Historic Grounds & Modern Gardens @ Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum located at 295 West Ave., Norwalk, CT has opened the exhibition entitled, Historic Grounds & Modern Gardens. The show will run through June 23, 2019. 

The exhibition has been juried by artist and Trustee Gail Ingis. “I am very pleased by the amount of submissions we received and the quality of the work presented. Submissions come from very diverse regional areas including N.Y., Greenwich, Norwalk, Westport, and Old Saybrook, to name a few,” said Ms. Ingis. “Works range from realism to post-impressionism that fit well with the exhibit theme and the history of the Mansion.” The exhibition will feature more than thirteen artists including: Cindy Bernier, Christopher Breining, Richard Koleszar, Kara LaFrance, Laura Levine, Werner Liepolt, Anthony Santomauro, Marjorie Sopkin, Lee Skalkos, Clarice Shirvell, Jayson Tobias, Maxwell Wiesen, and Gregory Ziebell.

The award-winning Laura Levine has been featured in exhibitions at galleries and cultural centers in New York and Connecticut including Gallery East in East Hampton, New York; Mill Gallery in Guilford, Connecticut; Munson Gallery, John Slade Ely House and Ives Library in New Haven, Connecticut; Cooley Gallery in Old Lyme, Connecticut, to name a few.  Her work was selected by the Connecticut Commission on the Arts for exhibitions at the Capital Building and the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

Richard Koleszar studied at the Silvermine Guild Arts Center and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Syracuse University. He started painting at the age of 7, encouraged by his father, and later embarked in an advertising career. His passion for art led him to return to painting in the 1980s and since then, he has won numerous awards including, most recently, Best in Show at the 2016 Brushwork Exhibition at the Rowayton Arts Center.

Gregory Ziebell graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a major in Fine Arts and continued his studies at the GSAA Commercial School of Art where he obtained a degree in Advertising Art, Layout and Design.  His graphic design work has been featured in Computer Currents magazine and Ad Week.

Kara LaFrance is a fine artist and graphic designer living in Tuckahoe, N.Y. with a BFA in Graphic Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology.  An acromegaly patient and advocate, she spreads awareness of this rare disease and chronic illness through her art.

Maxwell Wiesen paints largely with oil, on canvas and sometimes on metal panels, and has been developing his own “voice” and “continuing to see the beauty in each and every day…. recorded in landscape and still life.” He has exhibited in several juried shows sponsored by Greenwich Art Society, Greenwich Arts Council, Old Greenwich Art Society, Stamford Art Association, Silvermine School of Art, and solo shows at The Bendheim Gallery in Greenwich. 

The contemporary art exhibitions are sponsored in part by Gail Ingis and Tom Claus. The Museum’s 2019 cultural and educational programs are made possible in part by generous funding from LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown, LMMM’s 2019 Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk and The Maurice Goodman Foundation. The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark. For more information on schedules and programs please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.

Bullets, Bonds, and Butter: Wilton Responds to War, 1776 – 2006

The Wilton Historical Society has a new exhibit that is running through September 14, 2019, called Bullets, Bonds and Butter: Wilton Responds to War, 1776-2006. 

This new exhibition at the Wilton Historical Society, located on 224 Danbury Road in Wilton commemorates the contributions of both the soldiers and the townsfolk who have answered the call of war.  While troops fought on the front lines, back at home, Wilton residents of all ages were engaged in supporting the war effort in ways both large and small. Rationing, writing letters to the troops, knitting socks and making bandages, buying war bonds, manufacturing diverse supplies, spotting airplanes from observation towers, collecting scrap, sending soccer balls to underprivileged children around the world, and in some cases, protesting against war were all part of the response.  

Bullets, Bonds, and Butter: Wilton Responds to War, 1776 – 2006 includes material from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Viet Nam War, and the war in Iraq. 

To mark the anniversary of the birth of the American Legion in March of 1919, the Wilton Historical Society worked with Adjutant Tom Moore of Wilton’s James B. Whipple Post 86 to develop a special section on the history of the organization, which includes some of their artifacts.

The Wilton Historical Society is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm. 

Party Time @ the Palace - May 17

he annual fundraising event that culminates another successful theatrical season happens on Friday May 17 when " PALACE 10.4  aka Party at the Palace" returns for its fifth year! Be there  to celebrate with a one-of-a-kind experience that invites guests to explore a century of good times at this remarkable venue throughout six different spaces in the theater, each filled with entertainment, specialty bars, and plentiful food stations. Tickets are $75 and include food plus two drink coupons. Purchase tickets at the box office 203.346.2000 on-line www.palacetheaterct.org or in person at 100 East Main Street, Waterbury, CT.

