Let’s dance! Join us at the YMCA of Greenwich on Friday, May 16th at 3:30 PM for Fitness Made Fun—a dance fitness class series specifically designed for people with special needs and disabilities. Move, groove, and have fun for an hour in a welcoming space where everyone can be active and express themselves.
The Y is committed to ensuring everyone reaches their full potential with dignity. Guided by our values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility, we are committed to inclusivity. This free class is open to all—members and non-members of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Spots are limited and prior registration is required. We can’t wait to see you there! To learn more about this FREE event, please visit:
Fitness Made Fun! Inclusive Dance Fitness Class at the Y!
We are Building One Community (B1C) - The Center for Immigrant Opportunity, a non-profit organization established in 2011 that provides comprehensive resources for immigrants in the greater Stamford area.
This year, we are excited to host our 12th Annual Spring Benefit Breakfast on Friday, May 16th at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich at 7 AM. We invite you to join us this spring, along with 600+ of our partners, donors, volunteers, and elected officials, for an inspiring morning of celebrating immigrants’ contributions to our community!
Register for tickets or sponsorship on our website: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/b1...
B1C's 12th Annual Spring Benefit Breakfast
Be among the first to shop at the Westport Library Big Spring 2025 Book Sale!
ONLY Early Access Ticket-holders will be admitted to shop the first three hours of the Big Spring 2025 Book Sale at the Westport Library on Friday, May 16, 2025 from 8:45 a.m. to Noon.
Tickets go on sale beginning April 15, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.
A maximum of 125 tickets will be issued.
No need to line up hours in advance — Ticket holders will be admitted to the sale in the order in which their tickets were purchased.
Following your ticket purchase, you will receive an email from admin.book@westportbooksaleventures.org advising you of your place # in line. If you do not receive an email within 48 hours after your ticket purchase, please contact us by sending an email to that email address.
Once you are at the Book Sale, you do not have to leave when Early Access hours are over — stay as long as you like!
High volume purchasers, please note:
— No books or other materials may be left unattended at any time, except in designated areas. Books may not be aggregated in aisles nor may they block any exit. Any books found piled in an aisle or blocking an exit will be promptly re-shelved.
— Shoppers are requested to evaluate items in place — please decide whether to purchase an item at the table or shelf where it is displayed. If you reject an item, please return it to the place it was displayed.
— There will be designated a limited area for high volume purchasers to aggregate and evaluate potential purchases. Due to space limitations, this area will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Users are required to leave their name and cellphone number with their materials in this area. Users are asked to return rejected books to the place they were originally displayed.
— As a convenience for high volume purchasers — as in recent sales, we will be happy to begin to add-up (tally) books you have selected for purchase while you continue shopping. You will be required to leave your name and cellphone number with your selections.
— Please bring your own bags, boxes and rolling carts to carry your selections. We do not anticipate having any boxes available for your use.
Full Spring 2025 Book Sale dates and times are as follows:
Friday, May 16th — Early Access Ticket Holders Only 8:45 a.m. - 12 Noon
Friday, May 16th — 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. — Admission Free
Saturday, May 17th — 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Admission Free
Sunday, May 18th — 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. — Admission Free, almost everything Half-Price ($1 Fiction books and $1 Children's books will remain at $1)
Monday, May 19th — 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. — Admission Free, fill our Logo Bag for $10 per bag, or fill your equivalent-sized bag for $8 per bag, or purchase individual items for half-price (your choice)
For more information and Featured Specials, please visit our website at www.westportbooksaleventures.org/our-events
NOTE: Tickets are NOT refundable, unless the Book Sale event is canceled.
Westport Library Big Spring 2025 Book Sale – Early Access Friday May 16th
March 29 through June 1
Reception: Thursday, April 10, 6-8 pm, in the Trefz Forum; click here for more information. (Reception kicks off at 6 pm, followed by a conversation between 5iveFingaz and Miggs Burroughs at 7 pm.) Click here for more on VersoFest 2025!
In the Sheffer Gallery: Visual Verses
Visual Verses is an immersive art exhibit that merges the expressive power of visual art with the profound impact of language. Each painting in this collection is paired with original phrases crafted to evoke thought, emotion, and reflection. The artwork transcends traditional boundaries, using bold colors and dynamic compositions to amplify the messages embedded within the text. This fusion of imagery and words invites viewers to engage not only with the aesthetics but also with the deeper narratives and meanings behind each piece.
At its core, Visual Verses carries a strong social conscience, addressing themes of justice, equality, and human connection. The text-based elements of the exhibit deliver positive messages meant to inspire, uplift, and provoke meaningful conversations. Through this harmonious blend of art and language, the exhibit aims to spark awareness and foster a sense of community, encouraging viewers to reflect on their role in shaping a more compassionate and just world.
In the South Gallery: Interactive Community Participation Mural
This Interactive Community Participation Mural will be designed by 5ive, with members of the community to help fill it in on Saturday, April 5, from 10 am to 2 pm during the VersoFest 2025 Weekend Kickoff Celebration hosted by 5ive (also featuring DJs and other fun fare for the whole family!) This exhibit will invite the viewer to participate in the making of the artwork, interacting with the canvas and materials so that both tactile processes and community contribution are as much a part of the piece as the art itself.
In the Jesup Gallery: Graffiti Art Mural
More information regarding scheduled mural participation times and 5ive’s Jesup Gallery exhibit is forthcoming. Stay tuned and join in on the fun at VersoFest 2025!
In addition to his art exhibits, 5iveFingaz will also be leading two back-to-back sessions of his Verso University course Graffiti 101: Finding Your Voice as a Graffiti Artist on Saturday, April 5.
About 5iveFingaz
5iveFingaz is a visionary artist whose work seamlessly bridges the realms of street art, contemporary expression, and social consciousness. Renowned for his distinctive fusion of bold visuals and thought-provoking text, 5iveFingaz crafts pieces that resonate deeply with audiences, challenging them to reflect on both personal experiences and broader societal issues. His signature style often features vibrant colors juxtaposed with powerful, concise phrases that speak directly to the heart of human experience, exploring themes of love, resilience, unity, and justice. Emerging from a background rich in urban culture and creative exploration, 5iveFingaz honed his artistic voice through a unique blend of trained and self-taught techniques and active community engagement. His art transcends traditional canvases, finding life on walls, public spaces, and unconventional surfaces, transforming everyday environments into platforms for inspiration and dialogue. The artist’s work has garnered global attention not only for its striking aesthetic appeal but also for its profound ability to connect with diverse audiences on an intimate level.
At the core of his practice lies the "Love More Than Ever" movement, a heartfelt initiative that underscores the importance of uplifting one another with kindness and understanding. 5iveFingaz’s unwavering commitment to positive messaging and social awareness drives his creative process, with each piece serving as a rallying cry for change. His work urges viewers to reflect on their roles in fostering a more compassionate and equitable world. Through exhibitions, collaborations, and public art projects, he amplifies voices that are often unheard, using art as a powerful tool for empowerment and community building. As his influence continues to grow, 5iveFingaz remains steadfast in his mission to spark meaningful conversations and inspire action, solidifying his place as a transformative figure in the contemporary art scene.
5iveFingaz Art Exhibits at VersoFest 2025
All The Unexpressed Love: Works by Miguel A. Aragón
Exhibition Dates: April 13 - May 18, 2025
Through his work, artist Miguel A. Aragón explores subjects of violence, memory, and perception, transforming difficult images into catharsis. This series is a deeply personal collaboration with Aragón’s late mother, whose crochet and personal effects are the foundation of the artwork. It is a conversation between past and present, between mother and son, between the finite nature of our existence and the connections that endure across time.
Miguel A. Aragón was born in Juárez, México. He lives and works in New York City (USA) and Berlin (Germany); he is an Associate Professor in Printmaking and Chairperson of the Department of Performing & Creative Arts, College of Staten Island, CUNY. He has exhibited extensively both in the US and internationally. He’s received numerous awards including the 2022 Southern Graphics Council International Mid-Career Printmaker Award. He was Artist-in-Residence at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in May 2024.
All The Unexpressed Love: Works by Miguel A. Aragón
MONTHLY MARKETING MEETUPS at HAYVN
IN-PERSON EVENT
Friday, 5/16/25: 9am-5pm
- 9:30am-10:30am: Ask The Experts
- 12pm-1pm: Marketing Collective Monthly Meetup
- 9am-5pm: Marketing Coworking Day - cowork at HAYVN for the day with your peers
COST
- HAYVN Members: Free with code on members portal. For help accessing members portal please email questions@hayvn.com
- Non-Members: $25, includes your day of coworking at HAYVN
LOCATION
- HAYVN Darien
Join us for HAYVN'S Monthly Marketing Meetups which may include:
- Connecting and exchanging insights and resources with fellow marketers across diverse fields, such as content creation, branding, design, video production, AI, and more.
- Featured expert guest speakers and workshops/training
- Ask The Experts
- Marketing Collective Meetup
- HAYVN Marketing Podcast
- How to participate in HAYVN's Marketing Cooperative
- Plus, marketers can cowork at HAYVN for the day
ABOUT ASK THE EXPERTS: 9:30am-10:30am
Join our interactive group session! Bring a burning marketing question and have it answered by HAYVN’s panel of multi-disciplinary marketing professionals. Open to public.
