Archive for the ‘Arts’ Category

Bridgeport’s Columbus Day weekend celebration to feature parade, two military concerts

Thursday, September 23, 2010 by:Phyllis Boros
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From the desk of arts writer Phyllis A.S. Boros

Bridgeport’s Columbus Day weekend celebration, Oct. 8-10, will include three major events: Two concerts by the 2d Marine Division Band, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and a parade.

Here’s the info, as supplied by the Council of Italian American Societies of Greater Bridgeport Inc., which is sponsoring all three events.

To mark the annual Columbus Weekend Celebration in Bridgeport, the 2d Marine Division Band, Camp Lejeune, N.C., will perform two free concerts on Friday, Oct. 8 and Saturday, Oct. 9, at the Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport. Each concert will begin at 7 p.m.; doors will open at 6. 

Admission is free, but tickets are required. They will be available, beginning Monday, Sept. 27, at Lupe’s Drug Store, 3129 Main Street, Bridgeport. Ticket Information: (203) 374-0600. All concert-goers are asked to bring non-perishable food donations to the Klein. The collected items will be distributed by the Office of Veteran Affairs for the City of Bridgeport to those veterans in need.

 The concerts will feature patriotic and big band favorites, familiar marches, traditional classics, film music, jazz, country and popular contemporary music, said Chris Caruso, chairperson of the concerts, which will be dedicated to the memory of Vincent Vizzo, World War II veteran and longtime community activist and CIAS member.

 

At this year’s concerts, in an effort to ”commemorate the bravery and selfless commitment to their fellow human beings, a special musical selection will be performed in honor of fallen Bridgeport firefighters Lt. Steven Velasquez and Michel Baik who died in the line of duty on July 24, 2010,” Caruso said.

“It is a great honor and delight to have the 2d Marine Division Band in the City of Bridgeport once again. We are truly fortunate,” Caruso said. “They are true musical professionals and they represent themselves and our country with distinction.”

Caruso explained that the band, “The Division’s Own,” was formed from elements of the 2d, 6d and 8d Marine Regiment Bands. Gathering for rest and relaxation, they came together for the first time in Wellington, New Zealand during World War II. Members of the band fought side by side with fellow marines and sailors on Tarawa, Tinian, Wake Island, Guadalcanal and Saipan.

During conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, members of the band did not serve in combat as a unit. However, they were frequently called upon as litter bearers and military police. In 1991 the band was deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. In 2005 the band served as a security platoon in Camp Blue Diamond, Ramadi, Iraq and in 2007 served as a security platoon in Al Asad and Camp Faliujah in support of Iraqi Freedom. The band is the only musical unit at Camp Lejeune; it provides musical support for the five major commands and 30,000 Marines for whom Camp Lejeune is home, he said.

The band also performs in numerous parades, concerts and ceremonies throughout eastern North Carolina and the eastern United States. Known for their marching and musical excellence, the members are proud of their role as

 

“Musical Ambassadors” for the Corps, he said. Since September 2010 the Band has been under the direction of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Forest Brown. Master Sergeant Mark D. Munger serves as the Band Master, Gunnery Sergeant David J. Wilson serves as the Drum Major, Staff Sergeant Joshua J. Campbell is the Enlisted Conductor, Small Ensemble Leader is Staff Sergeant Jacob O. Johnson and the Instrument Repair Technician is Michael R. Pratt.

“The Band loves coming to Bridgeport. I’ve been told the warmth and support of its citizens makes this visit a home away from home,” said Chief Warrant Officer Brown who will be directing the Band in Bridgeport for the first time this year.

 

BRIDGEPORT COLUMBUS DAY UNITY PARADE

The Columbus Day Unity Parade, which takes place rain or shine, will kick off at 1 p.m. from the corner of Wayne Street and Jewett Avenue. The parade will head south to Madison Avenue, and proceed to Beers Street, where it will end at the entrance to the parking lot of Central High School. This year’s theme is ”Diverse Cultures Strengthen Freedom.” Featured will be the 2d Marine Division Band, local high school bands, the Park City Pride Senior Drum & Bugle Corps, the Fairfield Gaelic Pipe Band fife and drum corps, various ethnic dance teams, clowns from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, classic cars, floats, the Pyramid Shriners mini cycles, area elected officials and representatives from area police and fire departments.

This year’s parade will be dedicated to Bridgeport firefighters Lt. Steven Velasquez and Michel Baik, who died in the line of duty on July 24.

Russ and Joan Palaia are parade chairpersons.

 

 

 

Lady Liberty returns to Seaside Park

Thursday, September 16, 2010 by:Phyllis Boros
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From the desk of arts writer Phyllis A.S. Boros

She has been away for more than 40 years, but Lady Liberty has returned to Bridgeport’s Seaside Park.

Lady Liberty, the heroic sculpture created by Vermont artist Emily Bedard to replace one destroyed by vandals in 1969, is again gracing the park’s Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument, dedicated in 1876.