The annual "Party at the Palace" returns for its fifth year! Be there as we celebrate the culmination of the Palace’s 2018–2019 season with a one-of-a-kind experience that invites guests to explore six different parties in the theater, each buzzing with live entertainment, specialty bars, and plentiful food stations.

The festivities kick off outside at 5pm with Cajun Ray and the Steamers jamming on the Loading Dock, where attendees enjoy complimentary craft beer tastings and treats from local restaurants, before the theater doors open up at 6pm to the Grand Foyer. Thomas Chute from WATR Radio, 1320 am serenades the audience with the assistance of Sean Lewis on piano.

The calypso rhythm of Caribbean steel drums from the Roylety Steel Pan Band brings the party upstairs to the Mezzanine at 8pm. At the same time, in the more intimate Poli Club, patrons can listen to acoustic musical entertainment from Charlie Apicella & Iron City, Joe Carter, and Eran Troy Danner while they enjoy a drink, and catch up with friends. The next stop is the Main Stage, featuring Timmy Maia, where guests can boogie the night away, before ending the evening on a high note with a nightcap and today's hits in the Orchestra Bar Lobby provided by Powerstation Events.

Whether you stay in one place or sample all the locations, guests are guaranteed an incomparable night of interactive entertainment at the Palace.

Tickets: $75
Includes food, two drink tickets and complimentary beer tasting

Food Vendors: Emily's Catering, Domenic & Pia Pizzeria, Frankie's Hot Dogs, Sweet Maria's, The Art of Yum

Special Thanks to our Sponsors: ION Bank, Powerstation Events, Emily’s Catering, the law firm of Carmody, Torrance, Sendak , Hennessey, DNR Laboratories, Barter Business Unlimited, City of Waterbury Arts & Tourism commission, Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation,  Universal Copy, International  Association of Stage and Theatrical Employees 74, the Republican-American and WATR 1320 AM.

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Photo credit – Palace 10.3 revelers  May 2018 Dorian Mode Photography

About the Palace Theater

The Palace's primary purpose is to revitalize the Greater Waterbury community through the presentation of the performing arts and educational initiatives in collaboration with area cultural and educational institutions. Its mission is to preserve and operate the historic Palace Theater as a performing arts center and community gathering place that provides a focal point of cultural activity and educational outreach for diverse audiences.

INCREDIBLE INVENTORS: WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD

The Osborn Homestead Museum in Derby is celebrating the 143rd birthday of  Frances Osborne Kellogg’s with a photo exhibition celebrating the achievements of female inventors and innovators during the month of May.

Born on May 11, 1876, during the Victorian Era, Frances was a Renaissance woman who was involved in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) fields—managing her factories, breeding prized Holstein-Friesian cattle, and playing and teaching the violin. Additionally, her family had several patents in garment accessories and building design.

In the 1890s, when Frances was a young woman on the verge of taking over her family’s businesses, 58 percent of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students were girls.  By 1955, a year before Frances’ death, girls represented less than half of all STEM students. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization 2016 report, women worldwide represent 35 percent of all students enrolled in STEM-related fields of study. Frances was an advocate of higher education for girls and women, and this special exhibition is meant to inspire and bring attention to the incredible women leaders in STEAM from Frances’ time to today.

Visit the Osborne Homestead Museum throughout the month of May and learn about the women who changed the world! The Osborne Homestead Museum, a facility of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, is open for free guided tours on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is located at 500 Hawthorne Avenue off of Rte. 34 in Derby. For additional information call (203) 734-2513.

Before the Bow and Arrow Atlatl Workshop @ Institute For American Indian Studies

 When people think of Native American tools, bows, and arrows are among the first things that spring to mind, and with good reason.  Just about every Native American community had some form of a bow and arrow that was used for hunting or warfare, and sometimes for both.  

Before the bow and arrow, Native Americans, along with people from many other cultures worldwide used something called an Atlatl for hunting and fishing.  Essentially an atlatl is a dart thrower that allows hunters to throw a dart or arrow farther and faster than by hand alone. To learn more about this ancient technology and to make and throw your own atlatl, The Institute for American Indian Studies is hosting a very special workshop, Atlatl Workshop with Susan Scherf, on May 11 from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

The Workshop

If you like to make things with your hands and test your skills, then this workshop is for you. Participants in the atlatl workshop will learn about the history and different designs of this useful tool that was used by Native Americans as well as by a multitude of cultures around the world. Under the guidance of  IAIS Educator, Susan Scherf, participants will learn about the different designs of this ancient weapon before making their own atlatl. 