ABOUT THE MARKETING COLLECTIVE: 12pm-1pm
The HAYVN Marketing Collective is a dynamic group of marketing professionals who come together monthly to network, share insights, and exchange resources. Through guest speakers, interactive sessions, and masterminds, members collaborate to solve business challenges and work cross-functionally on paid marketing projects. This collective fosters innovation and teamwork, driving growth for businesses and entrepreneurs alike.
ABOUT HAYVN HUB FOR MARKETING
HAYVN’s membership boasts passionate marketers from every industry and marketing discipline – social, email, branding, strategy, design, video, copywriting, public relations and more. They provide a wealth of knowledge for the HAYVN community as well as a dynamic, supportive network for each other.
The HAYVN Hub for Marketing is the newest addition to HAYVN’s roster of subject matter hubs that currently include Sustainability and Social Impact, Health and Wellness, Empowering Women and Entrepreneurship – all adding to the diverse mix of talented professionals that are a part of fabric of HAYVN.
Questions? Contact communitymanager@hayvn.com
CAN'T MAKE THIS EVENT? Get on our email list for future event notifications.
CURIOUS ABOUT HAYVN? Book a tour
WANT TO SEE MORE? View our full calendar of events
MONTHLY MARKETING MEETUPS: Ask The Experts, Mktg Collective, Coworking Day
The Friends of Fairfield Public Library bring you their semi-annual Big Spring Book Sale at Main Library in Fairfield! Thousands of books, dvds, and other special items will be on sale, most priced at $1-$5. In addition, enjoy a free book from the "genre of the day" when you make a purchase.
Hours are Friday, May 16, from 9:00am-4:30pm, and Saturday, May 17, from noon-4:30pm.
All proceeds benefit Fairfield Public Library's programs and services.
Friends of the Library's Big Spring Book Sale
The Geary Gallery of Darien proudly presents its May exhibition, "The Palette in Bloom," featuring the lush, joyful florals and abstract paintings of artist, Lori Eubanks. Her exhibit runs May 1 - 31. All are welcome and admission is free. The Geary Gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is located at 576 Boston Post Road, Darien, CT 06820. For more details, call (203) 655-6633 or visit our website: www.gearygallery.com.
Lori Eubanks' vibrant florals and abstracts, "The Palette in Bloom” at the Geary Gallery in Darien CT
The Glass House, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is pleased to present Barbara Kasten: Structure, Light, Land. For five decades, Chicago-based artist Barbara Kasten has created photographs and sculptural installations that reorient our sense of perception and explore the dynamic relationship between space, material, and form. Her artistic influences are deeply rooted in modernist architecture, the principles of Constructivism, and the interdisciplinary legacy of the Bauhaus, particularly the photograms of László Moholy-Nagy and Lucia Moholy.
“Placing my work in and around The Glass House campus is an opportunity for me to take on a canonical modernist site. Each of the structures on the grounds is like a monument to one of many aesthetic phases of architectural history. Abstraction allows us to consider possibilities that are not the norm,” said Barbara Kasten.
Structure, Light, Land features Kasten’s work from multiple series, including Architectural Sites, Collisions, and Progressions, as well as new iterations of digital projections, cyanotypes, and sculptures. With a striking interplay of light, color, and form, Kasten’s work infiltrates the grounds of The Glass House and responds to the site’s varied built environment and landscape.
In the Brick House (1949), Kasten’s brilliantly hued Architectural Site 1, June 10, 1986–featuring the Philip Johnson-designed Lipstick Building (1986) in Manhattan–resonates with the ’80s postmodern interior of the Reading Room, which includes two 1986 Feltri Chairs designed by Gaetano Pesce. Five new cyanotypes by Kasten line the building’s serene 1949 hallway, illuminated by the circular skylights above.
Kasten’s new installation of fluorescent acrylic I-beams, modeled after the structural components of the Glass House, will be interspersed throughout the Sculpture Gallery (1970). The seven-foot-long beams respond to the site’s permanent collection of works by Frank Stella, John Chamberlain, Robert Morris, George Segal, and Michael Heizer. The intervention brings attention to the structure’s exposed I-beam twenty feet overhead and responds to the gallery’s interior patterning of ever-changing natural light and winding staircases.
The Painting Gallery (1965) features three works: a photograph from the Collision series and two sculptural Progressions. Situated near Stella’s shaped canvases, Kasten’s fluorescent forms extend the narrative around post-painterly abstraction across mediums and into the present moment.
Da Monsta (1995), the last building Johnson designed at The Glass House, was named following a conversation between Johnson and the critic Herbert Muschamp. It was inspired in part by German Expressionism, an unrealized museum design by Frank Stella, and the work of Frank Gehry. Kasten’s Sideways Corner (2016/2025), a video projection of three-dimensional cubes in primary colors, activates the warped and torqued walls.
The exhibition is curated by Cole Akers, Curator at The Glass House.
Special thanks to Bortolami Gallery, New York.
Barbara Kasten: Structure, Light, Land
The 2025 Glass House tour season begins on April 17, 2025. Tickets are available now! All tours include access to the newly restored Brick House. Following an extensive restoration project , we are excited to share this essential design element of the site and its history with you!
The Glass House 2025 Tour season opens April 17th - December 15th
“Here is where finally opposites come together, I see a surprising purity. Stone is the depth, metal the mirror. They do not conflict…” —Isamu Noguchi
While the renowned sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) is best known for his work in stone, he consistently explored new materials and methods during his wide-ranging career. He first experimented with aluminum in the 1950s and later with galvanized steel, creating a series of twenty-six sculptures in collaboration with Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles in 1982–83. In this body of work, each sheet of metal is cut with a plasma torch and then dipped into boiling zinc, resulting in sculptures that are subtly patterned and highly reflective, resembling pebbles in a stream or the epidermal layer of skin.
Writing about the unique materiality of his sculptures, Noguchi described metal as a mirror in opposition to “stone [as] depth.” His galvanized steel sculptures achieve formal unity while also exploring conceptual dualities between the traditional and modern, fine art and design, and industry and nature. As a Japanese American artist working in the United States, Noguchi negotiated his own feeling of in-betweenness throughout his oeuvre. The galvanized steel editions synthesize this dual aspect of his identity, utilizing steel—a distinctly American material—while also integrating the Japanese craft of origami through cut and folded metal shapes.
Featuring a selection of nine galvanized steel sculptures, the exhibition is organized into thematic groupings that underscore the paradoxes of the artist’s work in metal. In the first, Noguchi imparts inanimate forms with human qualities, complicating the relationship between flesh and steel, body and mirror. Man-made material is transformed into representations of mountains, fruit, and sky in the second grouping, reflecting Noguchi’s belief that, in modernity, industry and nature are intertwined. A final trio of works reveals Noguchi’s ongoing interest in abstraction, bringing theoretical and spiritual ideas, weight and weightlessness, and past and present into visual dialogue. Through these sculptures, Noguchi explores ways of belonging in between such imagined oppositions. Indeed, the polished steel surfaces entangle objects, spaces, and people in a network of cast reflections, inviting visitors to contemplate Noguchi’s life, his practice, and themselves.
Isamu Noguchi: Metal the Mirror is curated by Julia Mun, Curatorial Associate, with support from Ashley Holland, Curator and Director of Curatorial Initiatives, and Javier Rivero Ramos, Assistant Curator. The presentation at the Bruce is organized by Margarita Karasoulas, Curator of Art.
Isamu Noguchi: Metal the Mirror is organized by Art Bridges.
Isamu Noguchi: Metal the Mirror
For the final exhibition of its 2024-25 season, the Flinn Gallery is pleased to present Elemental: Work by Boston Sculptors Gallery Artists. The show runs from May 8 to June 18 and features the work of 13 artists from the Boston Sculptors Gallery. The sculptors in the exhibition work with a wide range of materials – clay, fabric, metal, plastic, wood, and mixed media – and their artwork ranges in height from three inches to over eight feet.
While the sculptures encompass a wide range of materials, sizes, and techniques, they were selected with a unifying theme in mind – Elemental. This word has multiple meanings, which range from primitive or basic to the four elements of nature to the chemical elements from which many of the objects are created. Visitors to the Gallery will see artwork that can be grouped into four elemental categories: Beginnings, Organisms, Earth, and Water.
The artists are all inspired by the beauty and fragility of the natural world along with our connections to and impact upon it. For Mo Kelman,“water is the ideal subject to reflect on the laws that govern nature as it ceaselessly advances and embarrasses our every effort to keep it at bay.” In Lagoon, Kelman merges an abstracted body of silk water with bamboo structures that ensemble towers or bridges. Artist Jessica Strauss has three pieces in the exhibition from her Packing for Mars series. In Missing You, Blue Planet, and No More Polar Ice Cap, human figures gaze at images of Earth. The sculptures express “black humor, longing, and regret” as Strauss looks toward a “future when humans must flee a devastated Earth to settle on far flung and arid worlds.”
Several artists use traditional domestic crafts such as crochet, embroidery, and sewing in innovative ways. In her three sculptures Ascent, Larvae, and Nests, Michelle Lougee crochets post-consumer plastic bags into monumental sculptures, which “examine the relationships between humans, plastic, and nature amidst irreversible environmental changes”. Cascading from the ceiling, Keri Straka’s “Soft Cell Division” is composed of stuffed and sewn textiles. According to Straka, “the suspended sculpture is evocative of the ebb and flow of human life as mirrored in the blooming of a single cell.” Her sculpture, “Portal: Past” is made of multiple wooden embroidery hoops of varying sizes with water-color painted fabric embedded with a wide range of materials to represent dividing cells and biological cycles.
