Art Exhibits, Museums Historic Places__ _____

Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, 258 Main St, Ridgefield. Hours: Tues-Sun 12-5 pm. Call 203-438-4519.

Through May 26: “Charlotte Schulz: An Insufficiency in Our Screens,” first solo museum exhibition by artist who participated in Aldrich’s 2003 Radius program features 2- & 3-dimension charcoal drawings that “invite the viewer to explore strange composite architectural spaces in which dreams blend w/ memory & reality.”

Through June 8: “James Prosek: Life & Death – A Visual Taxonomy,” latest work of the CT artist, falling during 300th anniv year of birth of Carl Linnaeus (father of modern taxonomy), incl works depicting 24+ species of birds where artist has replaced the names of birds w/ an alternate taxonomy based on geometric lines & shapes, showing the artist’s great love & respect for natural work while offering viewers an opportunity to consider the real & metaphorical significance of birds.

*(new show) Through July 27: “Halsey Burgund: ROUND,” audio installation that solicits spoken voice contributions from visitors & use them as part of a musical composition intended to be listened to while viewing the work on view in the galleries.

*(new show) Through July 27: “Painting the Glass House: Artists Revisit Modern Architecture,” 16-artist group exhibition invites viewers to reconsider modern architecture & what it has come to represent.

*(new show) Through Aug 10: “Ester Partegas: The Invisible — Main Street Sculpture Project,” poetic transformation of building’s street-facing side recalls building’s original use as a general store.

*(new show) Through Aug 31: “Gary Painter: Daydream Trap,” first solo exhibition of Painter’s work offers explorations of his sketchbooks & his paintings, which have yet to be put in critical perspective, artist’s work has been featured in RAW magazine, television’s Pee Wee’s Playhouse & numerous other book projects.

Brookfield Craft Center, 286 Whisconier Rd (Rte 25), Brookfield. Hours: Mon-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 12-5 pm. Call 775-4526.

Through March 16: “PMC Decade,” traveling exhibition of 60+ pcs of artist-designed, handmade jewelry made of Precious Metal Clay by nearly 3 dozen of country’s most innovative metalsmiths, showcasing how PMC & its applications have evolved since its introduction in the US 10 yrs ago.

Brookfield Museum & Historical Society, 165 Whisconier Rd (Rtes 133 & 25), Brookfield Center. Hours: Sat 12-4 pm, first Sun of month, by appt & chance. Call 740-8140.

Bruce Museum of Arts & Sciences, One Museum Dr, Greenwich. Call 203-869-0376.

Through Nov 30: “Phenomenal Weather,” family friendly exhibition showcases variety of weather events that take place around the globe & exploration of subject through interactive displays, objects & images.

Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Mathews Park, 299 West Ave, Norwalk. Hours: Mon-Sat 9 am-5 pm. Call 203-899-7999.

Through March 15: “Not Printed on Paper,” prints on anything other than paper incl leather, steel, copper, plastic, plaster, wax, carpet & fabric, curated by master printer Anthony Kirk.

Danbury Railway Museum, 120 White St, Danbury. Call 778-8337.

Permanent exhibitions on railroad history (museum is along old New Haven RR line & housed in former Danbury station & railyard), also original & restored rolling stock incl a New Haven RR Mack FCD railbus, Alco RS-1 diesel locomotive, fully operating turntable, etc.

Fairfield Arts Council, 70 Sanford St, Fairfield. Hours: Mon-Fri 10 am-4 pm, Sat 1-4 pm. Call 203-319-1419.

Through April 25: “Art… With Found Objects/Arthur Burke Assemblages,” collection of mixed media assemblages by Mr Burke; March 27, brown bag lunch program, 12:30-1:30 pm.

Kent Art Association, 21 South Main St/Rte 7, Kent. Hours: Sat-Sun 12-4 pm. Call 860-927-3989.

*(new show) March 16-April 13: “Members’ Show,” 100+ works in oil, watercolor, pastel, graphics, also sculpture in various mediums & non-representational work; March 15, receiving (non-members can join KAA at this time), 10 am-2 pm; March 28, opening reception, 5-7 pm; March 29, awards reception, 2-4 pm (awards announced at 3).

Knights of Columbus Museum, 1 State St, New Haven, Wed-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 11 am-5 pm. Call 203-865-0400.