The Lady Liberty statue, made out of a lightweight white gypsum polymer reinforced with fiberglass, replaces the original white marble statue that for decades stood at the monument.

The statue, at about 6 feet, 6 inches tall, will be dedicated Saturday (Sept. 18) at 11 a.m. during ceremonies that are open to the public.

Among the guests will be Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, City Historian Mary Witkowski and Thomas Errichetti, treasurer of the Friends of Seaside Park, who spearheaded the monument restoration project.

 The statue was introduced to the public last Friday night at a benefit party for the nonprofit City Lights Gallery at Dragone Classic Motorcars on Main Street, Bridgeport.

(For those unfamiliar with this Seaside Park landmark, the 54-foot tall monument was designed featuring two grand sculptures of women, one below the other. At its very top is a 10-foot tall bronze figure of a woman, known as the American Republic. Directly below the American Republic statue is a tall stone arch, under which Lady Liberty stands upon a stone pedestal.)

Saturday morning in the park with Lady Liberty

Monday, September 13, 2010 by:Phyllis Boros
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From the desk of arts writer Phyllis A.S. Boros/ a reminder

Lady Liberty, the magnificent sculpture created by Vermont artist Emily Bedard to replace one destroyed by vandals in 1969, will be dedicated Saturday (Sept. 18) at 11 a.m. at Seaside Park in Bridgeport. Ceremonies are open to the public.

The Lady Liberty statue, made out of a lightweight white gypsum polymer reinforced with fiberglass, will replace the original white marble statue that for decades graced the park’s Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument, dedicated in 1876.

Among the featured guests at the dedication will be Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, City Historian Mary Witkowski and Thomas Errichetti, treasurer of the Friends of Seaside Park, who spearheaded the monument restoration project.

 The statue was introduced to the public last Friday night at a benefit party for the nonprofit City Lights Gallery at Dragone Classic Motorcars on Main Street, Bridgeport.

(For those unfamiliar with this Seaside Park landmark, the 54-foot tall monument was designed featuring two grand sculptures of women, one below the other. At its very top is a 10-foot tall bronze figure of a woman, known as the American Republic. Directly below the American Republic statue is a tall stone arch, under which Lady Liberty will soon stand upon a stone pedestal.)

Sunday afternoon in the park with Paul

Monday, September 13, 2010 by:Phyllis Boros
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From the desk of arts writer Phyllis A.S. Boros

Seaside Park’s glory days of the mid-20th century are a source of countless special memories for many who grew up in the Bridgeport area. And yesterday’s afternoon concert there by Paul King and his 18-member big band likely brought back a lot of them for those in attendance.

Many locals, senior citizens and younger, remember spending numerous summer afternoons in the park — enjoying family picnics, soccer and softballs games, swimming and tanning on the beach and free outdoor concerts (now a rarity in the park).

 Although temperatures in the 60s, overcast skies and a stiff breeze apparently kept crowds off the beach, the park was otherwise humming with sports and picnicking activity on Sunday. And the incredible sounds of King’s  jazz orchestra.

Earlier this summer, the 80-something Stratford band leader, who grew up in Bridgeport, decided that he didn’t want another summer to go by without giving a concert “like in the old days” at his beloved Seaside Park. (King and his band, who specialize in music of the 1940s, are enormously popular in the region and are routinely engaged by municipalities such as Fairfield, Stratford and Shelton to perform at outdoor summer series.)

So King approachedthe city with his idea. With support from the Barnum Financial Group of Shelton and the city’s parks and recreation department, the concert was presented yesterday at Seaside’s orchestra shell in celebration of the band’s 30th anniversary.

Apparently because of the less-than-ideal weather conditions, and the constant threat of rain, the audience (with many concert-goers wearing parkas or wrapped in blankets) was rather small at the site, but numerous park visitorswere observed enjoying the music as they sat in their vehicles, protected from the elements, along the seawall and in a nearby lot.

The concert was obviously very special for many in the crowd.  At one point, a woman (a senior citizen and self-proclaimed longtime fan of the King orchestra) walked on stage and grabbed the microphone from King.  She then proceeded to shower King and orchestra with compliments and thanks for rekindling happy thoughts of bygone times. 

Her seemingly spontaneous and heartfelt speech moved King, and many in the audience, to tears.

Free tours slated of HMA’s exceptional art collection

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 by:Phyllis Boros
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From the desk of arts writer Phyllis A.S. Boros

The public is now being invited to tour Housatonic Museum of Art’s exceptional permanent collection with the aid of  professional curator Terri Smith.

Free tours are being offered this Wednesday (Aug. 18) at 5 p.m., Sept. 15 at noon and Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. The collection is on display in public areas throughout the Housatonic Community College campus in downtown Bridgeport. Visitors are asked to meet in front of the gallery by the information desk in Lafayette Hall.  Tours will take 30 to 45 minutes.

Smith, who is working at the HMA on a part-time basis funded through a grant from a private donor, recently helped the museum reconfigure its permanent collection “into thematic groups that focus on various topics, materials, styles and the historical/artistic importance of the works. The areas in which the groups are hung create mini galleries.”