Since the majority of sculptors are women, it is only natural that some artwork addresses feminine sensibilities, and as mentioned, domestic life. Ellen Schön has four ceramic pieces in the exhibition. Two of her pieces – Five Hills Font and Lotus Pod – are part of her Wellspring Series. For Schön, “the pieces in this series explore the ceramic vessel as a wellspring or womb. They are meant to evoke sources of life-whirlpools, fonts, pods, seed of hope, as well as the landscape of the female body.” Several of Jodie Colella’s sculptures are ceramic and one incorporates fabric. According to Colella, her three pieces – Offspring, Seeds, and Attempts at Conviviality Exhaust Me – “comingle rigid forms with fibers to create vessels containing the stories that embody domestic life.”
Elemental is curated by Flinn Gallery committee members, Barbra Fordyce and Nancy Heller. It will include over 40 works of art by the following Boston Sculptors Gallery artists:
Jodie Colella (clay, fiber, stone, and mixed media), Carrie Crane (mixed media),
Anna Kristina Goransson (felt and wool), Mo Kelman (silk, wood, and mixed media), Michelle Lougee (crocheted plastic and wire), Ellen Schön (stoneware and fired-clay), Julia Shepley (mixed media), Keri Straka (fabric and mixed media), Jessica Strauss (mixed media), Margaret Swan (aluminum), Nora Valdez (limestone), Leslie Wilcox (steel screen and mixed media), and Andy Zimmerman (wood).
The Flinn Gallery is a non-profit organization sponsored by Friends of the Greenwich Library. The Gallery welcomes visitors daily Monday to Saturday, 10-5pm, Thursday until 8pm, and Sunday 1-5pm, and is located on the second floor of the Greenwich Library, 101 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT.
The Boston Sculptors Gallery (BSG) was founded in 1992 by 18 artists as a venue for contemporary sculpture. It is located in Boston’s SoWa arts district and has 38 member artists from Boston and New England. There is a natural kinship between the Flinn and Boston Sculptors Galleries. Both are nonprofit entities that are volunteer-run and operated with support from a part-time staff member.
Events:
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 8 from 6-8pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, June 7 from 2-3pm.
Elemental: Work by Boston Sculptors Gallery Artists
The Greenwich Art Society is pleased to announce its 108th Annual Juried Exhibition, at the Bendheim Gallery at 299 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT. Exhibition dates are May 8th thru June 8th. There will be an opening reception and awards ceremony on Saturday May 8th from 5:15 - 6:30 PM. An online digital and virtual gallery will be available on our website, www.greenwichartsociety.org . All work will be for sale.
JUROR: Kelly Long is an art worker and writer currently serving as Senior Curatorial Assistant at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, where she has worked with the Photography Acquisitions Committee since 2017), developed exhibitions across mediums, including Rachel Harrison Life Hack (2019), Fragments of a Faith Forgotten: The Art of Harry Smith (2023, and a forthcoming exhibition focused on surrealism and the 1960’s. Most recently, she curated Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and the Last Gullah Islands (2024), and Trust Me (2023), a group exhibition exploring the role that vulnerability plays in forging connection, and the overlapping lives and loves of photography’s creators, viewers, and caretakers. Previously, she has held curatorial and teaching positions at the George Eastman Museum and at the University of Rochester. Her writing has appeared in the catalogues for Chiharu Shiota: The Hand Lines and Gail Thacker: Fugitive Moments, and in publications such as InVisible Culture and MOSSFLOWER. She holds a B.A. in art history from Vassar College, and an M.A. in visual and cultural studies from the University of Rochester, where her research focused on the engagement of postmodern and contemporary art with housing, exploring notions of being and belonging, access, and ownership in the art of our time.
AWARDS : Cash and other awards totaling over $2000 will be presented at the opening reception.
108th Annual Juried Exhibition at the Bendheim Gallery
Join us on May 16th when Fairfield Public Library partners with the Skin Cancer Foundation to bring you Destination: Healthy Skin. Licensed dermatologists will be on hand in the mobile screening bus on Main Library grounds to give free, private skin cancer screenings and distribute sun protection products. No appointment necessary.
Volunteer dermatologists from Destination: Healthy Skin have identified nearly 13,000 potential skin cancers and precancers, including 615 suspected melanomas (the deadliest type of skin cancer).
Skin cancer is treatable if detected early. Begin your summer on the path of prevention and treatment by visiting Destination: Healthy Skin!
Destination: Healthy Skin
Please join us at Silvermine Galleries on Saturday May 17th from 5 - 7pm for the opening reception of the Fiber 2025 Exhibition.
This international exhibition seeks to showcase the best of contemporary fiber art that reflect the breadth of functional or non-functional works that use fiber and/or fiber art techniques in traditional or innovative ways. Artwork in this exhibition may be made from natural or high tech materials that reference fiber and that blur the lines between art, architecture and craft.
The exhibition will run from May 10th through June 19th, 2025.
It will be accompanied by two small exhibitions curated by browngrotta arts: Masters of the Medium: CT and Mastery and Materiality: International.
Fiber 2025 Exhibition at Silvermine Galleries
Heather Gaudio Fine Art is pleased to present Martin Kline: The World In All Its Plenitude, the artist’s fifth solo exhibition at the gallery. The public is invited to attend an opening reception on Saturday, May 3, 4-6pm, and the exhibition will remain on view through June 14th. A fully illustrated catalogue with an essay written by art critic and poet Carter Ratcliff accompanies the exhibition.
“…ever since he made his first mature work, Kline has felt free to make paintings that are not flat and sculptures that are powerfully pictorial. He is not just inventive. He is reliably – startlingly – original.” [1]
The show brings together thirty-nine works executed between 1997 and 2025, surveying Kline’s long-standing engagement with encaustic. Kline’s output has consistently been one of working in series, creating several paintings, drawings and sculpture surrounding a theme or idea. At times he has revisited these themes to expand his material investigations, technical mastery and visual explorations. The distinguishing motif in the paintings and sculptures presented in this show, regardless of the year or series they belong to, is that they all share in the color blue. Arguably one of the favorite colors on the spectrum, blue has for millennia captivated the human eye and carried a special allure for its symbolic and emotive qualities. From ancient China and Egypt to the Celtic times, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and Baroque periods, from the Industrial Revolution and the nineteenth century to the modern and contemporary era, blue has fascinated artists, musicians and writers. Sourced from cobalt, lapis lazuli, indigo, ultramarine and other materials, blue can transform into varying hues: cyan, navy, turquoise, aqua, midnight blue, sky blue, royal blue and aquamarine.
Kline’s nimble use of the color takes its hue and shade ranges in different directions, accentuating its characteristics and evocative nature with his adroit use of encaustic. Whether applied in flat bold brushstrokes, dripped or layered to create textured surfaces, Kline modulates the color and manipulates the material to create a vast range of visual experiences. Some grided paintings are structures that take on a retro feel with lighter and darker tones and hues, such as Blue Order and Blue and White Impression. The brushstrokes create a patchwork of tetris-like tiles seeming to compete for space. A mixture of values and tones in other panels such as Blue Grid are not as delineated and appear to meld into one another. These networks are transformed into more complex systems in Blue Mosaico (Tondo) and in the camo-bot series such as Patchwork Blue and Camo Bluebot.
Razzle Dazzle may be visually related to the latter two but is also part of another seminal body of work by the artist, the Hammock paintings. In this large panel, Kline’s line of enquiry comes from a narrative referenced in Leo Steinberg’s essay “Other Criteria.” In it, he touches on the 19th century artist Thomas Eakins’ addressing the question whether painting and sculpture should have the same moral standing as traditionally defined manual labor, and not just be considered an activity of leisure or pleasure. Kline’s Hammock paintings are created on actual canvas service hammocks, some dating back to WWII, that the artist has collected over the years. Razzle Dazzle, with its honey-combed surface and blue color patterns, camouflages the hammock on the panel, keeping the object used for work and /or leisure not readily apparent.
Audiences familiar with Kline’s artistic trajectory will enjoy viewing the deep, midnight blue, almost black The Prussian Blues (II), an encaustic on linen that would be a precursor to an important series in Kline’s oeuvre, the white linen, or Tabula Rasa, paintings. Other works on view include the artist’s signature additive layered Bloom, Jewel, and Leda paintings, with their surfaces so textured they become quasi sculptural, where shadow plays an important part in the visual engagement. When does a textured painting become a sculpture? The coup de grâce that drives this concept home is Diagonal Blue Growth on Canvas, a painting the artist cast into a unique bronze and finished with a rich blue patina to make it look like a painting.
About Martin Kline
Kline has had a prolific career as a painter, sculptor and draughtsman and his works have been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions in the United States and abroad. His works are in many notable public and private collections, including The Metropolitan Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art; the Brooklyn Museum and the Morgan Library in New York City; the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo; The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore; the Fogg Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge; The High Museum of Art, Atlanta; the Albertina, Vienna; The Museum of Fine Art, Houston; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland; the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Ohio University, Athens; the New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain; Triton Foundation, Belgium; Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, among others. Kline lives and works in upstate New York.
