Unwind from the Daily Grind!

Travel tips, sneak peaks, special events, and first hand travel destination information… around the corner, up the street and around the county
About Janet Serra

4th Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa’s Workshop Through Dec. 24

Tuesday, November 20, 2012 by:Janet Serra
Comment
Comments
|
|

It’s that magical time of year again when Santa and his LIVE reindeer, Dasher Dancer, Prancer and     Blitzen, return to McArdle’s Florist & Garden Center, 48 Arch Street, in Greenwich, Conn, for the 4th  Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival and Santa’s Workshop, November 23 through Christmas Eve, December 24, 2012. Last year, over 800 photos with Santa were taken and many more are expected this year.

On Friday, November 23 at approximately 2 p.m., Santa will lead his LIVE REINDEER down Greenwich Avenue, accompanied by town officials, event sponsors and the Greenwich Police and Fire Department.  Starting at First Presbyterian Church, they will make their way to McArdle’s, where the reindeer will reside for one month.  There, young and old can marvel at the reindeer and learn more about these special animals. The Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa’s Workshop officially opens and Photos with Santa begin at approximately 3 p.m. Holiday refreshments will be provided for all at McArdle’s by Avenue Café, which recently opened on Greenwich Avenue.

Inside, McArdle’s will be transformed into Santa’s Workshop, an unforgettable holiday wonderland where families, children, corporate groups and even pets can have their photo taken with Santa.  Photo packages begin at $29.99 and include special coupons to shop at over 100 participating downtown Greenwich stores and restaurants. This year’s festival will feature a new component – Reindeer Fun Facts – educational information about the animals, the mystery of their antlers, eating and sleeping habits and more.

The 4th Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa’s Workshop will take place Monday through Friday, noon to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reindeer feeding times will take place daily at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The reindeer will head to the North Pole around 1 p.m. on December 23, but Santa will remain until 4 p.m. Christmas Eve before beginning his busy night.

For more information and a list of the over 100 participating retail stores and restaurants, visit www.GreenwichReindeerFestival.com.

Categories: General

Mark Twain Library Art Show is Around the Corner

Monday, November 19, 2012 by:Janet Serra
Comment
Comments
|
|

Mark Twain Library

Have you been looking for a “just right” piece for that spot over your mantel? Perhaps your dining room needs a little “something special” to pull it all together?

The Mark Twain Library Art Show may be just the place for you.

Holiday shoppers and art lovers alike should circle Saturday, December 1st on their calendars, since that’s the date of the Mark Twain Library annual Art Show, open for 9 days of viewing and purchasing during regular library hours. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Library’s annual Show — a sale of juried art in mostly oils, watercolors, acrylics, pastels; and some sculpture and pottery — and it’s all in support of Redding’s public library.

The Art Show will continue through Sunday, December 9, and feature about 125 artists’ original works hung in gallery fashion, and some porfolios of prints. The Art Show gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy viewing fine art, to purchase a favorite for their own enjoyment, or to buy as a special gift. A portion of each art sale directly supports the Mark Twain Library.

Thanks to the Show’s venerable reputation for wonderful art at reasonable prices, it has been a draw for some of the area’s most talented artists for 40 years. Because this is a juried show, any artist may enter two works for consideration, with jurying to be held the Wednesday before the opening of the Show, on November 28.

Meet the Juror

This year’s art show is being juried by the award-winning artist Charles Ray. Mr. Ray is a former director of the Silvermine Art School in New Canaan, and long time Redding resident. His program “Behind the Scenes with Charles Ray” is back again by popular demand, and set for Tuesday, December 4th at 7pm. This is an opportunity to stroll the Library with the man who juried the Show, and listen to his own unique and thoughtful perspective on this year’s art. Mr. Ray’s event continues to grow in popularity and draws a lively crowd each year.

Art Buyer, or Art Collector?