The museum — founded in 1967 by Burt Chernow, an artist and former HCC art department chairman — has one of the largest and most distinguished collections of any two-year college in the country, valued at more than $11 million, assembled through donations from artists, commercial galleries and private collectors, and through gifts by such groups as the college’s student government. Among the masters included are Renoir, Picasso, Matisse, Miro, Christo, Chagall and Mary Cassatt.

Housatonic Community College is at 900 Lafayette Boulevard in downtown Bridgeport. Free parking is available in the HCC garage. For additional information on the museum, visit www.hctc.commnet.edu/artmuseum/.

City Lights opening reception this Thursday

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 by:Phyllis Boros
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Notes from the desk of Arts Writer Phyllis A.S. Boros . . .

A reminder . . . mark your calendar!

City Lights Gallery, the city’s nonprofit community arts center, will formally open its 5th annual Members Show, featuring more than 30 artists from throughout the region, on Thursday (Aug. 19) with a reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Although admission is free, donations will be appreciated during these difficult economic times, says Gallery Director Suzanne Kachmar.

Paintings, textiles, photography, mixed media works and jewelry will be among the featured items in the show, which will be on display through Sept. 15. Kachmar says that works in the show range from the whimsical to the profound, with items priced for various budgets.

Professional membership is open to all artists in the region, regardless of media, for $50 annually. The gallery is at 37 Markle Court in downtown Bridgeport. For additional information, visit www.citylightsgallery.org or call 203-334-7748. Kachmar may also be reached at the gallery’s new e-mail address at citygallerybpt@gmail.com.

City Lights searching for new artist-members

Tuesday, August 3, 2010 by:Phyllis Boros
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From the desk of arts writer Phyllis A.S. Boros

Bridgeport’s nonprofit City Lights Gallery, which functions much like a community center for the arts, is looking for new talent to spice up its 5th annual members show, which opens Aug. 14.

Gallery Director Suzanne Kachmar points out that every artist has one goal in common: To share their artwork with the world. And that means finding a gallery willing to show their work.  

City Lights is open to all, Kachmar points out, for a $50 annual fee that helps the nonprofit keep its doors open. For that fee, members have the opportunity to share their works with the public during one or more shows at the gallery each year.

Artwork for the 5th annual members show will be accepted  Thursday (Aug. 5) through Saturday (Aug. 7) during regular business hours. A free reception for the public and artists is planned for Aug. 19 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Members receive a 70 percent commission rate on sales, a monthly newsletter and other perks.

The gallery is at 37 Markle Court in downtown Bridgeport; for additional information visit www.citylightsgallery.org or call 203-334-7748. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Museum updates: Christmas in July, Barnum open

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 by:Phyllis Boros
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From the desk of arts writer Phyllis A.S. Boros:

Here are updates from folks at two area nonprofit gems: The Fairfield Museum and History Center and Bridgeport’s Barnum Museum.

This from the Fairfield Museum:

“The temperatures are soaring, the holidays are 5 months away, but The Fairfield Museum and History Center Gift Shop Manager Lee Walther believes that it’s never too early to find the perfect holiday gift.”

Thus Walter and the gift shop are offering a “Christmas in July” sale this week (running through Saturday, July 31) at the shop. According to Walther, everything in the shop has been reduced by 10 to 50 percent.

Currently on view at the museum is ”It’s a Hit!” — about the region’s baseball history.

Fairfield Museum and History Centeris at 370 Beach Road in Fairfield, behind Old Town Hall.  The museum and gift shop are open seven days a week.  Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on weekends.  To learn more about the museum, visit www.fairfieldhs.org or call 203-259-1598.    

 From the Barnum Museum comes this reminder: The museum, at 820 Main St. in downtown Bridgeport, is indeed open.

Although the 1893 building, on the National Register of Historic Places, is closed to the public because of  damage caused by the June 24 tornado that stuck Bridgeport, the museum is nonetheless  hosting a sculpture exhibition featuring the dynamic works of  North Haven artist (and periodontist) David Millen in the People’s United Bank Gallery (a modern area of the museum which is part of the neighboring People’s Bank headquarters).

Millen says the works were inspired by the dance troupe Pilobolus and the acrobats of Cirque du Soleil. (We attended the opening reception for this exhibition on Sunday afternoon and noted that hundreds upon hundreds of Millen’s fans and museum supporters were on hand for the festivities.)

Museum officials used the reception as a springboard for the kick-off of a major fundraising drive. Museum Executive Director Kathy Maher says the museum continues to operate “in emergency mode” and is appealing to area foundations, corporations and individuals to help underwrite repairs at the museum, which she characterized as one of the state’s treasures.

The building is owned by the city and operated by a nonprofit foundation. Contributions may be made online at www.barnum-museum.org.

The show, which will be on exhibit through Jan. 2,  may be viewed during regular museum hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sundays noon to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free while the remainder of the museum is closed. For additional information, call the museum at 203-331-1104.

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