About Carter Ratcliff
American critic and poet Carter Ratcliff has published writings on art for The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Guggenheim Museum; the Royal Academy of Arts, London; Maxxi Museum of 21st Century Arts, Rome and many other institutions. He has contributed to notable art publications such as Art in America, Art Forum, Art News, Arts, Tate, and Art Presse, as well Vogue, Elle, and New York Magazine. Books include The Fate of a Gesture: Jackson Pollock and Postwar American Art, Out of the Box: The Reinvention of Art, and monographs on Andy Warhol, John Singer Sargent, Georgia O’Keeffe, Gilbert & George among others. His books of poetry include Fever Coast, Give Me Tomorrow and Arrivederci, Modernismo. Born in Seattle, Ratcliff lives and works in upstate New York.
Heather Gaudio Fine Art specializes in emerging and established artists, offering painting, works on paper, photography, and sculpture. The gallery provides a full-range of art advisory services, from forming and maintaining a collection, to securing secondary market material, to assisting with framing and installation. The focus is on each individual client, selecting art that best serves his or her vision, space, and resources. The six exhibitions offered every year are designed to present important talent and provide artwork appealing to a broad range of interests. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday; 10:30am to 5:30pm; and by appointment.
[1] Carter Ratcliff, “Martin Kline: The World in All Its Plenitude”, 2025, Martin Kline, exhibition catalogue
"Martin Kline: The World In All Its Plenitude"
This exhibition presents highlights from the collection of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum, which explores the impact of the Irish Famine of 1845-1852 through artwork produced by eminent Irish and Irish-American artists of the past 170 years. The works on view in the exhibition will include paintings by late 19th- and early 20th‐century artists like James Brenan, Daniel Macdonald, James Arthur O'Connor and Jack B. Yeats, as well as sculptures, paintings, and works on paper by contemporary artists including John Behan, Rowan Gillespie, Brian Maguire, and Hughie O'Donoghue. The exhibition is presented by Quinnipiac University and the Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield Exhibition.
An Gorta Mór: Selections from Ireland's Great Hunger Museum
We are pleased to announce our next On View feature, highlighting original landscape paintings by South Carolina-based artist Karin Olah on the main wall of Sorelle Gallery. The Feature will open Saturday, May 10, 2025. Visitors will have the opportunity to view new work by Karin, with light refreshments on opening day.
Inspired by the colors and light of coastal landscapes, Karin Olah creates multi-layered paintings with acrylic paint, hand-dyed fabric, and vintage textiles. Karin’s subject matter ranges from seascape to abstract expressionism to a dreamy place in-between.
Karin combines her obsession with textiles and quilts, a background in fashion design in NYC, a BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art, and an ever-growing fabric collection to add layers of texture to her work. She is a recipient of the Lowcountry Artist of the Year Award and an Artist-in-Residence at Palmetto Bluff. Her work has been on the cover of Charleston Magazine and featured in Southern Living, House & Garden Magazine, and American Contemporary Art Magazine. Her work is in public collections at Mayo Clinic Florida, Medical University of South Carolina, Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, and Ilya Corporation in Japan. Originally from Lancaster Country, Pennsylvania, Karin has lived in Charleston, South Carolina since 2003. Karin enjoys going to the beach, playing golf, being silly with her daughters, and chasing after a naughty labradoodle named Charlie.
"Fabric is something that evokes an emotional response," Olah says. "Soft materials can make us feel calm, relaxed, cozy, and safe. I use textiles in my paintings to suggest a connection between the beautiful places in nature and the comforting touch of a well-loved quilt. Inspiration for my subject matter comes from cloud watching at the beach, the stripes of ocean waves on the horizon, a patchwork of farm fields, the meandering thread of a creek through the marsh, and quiet time at the lake. My interpretations of landscapes focus on color and mood more than realism. In these dreamscapes, the brushstrokes are fabric."
Karin's paintings will be on view through Saturday, May 31st.
This On View feature is free and open to the public during gallery hours, Tuesday through Saturday 11:00am - 5:00pm. Street parking is available.
On View: Karin Olah
The GR Art Gallery presents:
Ellen Gordon
“A Creative Journey II”
April 4th, 2025 – May 30th, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 5th from 4 PM – 7 PM
“A Creative Journey II”” is Ellen Gordon’s first solo exhibit at the GR Art Gallery. This exhibition is a retrospective of paintings and drawings by the artist created since 2009. In 2009 Ms. Gordon had her first solo exhibition entitled “A Creative Journey” at the Stamford Mayor’s Gallery. The exhibit will be on display from April 4th thru May 30th. Gallery hours are Wednesday - Saturday from 12-6 pm and from Sunday 12-4. Any time by appointment, 203-274-7497.
The GR Art Gallery will host a reception to celebrate the artist on Saturday April 5th from 4 – 7 PM. The public is invited.
Ellen Gordon is a Stamford, CT-based award-winning mixed media artist. The colors and patterns in her artwork are roller coaster rhythms of fences, grids, and fractured geometries – a kind of mapping. She guides us along a journey of the personal narrative through landscaped layers of abstraction and portraiture. Playful and speculative, the rhythms remain determinedly open-ended and essentially borderless. An un-plotted story with unbounded possibilities. Over the past two decades, Gordon’s work has evolved through many phases, but her main body of work centers on figurative collages - intimate yet colorful portrayals of a woman in her own thoughts, providing the viewer a window into honest moments with a series of striking and bold women. Her most recent work has been a transition into the abstract patterns, experimenting with geometric shapes and inverted forms in color palettes evoking various states of mind.
Ms. Gordon has been active in the local arts for many years. She currently serves on the board of The Greenwich Art Society and The Connecticut Women Artists. Ms. Gordon is a commissioner of The City of Stamford’s Cultural Arts and Culture Board. She is the former Executive Director of the Loft Artists Association and was Co President of the Stamford Art Association.
In 2022, Ms. Gordon became the curator of the Mayor's Art Gallery in Stamford, CT.
The GR Art Gallery is located at 1086 Long Ridge Road, Stamford, CT 06903. Gallery hours are Wednesday - Saturday from 12-6 pm and from Sunday 12-4. Any time by appointment, 203-274-7497. Parking is available and the building is handicap accessible.
"A Creative Journey II", Ellen Gordon at the GR Art Gallery
An extraordinary exhibition featuring stunning photographic images of birds, mammals and sea life engaging in their natural habitats. Vivid color, amazing action moments and the sheer beauty of the natural world are all masterfully captured by this talented, award-winning filmmaker, expeditionist and dedicated environmentalist.
FLYWAY OF LIFE, Wildlife Photography by Tomas Koeck
The Stamford Palace's Annual Gala w/Kool & The Gang! This year we honor the good work of Lynne Colatrella & Michael Fedele. This is a red carpet, disco-themed celebration of the arts, The Palace, & 2 extraordinary individuals. Gala tickets include premium orchestra seating to Kool & The Gang, a pre-show celebration featuring plentiful & hearty small plates by marcia Selden Catering, themed open bars from Tito's Vodka, Tuck Gin, Sono 1420, & Tuck Gin! Pre-show vibes from DJ Tommy Carlucci, disco decor by the one & only Lux Poppin', 15% Costume rental discount @ Sophia's in CosCob, a best dressed (disco) contest, silent auction, & more! Limited Meet & Greets available! So much more, contact Laurel Lea LLea@palacestamford.org for more info!
CELEBRATION GALA W/KOOL & THE GANG
Calling all Swifties! Join us at 6:00 PM on Friday, May 16th at the YMCA of Greenwich for a fun-filled night of dancing, karaoke, games, crafts, and pizza, all inspired by the music and spirit of Taylor Swift.
This family-friendly event is open to youth ages 5 and older. Younger children are welcome with a parent or caregiver present.
To sign your child up and learn more, please visit:
At the Y, we're all about empowering the next generation, one engaging program at a time. Our programs will build confidence, resilience, and lasting friendships —all essential for youth development. We are committed to ensuring any family, regardless of financial status, feels welcome to sign up for membership and programs at the Y.
To learn more about our financial aid process, please visit:
greenwichymca.org/join/financial-aid
To submit a financial aid application, please visit:
form.jotform.com/250337332528151
Taylor Swift Party at the Y!
Spring Paint & Sip at Fool Proof Brewing
Join us for a fun and creative monthly Paint & Sip Night at Fool Proof Brewing in Bridgeport. Led by talented artist Lori Bloom , this guided painting experience will take you through the steps to create a vibrant springtime masterpiece, perfect to brighten up your home or gift to a loved one.
Event Details
- Dates: Friday, March 14, April 18, May 16, June 13
- Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
- Location: Fool Proof Brewing, 800 Union Ave, Bridgeport, CT
Enjoy a relaxing evening surrounded by stunning artwork in the MNTN Studios Gallery, sip on delicious craft brews, and indulge in great food and company.
Whether you're a seasoned artist or picking up a paintbrush for the first time, this event is all about creativity, fun, and making memories with friends.
What's Included
- Step-by-step painting instruction from Lori Bloom
- All painting materials provided, including canvas, paints, and brushes
- A vibrant atmosphere filled with inspiration and energy
- Food and drinks available for purchase from Fool Proof Brewing
No experience necessary just bring your creativity and enjoy the night.
