Gunn Historical Museum’s 10th Annual New Year’s Tea Party

Ring in the New Year with an old-fashioned Tea hosted by the Gunn Historical Museum in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Memorial Library from 11am-1pm on Saturday, January 6, 2018. A snow date is scheduled for Tuesday, January 9, 2018 4-6pm.

Visitors will have the opportunity to socialize with friends under the historic 1914 gilded ceiling mural by H. Siddons Mowbray and enjoy period music in the festively decorated room. We’ll have our Washington photo albums out for guests to browse. Guests are asked to bring their favorite tea cup and we will provide tea sandwiches.

A cookie contest will be the highlight of this year's tea party. Those interested in participating should pre-register by calling the library 860.868.7586 or signing up at the circulation desk: gunncirc@biblio.org.

The Tea is free and open to the public. Registration is requested. To register please email your name(s) to: info@gunnhistoricalmuseum.org or call 860-868-7756. The Gunn Memorial Library is located at 5 Wykeham Road at Route 47 on the Green, in Washington, CT. View www.gunnmuseum.org for more information.

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Presents Alex Schweder and Ward Shelley: Your Turn

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum located on 258 Main Street in Ridgefield is hosting a new show through April 22, 2018 by Alex Schweder and Ward Shelley titled Your Turn, an architectural environment for two that shapes the occupants' behavior.

In a series of performances Schweder and Shelley will physically occupy the structure for extended periods during which they will negotiate the sharing of nine basic amenities while engaging the public with their daily routines and conversations. Schweder and Shelley's collaboration is primarily based on balance: not only the balance needed to successfully work in a partnership, but also the social balance needed to share resources limited by the confines of their construction. Their practice conflates architectural form and function with performance art, coaxing meaning out of both the practical and the absurd.

Schweder and Shelley's unique collaboration of over a decade has coalesced into what they call "performance architecture," a new genre in which the two artists design, construct, and then physically occupy structures, blurring the boundaries between architecture, sculpture, design, and performance, exploring both the nature of social space and the way architecture influences human behavior.

For their exhibition at The Aldrich, they will construct a twenty-four-foot-high living environment, which they will inhabit as both the authors and living subjects of the work. An adjacent gallery will present the first survey of their reverse paintings on Mylar, which not only act as preliminary renderings for their projects, but also as autonomous works that reinforce the formal aspects of their practice.

The artists will occupy opposing sides of the monolith with nine amenities (including a bed, a desk, an easy chair, a kitchen, a sink, and an enclosed composting toilet), each of which will slide on steel tracks from one side of the structure to the other. So, when Shelley is sleeping in the bed, Schweder cannot sleep; when Schweder is writing at the desk, Shelley cannot use it. The sharing of the amenities is based on both a pre-planned schedule and spontaneous negotiation. For the performance periods the artists will wear identical jumpsuits, bring all necessary supplies with them, and occupy the structure twenty-four hours a day. The artists' lives, while within the structure, will be on public view when the Museum is open, and visitors are free—in fact, are encouraged by the artists—to engage them in conversation. When awake, Schweder and Shelley will each read, work, prepare meals, and complete acts of simple daily hygiene.

Juilliard String Quartet to Perform at Westport Arts Center

The Westport Arts Center continues its tradition of bringing the best of international talent to Fairfield County with a special concert by the acclaimed Juilliard String Quartet on Saturday, January 20 at 8 p.m. at the Arts Center.

The Boston Globe wrote of the Quartet, "The Juilliard String Quartet can plausibly be called the most important American quartet in history…” and The Broad Street Review stated, "The Juilliard still plays, magically, like a single four-voiced instrument, and the music it makes sounds like the most natural and inevitable thing in the world."

For this performance, the Juilliard String Quartet will perform a program including Beethoven’s String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op.127, Haydn’s String Quartet in G minor, Op.74, No.3 ("Rider"), and Scottish composer James MacMillan’s String Quartet No.2, "Why is this night different?" (1998).

The performance is generously sponsored by Joyce Pauker.

Alexander Platt, the curator for the Westport Arts Center’s 2017-18 Concert Series, will serve as a guide for concert attendees, and will share his perspective and insights at the performance.

Platt stated, "Over the years, the Juilliard Quartet has built a special relationship with Westport, and every appearance at the Arts Center is truly a special occasion. With their very gifted new cellist, Astrid Schween -- who I'm thrilled to say is also working with some of our finest young musicians here as well -- I can't wait to hear this new iteration of our grandest of American ‘legacy’ quartets, as they fuse new life into classics of Haydn and Beethoven, as well as a bracing new work by one of Great Britain's great living composers.”

