Lisa Paul Streitfeld To Serve As Judge

For Regional Hospice’s Arts Festival

RIDGEFIELD — Art writer and critic Lisa Paul Streitfeld will serve as judge for this year’s Regional Hospice Arts Festival & Cosmopolitan Buffet. The event returns Friday, June 11, at 7 pm.

Ms Streitfeld reviews art for The Hartford Courant and Stamford Advocate/Greenwich Time and contributes to Art New England as well as several national and international publications as a reviewer and feature writer. A member of the International Art Critics Association, she has 20 years experience as a writer and has published one novel.

In addition, she curates shows of Connecticut artists in New York City and writes essays on artists for art books.

Ms Streitfeld brings a dynamic approach to reviewing art. She sees the art world as a shifting paradigm, including plenty of good academic work that enables artists explore their creativity within the context of tradition.

“The ‘anything goes’ attitude about art that predominated at the end of the 20th Century has provided artists with something completely essential: the freedom to experiment,” explains Ms Streitfeld. “Out of the Eureka moment, new worlds are born.”

Describing her approach to reviewing an art show, Ms Streitfeld says her critical process begins with an intuitive reaction.

“Later, I use my intellect to understand this involuntary process. What results is a review of the work.”

 The juried exhibition at Regional Hospice’s annual Arts Festival draws more than 100 artists from throughout Connecticut and New England, as well as nationally known artists. The displayed works will range from paintings, monotype prints and creative photography to sculpture, pottery, glassworks and hand-crafted jewelry.

Ms Streitfeld will select 13 artists to receive awards, including the Mary and Harvey Sadow Awards for Best in Show and The Violet E. Mannon Awards of Excellence. The award-winning artists’ works will be prominently displayed and offered for sale on June 11. Additional pieces will be available for sale outright or through a live auction.

In addition to enjoying exceptional artwork, guests will be entertained with fine music from a number of talented musical groups. A sampling of gourmet food from 20 of the area’s finest restaurants, as well as wine and champagne, are served to guests during the evening. Specialty desserts, coffee and champagne will be available immediately prior to the live auction, which begins at 9 pm.

A portion of each art sale benefits Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut, a non-profit organization providing compassionate hospice and palliative care to patients and families touched by life-threatening illness, in Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Sherman, Southbury and Wilton.

The event, which is hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation at its US corporate headquarters at 900 Old Ridgebury Road in Ridgefield, is open to the public Tickets are $75 per person.

For reservations or more information, contact Terri Nackid of Regional Hospice at 797-1685 extension 12. To learn more about the work of Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut, visit www.Danbury.org/hospice.