Limited spots available. Reserve your ticket today and join us for a night of painting, sipping, and celebrating spring.
About RiseUP for Arts
RiseUP for Arts is Connecticut’s only statewide public art nonprofit, dedicated to transforming communities through vibrant, community-driven public art projects. Since its inception, RiseUP for Arts has completed over 300 murals and creative placemaking initiatives, fostering connections between artists, residents, and businesses to inspire positive change.
Our mission is to make art accessible to all by collaborating with local artists, schools, municipalities, and organizations to bring creativity to public spaces. We believe in the power of art to unite, uplift, and tell the unique stories of our communities.
In addition to large-scale public murals, RiseUP for Arts offers youth development programs like the Creative Leadership Program, community engagement initiatives, and corporate partnerships that bring art into unexpected spaces. Whether through mural installations, live painting events, or interactive art experiences, we are committed to using art as a tool for social impact.
Join us in celebrating creativity and community at our upcoming event and experience the power of public art in action!
For more information, visit RiseUP for Arts Website.
RiseUP Presents: Paint & Sip at Fool Proof Brewing
Welcome to Matilda Jr.!
Come join us at Turn of River Middle School for an unforgettable experience. Get ready to be amazed by the talented cast and crew as they bring this beloved story to life on stage. It is the perfect production for families and fans of all ages. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to witness the magic of Matilda Jr. live! Support our students and grab your tickets now and get ready for a night of entertainment and fun.
Matilda Jr.
Ted Rosenthal is one of the leading jazz pianist/composers of his generation. The New Yorker magazine describes him as “a musician’s musician who balances technique and taste.” The Los Angeles Times calls him “a pianist of rarest skill.” Rosenthal actively tours worldwide with his trio and as a soloist. He also has performed with many jazz greats, including Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, and James Moody.
Winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition, Rosenthal has released nineteen CDs as a leader, including a series of 4 new CDs in 2025, featuring his distinctive arrangements of the Great American Songbook, reimaginings of classical themes and original compositions. Rhapsody in Gershwin , which features his arrangement of Rhapsody in Blue for jazz trio, reached #1 in jazz album sales at iTunes and Amazon and received rave reviews: “A musical tour de force” - Audiophile Magazine. Wonderland , was selected as a New York Times holiday pick, and received much critical praise: “Sleek, chic and elegant” – Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune. Impromptu , showcases his reimaginings of classical themes for jazz trio. "A serious listen to Impromptu will be a mind-changing experience...sit back and enjoy these wonderfully creative takes on ten compositions from the classical canon that have never sounded so cool." - Elliott Simon, AllAboutJazz
Active in jazz education, he is on the faculties of The Juilliard School, and Manhattan School of Music, where he also served on their Board of Trustees and received the Presidential Medal for Distinguished Faculty Service. Rosenthal has taught and mentored many of the leading jazz pianists of the younger generation. He presents jazz clinics throughout the world, often in conjunction with his touring. His website is www.tedrosenthal.com
Renowned Jazz Pianist Ted Rosenthal in Westport
Brought together by the fact of their parents’ scandalous marital history, a man and a woman “of a certain age” discover that their teenage romance has come full-circle. Performed by two actors, the play is told in one act and laced with an abundance of humor. When We Were Young is a reminder that the human heart, however well-traveled, may still beat with a passion to live and to love.
Scripts on Tap-When We Were Young
What: Community theater group Fairfield Center Stage (FCS) will present the musical comedy SISTER ACT, based on the hit movie in downtown Fairfield, CT. The show runs for two weekends, May 9-18, 2025 at Wakeman Hall inside First Church Congregational of Fairfield at 148 Beach Rd (free parking lot onsite). Tickets ($30 Regular / $45 VIP) are available for sale now.
When: The performance schedule is as follows: Fri May 9 @ 7:30pm, Sat May 10 @ 7pm, Sun May 11 @ 4pm, Fri May 16 @ 7:30pm, Sat May 17 @ 2pm, Sat May 17 @ 7pm, Sun May 18 @ 4pm.
Cast: The all-local cast includes Leondra Smith-West (Deloris Van Cartier), Marilyn Olsen (Mother Superior), Marcelle Morrisey (Sister Mary Robert), Najlaa Noonan (Sister Mary Patrick), Mia Tommins (Sister Mary Lazarus), Natasha Fenster (Sister Mary Martin of Tours), Sarah McCormack (Sister Mary Theresa), Emmanuella Dorcely (Michelle), Hailey Stevenson (Tina), Andy Stubbs (Monsignor O’Hara), Ken Skjeveland (Curtis), Jay Reyes (Eddie), Jess Ricketts (TJ), Jayden Santos (Pablo), Cheyenne Perez (Joey), John Moran (Ernie), and Brian Bish (Drag Queen). The Ensemble includes: Jim Hisey, Maggie Kruse, Ben Legum, Jacob Legum, Sam Matis, Bridget McBride, Alana Merly, Lindsay Protsko, Jasmin Salas, Rhet Sealfon, Lauren Sittard, Xoe Tracey, Taylor Tunstall and Jennifer Turner.
Production: The all-local production staff includes Director Brian Crook, Choreographer Bonnie Gregson, Music Director Ken Legum, Scenic Designer Kelley Wright, Costume Designer Christy McIntosh-Newsom, Sound Designer Chris Gensur, and Lighting Designer Don Rowe. Brian Bish serves as Media Manager, and Trudi Durrell serves as Stage Manager. Fairfield Center Stage is led by Artistic Director Christy McIntosh-Newsom & Executive Producer Eli Newsom.
Ticketing/seating policies: Regular reserved seating is available for $30. VIP table seating ($45) allows a bring-your-own-food option for 4-top and 6-top tables (must purchase entire table) and includes wine or soft drinks. There are also 2 front-row church pews for sale that seat 4 people ($25 per person, must purchase entire pew). No outside drinks at this event per the agreement with the venue. Concessions (drinks/snacks) available before and throughout the performance.
Table Seating Bring-Your-Own-Food option: VIP table patrons who have purchased a VIP table (sold as a 4-top or a 6-top) may choose to bring their own food to enjoy before and during the performance. No outside beverages permitted per the agreement with our venue. VIP patrons will also be provided their choice of a bottle of wine or non-alcoholic drinks (soda/water), and additional drinks may be purchased from concessions.
Individual seated patrons ($30): seating will be in regular row seating (folding chairs), 16 seats per row. There will be two front-row church pews available for sale at each performance. Bring-Your-Own-Food is not permitted in regular seating due to close proximity to other patrons (no outside food or drinks permitted for this seating section, but concessions food/drinks permitted.)
Seating begins approximately 30 minutes before showtime and the approximate running time is 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.
Concession snacks and drinks will be available before the show and at intermission. A bar with wine (red / white / sparkling), soft drinks, and candy/snacks will be open before and during the performance. Parking is free in the on-site lot. Indoor public restrooms available.
Patrons will check in at the entrance and show their phone with an order confirmation email. This is a paperless event. All sales are final and there are no refunds or exchanges, with the exception of an unforeseen canceled performance (in which case patrons will have the option to choose between being reseated at another performance, future credit, or a refund). Transferring tickets to another person’s name is allowed, email the box office for requests (info@fairfieldcenterstage.org).
Parental Advisory: all ages welcome (all patrons must have a ticket), but we recommend this full-length production for audience members age 8+, and it is not recommended for anyone under the age of 4. Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket. Please no babes in arms --- and as a courtesy to other patrons, guardians are thanked in advance for temporarily removing any rambunctious little ones to the outer lobby during the performance.
Audience Policy: In order to support a collaborative and respectful environment for our performers and audiences, the producers/house staff reserve the right to ask any disruptive patrons to exit the performance space.
About the show: Sister Act is the feel-good musical comedy smash based on the hit 1992 film that has audiences jumping to their feet! Featuring original music by Tony- and eight-time Oscar winner, Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), this uplifting musical was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
When disco diva, Deloris Van Cartier, witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won't be a found: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and uptight Mother Superior. Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and community but, in doing so, blows her cover. Soon, the gang is giving chase, only to find them up against Deloris and the power of her newly found sisterhood.
Following this show the 2024/25 season concludes with the 12th Annual Playathon on May 31. Future shows and auditions will be announced later this spring. Open call auditions are held throughout the year at various times.
Fairfield Center Stage is a local community theater group in Fairfield, CT that utilizes local artists and staff from Fairfield County. Inspired by the concept of environmental theatre, Fairfield Center Stage dedicates its seasons of shows to putting Fairfield “center stage,” by highlighting several of the town’s amazing venues.
For additional information about Fairfield Center Stage, visit www.fairfieldcenterstage.org
Fairfield Center Stage presents SISTER ACT -- Fri May 16 @7:30pm
Experience the power and beauty of contemporary ballet as East Coast Contemporary Ballet (ECCB) returns to the Darien Arts Center for three special performances. Join us on May 15, 16, and 17 at 7:30 p.m. for a weekend of all-original works choreographed by ECCB’s talented artistic directors and company members.
Known for blending classical technique with innovative movement, ECCB will debut a captivating program that showcases the athleticism, artistry, and emotional depth of its professional dancers.
Tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for students. Performances will take place at the Darien Arts Center, 2 Renshaw Road, Darien, CT.
Don't miss this opportunity to experience groundbreaking contemporary ballet right in your community!
