VOTE ON A NAME FOR THE NEW BABY SEA TURTLE AT THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK

Help to decide the name of a baby sea turtle – and support ocean conservation at the same time – by voting in the “Name the Baby Sea Turtle” contest of The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

The Aquarium has narrowed the list of possible names for its new baby loggerhead sea turtle to a choice of five. The winning name is now up for vote.

Should it be: 

            • Eco? (as in ecology; pronounced ee-ko, not echo)

            • Nibbler?

            • Sounder? (a nod to Long Island Sound)

            • Squirt?

            • or Shell Turtlestein?

Vote by going to www.nameourbabyseaturtle.org now through Dec. 17. Each vote will cost $1, with proceeds going to The Maritime Aquarium’s conservation efforts. The winning name will be announced during a Maritime Aquarium Facebook Live update on Dec. 20.

The turtle arrived in Norwalk Oct. 21 as a 3-inch-long stranded hatchling rescued by staff of The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. It will live in The Maritime Aquarium’s new “Sea Turtle Nursery” exhibit for a year, growing to “dinner-plate-size,” before being released into the Atlantic back in North Carolina next October.

It’s not known if the Aquarium’s turtle is male or female – and won’t be known before it is released – because gender doesn’t become identifiable in sea turtles until they are in their teens.

“During the year that this cute little turtle will be here, it’s going to be such a good ambassador for sea turtle conservation, by letting us share with guests the reasons that hatchling sea turtles sometimes don’t make it to the sea,” said Dave Sigworth, the Aquarium’s associate director of communications. “And this naming contest is a fun and simple way for folks to actually put a dollar to the cause, supporting the Aquarium’s participation in this baby-turtle loan program and other initiatives that support Long Island Sound and the oceans beyond.”

About Sea Turtles

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) live to 50 or more years, grow to weigh 250 to 300 pounds and are found around the globe in nine “distinct population segments.” Five of the populations are considered to be “Endangered,” and the other four – including the loggerheads off the U.S. Atlantic coast – are considered “Threatened.” Their biggest threats are from coastal development that destroys nesting habitats and from accidental capture in fishing gear.

Victorian Tea @ Lockwood Mathews Mansion Nov. 12

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will host its annual Victorian Tea on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. The event, chaired by LMMM Trustee Hunter Arton, will feature a talk and book signing by author and historian Esther Crain entitled, The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910, at 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT.

Ms. Arton said, “This is such an exciting event and we are thrilled to welcome Esther Crain to Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum. In addition to her talk and book signing, there will be a fantastic silent auction which the committee has worked hard to put together. We look forward to entertaining another sell-out crowd this year!”

Ms. Crain’s book is a fascinating account of the Gilded Age in New York City and takes a broad look at the political and social changes during one of the most transformative eras in the city’s history.
Ms. Crain is also the founder and editor of the very popular and well-reviewed website, Ephemeral New York, which chronicles the city’s past. Ephemeral New York has been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, New York Daily News, and New York Post. Ms. Crain regularly works with historical groups and non-profit organizations to give talks and walking tours that explore the hidden remains and forgotten pockets of New York City.

The event will also feature a formal traditional English tea catered by Julyen’s Table. The event is generously sponsored by Cottages & Gardens Publications, Bankwell, Bigelow Tea, and King Industries.

Tickets for the Tea are $35 for members and $45 for non-members and hats are welcomed! Proceeds will support the Museum’s artistic, cultural, and educational programs. For Victorian Tea reservations please visit our website at lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or contact: info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, 203-838-9799 ext. 4. Please RSVP by Nov. 3. No tickets will be sold at the door.

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark. Tours are offered Wed-Sun. For more information visit: www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.

Greenwich Historical Society Harmonious Migrations

On November 5, the Greenwich Historical Society is hosting an exciting event from 2 pm  to 4 pm at the Vanderbilt Education Center.  This is a a free, inspiring, and educational puppetry performance and workshop lead by Jim Henson’s daughter Heather Henson and her company IBEX Puppetry, Harmonious Migrations playfully explores the co-existance of people and the endangered whooping crane in North America.

Developed to teach children ages 5–12 about the interconnectivity of the environment and all species, this program focuses specifically on cranes through puppetry, storytelling, and crafts. Participants are introduced to the Native American concepts of the Four Directions, four elements, four medicinal herbs, and four stages of life.

Students will leave this workshop with a new understanding of interconnectivity and respect for indigenous cultures. Harmonious Migrations is science with a conscience and a whole lot of fun!

This program is being offered in collaboration with Greenwich Reads Together. Participants will enjoy an hour performance followed by an interactive workshop with an opportunity to complete a hands-on activity relevant to the show.
IBEX Puppetry is an entertainment company dedicated to promoting the fine art of puppetry. Founded in 2000 and receiving multiple UNIMA awards, IBEX Puppetry supports puppet art in film, stage, gallery exhibits, workshops, and artist presentations.
Greenwich Reads Together logo

Annual American Artisan Show at Wilton Historical Society

The Wilton Historical Society will host the 32nd annual American Artisan Show on Saturday, November 4 and Sunday, November 5. With 40 diverse artisans, this popular show highlights arts, crafts and designs that have been part of fine American handwork since the 18th and 19th centuries. 