Through April 6: “Crosses and Crucifixes,” more than 160 works of art symbolizing the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ through mix of antique & contemporary examples.

Mattatuck Museum Art & History Center, 144 West Main St, Waterbury. Hours: Tues-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 12-5 pm. Call 203-753-0381.

Through March 30 (exhibition dates extended): “Cover Stories: Quilts and Bed Coverings from Regional Collections,” 30-plus quilts, bed coverings & other needlework, most never before displayed, chronicle the lives of Colonial era families, the development of textile production, sewing machine manufacturing & needle & button making, all circa 1770-1900; March 22, “Sheep To Shawl,” 11 am-4 pm, visit w/ sheep from Roxbury’s Bittersweet Ridge Farm on Waterbury Green (11 am-3 pm), also spinning & weaving in museum (1 pm), unveiling of Community Quilt (3 pm), warm drinks inside museum.

Minor Memorial Library, 23 South St, Roxbury. Hours: Mon 12-7 pm, Wed 10 am-7 pm, Thurs-Fri 10 am-5 pm, Sat 10 am-2 pm. Call 860-350-2181.

Through March 31: “Michael Chelminski: Recent Work,” oils by Bridgewater resident who has been studying the Maine coast for years.

Morrison Gallery, Kent Village Barns, 8 Old Barn Rd (near Rte 7 at Rte 341), Kent. Hours: Wed-Sat 10:30 am-5:30 pm, Sun 1-4 pm. Call 860-927-4501.

Through March 16: exhibition featuring works by internationally acclaimed artists Chris Armstrong, Bascove, Alexander Liberman, Billy Martin, Robert Andrew Parker, Eric Sloane, Michael Steiner, Yuri Vaschenko & Peter Woytuk.

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main St, Hartford. Hours: Sat-Sun 10 am-5 pm, Tues-Fri 11 am-5 pm (open to 8 pm first Thurs/month). Call 860-278-2670, TDD 860-278-0294.

Through April 27: “Martin Luther King, Jr: Life, Times, and Legacy,” reflection on Dr King’s quest for freedom & equality displays imagery from Civil Rights era incl work by contemporary artists (Elizabeth Catlett, Jeff Donaldson, David Driskell, Terrence Hammonds, Wadsworth Jarrell, Gordon Parks, Alexis Peskine, Sheila Pree-Bright, Faith Ringgold, Betye Saar, Moneta Sleet, Travis Somerville, et al) who examine themes of race & injustice in America.

Through May 11: “Impressionists By The Sea,” exploration of the transformation of Normandy & Brittany coasts as depicted by French artists of 19th Century (incl Monet, Renoir & Manet), compared to works of predecessors (Corot, Courbet, Isabey, Jongkind & Whistler) & contemporaries allied w/ Paris Salon (Boudin, Daubigny & Pelouse), all arranged chronologically, also travel books & postcards of the period, **note: exhibition has addt’l $10 adm fee on top of regular museum adm (plus $3 adm added to all admissions April 24-27, during Fine Art & Flowers).

Washington Art Association, 4 Bryan Plaza, Rte 47, Washington Depot. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 12-5 pm. Call 860-868-2878.

Through March 31: “Exco Ten: Work of the WAA Exhibition Committee,” selections by Amanda Branson, Marc Chabot, Christopher Clapp, Michael Chelminski, Liz Dexheimer, Philip Grausman, Barbara Grossman, Elizabeth MacDonald, & Fran Patnaude, curated by Barbara von Schreiber.

Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Rd/Rte 7, Wilton. Hours: Mon-Thurs 10 am-8 pm, Fri 10 am-6 pm, Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 1-5 pm. Call 203-762-3950.

Through March 29: “Landscapes by Frank Detrich & Paper Mosaics by Barbara Rust,” oil paintings by Mr Detrich, hand-ripped paper mosaics offering minute detail on large-scale canvases by Ms Rist.

Wisdom House/Marie Louise Trichet Gallery, 229 East Litchfield Rd, Litchfield. Hours: Mon-Sat 10 am-4 pm. Call 860-567-3163.

Through April 19: “Portals,” drawings by Mary Lou Alberetti based on studies & travels through Italy, Spain & Turkey, plus works by her husband Robert Alberetti in oil, collage, mixed media, watercolor & encaustic.

Yale Center For British Art, 1080 Chapel St (at High St), New Haven. Call 203-432-2800.