Buying a piece of original art at the Art Show is a wonderful idea, but may also be an intimidating one. A special lecture by celebrated art expert Tim Newton, on Thursday, December 6 at 7pm, is designed to help bridge the gap for those interested in learning how to be more than an art buyer — and be an art collector. Mr. Newton is the founder and curator of “American Masters,” one of America’s foremost art exhibitions and sales, held annually at New York City’s Salmagundi Club. For over 130 years, the Salmagundi Club has served as a center for fine artists from New York and around the country. The Club has been the singular gathering place for some of the country’s greatest artists. Honorary members have included such luminaries as Sir Winston Churchill, Buckminster Fuller, Paul Cadmus, Al Hirschfeld, Thomas Hoving and Schuyler Chapin.

Intimidated? Don’t be. Mr. Newton will provide his audience with the skills to make decisions about purchasing art with knowledge and confidence; and you’ll be sure to have fun in the process.

Admission is free for all programs, but space is limited. Please RSVP at the front desk, by phone at 203-938-2545, or online at www.MarkTwainLibrary.org.

Categories: General

Historic Keeler Tavern Offers Holiday Luncheons

Friday, November 16, 2012 by:Janet Serra
Comment
Comments
|
|

Ridgefield’s Christmas Luncheons and Holiday Boutique at the historic Keeler Tavern have become a  holiday tradition. Keeler Tavern is located in the heart of Ridgefield on 132 Main Street.

Guests dine in the festively decorated Garden House overlooking the brick walled Garden designed by American architect Cass Gilbert which is lovely, even in December and especially with a dusting of light snow.  The luncheons will be held this year from Tuesday, December 4th to Saturday, December 8th.

There will be two seating’s each day at 11:30 AM and 1:15 PM. The cost will be $25 per person by prepaid reservation. After lunch, guests will be invited to visit the seasonally decorated rooms of the Tavern Building.

If making a reservation for more than one person, please list the names of other members of your group. Reservations and payment may be made securely on line at keelertavernmuseum.org or by calling the Museum and paying by charge card or by mailing a check directly to the Keeler Tavern Museum. For further information or the menu to be served call the Museum at 203-438-5485.

Holiday Boutique

The Holiday Boutique in the Gilbert Dining Room and Museum Gift Shop will be overflowing with gifts for everyone and every occasion. A new selection of Christmas ornaments, unique decorations of the season, gifts for children and adults will fill the area.

These unusual gifts will make filling your gift giving needs easy.  The gift shop will be open from 10:30 AM to 4 PM December 4th through 8th. In addition it will be open Sunday, December 9th from 1 PM – 4 PM. During these days, talented crafters will bring products that will enrich the variety of gifts available. And, don’t forget to buy a gift for yourself.

Early Shopping Days will take place Tuesday, November 27 through Sunday, December 2nd from 1 PM – 4 PM.

Categories: General

An Afternoon with Ken Burns at The Avon

Thursday, November 15, 2012 by:Janet Serra
Comment
Comments
|
|

On Sunday, December 2nd at 4:00 p.m., The Avon Theatre and The Better Angels Society present THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE, followed by a post-film Q&A with writer/producer/director Ken Burns (PROHIBITION, THE NATIONAL PARKS, BASEBALL), to be moderated by Joe Meyers (CT Post). Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, November 14th.  Ticket prices are $25 for members, $35 for non-members. To purchase tickets, please call the Avon business office during daytime business hours at 203-661-0321, or the box office during showtimes at 203-967-3660, x2.

ABOUT THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

This 119 minute film  is about five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested in 1989 and later convicted of raping a white woman in New York City’s Central Park. They spent between six and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed that he alone had committed the crime, resulting in their convictions being overturned. Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE tells the story of that horrific crime, the rush to judgment by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories, an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice.

ABOUT KEN BURNS

Ken Burns has been making documentary films for more than 30 years. Since the Academy Award-nominated BROOKLYN BRIDGE in 1981, he has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made. Burns was the director, producer, co-writer, chief cinematographer, music director and executive producer of the landmark television series THE CIVIL WAR. This film was the highest-rated series in the history of American public television, prior to BASEBALL, and attracted an audience of 40 million during its premiere in September 1990. The New York Times called it a masterpiece and said that Burns “takes his place as the most accomplished documentary filmmaker of his generation.” Tom Shales of The Washington Post said, “This is not just good television, nor even just great television. This is heroic television.” The columnist George Will said, “If better use has ever been made of television, I have not seen it and do not expect to see better until Ken Burns turns his prodigious talents to his next project.” The series has been honored with more than 40 major film and television awards, including two Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a Producer of the Year Award from the Producer’s Guild, a People’s Choice Award, a Peabody Award, a DuPont-Columbia Award, a D.W. Griffiths Award and the $50,000 Lincoln Prize, among dozens of others.