Highlights of items  offered include: Shaker-style furniture, pottery, kitchen wares, Nantucket-style baskets, hand-woven scarves, quilts, rugs, floor cloths, art, tavern signs, soap, jewelry, beautifully crafted cutting boards – plus much more! Fittingly, the show is set in the Society's charming 18th and 19th century buildings at 224 Danbury Road/Route 7 in Wilton. The American Artisan Show will take place Saturday, November 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $10.00. Co-chairing the American Artisan Show are Moira Craw and trustees Meaghan Donovan and Nancy Perez.

The American Artisan Show will kick off with a festive Preview and Silent Auction on Friday, November 3 from 6:00 to 9:00, giving guests the first opportunity to browse and buy while enjoying fine hors d'oeuvres provided by Wilton's Schoolhouse Restaurant. The Silent Auction will feature wonderful pieces contributed by the artisans and other generous friends. "All proceeds will directly benefit the Historical Society and its efforts to preserve Wilton's history" said E. Bulkeley Griswold, President of the Board of Trustees of the Wilton Historical Society. Tickets to the November 3 Gala are $100 for Members and $125 for Non-members.

Lunch and snacks will be available on-site from the Melt Mobile. The American Artisan Show will be held on the grounds of the Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road, Wilton CT 06897. www.wiltonhistorical.org

MASQUERADE! with the Connecticut Guild of Puppetry @ White Memorial Conservation Center

The Connecticut Guild of Puppetry is hosting a Masquerade Party on November 4 at White Memorial Conservation Center on 80 Whitehall Road in Litchfield.  This event will celebrate the life and work of its mask genius friend, Larry Hunt. Longtime resident of Bethlehem, CT, Larry was an actor, director, mask-maker, puppeteer and educator who was internationally acclaimed for his innovative approaches to body movement and improvisation.

To honor Larry, The Connecticut Guild of Puppetry will host the first-ever Masquerade! Come in mask and costume and be a part of the Promenade – you might even win an award! Enjoy dancing to an eclectic mix of music during much of the evening. Special entertainment will include: Steve Long's 'Shishi-mai', a traditional Japanese Lion Dance; Sova Theater's Adelka Polak, former partner of Larry Hunt, performing 'Born in Clay', a short mask and puppet piece that she developed within the context of Masque Theatre using two of Larry's masks for a dramatic moment of transformation; and actual footage of Larry Hunt's performances. Come, remember Larry, and rejoice in Masquerade!

The bar will be by cash donation. Light refreshments, some even in disguise (!) are included in the admission. To register call 860-567-0857 or register online: www.whitememorialcc.org 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Carriage House, WMCC and The Connecticut Guild of Puppetry Members: $25.00 Non-members: $35.00 Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. To register call 860-567-0857 or register HERE!

Anissa Mack: Junk Kaleidoscope @ The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is pleased to present Anissa Mack: Junk Kaleidoscope, a reflection on Mack’s The Fair project, realized in both 1996 and 2006, to be reimagined at the Museum from October 1, 2017, to April 22, 2018. Mack mines Americana, its artifacts, folklore, and rituals, and explores American vernacular traditions, examining their shifting role in a dialogue between the history of art making and the culture of collecting. Through all new objects, Junk Kaleidoscope will re-envision The Fair in a way that weaves together over two decades of work, sixty miles from the Durham Fair fairgrounds that inspired this project.

 

The Fair was first realized in 1996, when Mack entered all seventy-three craft categories at the Durham Fair, the largest agricultural fair in Connecticut; she had participated in the fair, located near her hometown of Guilford, CT, throughout her childhood.  In 2006, she remade the project as The Fair (10th Anniversary Edition) by generating new entries for all of the craft categories available that year. On both occasions, the objects were displayed at the fairs and then (re)presented in a commercial gallery with their winning ribbons. At The Aldrich, Mack will create a layered exhibition that engages fairs in new ways. For Junk Kaleidoscope, she will utilize a self-generated list of seventy categories—comprising actual competition categories collected from various county and state fairs, as well as those of her own invention—to generate and support the works in the show. The list will serve as a catalyst for production and as a framework for understanding the shifting, participatory display that the objects will enjoy at The Aldrich. 

For Mack, “fairs serve as fascinatingly complex archives that mirror both ‘America’ and the art world.” Repetition, displacement, and distortion are constant concerns and the act of revisiting is an ongoing theme. Mack attends county and state fairs nationwide, where her experiences fundamentally reshape her approach to the creation and staging of her work. The atmosphere of the local fair and the environment of the artist’s studio share similar outtakes, as both are equally concerned with narrative, arrangement, and (e)valuation. Her appropriation of the fair’s system of categorization attempts to undo or rewrite storylines embedded within local material culture. These objects are symbolic containers of a collective memory that can travel across time.  Ultimately, Mack positions herself as both an artist and maker, placing herself inside a subculture and adopting its system of classification for her own (re)invention. This enables Mack to move seamlessly between two distinctive locales and contexts, each of which has its own structure, methodology, and currency. The objects embody these alternating experiences and distinguishing histories.