Through April 27: “Pearls To Pyramids: British Visual Culture and The Levant, 1600-1830,” complement to “The Lure of The East,” exhibition explores the history of British cultural interchange w/ Middle East through trade, tourism, archaeological exploration & military interest.

Through April 27: “The Lure of the East: British Orientalist Painting, 1830-1925,” approx 90 paintings, prints & drawings that depict sites & subjects that interested British artists, focusing on encounters between 19th Century British artists & the people & places of the Middle East.

Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St at York, New Haven. Hours: Tues-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 1-6 pm. Call 203-432-0600.

Through May 4: “Making It New: The Art and Style of Sara and Gerald Murphy,” exploration of couple who served as inspiration for Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night offers all 7 of Mr Murphy’s surviving canvases along w/ paintings, watercolors, drawings & photos by artists within their circle, also personal correspondence & artifacts.

Through May 4: “Colorful Impressions: The Printmaking Revolution in Eighteenth Century France,” more than 100 images from the most groundbreaking period in the history of color printmaking, organized by National Gallery of Art, many presented in multiple impressions or alongside related drawings.

Through June 8: “Master Drawings from the Yale University Art Gallery,” approx 85 drawings from gallery’s collection providing survey of European draftsmanship from late 15th to mid 19th Centuries, ranging from early studies in late medieval model book tradition to beginnings of modern art, in all genres, types & mediums from a range of national schools, offering first full exploration of the works in 30+ years.

 

 

 

 

 

Concerts, Musical Events ____

March 15: Easter Concert by Baptist Bible College Chorale, Newtown Bible Church, 35 Sugar St/Rte 302, Newtown, 7 pm, 40 students on tour will perform free concert; 426-6484.

March 16: Hearts For Harmon, Edmond Town Hall Alexandria Room, 45 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown, 2-5 pm, free adm (donations accepted for Kim Harmon Family Fund), live music, raffles, heart healthy recipes, snacks and refreshments, fundraiser for family of late Newtown Bee Sports Editor Him Harmon; 203-509-2246.

March 16: Avery Ensemble in concert, Heritage Village’s Sarah Cooke Hall, 466 Heritage Village, Southbury, 3 pm, suggested donation $15, performance by virtuoso group featuring violinist Annie Trépanier, violist Steve Larson, cellist Hans Twitchell & pianist Adriana Jarvis will continue Heritage Concert Society’s 2007-08 season; 264-1102, 262-6510.

March 16: Connecticut’s Own Concert Series: Prevailing Winds of Connecticut, Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Rd/Rte 7, Wilton, 4 pm, free, reservations strongly suggested (pre-registrants must arrive by 3:50 or risk losing seats); 203-762-3950.

March 27: David Ross in concert, Congregation Adath Israel, 115 Huntington Rd, Newtown, 8 pm (doors open 7:15), tickets $15/adv, $20/door, group rates available (advance arrangements necessary), performance by musician who mixes rock, pop & soul into “Jewish R&B”; 459-0089.

March 30: Tim Grimm & Joe Crookston at Temple Shearith Israel, 46 Peaceable St, Ridgefield, 7 pm, tickets $15/advance, $20/door, performances by “masterful Storytellers” will continue Acoustic Celebration series; 203-431-6501.

Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras, at Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport. Call 203-459-4249, 203-452-0003.

March 15, Annual Yung People’s Concert, 11:30 am, at Ruger Ludlowe Middle School, 689 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield, tickets $6 adults, $4 students & will be available at box office, program to incl highlights from Bernstein’s West Side Story.

Young Persons Concert Series, at Trinity Church, 651 Pequot Ave, Southport. Call 203-254-0123.

Free concerts, 2 pm, suitable for ages 5-17 (usu about an hour long): March 22, Astral Winds.

 

 

 

 

 

Films _________________

March 22: The Tribal People of the Northeast, The Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Rd, Washington, 2 pm, $5 adults, $4.50 seniors, $3 children, screening will launch 6-part film festival featuring TBS series The Native Americans; 860-868-0518.

Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 426-2475.

March 14-20: The Golden Compass (PG-13), Fri-Sat 7 & 9:10 pm, Sun-Thurs 7 pm, mat Sat-Sun 1 & 4 pm, Tues 1 pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Kids & Families _________

March 15: Drumming About You, at Newtown Youth & Family Services, 17 Church Hill Rd, Newtown, 1 pm, free program for all ages, also incl “elders & people of challenge,” hands-on event will have an array of drums & percussion instruments for everyone’s use, registration requested; 270-4335.

