the 19th century performed by the Rosewood Chamber Ensemble. Proceeds from both events will go toward the restoration of the Seven Hearths Museum. While exterior work is already underway, KHS must raise funds to match a generous grant from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation to help complete the exterior phase of the planned restoration work before other work can take place.

The April 15 session will focus on the preparation of molded patés, savory tartes, the baking of miniature cupcakes and petit fours (for decoration the following day), and preparation of cake and cream puff fillings.

The April 16 session will be dedicated to the decoration of sweet treats with Patsy and her daughter, both professional decorators for many years. Learn techniques from the pros and help prepare gorgeous creations for the benefit in the process.

Space is limited and will be available on a first-come first-served basis. Registration is available online at www.kenthistoricalsociety.org or by sending in a check to PO Box 651 Kent CT 06757. For more information, email reservations@kenthistoricalsociety.org. For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Mission of Kent Historical Society

The Kent Historical Society's mission is to collect, preserve, interpret and present the rich history of Kent, as well as to provide educational and research material to enrich the public understanding of Kent's artistic and cultural heritage.

All Aboard with the Easter Bunny

The Naugatuck Railroad will start running trains for 2016 season on the day before Easter, Saturday, March 26th, from Thomaston Station along the restored Naugatuck River to Waterville, up into the beautiful Litchfield Hills to the Thomaston dam, and back to the station.

The excursion is 17 miles and lasts about an hour and a quarter. This is a great way to say good-bye to Old Man Winter and to celebrate the beginning of spring. Every child will be greeted by the Bunny after the train leaves the station. The Bunny even welcomes selfies with all the kids and their families.  The Naugatuck Railroad offers one of the few opportunities for individuals, friends, and families to take a ride into our past, passengers collect their tickets in a 1881 classical late 19th century train station before boarding the 1920 antique coaches. The Naugatuck Railroad offers a great opportunity to experience the heritage of rail travel when the railroads were considered to be the most modern form of transportation as they predated modern air travel for the public.

Three train rides are scheduled on March 26th at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm. Fares for children 2 years old and younger are free, children from 3 to 12 are $16, adults are $18, and seniors 62 and older are $16. Tickets can be purchased online at www.rmne.org or phone 860-283-7245 anytime (24/7).

All tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. Trains depart from Thomaston Station at 242 East Main Street, Thomaston. Passengers can pick up tickets at the Thomaston Station's “Will Call” window on the day of the event. Tickets are printed with your name.  Please arrive at the Station 30 minutes before departure time. Trains depart promptly at the scheduled times.

For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

From birthday parties to corporate events, contact the RMNE to find out how the Thomaston Station and the Naugatuck Railroad can offer you a unique experience. The RMNE, located at the landmark 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.

Do you know what is happening at the Glass House this spring?

The Glass House located in New Canaan Connecticut is celebrating its tenth year of offering tours of this magnificent property that was once the home of Philip Johnson and is now a National Trust Historic Site. The pastoral 49-acre landscape comprises fourteen structures, including the Glass House (1949), and features a permanent collection of 20th-century painting and sculpture, along with temporary exhibitions. Tours of the site are available in May through November and advance reservations are recommended.

On May 1 through November 30 the Glass House will present an of Philip Johnson's birth, the Glass House will present Yayoi Kusama: Narcissus Garden. On view will be a new iteration of Yayoi Kusama's Narcissus Garden (1966/2016). Comprising 1,400 mirrored globes, each approximately 11 inches in diameter, the Narcissus Garden will be installed within the pastoral 49-acre landscape of the Glass House campus.

Another exhibition that runs from May 1 - August 15 by Robert Rauschenberg: Spreads and Related Works is a group of paintings and works on paper chosen to compliment the painting Recital (Spread), 1980 which Philip Johnson purchased that same year and is now included in the permanent collection of the Glass House. This exhibition is organized by David White, Senior Curator of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

Two performances are planned for May.  The first one takes place on May 13 and 14 and is a new project by Gerard & Kelly, that brings into dialogue two homes lived in by the architects who built them - the landmark Schindler House in West Hollywood, California, and Philip Johnson's Glass House. The project explores themes of queer intimacy and domestic space within legacies of modernist architecture.

On May 22, there will be the first performance by Ivy Baldwin, a new piece commissioned by the Glass House, brings a powerful yet often hidden emotion to life within the Glass House and its dramatic grounds. Keen (Part 1) embodies the emotional and physical experience of loss, memory and holding love, and filters it through the lens of serene Modernism and chaotic wilderness.

The 2016 Glass House tour season will begin on May 1 and ends on November 30. Tickets for the 2016 tour season are on sale now. Tickets are required for admission. Advance reservations are highly recommended as tours often sell out. Please check ticket availability prior to your visit. For tickets by phone, please call 866.811.4111.

For more area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Learn about Iceland at Flanders Nature Center

On Tuesday, March 22^nd, join area naturalists Peter and Barbara Rzasa

as they present a slide show of Iceland's geological features, flowers, wildlife and people that they encountered while traveling Iceland’s 832-mile long Ring Road.  On display will be samples of volcanic rocks, ash and basalt collected in Iceland along with samples of wool from Icelandic sheep.

Resting on the edge of the Arctic Circle and sitting atop one of the world’s most volcanically active hot spots, Iceland is a mix of majestic glaciers, bubbling hot springs, rugged fjords and towering waterfalls. Icelanders are a resilient people, living in active volcanic areas and enduring long, cold winter nights and summers where the sun shines at midnight. The country is a noted birder’s paradise famous for its population of Atlantic puffins, ptarmigan, artic terns, harlequin ducks and white-tailed eagles that are found along its 3,700 miles of coast. Iceland is also the home to hundreds of flowering plants including several varieties of orchids. The evening will include information, interesting stories, and a brief overview of Iceland and its natural history.

