Violinist Leila Josefowicz’s Wilton concert will demonstrate her wide-ranging repertoire

Written by Sally Sanders
Friday, 10 February 2012 00:00

Leila Josefowicz. —Photo by J. Henry FairViolinist Leila Josefowicz, who’ll perform for the Wilton Candlelight Concerts Series on Sunday, Feb. 12, will show her range of interests in a program that includes works by De Falla, Shostakovich, Messiaen, Adams and Schumann.

A child prodigy from Canada whose Carnegie Hall debut came at age 16, Ms. Josefowicz was 30 in 2008 when she was selected as a MacArthur Foundation Fellow. The foundation described her as a “violinist broadening the instrument’s repertoire and captivating audiences through her juxtaposition of the avant-garde and eclectic with the more traditional.”

The Weekend and Coming Up

Written by Sally Sanders
Thursday, 09 February 2012 00:00

Early Morning in Connecticut, 1940 oil, Simka Simkhovitch; Bruce Museum Collection (funds given in memory of Eugene G. Swartz, 1996). Coming Full Circle: The Greenwich Art Society Celebrates 100 at the Bruce Museum opens Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Greenwich museum and will be on view through April 1. For more information, visit brucemuseum.org or call 203-869-0376.

Red carpet season

The Samuel Owen Gallery of Greenwich, at 378 Greenwich Avenue, will open Black & White Carpet, an exhibit of candid celebrity black-and-white photographs taken by Stéphane Kossmann on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. There will be a reception on Thursday, Feb. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. and the show will run through Feb. 26. Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10:30-5:30, and Sunday, 11-3. For more information, call 203-422-6500.

Jumpfest

Jumpfest Weekend, sponsored by the Salisbury Winter Sports Association, will take place this weekend, starting Friday evening, Feb. 10, with a chili cook off and target jumping under the lights. Ski jumping competitions and many other events for spectators take place Saturday and Sunday.

For details, visit jumpfest.org.

2012 Glass House tickets on sale Feb. 14

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 10:14

The Glass House, with pool. —Photo by Stacy Bass.The Philip Johnson Glass House, a site of The National Trust for Historic Preservation, will offer 2012 tour tickets for sale beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The upcoming tour season, which runs from Wednesday, May 2, through Friday, Nov. 30 (excluding Tuesdays), will be the sixth year that The Glass House has welcomed visitors to the site.
In response to visitor demand, The Glass House is introducing new group tour packages and will offer the Pure Glass House Tour daily. American Institute of Architects (AIA) Continuing Education learning units credit (CEU) is available on select tours. Visitors may also take advantage of New Canaan parking passes available for sale. Tour tickets offering six different site experiences range in price from $30 to $250 and may be purchased online at philipjohnsonglasshouse.org or via phone at 866-811-4111.

Celebrating Silvermine Arts Center’s 90th year

Written by Lois Alcosser
Friday, 03 February 2012 00:00

Silvermine Guild of Artists founder Solon Borglum outside his haybarn studio in New Canaan in 1907.In 1906, sculptor Solon Borglum bought 40 acres of woods and farmland in the Silvermine area that he called “Rocky Ranch” and a hay barn that became his studio. Solon’s sculpture was the opposite of conventional. He had founded the American School of Sculpture in New York and written a limited edition art book, Sound Construction, which depicted the anatomical links of all things. Soon after he came to Connecticut, other artist friends arrived and Solon’s studio became the hub of a busy artists colony. They exchanged ideas and critiqued each other’s work, in an exciting, creative atmosphere. 

Ridgefield Theater Barn announces 2012-13 season

Written by Paulette Layton
Monday, 30 January 2012 14:25

Ridgefield Theater Barn, photo by Joseph Heinzmann.The Ridgefield Theater Barn has announced the four main stage productions to be presented in the 2012-2013 season, which will open in September 2012 — its 47th season of the finest in live community theater.  For more information and season tickets, go to ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org. The schedule will include:

Reprieve for the Towne Crier Cafe

Written by Sally Sanders
Tuesday, 31 January 2012 15:49

Towne Crier Cafe owner Phil Ciganer announced today that the longtime music venue and restaurant in Pawling, N.Y., will remain in its Route 22 location until a new one is found.
The landlord, who has plans to sell the building, has arranged to let the Towne Crier stay and acts are now being booked for March and April. (Originally, the cafe would have vacated the space in February.)
“We haven’t been able to find an appropriate new location as quickly as we hoped,” Mr. Ciganer said. “Fortunately, we’ve been able to arrange to stay on a month-by-month basis.”
He said he was startled by the outpouring of concern after he announced the closing of the Pawling location in early January.
The Cafe, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, will continue to present live music three or four nights a week, plus open mics on Wednesdays and Thursdays, until the new location is set — or the building is sold, Mr. Ciganer said. The search for a new location continues actively. “We hope to be in a new place soon,” Ciganer said. “After four decades, we intend to keep the tradition alive.”

Westport Youth Film Festival call for entries

Saturday, 28 January 2012 00:00

WYFF board member Nick Wingate, Weston.The Westport Youth Film Festival invites entries from high school filmmakers for its 2012 Festival, scheduled for Saturday, June 2, at The Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport. The festival is open to directors of high school age or younger at the completion of filming (ages 13-19). The final deadline for entries is Saturday, March 10; earlier deadlines in February offer reduced fees.

'Backyard Gardening Series' will begin in February

Written by Hilary Wittmann, New Canaan Nature Center
Wednesday, 25 January 2012 14:25

The greenhouse at the New Canaan Nature Center.The New Canaan Nature Center has announced a new partnership with veteran New Canaan farmer “Uncle Buck” (Randy Brown). Starting in February, Mr. Brown will teach a new horticulture education program that will take place in the Nature Center greenhouse.
The hands-on “Backyard Gardening Series” is designed to provide guidance, support and knowledge to those wishing to grow healthy plants, vegetables and flowers from seed. The class will meet Saturday mornings in the Greenhouse from 8:30 to 10:30 and each week will incorporate a lectures and hands-on work and learning. Weekly participation is encouraged but not mandatory.

Hole in the Wall Gang, Hamlisch salute Newman

Monday, 23 January 2012 13:26

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp will visit the hometown of its founder Paul Newman to celebrate his creative and philanthropic spirit at Westport Country Playhouse on Monday, Jan. 30, at 6 p.m. with a special screening of The Sting and a musical performance by Academy Award-winning Composer Marvin Hamlisch.

“I looked up to Paul Newman as a true role model,” recalled Mr. Hamlisch who won an Oscar for adapting the music for the iconic 1973 film that starred Mr. Newman and Robert Redford. “He was one of those rare people who put their money where their mouth is. He didn’t just dream about making the world a better place – he set his mind to it and did it – with the Camp as well as with Newman’s Own. I’m thrilled to be part of the Camp’s Founder’s Day celebration and to be performing in conjunction with this very special screening of The Sting. And to think Paul and I look so much alike!” quipped Hamlisch.

Jump Fest is Feb. 10-12 in Salisbury

Written by by Janet L. Serra, Executive Director, Western Connecticut Convention and Visitors Bureau
Monday, 23 January 2012 12:12

A new Winter Carnival Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 and 29, was the prelude to the annual Jumpfest Ski Jumping Championships in Salisbury, the town in Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills that has been a mecca for ski jumping for nearly a century.
The 86th annual Jump Fest, slated for Feb. 10 to 12 at John Satre Memorial Hill in Salisbury, features the Eastern U.S. Championships, where the region’s best will show off their skill and grace, reaching speeds up to 50 miles per hour as they soar over 200 feet in the air.