March 15: Easter Egg Hunt, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 25 Great Hill Rd, Oxford, 11 am start (snow date March 22), Easter egg hunt ror children up to age 10; 203-888-4713.

C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 426-4533 (children’s dept 426-3851).

Children’s programs, free unless specified: March 22, Easter Craft Workshop, 1-2 pm, $3 material fee, ages 6 & up invited for one-hour workshop w/ Marie Walker.

Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras, at Klein Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport. Call 203-459-4249.

March 15, Annual Young People’s Concert, 11:30 am, at Roger Ludlowe Middle School, 689 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield, tickets $6 adults, $4 students & will be available at box office, program to incl highlights from Bernstein’s West Side Story.

Young Persons Concert Series, at Trinity Church, 651 Pequot Ave, Southport. Call 203-254-0123.

Free concerts, 2 pm, suitable for ages 5-17 (usu about an hour long): March 22, Astral Winds.

 

 

 

 

 

Miscellaneous ___________

March 15: Newtown Family History Center Open House, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 16 Sawmill Rd, Newtown, 11 am-1 pm, free, special presentation on  “Effective Use of the Internet for Family History: beyond event dates and places” by practicing genealogist Kathleen Lenerz, PhD, will open event, then building and library open for visits; 203-438-3026, 426-1752.

March 15: Penny Auction, St Andrew’s Church, Rte 202 (at flashing light), Marble Dale, 11 am-1 pmearly birds); 860-868-2275.

March 15: Roast Beef Dinner, Good Shepherd Lodge #65, 25 Danbury Rd, New Milford, 4:30-7:30 pm, $10 adults, $8 seniors, $5 ages 5-12, free ages $4 & under, dinner of roast beef, salad, mashed potatoes, veggies & cake, take-out available; 860-355-0243.

March 15: 17th Annual Dream Come True of Western CT Gala & Auction, The Waterview, 215 Roosevelt Dr/Rte 34, Monroe, 6 pm-midnight, tickets $125, full dinner & dessert, complimentary cocktails, silent & live auctions, dancing to live music, emcee is country-pop performer Darrin Otto, proceeds to benefit DCT of Western CT; 790-7333.

March 15: Annual Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner, Second Meeting House, 40 Main St, Bethel, continuous serving (corned beef round, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, punch, coffee, tea & dessert; also cash bar), adm $15 adults, $10 ages 7-10 & under, free ages 6 & under, annual event sponsored & presented by Bethel Historical Society &

March 15-16: 10th annual The Garden Expo, Fairfield Ludlowe High School, 785 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield, Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 10 am-4 pm, adm $6 adults, $5 seniors (age 62 & over), $4 ages 12 & under, free parking, 75+ exhibitors, ongoing lectures & demos, also liveplants, merchandise & food for purchase, arts, crafts, products for home & garden, proceeds to benefit Mill River Wetland Committee’s River Lab program; 203-259-9999.

March 16: Hearts For Harmon, Edmond Town Hall Alexandria Room, 45 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown, 2-5 pm, free adm (donations accepted for Kim Harmon Family Fund), live music, raffles, heart healthy recipes, snacks and refreshments, fundraiser for family of late Newtown Bee Sports Editor Him Harmon; 203-509-2246.

March 16: “The Constitution as Amended in the 19th Century, Shaped by Civil War,” Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Rd/Rte 7, Wilton, 2 pm, free panel discussion will cover changes that occurred in the Constitution during its first 100 yrs & what role Civil War played in its refinement, panelists to incl Jed Shugerman (Harvard Law professor, expect on 19th Century legal history), Owen Williams (fellow at Harvard Law, grad of Yale Law & PhD candidate, Yale Univ) & third panelist TBA, Q&A to follow, reservations suggested, co-sponsored by historical society & Wilton Library; 203-762-7257, 762-3950.

March 17: Live birds at Sierra Club/Housatonic group meeting, Brookfield Community Center, 100 Pocono Rd, Brookfield, 7:30 pm, free & open to non-members, Wind Over Wings will present live birds that are being rehabilitated following injury & will share their stories; 775-9644.

