Big Doings For Membership Month At The Mattatuck

WATERBURY — September is Membership Month at the Mattatuck Museum. To celebrate, the museum is inviting its members and potential members to get acquainted with all it has to offer by hosting a series of events and special activities during a month-long celebration. A diverse schedule of events and activities has been designed to appeal to all ages.

Art Lovers Lunch, is a series presented every other Friday from noon to 1 pm. Assistant curator Raechel Guest begins by leading a discussion concerning an artwork from the museum’s extensive collection, followed by lunch in the museum’s café. Works being discussed in September will be Alexander Calder’s “Mobile” on September 1; the materials of paintings and prints on September 15; and Arshile Gorky’s “Pirate 1” on September 29.

On Tuesday evenings, September 5 through 26, the museum will welcome visitors interested in its “Arts and Crafts Club.” The museum’s program director, Christine Jewell, will guide participants in learning and fine-tuning the techniques to scrapbook making, collage, rubber stamping and embossing. Participants can bring in their own projects, ask advice, share their interests and have some quality time to work. Materials will be available at an extra charge for those who need them. Cost for each session is $10, and the group meets each week from 7 to 8:30 pm.

On Saturday, September 9, from noon to 3 pm, the museum will host a bus tour of “Waterbury’s Houses of Faith.” Architectural Historian Steve Bedford will lead a tour of some of Waterbury’s finest symbols of faith. St Patrick’s, St. Anne’s, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox and St John’s are among the places of worship included on the tour.

On Saturdays, September 9 and 16, from 1 to 3:30 pm, a “Little Authors” workshop will be offered with illustrator Eleanor Hubbard. Kids will get to work with a real illustrator for the two-session workshop on how to illustrate children’s books. Ms Hubbard will lead children ages 8 to 10 in developing their own illustrated stories. She will also read from and share her work from the book The Fisherman and His Wife by Rosemary Wells. Each child will then create his or her own illustrated book. Cost is $65 per child.

Family Days is an ongoing series of activities the whole family can enjoy. On Sunday, September 10, at 1 pm, visitors can celebrate Grandparent’s Day at the museum with Bond Street Theater Company’s presentation of Travels with Tricksters.

A multi-cultural and educational performance weaves juggling magic, acrobatics, stilt-dancing and more to tell the tale of two globe-trotting adventurers from New York City. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors, and $1 for kids. Kids who bring a grandparent get free admission.

“Historic Preservation and Restoration,” on Thursdays from 7 to 8 pm, is a series of lectures on the many historic buildings and homes in Waterbury and the surrounding towns. On September 14, members of Waterbury’s historic Hillside and Overlook neighborhoods will present a virtual slide tour of their homes. Featured will be Marianne Vandenburgh’s House on the Hill as well as other examples of historic homes that are being restored to their original glory.

On September 21, a panel discussion, “Is Your House Worth Saving?”, will be led by architectural historian Steve Bedford, with guests John Herzan and Paul Loegher from Connecticut Historical Commission answering the question, “What makes a house historic?”. And on September 28, the program will be “Preservation and Restoration In Our Towns – A Personal Experience.” Marshall Rosier of the Shannon Group and Associates will discuss his personal experiences in renovating Cheshire’s “Ghost House” or the Bishop Abraham Jarvis house, as it is also known as, which was built in 1799. Each lecture is $5.

The popular “Performance Café” returns to the Mattatuck on Friday, September 15, at 7:30 pm. The Kiva Dance Collective will host an eclectic evening performance artists, dance, poetry, music and song. The performance lasts approximately 90 minutes and admission is $6.

“A Community Theatre Tribute to Lorraine Hansberry” will be presented on Saturday, September 16, at 2 pm. Members of the staff and student body of Naugatuck Valley Community College will perform readings from three of Miss Hansberry’s works including The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, Les Blancs, and her most-remembered work, A Raisin in the Sun.

On Sundays, September 17 and 24, at 1 and 3 pm, “Art & History Live!” programs will be led by experienced docents. Visitors can take a tour through the Orton P. Camp, Jr. Gallery of Community History, which offers plenty of fun and hands-on learning for the whole family, who will be fascinated by the story of the Waterbury region’s brass roots. Each tour is one hour long, and admission is $4.

On Wednesdays, September 20 and 27, from 6 to 7:30 pm, “Dressmaking for Dolls” will meet. Visitors can learn the techniques of dressmaking, sewing and design, while helping the museum decorate Louis Nichole-designed porcelain dolls for the museum’s Festival of the Trees. These workshop sessions are for adults, and are free.

On Saturday, September 23, from noon to 3, visitors can take a walk through time for a living history lesson on “History Day.” See first-hand and learn about the historical treasures and artifacts that represent the Colonial and industrial heritage of the region as explained by members of local historical societies. Admission is $5.

Some of the benefits to museum membership include reduced fees for events and activities, discounts in the museum store, special members’ receptions, advance viewing of exhibits and subscription to the museum’s newsletter.

The yearly membership fees, which help sustain the museum’s diverse programs for the community are: Family $60, Individual $40, Students (grade 8-12), Seniors over 65, $35. To become a museum member or for further information, call the museum at 203/753-0381, extension 10. The Mattatuck Museum is at 144 West Main Street in Waterbury.