Click here to purchase tickets
East Coast Contemporary Ballet: New Spring Season "Continuum" at the Darien Arts Center
This event is General Admission Standing Room Only on the Floor, and Reserved Seated in the Balcony.
THE WONDER YEARS
For a number of years, this would have been an almost-blank page. Back in the mid-2010s, a few years after The Wonder Years had first formed in Lansdale, PA, just north of Philadelphia, the band would be asked to provide a bio for events they were playing. All Dan Campbell would write was ‘The Wonder Years is a band’. That was it. They’d then receive the programs for whatever festival or event it was for and laugh. Most bands, the frontman remembers, would write a “full page thing about how their last record charted and ours would just be a blank page with those six words at the top.” A lot of time has passed since then, and a lot has changed, although also not that much, at the same time. If The Wonder Years – completed by guitarists Matt Brasch and Casey Cavaliere, drummer Mike Kennedy, bassist Josh Martin and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Nick Steinborn – could get away with a six-word bio, they probably would.
As it happens, when it comes to The Hum Goes On Forever, context is important, which is why you’re reading these words. The most important reason is that this is the first record the band has made since Campbell became a father. And so, when he sings its very first words – ‘I don’t want to die’ – on its very first song, “Doors I Painted Shut”, they shimmer with a little extra poignancy and potency. Because as someone who has sung candidly about how despondent he’s felt at times, thoughts of unexistence are no longer possible. It doesn’t mean they stop, but Campbell can no longer succumb to the abject malaise they induce.
“You’ve got to pull it together,” he says, “because your kids are counting on you. These things that feel hopeless – these massive cultural and societal, full-populace problems like climate change and school shootings, all the things that you’re afraid of for your children – well, they only get fixed if you fix them. ‘I don’t want to die – because I’ve got to protect you.’ It would be very easy to give in to the depression and just kind of lay there, but my kids are counting on me, so I have to try to pull myself together and do the work. ”
That, then, is the crux of this record: his survival is more important than it ever was before. As Campbell phrases it, “How do you take care of someone else that needs you when there are days that you barely want to exist?” Now that he’s a father, the answer is a lot simpler than it used to be. Quite simply, he doesn’t have a choice. Rather, he has to press on against the noise that’s been inside his brain for as long as he can remember. That’s what the ‘hum’ of this album’s title is. Taken from a poem he wrote for Sister Cities, it is, he says, a representation of the gloom he tends to carry with him.
“Even when it’s not constantly in my face,” he admits, “there’s always a low hum of sadness, a low rumbling of ennui. So The Hum Goes On Forever is the understanding that I’m always going to have it, it’s always going to be there, it’s always been there for literal generations of my family and it’s important that I accept that and live and work through it.”
The Hum Goes On Forever, then, is the sound of The Wonder Years navigating those dark, cold waters, bringing that ever-present pulse in the back of Campbell’s mind to vivid life, while also pushing it as far back into his skull as it will go. It’s the kind of effect that’s only achievable through true collaboration and understanding, something that defines how the band has operated from its inception. The six-piece wrote the bulk of these songs in a farmhouse in the middle of Pennsylvania in the winter of 2021. This was before vaccines were widely available, so they all quarantined for 14 days first. Then, after getting vaccinated, they wrote together again in March, April and May, before tracking songs in June. Initially, the idea was to just make an EP with Will Yip, but it instead became their seventh album, finished with Steve Evetts, after the band decided the songs would be under-served on an EP. The result is a record
that captures the taught, fraught uncertainty of the period in which they were written, but also travels back in time and memory to uncover and dwell on and inhabit leftover remnants of the past. It serves, too, as a revealing representation of how the six lives that constitute The Wonder Years interact with each other. That happens both inside and outside of the band, obviously, but in terms of the former, they’ve all grown together immensely as musicians. It means the band knows when to be restrained and when to explode, filling in space and emptiness as needed to create a record that mirrors, sonically, the heart-torn urgency at its core, the way these six individuals interact with each other, each an essential component of a greater whole - as well as the next evolution of a band that’s never stopped growing, never stopped striving, never stopped searching for the truth and the heart of this dumb thing we call life.
It would be easy to talk about how specific songs do that, but that would also kind of defeat the point of this record. Because this is a complete journey and should be taken in as such. It begins in August and ends in June and traverses years and decades, as well as the constant cycle of sadness and healing within them. Except it never quite gets there. The hum is never totally shaken off.
“Because the tagline for The Upsides was ‘I’m not sad anymore’,” Campbell explains, “I think people were like, ‘This is the guy who used to be depressed.’ But obviously that never goes away. It’s a constant, and you basically have to co-exist with your sadness. It won’t go away, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t rely on you and that you can stop. As we’ve continued to make records, that’s manifested itself in different ways, but I don’t think ever as clearly as it has on this record. This one is more clearly about me struggling and floundering and drowning at points. In fact, I think it’s maybe even the most revealing in a lot of ways. There’s things I’m singing about on this record that I wouldn’t have had the guts to confront in myself prior to it – like being this open about how low I had gotten, starting in late 2019 and then tumbling into a pandemic, and just thinking and thinking and thinking….”
There’s a lot of thinking on this record. A lot of thoughts. But the main one, the important one, is that very first line of the first song: I don’t want to die. It’s something he repeats and reiterates on final track “You’re The Reason I Don’t Want The World To End”, which addresses the change in Campbell’s purpose since becoming a dad. That’s obvious enough from the title alone, but with the final line – inspired by gardening with his first son during the pandemic – the message becomes truly clear: ‘Put the work in, plant a garden, try to stay afloat.’ It’s a reminder to himself, but it’s also for anyone who listens, anyone who needs it, everyone who’s grown up with the band and has sought, and continues to seek, refuge in their songs. Because, yes, The Wonder Years is a band. But it’s also much, much more than that.
Links: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
KEVIN DEVINE
Links: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
The Wonder Years and the Little Kruta String Ensemble
Kool & the Gang officially launched in 1969. Thanks to iconic songs like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness, and Open Sesame, they’ve earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, 9 Top Ten Pop hits and 31 gold and platinum albums.
From Nairobi to Newark, Kool & the Gang has performed continuously longer than any R&B group in history and their bulletproof funk and jazzy arrangements have also made them the most sampled R&B band of all time. A reviewer recently called their performance “a 24-karat show” and every year, even after a half-century on the road, yields a non-stop schedule of shows across the globe.
Kool and The Gang
The Friends of Ferguson Library in partnership with Mystery Writers of America – NY Chapter present CrimeCONN, Connecticut’s own one-day mystery lovers' conference.
The theme this year is Crime & Punishment , where crime writers and experts look at the law from every angle. You'll hear from lawyers turned crime writers and formerly incarcerated writers. You'll also learn how a murder trial really works from a judge, a prosecutor, a defense attorney and a homicide cop. We'll discuss the blurred lines between crime writing, non-fiction and general fiction, the guilty pleasures of the revenge novel and navigating the lives of private, professional, real and imagined detectives.
Books will be available for sale and signing.
LOCATION AND PARKING INFORMATION
CrimeCONN will be presented as a hybrid event so you can choose to attend in person or via Zoom webinar.
TICKETS
Online registration will close Friday, May 16 at noon.
Tickets will be available at the door.
In-Person Event
(In-person ticket price includes coffee, continental breakfast and lunch)
MWA members, Friends members, seniors and students
$45 per person
Through April 17 - Early Bird Registration
$50 per person
After April 17
$60 per person
Virtual Event
Available via Zoom webinar from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
$25 per person
Zoom login will be provided in advance of the program.
Here are some of the conference highlights. More details and full agenda to come.
(Schedule subject to change.)
Keynote Speaker
Lauren Willig is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 25 books, including The Girl from Greenwich Street, Band of Sisters, the RITA Award-winning Pink Carnation series, and five novels co-written with Beatriz Williams and Karen White.
Presented in conversation with John Valeri , book critic, author and host of the web series, Central Booking.
Writers Workshop
Hallie Ephron is the New York Times bestselling author of Careful What You Wish For and Never Tell a Lie. Writing & Selling Your Mystery Novel (now in a "Revised and Expanded" edition) was an Edgar and Anthony award finalist. The crime fiction book reviewer for the Boston Globe for a dozen years, she won the Ellen Nehr Award for mystery reviewing.
Also scheduled to appear:
Mally Becker , two-time Agatha Award-nominated author of the Revolutionary War Mysteries, which include The Turncoat's Widow, The Counterfeit Wife, and The Paris Mistress.
Michelle Clark , Medicolegal Death Investigator for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s in Connecticut
Reed Farrel Coleman is the New York Times bestselling author of 30-plus novels including six in the Jesse Stone series for the estate of Robert B. Parker.
Christy Girard - Detective First Grade Girard has been a Greenwich Police officer for over 26 years, with 20 years of experience assigned to the Detective Division. She worked in the Greenwich Special Victims section, specializing in sexual assault investigations, and is currently assigned to the Cold Case Unit.
Penny Goetjen is a national multi-award-winning author of mysteries, crime fiction, and suspense novels.
Juliet Grames is the national and international bestselling author of The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna and The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia.
Jessica Hall is a social worker and activist who has served vulnerable populations in New York City for over 30 years. She also founded and piloted Prison Writes, a therapeutic literacy development program.