The performances of the Juilliard String Quartet continue to inspire audiences around the world exhibiting unparalleled artistry and enduring vigor. Founded in 1946 – and widely known as “the quintessential American string quartet” – the Juilliard draws on a deep and vital engagement with the classics, while embracing the mission of championing new works. This provides for a vibrant combination of the familiar and the daring.

Each performance of the Juilliard Quartet is a unique experience, bringing together the four members’ profound understanding, total commitment, and unceasing curiosity in sharing the wonders of the string quartet literature.

The concert will take place in the context of the visually stunning What Keeps Mankind Alive and The Last Library exhibition at the Westport Arts Center, featuring the works of Ward Shelley and his collaboration partner Douglas Paulson.

The Westport Arts Center thanks WSHU for their generous support.  WSHU serves as the exclusive media sponsor for the performance.

To learn more about the Juilliard String Quartet concert or the 2017-18 Concert Series, please visitwww.westportartscenter.org or call 203/222-7070.

Ticket Information

The Westport Arts Center encourages advance registration. Tickets for the Juilliard String Quartet concert are $40 for WAC members and $50 for non-members if purchased in advance.  All tickets purchased at door are $60/ticket. 

Free Companion Tickets are also available for Seniors ages 65+; each ticket purchase of $50 includes a free companion ticket (a two-for-one!). 

About the Westport Arts Center

The Westport Arts Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting community through the arts, reaches more than 11,000 people annually through outstanding programs in visual arts, arts education, and the performance arts of Chamber music and jazz.

For more information, contact the Westport Arts Center at (203) 222-7070 or www.westportartscenter.org.  The Westport Arts Center gallery is open Monday - Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT.

January @ White Memorial Foundation

Start the new year off at Connecticut's largest nature foundation, White Memorial in Litchfield.  On January 6, this conservation center will be offering  a program on the forest wolf with Andrew Dobos who will take visitors on a wildlife tracking walk through the winter woods. There are always clues left behind by the animals for us to decipher, telling a story of their habits and lives. Get to know our beloved wildlife that much better. Children should be accompanied by an adult and all should dress extra warm and wear good boots! You never know where the animals have been.10:00 A. M. – 12:00 P.M. Meet in the Museum. Members: $5.00 Non-Members: $15.00, Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Call 860-567-0857.

Another charming program for kids on January 6 is the Christmas bird count designed for children ages 7- 12.  Have your kids participate in the longest-running citizen science project in history, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. This bird survey is held around the world between the second weekend in December and the third weekend in January every year. This year, we'll be holding a special CBC 4 Kids event at White Memorial Conservation Center on January 6, 2018 from 10am-approximately 12pm. Meet in the A.B. Ceder Room (lower level of Museum). There will be pizza and hot cocoa afterwards for all the participants. Bring your own binoculars if you have them, but if not, pairs will be provided. Dress for the weather. This event will be run by LHAS Junior Audubon Leader Donna Rose Smith and White Memorial Education Director Carrie Szwed, but additional adult mentors are needed to help the teams of young people out in the field, so parents, please plan on staying. There is no program fee, but donations are welcome to help defray program costs.

If you love the winter white, grey, blue colors of winter, take an art workshop  with Betsy Rogers-Knox to learn to paint a serene sunset silhouette using a variety of watercolor techniques on January 20 from 2-4:30 pm. All levels welcome in this step-by-step workshop which includes all materials. The cost for this is members: $35.00 Non-members: $60.00, Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Call 860-567-0857 or register online.

If you have always wanted to walk with llama's on Jan. 20, you will have your chance! Visit White Memorial to take a one hour walk with a llama on a beautiful trail! The cost is $20 per person with a percentage donated to the White Memorial Conservation Center.  Participants should meet at 10:00 A.M.,at the Museum parking lot. Call Debbie from Country Quilt Llama Farm at 860-248-0355 to pre-register or to schedule your very own private llama walk.