The program will be held at 7PM at the Flanders’ Studio which is located on the corner of Flanders Road and Church Hill Road in Woodbury. The cost is $10 for members or $15 for non-members. Those interested can register online at www.flandersnaturecenter.org.or call (203) 263-3711, Ext. 10.

For more area information on what to see and do www.litchfieldhills.com

The Covered Bridges of Litchfield Hills

The Kent Historical Society is hosting a talk on the Covered Bridges of Litchfield Hills. Covered bridges that date back to colonial times are an iconic image of Northwest Connecticut, and the Kent/Cornwall area boasts some of the oldest of these structures still in existence in New England. On Sunday, March 20, 2016, at 2:00 PM at the Kent Town Hall, these beloved landmarks will be explored by an expert who knows their history and their engineering.

Author William S. Caswell Jr. will share many historic photographs and information gathered for his book, Connecticut and Rhode Island Covered Bridges, which boasts rare vintage images and postcard memories of days gone by.

During their heyday in the 1800s, more than 150 covered bridges dotted the landscape of Connecticut and Rhode Island, with many concentrated in the hills of northwestern Connecticut. Since then, fires, floods, and progress have claimed all but three of the historic structures.

Connecticut was the birthplace of two of the nation's best­ known covered bridge designers: Ithiel Town and Theodore Burr. Half of the covered bridges currently standing in the United States are supported by trusses patented by Town or Burr.

Kent's Bulls Bridge is an example of a modification of Town's lattice truss design, for which he received his first patent in 1820. The covered bridge in West Cornwall is another example of the modified truss design. They are two of the remaining three covered bridges in the state.

Caswell, an engineer for the NH Department of Transportation, is president and historian for the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, and also maintains a website dedicated to gathering and sharing covered bridge photographs and information.

Free to members; $5 suggested donation for non­members. For more information please call 860.927.4587 or email info@kenthistoricalsociety.org. For more information about the Litchfield Hills visit www.litchfieldhills.com

Take a ride on a vintage railroad in Danbury

The Easter Bunny will once again pay a visit to the Danbury Railway Museum and you can take a ride in a vintage train through the historic railyard to visit him. This popular annual family event will take place on March 19 & 20, and Friday & Saturday, March 25 & 26. Museum hours are 10:00-4:00 on Friday and Saturday; noon-4:00 on Sunday.

Trains leave every 30 minutes from 12:30 to 3:30. Admission is $10.00 (age 2 and over); each child will receive a small gift from the Bunny. Reservations are suggested and may be made by visiting the museum's Web site at http://www.danburyrail.org.

The short train ride in a fully-restored 1953 New Haven RR Rail Diesel Car (Budd RDC), will take visitors past the fully operational turntable, over 70 vintage railroad cars and locomotives, and many unique pieces of railroad history, including a Boston & Maine steam locomotive built in 1907. The train ride will stop at the Easter Bunny's special railroad car. The museum's beautifully restored circa-1910 Railway Post Office (RPO) car will also be open.

Of course, the exhibits inside the restored 1903 Danbury station will be open, along with a coloring station, temporary tattoos, Thomas® play table, and the operating model train layouts. A fully-stocked gift shop will also be open.

The Danbury Railway Museum is a non-profit organization, staffed solely by volunteers, and is dedicated to the preservation of, and education about, railroad history. The museum is located in the restored 1903 Danbury Station and rail yard at 120 White Street, Danbury, CT. For further information, http://www.danburyrail.org or call the museum at 203-778-8337.

Artifact Identification Day at the Institute of American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut is hosting an artifact identification day on March 20 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

This event is perfect for people looking for information about an artifact that you have you found or inherited.  Everyone is invited to bring their mysterious treasure to the Institute's Artifact Identification Day!

The  Institutes Director of Research & Collections, Lucianne Lavin, Ph.D.  will be on hand to identify objects and provide interesting commentary about your local stone objects and Native American cultural items.

Although, the Institute for American Indian Studies can't appraise or speculate about the value of an object, they  can certainly talk about the who, what, when, where, and how of your mystery items!

Please limit 12 artifacts per person. Museum Admission: $8 Adults; $6 Seniors; $5 Children (3-12 yrs.); IAIS Members Free.

After visiting the Institute be sure to stop in at one of the many wonderful restaurants in Washington including: GW Tavern, The Pantry and the Mayflower Inn.

For more event information about Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

Westport Playhouse Family Festivities

Westport Playhouse Family Festivities shows are presented on selected Sundays from November through April. Family Festivities Corporate Sponsors are Pitney Bowes and Northwestern Mutual. Family Festivities Partner is Darlene Krenz. The Family Festivities Series is also supported by the Westport Young Woman’s League.

Upcoming Family Festivities presentations are “Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey,” on Sunday, March 20, 1 and 4 p.m., a cosmic adventure with music about Marvin, the mouse, produced by Lightwire Theater; and “Are You My Mother?,” on Sunday, April 10, 1 and 4 p.m., a musical based on P. D. Eastman’s whimsical and well-loved picture book, produced by ArtsPower.

In conjunction with the Family Festivities Series, the Playhouse will once again host a book collection for Read to Grow, Inc., a statewide nonprofit organization that helps parents take an active role in their children’s literacy development by providing free children’s books to families with limited access and to community resources that serve them. At each Family Festivities performance, bins will be located in the Playhouse lobby for donations of gently used and new children’s books which will be given to families and programs in the greater Fairfield County area through Read to Grow. During last season’s Family Festivities series, the Playhouse collected nearly 300 books.

Everyone in the audience requires a ticket. For more information or tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), or view Playhouse videos on YouTube 

For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.