Some of Burns’s other films include THE DUST BOWL (scheduled to air on PBS in November, 2012), PROHIBITION (2011), THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA (2009), THE WAR (2007), co-directed with Lynn Novick, JAZZ (2001), LEWIS AND CLARK: THE JOURNEY OF THE CORPS OF DISCOVERY (1997), and BASEBALL (1994). Burns was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1953. He graduated from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1975.

ABOUT THE AVON

The Avon Theatre is a member-supported, non-profit cultural hub, dedicated to presenting film in its highest form, and thriving because of the support of our patrons and community. In addition to an exciting slate of new releases that are hard to find anywhere else, The Avon brings you phenomenal special events and monthly programs. We are proud to provide a forum for in-person, community dialogue with directors, actors and other luminaries in a vibrant “Main Street America” setting. The Avon is located on 272 Bedford St in Stamford. For tickets call  the Box Office: (203) 967-3660 or visit www.avontheatre.org.

ABOUT THE BETTER ANGELS SOCIETY

The Better Angels Society is dedicated to helping Ken Burns produce high-quality films that will introduce current and future generations of Americans to their history.  The Society is composed of individual members and family foundations that wish to make a significant philanthropic donation to the making of historical documentaries and enjoy the many benefits such an association will bring.

Categories: General

New Gallery at Greenwich Audubon opens Dec. 1

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 by:Janet Serra
Comment
Comments
|
|

Audubon Greenwich

The Greenwich Audubon has combined forces with Joel Oppenheimer, the venerable natural history art gallery located in Chicago and Charleston.  This gallery is best known for the work of many outstanding naturalist artists and painters including John James Audubon.

The Greenwich Audubon, the first established nature education center in the country by the National Audubon Society has a long history of  protecting birds and their habitats as well as teaching people the principles of conservation.

The gallery will be located in the newly renovated Kiernan Hall and will feature four exhibits a year. The first exhibition, opening December 1  explores all the editions of Audubon’s work in the Nineteenth Century. A highlight of this exhibition is that it will show comparative examples of nine prints in the different versions including Havell, Bien, Octavo and watercolor editions.  The subjects that will be featured in the exhibit are the Osprey, the Great Blue Heron, the Carolina Parrot, the Gyr Falcon, the Great Egret, the Passenger Pigeon, the Louisiana Heron, the Ruby Throated Hummingbird and the Dusky Duck.

Joel Oppenheimer, president of his namesake gallery, author, and one of the foremost Audubon experts in the world, sees this collaboration as an opportunity to educate and bring Audubon’s rich history to life, “John James Audubon is considered to be perhaps the greatest natural history artist of all time.  His body of work in ornithological art is iconic.  Collectors and admirers of his works continue to be enthralled with his accomplishments and how he shaped the genre of natural history art. Audubon brought images of birds and mammals to life during his time of exploration and we want his work to continue to inspire current and future generations.  We are grateful to have this opportunity to collaborate with The Audubon Center of Greenwich both in its conservation efforts and in telling Audubon’s story,” said Oppenheimer.

It is the hope of the Audubon Greenwich that these ornithological masterpieces will  inspire and engage people in the conservation of birds and their habitats.