To finish off the month, go to a special DEEP Family Ice Fishing Workshop on January 27 from 9:30 am to 3 pm. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Fisheries Division sponsors this program for the seventh consecutive year. Families and individuals age nine and up are welcome to attend this unique event which is part of the DEEP's CARE (Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education) program. The class is taught by certified volunteer instructors and it's FUN!!! All fishing tackle and course materials are provided ABSOLUTELY FREE! To learn more log onto the CT DEEP's website: www.ct.gov/dep and type in "CARE". BRING LUNCH! Classroom (mandatory participation): 9:30 A.M. – 11:30 A.M., Ice Fishing (Conditions permitting): 12:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M., A.B. Ceder Room. Pre-registration is required. Call 860-567-0857. Or register online

For more information and to register for these events click here https://www.whitememorialcc.org

Monroe through Time II to be launched with Jan. 7 luncheon

A luncheon Jan. 7 at the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library introduces a new illustrated paperback called Monroe Through Time II that chronicles:

·       A Ku Klux Klan rally in 1924 that drew 1,100 America-Firsters to a site where a Goodwill Store stands today

·       A neighborhood popularly called Punkups that disappeared when Lake Zoar was created in 1919

·       And the unsolved mystery of Capt. Nathan Seeley who was found dead in his barn in 1890 with a noose around his neck.

    Tickets for the launch at the library (733 Monroe Turnpike, Route 111) are $35 and cover a copy of the book and lunch. The tickets are available at the library and at the office of the town clerk at Town Hall. They are also available through Marven Moss at mmoss36@yahoo.com and 203.268.2961.

Proceeds go to the Monroe Historical Society to preserve Monroe’s heritage.

The luncheon (noon to 2 p.m.) also premieres a documentary video: “The Lost Cave of Monroe,” produced by Mike Sandone, described in the book as “Monroe’s Indiana Jones.”

   Monroe Through Time II (Fonthill Media/Arcadia Publishing, 112 pages, illustrated) is a  reprise, the second collaboration by Kevin Daly, John Babina and Marven Moss, availing themselves of the resources of the Monroe Historical Society and the World Wide Web. Daly provided the essential research, Babina, the contemporary photography, and Moss, the authorship. But they also worked individually and collectively across the full matrix of the manuscript.

 Daly is a senior engineering manager in computer aided design and the incoming historian of the Monroe Historical Society. Babina is the founder of Monroe-based Radio Station WMNR and a retired engineer who worked on helicopter avionics, missile controls and surveillance satellites. Moss is a former New York Timesman and a past president of the Monroe Historical Society.

    Their book is the fourth pictorial account of Monroe’s transformation from a Colonial farming village into a charming New England community offering a bucolic lifestyle with proximity to the upbeat rhythms of today’s bigger cities and their spheres of commerce and global culture.

    The publication follows Monroe Through Time (also Fonthill Media, 96 pages, $22.99) and  Images of America: Monroe (Arcadia Publishing, 1998, 126 pages, $19.99), also  A Glimpse of Old Monroe (Monroe Sesquicentennial Commission, 1974, 118 pages, out-of-print).

    In a new collection tapping Monroe’s rich historical fabric, Monroe Through Time II presents a number of previously-unpublished photographs, the legacy of the marvelous vitality of Frederick P. Sherman, and traces  the hardscrabble life of the homesteaders, the tradesmen in their shops, the entrepreneurs of bygone days, the talented figures in arts and sports and even the fumes of  scandal.

Also incorporated is the first comprehensive listing of virtually all of Monroe’s civic leadership since incorporation in 1823 and the presidents of the Monroe Historical Society since it was established in 1959.   

   Like its predecessor, the cover reproduces a segment of a David Merrill acrylic, this one  depicting the Town Green and the old Town Hall erected in 1897 and the old library, both demolished in 1972. The artwork was made available courtesy of Merrill who used to play touch football on the Town Green in the 1950s and impishly inserted a football into the foreground of his rendering. The original hangs in the Town Hall.

Full Moon Snowshoe Hikes in Litchfield and Morris

What better way to start off 2018 than with a winter full moon hike in the Litchfield Hills...and, this is not just any hike, it is one with snowshoes organized by Sportsmen in Litchfield.  In recent years, snowshoeing has become a popular recreational sport. An Outdoor Industry Association report released in January 2014 estimated snowshoeing participation grew more than 40 percent in the previous five years.

With winter in full swing, snowshoeing is an outdoor activity that can be done in virtually all types of weather. Snowshoes distribute a person's weight over a wider area, making for easier travel over ice and snow.

Sportsmen in Litchfield is offering three snowshoe full moon hike expeditions. The first one takes place on January 1 from 6 pm - 9 pm. The hike meanders subtly up Apple Hill, where hikers will  catch a beautiful view of Bantam Lake and the surrounding hills under the Super Moon!! A great hike for veteran and new snowshoe enthusiasts!! The meeting point for this hike is at the Apple Hill Trail Head @ the intersection Marsh Point Road and East Shore Road in Morris @ 6pm. Following the hike participants will enjoy a cozy camp fire, snacks & libations!