V.S. Kemanis is a lawyer and an award-winning author of legal suspense novels, including Power Blind. Her latest novel, Indelicate Deception is a multigenerational family story.
Chris Knopf is the author of 18 mystery/thriller novels. His most recent book is Blood Bank.
Joseph Lopez is the Inspector General for the City of Hartford, charged with investigating citizen complaints of police misconduct. He is a former criminal defense attorney with 28 years of experience with the Division of Public Defender Services.
Jodé Millman is the multi-award-winning author of the true-crime inspired Queen City Crimes series.
Allison Montclair (a pseudonym for Alan Gordon) is the author of the Sparks and Bainbridge Mysteries, starting with The Right Sort of Man, the ALA Reading List Council's "Best Mystery of 2019," and most recently, An Excellent Thing in a Woman.
Tim O'Mara is the author of five Raymond Donne novels, three Aggie novellas, and many short stories.
Ming Liu Parson was an assistant district attorney with the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney's Office for five years until she moved to Suffolk County, New York, where she was an assistant district attorney for 24 years and ultimately became the Deputy Bureau Chief of the Economic Crimes Bureau (white collar).
Chandra Prasad is the author of young adult novels Mercury Boys and Damselfly.
Charles Salzberg is a former journalist and is the author of the Henry Swann mystery series and over 20 non-fiction books.
Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity and the YA Spider-Verse adventure, Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow.
Jonathan Stone has published 10 novels, including the e-bestsellers Moving Day and The Teller, as well as his recent serio-comic novel, The Prison Minyan.
Wendy Walker is the internationally bestselling author of multiple psychological thrillers, including What Remains and Blade, coming in January of 2026.
Art Weisgerber is a Lieutenant in the Crime Scene/Identification Unit with the Norwalk Police Department and is an adjunct instructor at the Connecticut Municipal Police Academy and police instructor for the Spector Criminal Justice Training Network.
Hon. Gary J. White has been a judge of the Connecticut Superior Court for more than 28 years. Prior to beginning his judicial career, he worked as a public defender for 12 years. He is also an adjunct law professor at Quinnipiac Law School.
Mario F. Wright is a poet, youth advocate, urban scholar, children’s book author, and justice-impacted professional who published his two-part poetry anthology Poetic Freedom 1 & 2 after his return from prison in 2022.
CrimeCONN 2025: Crime & Punishment
March 29 through June 1
Reception: Thursday, April 10, 6-8 pm, in the Trefz Forum; click here for more information. (Reception kicks off at 6 pm, followed by a conversation between 5iveFingaz and Miggs Burroughs at 7 pm.) Click here for more on VersoFest 2025!
In the Sheffer Gallery: Visual Verses
Visual Verses is an immersive art exhibit that merges the expressive power of visual art with the profound impact of language. Each painting in this collection is paired with original phrases crafted to evoke thought, emotion, and reflection. The artwork transcends traditional boundaries, using bold colors and dynamic compositions to amplify the messages embedded within the text. This fusion of imagery and words invites viewers to engage not only with the aesthetics but also with the deeper narratives and meanings behind each piece.
At its core, Visual Verses carries a strong social conscience, addressing themes of justice, equality, and human connection. The text-based elements of the exhibit deliver positive messages meant to inspire, uplift, and provoke meaningful conversations. Through this harmonious blend of art and language, the exhibit aims to spark awareness and foster a sense of community, encouraging viewers to reflect on their role in shaping a more compassionate and just world.
In the South Gallery: Interactive Community Participation Mural
This Interactive Community Participation Mural will be designed by 5ive, with members of the community to help fill it in on Saturday, April 5, from 10 am to 2 pm during the VersoFest 2025 Weekend Kickoff Celebration hosted by 5ive (also featuring DJs and other fun fare for the whole family!) This exhibit will invite the viewer to participate in the making of the artwork, interacting with the canvas and materials so that both tactile processes and community contribution are as much a part of the piece as the art itself.
In the Jesup Gallery: Graffiti Art Mural
More information regarding scheduled mural participation times and 5ive’s Jesup Gallery exhibit is forthcoming. Stay tuned and join in on the fun at VersoFest 2025!
In addition to his art exhibits, 5iveFingaz will also be leading two back-to-back sessions of his Verso University course Graffiti 101: Finding Your Voice as a Graffiti Artist on Saturday, April 5.
About 5iveFingaz
5iveFingaz is a visionary artist whose work seamlessly bridges the realms of street art, contemporary expression, and social consciousness. Renowned for his distinctive fusion of bold visuals and thought-provoking text, 5iveFingaz crafts pieces that resonate deeply with audiences, challenging them to reflect on both personal experiences and broader societal issues. His signature style often features vibrant colors juxtaposed with powerful, concise phrases that speak directly to the heart of human experience, exploring themes of love, resilience, unity, and justice. Emerging from a background rich in urban culture and creative exploration, 5iveFingaz honed his artistic voice through a unique blend of trained and self-taught techniques and active community engagement. His art transcends traditional canvases, finding life on walls, public spaces, and unconventional surfaces, transforming everyday environments into platforms for inspiration and dialogue. The artist’s work has garnered global attention not only for its striking aesthetic appeal but also for its profound ability to connect with diverse audiences on an intimate level.
At the core of his practice lies the "Love More Than Ever" movement, a heartfelt initiative that underscores the importance of uplifting one another with kindness and understanding. 5iveFingaz’s unwavering commitment to positive messaging and social awareness drives his creative process, with each piece serving as a rallying cry for change. His work urges viewers to reflect on their roles in fostering a more compassionate and equitable world. Through exhibitions, collaborations, and public art projects, he amplifies voices that are often unheard, using art as a powerful tool for empowerment and community building. As his influence continues to grow, 5iveFingaz remains steadfast in his mission to spark meaningful conversations and inspire action, solidifying his place as a transformative figure in the contemporary art scene.
5iveFingaz Art Exhibits at VersoFest 2025
All The Unexpressed Love: Works by Miguel A. Aragón
Exhibition Dates: April 13 - May 18, 2025
Through his work, artist Miguel A. Aragón explores subjects of violence, memory, and perception, transforming difficult images into catharsis. This series is a deeply personal collaboration with Aragón’s late mother, whose crochet and personal effects are the foundation of the artwork. It is a conversation between past and present, between mother and son, between the finite nature of our existence and the connections that endure across time.
Miguel A. Aragón was born in Juárez, México. He lives and works in New York City (USA) and Berlin (Germany); he is an Associate Professor in Printmaking and Chairperson of the Department of Performing & Creative Arts, College of Staten Island, CUNY. He has exhibited extensively both in the US and internationally. He’s received numerous awards including the 2022 Southern Graphics Council International Mid-Career Printmaker Award. He was Artist-in-Residence at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in May 2024.
All The Unexpressed Love: Works by Miguel A. Aragón
Join us on Saturday, May 17th for this free shredding event! Donations are accepted to support our student summer leadership trip with Student Leadership University! The event will run from 9am-12pm followed by a car wash from 11am-3pm!
Spread the word and we hope to see you there!
Shredding Event Fundraiser
Come and buy locally grown perennials, annuals and some surprises! 9am-1pm
PROUDLY CELEBRATING 95 YEARS!!
Greens Farms Garden Club Annual Plant Sale
Drowning in paper? Bring all those document, old bills, etc. for shredding:
- Saturday, May 17th
- 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
- Bethel Library parking lot
- $1.00/lb
- Benefits the Bethel Public Library
Shredding Event
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Step inside several historic homes and see and learn about many more as we tour midcentury and other modernist design in Fairfield and Westport! Harvard Five architects and other talented contemporaries like Jim Evans, Joseph Salerno, and Larry Michaels all left their mark in these two towns. In Fairfield, there are nearly 50 homes by architect Victor Civkin alone!
Join us for this unique experience to see historic homes, inside and out, and immerse yourself in culture and history. Offered one time only! Space is limited.
This is a guided bus tour. We will be boarding the bus in the Westport/Fairfield area. Location details coming soon
Midcentury Modern Homes Tour of Fairfield
The Geary Gallery of Darien proudly presents its May exhibition, "The Palette in Bloom," featuring the lush, joyful florals and abstract paintings of artist, Lori Eubanks. Her exhibit runs May 1 - 31. All are welcome and admission is free. The Geary Gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is located at 576 Boston Post Road, Darien, CT 06820. For more details, call (203) 655-6633 or visit our website: www.gearygallery.com.
Lori Eubanks' vibrant florals and abstracts, "The Palette in Bloom” at the Geary Gallery in Darien CT
Jesse Lee UMC will be holding its semi-annual Document Shredding Event.
Saturday, May 17, 2025, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM—rain or Shine. The donation is $15 per box and $10 for seniors. CASH OR CHECK. Once again, bake sale items will be available for purchase.
Patty Gelineau is the chair and can be contacted at gelineau.music@sbcglobal.net with any questions. We hope you will stop by to support this important event for the church and the surrounding community.
Semi-annual Document Shredding Event
Calling all nature lovers! Step outside this spring and join our popular outdoor Trailblazers hiking club at the YMCA of Greenwich for their second hike of the season!
Led by Linda Parentice , the group will meet on Saturday , May 17 , at 9:30 a.m. at Waveny Park Trailsin New Canaan, CT. Join us as we take time to reconnect with the earth, breathe fresh air, and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors.