At the December 1st grand opening reception, Joel Oppenheimer will talk about the significance of Audubon’s contribution to art and conservation.  His remarks will begin at 7:00 p.m.  Private showings of the exhibit can be scheduled from 1:00 – 4:00 by appointment.  All prints in the exhibition can be purchased either framed, or without.  Thirty percent of the proceeds from sales will be donated on an ongoing basis to The Audubon Center of Greenwich.  The opening reception will be held on Dec. 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

To R.S.V.P. for the Grand Opening on December 1, 2012, or to make a gallery appointment, contact Audubon Greenwich by phone (203-869-5272 x239) or by email (greenwichcenter@audubon.org)

About Joel Oppenheimer

Established in 1969, the fine art galleries of Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. in Chicago and Charleston offer a stunning array of natural history art from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, as well as fine art framing, and complete conservation and restoration services.  As a natural history art gallery, Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. is dedicated to the connoisseurship of collecting and preserving the art of natural history and celebrating the contributions of the explorers who recorded the flora and fauna of the past three centuries.  Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. strives to provide collectors with an unsurpassed selection of the finest examples of prints and paintings from the golden age of natural history art including rare works by John James Audubon, Pierre-Joseph Redouté, Dr. Robert Thornton, John Gould, Basilius Besler, and many others.


Categories: General

Magical Puppetry Nov 10 At Stepping Stones

Saturday, November 10, 2012 by:Janet Serra
Comment
Comments
|
|

For most people, developing a handcrafted puppet show from scratch is not something that you do in your spare time. After all, putting together a high-quality, entertaining children’s show is a daunting, time-consuming process. However, Alan Louis is not like most people.

Louis, the Public Programs Manager at Stepping Stones Museum for Children, has had a nearly 30-year career in puppetry. There isn’t a type of puppetry he has not performed with: shadow puppets, hand puppets, rod puppets, marionettes – even larger-than-life-sized puppets in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Louis has performed with a variety of touring companies, taught puppetry workshops in the United States and Eastern Europe and spent a decade as the Education Director for the Center of Puppetry Arts in Atlanta.    Needless to say, Louis knows a high-quality puppet show when he sees one and he definitely knows what it takes to bring one to the stage.

After attending a puppet festival in New York last December, Louis was inspired to start working on a production of The Frog Prince that has grown into an awe-inspiring and magical production of The Frog Prince and Other Tales. Created exclusively for Stepping Stones Museum for Children, four classics of children’s literature will come alive on November 10th when this enchanting puppetry spectacle debuts at the Museum.

The enduring tales of kindness, determination and loyalty will be performed with beautifully handcrafted puppets and scenery. These tales of fantasy and imagination are sure to provide an unforgettable children’s theater experience. Each 40 minute performance is followed by an art of puppetry demonstration and question and answer session with the puppeteers.

The show is free with museum admission; however, seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a limited engagement with performances scheduled from November 10th through December 14th.   For more information and performance times, visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

About Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk, Conn., is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501(c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. Located on five acres in Mathews Park, the LEED Gold certified museum encompasses five hands-on galleries, state-of-the-art Multimedia Gallery, Family and Teacher Resource Center, cafe and retail store.

Stepping Stones is located at 303 West Avenue, exit 14N or 15S off I-95 in Norwalk. Museum hours are Monday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children. Children under 1 are free. To learn more, call 203 899 0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

Categories: General

Fairfield Museum Programs

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 by:Janet Serra
Comment
Comments
|
|

Fairfield Museum and History Center escaped Sandy’s wrath and, aside from power loss, which was restored yesterday, November 5th, the Museum re-open today for two special Election Day programs and they are excited about our upcoming programs, which are listed below along with a full range of other exciting, upcoming programs.

On November 6 there are two Election Day programs. The first, Election Day 1864 is from 1:30pm – 3pm.  This program is Free with admission.  Participants are invited to draw a political cartoon, write and deliver a speech and try out a Scavenger Hunt in the galleries.  Also from 1:30 – 3 pm is a History Day Workshop that is free for teachers, parents and students in grades 6 and up. History Day encourages students to build valuable inquiry and research skills, developing fascinating research projects that are entered into a series of regional and national competitions.

On November 8 at 7 pm there is a lecture titled Men of Color! To Arms! The call to arms from impassioned abolitionist Frederick Douglass echoed the overwhelming sentiments of nearly 190,000 men of color that joined the Union cause for the promise of freedom. Learn more with David Koch, Housatonic Community College and David Naumec, Mashantucket Pequot Museum / Manchester Community College. Suggested Donation: $5, Members; $7, non-members.