The fun really begins with learning how to use your newly made atlatl and seeing how much farther your arrow goes.  The atlatl session ends with a friendly atlatl throwing competition.   If you become an atlatl fan, you might end up competing in atlatl competitions that are held throughout the world!

This workshop is $5 for members of the Institute and $15 for non-members and, an adult must accompany participants under 18.  To reserve your spot for this fun and educational workshop call 860-868-0518 or email general@iaismuseum.org.

About the Atlatl

An atlatl is one of humankind's first mechanical inventions that preceded the bow and arrow in most parts of the world. Basically, an atlatl is a type of lever that was used to throw a spear farther and faster towards the quarry. The word atlatl comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs who were using them when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s.

According to the World Atlatl Association, early people in the Americas used atlatls to hunt mammoths and mastodons around 11,000 years ago. Much later, a variety of atlatl types were used in different parts of North America. 

Atlatls continued to be used alongside bows and arrows by many Native Americans after the introduction of the bow.

Typically the projectile point or spear point was made of stone such as chert using a process known as flint knapping. The point was attached to a wooden shaft made of hardwood such as ash, hickory, oak, cedar, walnut or birch.

In time, an atlatl weight was added to the spear thrower as a counter-balance. Weights became more stylized and ornate using fine stone like banded slate to make each piece a unique work of art

The Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS)

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs.  We have an outdoor replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village and Wigwam Escape and a Museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.

Typically the projectile point of the spearhead was made of hard stone such as flint that was made by a Native American flintknapper.  The spearhead was attached to a wooden shaft made of hardwood such as ash, hickory, oak, cedar, walnut or birch.  The spear measured about 4 feet long and the atlatl thrower measured about two feet long and was typically made of wood or antler.

In time, an atlatl weight was added to the spear thrower as a counter-balance and good luck charm to help the hunter hit his quarry.  The spear holder was retained after the spear was thrown and sometimes a leather thong was attached to help the thrower retain it.

Birdstone weight

About The Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS)

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs.  We have an outdoor replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village, Wigwam Escape Room, Museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.

MARINE LIFE ENCOUNTER CRUISES” OF THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK

Get a deeper new appreciation for Long Island Sound when you meet some of its resident fish, crabs and other creatures brought up wriggling and wet right out of the water right before your eyes, during a Marine Life Encounter Cruise offered by The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

These fun and memorable outings will be offered on most Saturdays and Sundays in May and June, with departures at 1:15 p.m.  (There is no cruise on May 11.) Beginning June 25, they’ll run daily Tuesdays through Sundays through the summer.

The 2.5-hour cruises give participants close-up, often hands-on introductions to a variety of fish, crabs, mollusks and other animals brought up onto the Aquarium’s research vessel.

“Any boat ride is fun, but the Aquarium’s cruises offer the exciting bonus of giving participants an amazing window into what’s below the waves,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth.

The Marine Life Encounter Cruises bring up animals from different levels of the Sound’s depths. A video microscope hooked up to a giant-screen monitor provides a magnified look at wriggly plankton gathered at the sunlit surface. Sponges, mollusks, worms and tiny crabs are revealed to be hiding in a sample from the muddy bottom. And everyone inspects the trawl net's bounty: varieties of fish, crabs, mollusks and always a few surprises; maybe squid; maybe even a small shark!

Maritime Aquarium educators involve participants in the processes, including sorting through samples, logging data, helping to pull in the trawl net and returning animals to the water.

“Every cruise is different depending on what animals come up onto the boat,” Sigworth said. “And it is the thrill of witnessing first-hand how alive Long Island Sound is – even within sight of Manhattan – that will best inspire stewardship on behalf of the Sound.”

 Besides being fun and eye-opening, Marine Life Encounter Cruises also contribute to local scientific research. Water-chemistry and weather readings are taken. And details about the animals brought onboard are entered into the Aquarium’s Long Island Sound Biodiversity Project, a database of physical and biological features available online to teachers and researchers.

Cruises take place aboard R/V Spirit of the Sound, the first research vessel in the country with quiet and “green” hybrid-electric propulsion.

Through June 30, cost of a Marine Life Encounter Cruise is $29.95 per person ($24.95 for Maritime Aquarium members).  

The Maritime Aquarium’s cruises are perfect for family fun. However, all passengers must be at least 42 inches tall. Participants under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Capacity is limited so reservations are strongly recommended. Walk-up tickets will be sold space permitting.

Cruises depart from the dock near the Aquarium's IMAX Theater entrance.

Marine Life Encounter Cruises also are available by charter for schools, camps, Scouts and other groups.

To reserve your spot or for more details, go to www.maritimeaquarium.org/cruise-schedule or call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.