On January 31 from 6 pm to 9 pm another hike will take place with a hike around Camp Columbia that was  established by Columbia University for their School of Surveying. The hallmark of the park is the 75-foot-high observation tower built in 1942 by members of Columbia University’s Class of 1906. The tower is the only remaining structure on 591 acre property. We will hike through the remains of the camp, which some note to be haunted, where we hope to catch a beautiful view of the Super Moon!! A great hike for history buffs and  veteran and new snowshoe enthusiasts!! 

Following the hike we will enjoy a cozy camp fire, snacks & libations! The meeting point to start this hike is the Camp Columbia Parking area off Rte. 109 in Morris @ 6 pm.

The final hike of the season takes place on March 1 at 6 pm. at the Litchfield Town Beach. To reserve your spot and snowshoes contact 860-567-3167 or email info@sportsmens.biz.

Annual 12th Night Celebration at the David Humphreys House, January 7, 2018

Mark your calendars and plan to join the fun on January 7, 2018, from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Derby Historical Society as they mark the end of the Christmas season with their annual "Twelfth Night Celebration" at the David Humphreys House. This event features tours of the 17th century David Humphreys House by costumed docents. You'll take a trip back to an earlier time in American history when touring this beautifully preserved colonial home.

Try the mulled cider and punch alongside the buffet. Partake in samples of some items which would have been served in this house during the American Revolution. There will also be modern-day baked goods to enjoy.

Colonial skills such as spinning and weaving will be displayed. Before you leave, be sure to visit the Gift Shop, it will be open during this event. This year there will be a Dickens Reading at 3 pm.

For more information call 203 735 1908 or visit  www.derbyhistorical.org. Limited parking is available in back of the house. Additional on-street parking is available on Elm Street (on the same side as the Humphreys House) and nearby Thomas Street.

Admission prices for 12th Night: $5.00 per adult/ $3.00 per senior citizen and child under 8 years old. 

New Milford's Annual Train Display through Dec. 31

Visit the Railroad Station in New Milford  Thursdays through Sundays, December 21st - 31st, for a special annual event:  electric model trains running through model villages  . . . and you may take a turn running them!  

In addition to the trains, there is a  holiday art exhibit on display.  Artwork includes original oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pastel paintings, as well as fine art photography, woodturning, sculpture, art glass, and jewelry.  Give the gift of art.  Prices range widely for a beautiful selection of unique one-of-a-kind hand crafted gifts.

Gallery 25 at New Milford Art Depot is a co-op style gallery exhibiting some of the best local fine art and artisan creations.  The gallery is staffed by member artists and is affiliated with the New Milford Commission on the Arts. 

 This new, spacious center of creativity is located at the historic Railroad Station, 11 Railroad St. New Milford CT.  Hours are Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, noon to 5 PM* and by appointment. (*please note Friday and Saturday noon – 8PM holiday hours through Dec. 31).  Admission is free.  Ample parking is available.  For more information please call 860-355-6009 or  http://newmilfordgallery25.blogspot.com.  

Illumination @ the Center for Contemporary Printmaking

The Center for Contemporary Printmaking's new exhibition that runs through Jan. 7, 2018 is called Illumination, which is the theme for CCP's members show.

The accumulation and spread of human knowledge is deeply indebted to the labor of print and paper artists. It is their work, which allows concepts and ideas to be inscribed, transcribed and preserved into a physical manifestation.

Printed materials were cherished objects and the artists who created them not only preserved their illuminating wisdom, but also shed their artistic light on the pages. Illumination originally meant specifically the addition of gold or silver painting but grew to mean any hand addition, marginalia, or embellishment added to the page. For Illumination, members will respond to these traditions and ideas; perhaps through telling a new story, by adding the illuminating light of metal leaf, jewel bright ink or an exploration of light.

The Gallery is located on 299 West Ave. in Mathews Park in Norwalk and is open Tuesday 9am–9pm · Wednesday–Saturday 9am–5pm · Sunday 12pm–5pm and is  closed Mondays.

The image is Frances Ashforth, 2016 Members Exhibit 1st prize winner, will have an exhibition in the Lithography Studio.

For a free monthly newsletter on events, travel tips and deals visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

A Connecticut Christmas - Classic New England Style

Before you know it, the holidays will be here. A Connecticut photographer has just the right thing to put on your gift list, a beautiful coffee table book called “A Connecticut Christmas.” The book is available at https://www.carynbdavis.com. 

Caryn B. Davis of Chester, spent two years running around the state during Christmas time capturing just the right images. The book has some 400 photos for you to see. Christmas time in Connecticut is the stuff of books and movies, because it is just so beautiful here.