On Sunday, November 11 there will be a lecture titled Living History: The Civil War Doctor’s Wife at 2 pm that is co-sponsored with the daughters of the American Revolution..  The lecture will focus on the story of Dr. George Bronson, who marched off to war with the 11th Connecticut Volunteer Regiment and his wife, Mary Ann, comes to life. Mary Lou Pavlik assumes the role of her ancestor and shares observations of the War from a Northern lady’s point of view and relates her husband’s harrowing experiences through original letters.  Suggested Donation: $5, Members; $8 non-members.

On Veterans Day, Monday, November 12 there is a workshop for kids and a family scavenger hunt. Hardtack & Haversacks   takes place from 10am – 12pm.  Kids 9 and up will learn about the hardships of a soldier’s life in the 1860s.  Kids will make their own hardtack and put together a haversack for storing the important items no soldier would be without.  $10 Members, $15 non-members. Please pre-register.  At 1 pm there is a Family Scavenger Hunt that is free for teachers, parents and students in grades 6 and up. Participants will learn about the stories of Fairfield’s soldiers and more on a special, family-friendly Scavenger Hunt for Veteran’s Day.

The Fairfield Museum and History Center is located on 370 Beach Rd. in Fairfield. For more information contact 203-259-1598 or visit  www.fairfieldhistory.org

Categories: General

Artist’s restored studio

Monday, November 5, 2012 by:Janet Serra
Comment
Comments
|
|

Julius LeBlanc Stewart, In the Artist's Studio, 1875, oil on canvas, 21½ x 28¾ in. Andrea family private collection, photograph courtesy Sotheby's, New York.

To celebrate the restoration of the room at Bush-Holley House that served at various times as the studio of Childe Hassam, John Twachtman and Elmer MacRae, the Greenwich Historical Society will present an exhibition exploring the changing concept of the artist’s studio. Representations of an American art student’s Parisian garret, William Merritt Chase’s opulent Tenth Street studio in New York, Dorothy Ochtman’s view of her father in the studio they shared in their Cos Cob home and the repurposed farm sheds used by artists in Old Lyme: these and other paintings will suggest the wide range of spaces in which turn-of-the-century artists worked and will provide a cultural context for the restored studio.

The studio originally doubled as bedroom and workspace for its occupants. To augment the natural light from windows on the northern and eastern exposures, the owners, the Holley family, added a dormer around 1900. Illuminated by windows on three sides, the room offered views of the abundant gardens behind the house, the millpond to one side and the bustling harbor across the street. Now when you visit the Bush-Holley house, you can more easily imagine the vistas the artists enjoyed.

Dorothy Ochtman, A Corner of the Studio, 1928, oil on canvas, 30 x 25 in. National Academy Museum, New York, Bequest of Dorothy Ochtman Del Mar, 1971, 1749-P.

In addition to depictions of American artists’ studios in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the exhibition presents the models for Childe Hassam’s work in Cos Cob and a sampling of work done outside the studio in the environs by Hassam, John H. Twachtman and Elmer MacRae. A complementary exhibition, Historic Artists’ Homes & Studios, on loan from Chesterwood (the home and studio of Lincoln Memorial sculptor Daniel Chester French), will feature photographs that focus on the fascinating and eclectic living and workspaces of famous American artists including (among others) N.C. Wyeth, Jackson Pollock and Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Attributed to Frederick MacMonnies Atelier at Giverny, 1896 or 1897, oil on canvas, 32 x 17 in. Terra Foundation for American Art, Chicago, Daniel J. Terra Collection, 1999.91, Photography ©Terra Foundation for Amerian Art, Chicago.

A Good Light: The Artist’s Studio in Cos Cob and Beyond will be on exhibition from October 3, 2012 to January 6, 2013. Wednesday through Sunday, Noon to 4:00 pm. Members: free; nonmembers: $10; seniors and students $8 The Greenwich Historical Society Storehouse Gallery is located on  39 Strickland Road in Cos Cob.

Categories: General
Page 8 of 23« First789Last »