March 18: Blood pressure screenings, Ashlar of Newtown, 139 Toddy Hill Rd, Sandy Hook, 10 am-noon,  free screenings to be conducted by licensed nurse, free related info also available, walk-ins welcome; 426-5847.

March 18: “Lunch & Learn: The Use of Technology to Help Seniors Remain Independent,” Ashlar of Newtown, 139 Toddy Hill Road, Sandy Hook, 12-1:30 pm, complimentary lunch at noon, then presentation by James Albert (VP for info services & chief info officer for Masonicare) will offer overview of devices that enable seniors to remain as independent and safe as possible, reservations requested; 364-3117.

March 22: SNAN Spring Bake Sale, Lexington Gardens, 32 Church Hill Rd, Newtown, 10 am-2 pm, homemade cakes, cookies, pies, breads, quiches, all-natural dog biscuits, etc, baked donations also welcome, fundraiser presented by Spay and Neuter Association of Newtown; 426-0253, 263-1933.

C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 426-4533.

March 20, Evening Book Discussion, 7:30 pm, talk about Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turow, all welcome; March 25, Searching for Shakespeare – Macbeth lecture, 7 pm, presented by Dr Mark Schenker; March 26, Author Talk & Book Signing w/ Martin Margulies, 7 pm, Newtown resident will discuss his new book, The Battle of Prestonpans 1745.

Danbury BNI Trailblazers, meetings at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, Clapboard Ridge Rd, Danbury. Call 797-1122.

Group meets Wednesdays, 8-9:30 am, members network & help build businesses, all visitors welcome, contact Mark Vendetti at above phone # for details.

Flagpole Photographers, C.H. Booth Library lower meeting room, 25 Main St, Newtown. Call 270-8576.

Meetings 3rd Thurs/month, 7:30 pm, non-members always welcome: next meeting March 20, open competition.

Newtown Hikers. Call 788-1398 (Ester Nichols), 270-4340 (Newtown Parks & Rec).

Hikes leave from lower lot @Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown, 10 am (winter start), free, all welcome (children must be accompanied), bring bag lunch/beverage, wear sturdy shoes, destinations & leaders (in parentheses) as follows: March 15, Old Quarry Nature Center, Danbury (Michael Cianciolo, 203-830-9434); March 22, Kettletown State Park, Southbury (Pat Callan, 264-2153).

Newtown VNA Thrift Shop, Edmond Town Hall (lower level), 45 Main Street, Newtown. Call 270-4377.

Shop is open every Wed 12-3 pm & Sat 9 am-noon, access is from town hall’s back parking lot, shop carries discounted items from local businesses & private donors incl clothing, sm home accessories & more.

Society of Creative Arts of Newtown, Inc. (SCAN), Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 426-6654.

Programs 4th Wed/month, 1:30 pm, public welcome, artist demonstrations, refreshments: March 26, landscape in watercolor demo by Frank Federico.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 426-6224.

Non-profit weight loss support group meets every Mon 6-8 pm (weigh-ins 6-6:45, meetings 7-8), meetings $2/week, membership $24/year.

Treehouse Comedy Productions.

Shows at The New Sorrento, 32 Newtown Rd, Danbury (call 744-5575), shows 9 pm & tickets $15 unless noted: March 14, live audition & television taping for Montreal Comedy Festival “Just For Laughs”; March 15, Johnny Rizzo headlining, opening sets by Jane Condon & Laurence Mullaney, tickets $17.50; March 22, Michael Pettit headlining, Jim Mendrinos & Tony Liberati opening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theatre ______________

Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr, New Haven. Call 203-787-4282.

On Stage II: Shipwrecked! An Entertainment — The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as told by himself), through March 16, curtain Thurs-Sat 8 pm, Sun, Tues-Wed 7 pm, mat Sat 3 pm, Sundays 2 pm, call for ticket details.

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Events that appear by date have Newtown items listed first, with additional events listed by their start time. At the time of printing, the information here is accurate as presented; a call ahead is always a good idea to be safe.

 

DEADLINE INFORMATION

Press releases for the Enjoy calendar of events or the Enjoy section must be received by MONDAY NOON for publication in that week’s edition of The Newtown Bee. Send to the attention of Shannon Hicks, Associate Editor, Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown CT 06470, or to shannon@thebee.com. Photos are welcome and can be black & white or color, but must be in sharp focus. Please call for specs if you plan to email digital photo files.