This photographic holiday journey celebrates the holiday in grand classic New England style. Images depict traditions, beauty, and the spirit of the season from beautifully decorated country inns and classic village greens to spectacular private homes and festivals that take place celebrating the season throughout the state of Connecticut. Essays that accompany the images explain the traditions and festivities that take place during this magical time of year.

About the author:

Caryn B. Davis began her career in the visual arts thirty years ago as a cameraperson, editor, and producer of documentaries. She has been a professional photographer since 2000, specializing in architectural photography.

American Abstraction: The Print Revival of the 1960s and ‘70s @ The Bruce Museum

The Bruce Museum located on One Museum Drive in Greenwich is hosting a new art exhibition through March 1 that highlights the fact that  the early 1960s marked a significant turning point in American printmaking: the rise of communal studios provided new avenues for creative and technical exchanges between artists. Since the early 1940s, when Stanley William Hayter transplanted his Atelier 17 from Paris to New York, American artists were becoming familiar with a wide range of printmaking techniques. By the latter twentieth century, printmakers such as Tatyana Grossman, founder of ULAE (Universal Limited Art Editions), and June Wayne, who founded the Tamarind Workshop in Los Angeles, greatly enlarged and successfully marketed the printmaking enterprise.

These new-style printmakers began to take on some of the responsibilities of publishers and dealers, helping to streamline the production and distribution of artists’ prints. Artists formerly rooted in the solitary studio practices of Abstract Expressionist painting began to collaborate regularly with master printmakers (some, like Robert Motherwell, even going as far as to establish their own workshops).  In California, the emergence of collaborative presses helped to rescue lithography from virtual extinction—which in turn made abstract prints readily available to American collectors.

The works in American Abstraction: The Print Revival of the 1960s and '70s, most of which are drawn from the splendid gift of Judith and Stephen Wertheimer to the Bruce Museum, include prints produced by Ernest de Soto of The Collectors Press Lithography Workshop and Irwin Hollander of Hollander’s Workshop. From vibrant biomorphic forms and primitive marks to lively calligraphic gestures and bold color-field patterning, the works in American Abstraction suggest the evolution of abstract art in printmaking during two exciting decades of the post-war moment. 

Shen Yun @ Palace Theatre in Waterbury Dec. 22-23

Shen Yun, a global sensation returns to the Palace Theatre in Waterbury located on 100 East Main Street with a brand new production. Watch glorious legends and heavenly realms spring to life through classical Chinese dance. See dazzling costumes and powerful flips fill the stage with color and energy. And let the orchestra's exquisite melodies, the singers' soaring voices, and the dynamically animated backdrops uplift your spirit and transport you to another world.

Through the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales, taking you on a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese culture. Its stunning beauty and tremendous energy leave audiences uplifted and inspired.

A Shen Yun performance features the world's foremost classically trained dancers, a unique orchestra blending East and West, and dazzling animated backdrops—together creating one spectacular performance. Experience the world of China's divine culture at the Palace Theater.

Performances are on December 22 at 7:30 pm and at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 pm on December 23. Tickets are available online.

Holiday Express: Opening Night! at Fairfield Museum and History Center

A long awaited tradition in Fairfield County, the Holiday Express is opening on December 1, 2017 and running through January 7, 2018 at the Fairfield Museum and History Center located on 370 Beach Road in Fairfield. This year features even more tracks and set-ups where the trains can zip around and weave their magical spell. Kids and adults alike will delight in the magic of the train show.

A Fairfield Museum holiday tradition! Kids and adults alike will delight in the magic of this wondrous display of model trains winding around a spectacularly decorated tree and through beautiful holiday scenery. Holiday Express Schedule is Weekends:  December 1 –  January 7: 10am - 4pm and Weekdays: Monday - Thurs. 10 am - 1 pm., NEW! Open late on Fridays, 10am – 7pm, Monday, December 26 – 28, 10am – 4pm. December 29  10am – 7pm Closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

On December 1, gather with your family and countdown as the town of Fairfield lights the 90-foot tall Norway spruce, the tallest living tree that gets lit at Christmas time in Connecticut. It was one of three trees donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution in December 1918.Choirs begin at 5:55 PM and Santa arrives at 7:00 PM.  Also, on December 1 is opening Night Discounted Admission: $3, free for children 5 and under or 4 for $10. Be one of the first to see the Holiday Express Train Show! Visitors delight in the magic of the model trains winding around a winter wonderland beautiful holiday scenery. This year visitors will enjoy a craft activity, cider and cookies!

Check the website for special family fun events held throughout the month of December.