Prior registration is required. Be sure to sign up for our text alerts for the latest updates, including any weather changes. All participants must sign a waiver prior to the hike.
Outdoor Trailblazers Hiking Club at the Y!
The Glass House, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is pleased to present Barbara Kasten: Structure, Light, Land. For five decades, Chicago-based artist Barbara Kasten has created photographs and sculptural installations that reorient our sense of perception and explore the dynamic relationship between space, material, and form. Her artistic influences are deeply rooted in modernist architecture, the principles of Constructivism, and the interdisciplinary legacy of the Bauhaus, particularly the photograms of László Moholy-Nagy and Lucia Moholy.
“Placing my work in and around The Glass House campus is an opportunity for me to take on a canonical modernist site. Each of the structures on the grounds is like a monument to one of many aesthetic phases of architectural history. Abstraction allows us to consider possibilities that are not the norm,” said Barbara Kasten.
Structure, Light, Land features Kasten’s work from multiple series, including Architectural Sites, Collisions, and Progressions, as well as new iterations of digital projections, cyanotypes, and sculptures. With a striking interplay of light, color, and form, Kasten’s work infiltrates the grounds of The Glass House and responds to the site’s varied built environment and landscape.
In the Brick House (1949), Kasten’s brilliantly hued Architectural Site 1, June 10, 1986–featuring the Philip Johnson-designed Lipstick Building (1986) in Manhattan–resonates with the ’80s postmodern interior of the Reading Room, which includes two 1986 Feltri Chairs designed by Gaetano Pesce. Five new cyanotypes by Kasten line the building’s serene 1949 hallway, illuminated by the circular skylights above.
Kasten’s new installation of fluorescent acrylic I-beams, modeled after the structural components of the Glass House, will be interspersed throughout the Sculpture Gallery (1970). The seven-foot-long beams respond to the site’s permanent collection of works by Frank Stella, John Chamberlain, Robert Morris, George Segal, and Michael Heizer. The intervention brings attention to the structure’s exposed I-beam twenty feet overhead and responds to the gallery’s interior patterning of ever-changing natural light and winding staircases.
The Painting Gallery (1965) features three works: a photograph from the Collision series and two sculptural Progressions. Situated near Stella’s shaped canvases, Kasten’s fluorescent forms extend the narrative around post-painterly abstraction across mediums and into the present moment.
Da Monsta (1995), the last building Johnson designed at The Glass House, was named following a conversation between Johnson and the critic Herbert Muschamp. It was inspired in part by German Expressionism, an unrealized museum design by Frank Stella, and the work of Frank Gehry. Kasten’s Sideways Corner (2016/2025), a video projection of three-dimensional cubes in primary colors, activates the warped and torqued walls.
The exhibition is curated by Cole Akers, Curator at The Glass House.
Special thanks to Bortolami Gallery, New York.
Barbara Kasten: Structure, Light, Land
The 2025 Glass House tour season begins on April 17, 2025. Tickets are available now! All tours include access to the newly restored Brick House. Following an extensive restoration project , we are excited to share this essential design element of the site and its history with you!
The Glass House 2025 Tour season opens April 17th - December 15th
Join us Saturdays at 10 am on the terrace next to our Design Barn for inspiring speakers and answers to your pressing gardening questions! Make a morning of it by grabbing coffee at our coffee bar, strolling our park-like grounds, checking out our curated selection of vendors and connecting with our gardening community!
Oliver Nurseries Plein Air Speaker Series
Our eight-week session of SPRING 2025 DRAMA ARTS CLASSES for kids, teens and adults is now available on our website! Classes begin April 19, 2025, and take place after school, evenings and weekends at The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Avenue in Stamford, Connecticut: a professional facility with two theatre spaces and three studio classrooms. Our faculty consists of local, professional artists and arts educators dedicated to creative enrichment in the community. Classes are offered in acting, improv, sketch comedy, musical theatre, dance, on-camera, AND MORE!
ALL SKILL LEVELS WELCOME! (From the novice beginner to the seasoned veteran.)
Discounts for siblings/spouses registering together!
Payment plans available!
Scholarships for those who qualify!
Visit www.curtaincallinc.com
or contact our Education Director Brian Bianco at brian@curtaincallinc.com or
203-329-8207 x700.
ACT NOW TO ACT OUT!
Curtain Call, Inc. is Stamford, Connecticut's longest-running and only nonprofit, theatre-producing company, offering year-round, live, theatrical productions, concert events, and educational workshops. Voted Best Local Theatre Group 10 years in a row by Fairfield County Weekly's Annual Reader's Poll, and Best Performing Arts Group 12 years in a row by StamfordPlus Magazine. Recipient of the 2011 2011 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Culture and Tourism and the 2016 ACE Award for Excellence in the Arts.
Curtain Call's Spring 2025 Theatre Arts Classes for Kids, Teens, and Adults
“Here is where finally opposites come together, I see a surprising purity. Stone is the depth, metal the mirror. They do not conflict…” —Isamu Noguchi
While the renowned sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) is best known for his work in stone, he consistently explored new materials and methods during his wide-ranging career. He first experimented with aluminum in the 1950s and later with galvanized steel, creating a series of twenty-six sculptures in collaboration with Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles in 1982–83. In this body of work, each sheet of metal is cut with a plasma torch and then dipped into boiling zinc, resulting in sculptures that are subtly patterned and highly reflective, resembling pebbles in a stream or the epidermal layer of skin.
Writing about the unique materiality of his sculptures, Noguchi described metal as a mirror in opposition to “stone [as] depth.” His galvanized steel sculptures achieve formal unity while also exploring conceptual dualities between the traditional and modern, fine art and design, and industry and nature. As a Japanese American artist working in the United States, Noguchi negotiated his own feeling of in-betweenness throughout his oeuvre. The galvanized steel editions synthesize this dual aspect of his identity, utilizing steel—a distinctly American material—while also integrating the Japanese craft of origami through cut and folded metal shapes.
Featuring a selection of nine galvanized steel sculptures, the exhibition is organized into thematic groupings that underscore the paradoxes of the artist’s work in metal. In the first, Noguchi imparts inanimate forms with human qualities, complicating the relationship between flesh and steel, body and mirror. Man-made material is transformed into representations of mountains, fruit, and sky in the second grouping, reflecting Noguchi’s belief that, in modernity, industry and nature are intertwined. A final trio of works reveals Noguchi’s ongoing interest in abstraction, bringing theoretical and spiritual ideas, weight and weightlessness, and past and present into visual dialogue. Through these sculptures, Noguchi explores ways of belonging in between such imagined oppositions. Indeed, the polished steel surfaces entangle objects, spaces, and people in a network of cast reflections, inviting visitors to contemplate Noguchi’s life, his practice, and themselves.
Isamu Noguchi: Metal the Mirror is curated by Julia Mun, Curatorial Associate, with support from Ashley Holland, Curator and Director of Curatorial Initiatives, and Javier Rivero Ramos, Assistant Curator. The presentation at the Bruce is organized by Margarita Karasoulas, Curator of Art.
Isamu Noguchi: Metal the Mirror is organized by Art Bridges.
Isamu Noguchi: Metal the Mirror
For the final exhibition of its 2024-25 season, the Flinn Gallery is pleased to present Elemental: Work by Boston Sculptors Gallery Artists. The show runs from May 8 to June 18 and features the work of 13 artists from the Boston Sculptors Gallery. The sculptors in the exhibition work with a wide range of materials – clay, fabric, metal, plastic, wood, and mixed media – and their artwork ranges in height from three inches to over eight feet.
While the sculptures encompass a wide range of materials, sizes, and techniques, they were selected with a unifying theme in mind – Elemental. This word has multiple meanings, which range from primitive or basic to the four elements of nature to the chemical elements from which many of the objects are created. Visitors to the Gallery will see artwork that can be grouped into four elemental categories: Beginnings, Organisms, Earth, and Water.
The artists are all inspired by the beauty and fragility of the natural world along with our connections to and impact upon it. For Mo Kelman,“water is the ideal subject to reflect on the laws that govern nature as it ceaselessly advances and embarrasses our every effort to keep it at bay.” In Lagoon, Kelman merges an abstracted body of silk water with bamboo structures that ensemble towers or bridges. Artist Jessica Strauss has three pieces in the exhibition from her Packing for Mars series. In Missing You, Blue Planet, and No More Polar Ice Cap, human figures gaze at images of Earth. The sculptures express “black humor, longing, and regret” as Strauss looks toward a “future when humans must flee a devastated Earth to settle on far flung and arid worlds.”
Several artists use traditional domestic crafts such as crochet, embroidery, and sewing in innovative ways. In her three sculptures Ascent, Larvae, and Nests, Michelle Lougee crochets post-consumer plastic bags into monumental sculptures, which “examine the relationships between humans, plastic, and nature amidst irreversible environmental changes”. Cascading from the ceiling, Keri Straka’s “Soft Cell Division” is composed of stuffed and sewn textiles. According to Straka, “the suspended sculpture is evocative of the ebb and flow of human life as mirrored in the blooming of a single cell.” Her sculpture, “Portal: Past” is made of multiple wooden embroidery hoops of varying sizes with water-color painted fabric embedded with a wide range of materials to represent dividing cells and biological cycles.
Since the majority of sculptors are women, it is only natural that some artwork addresses feminine sensibilities, and as mentioned, domestic life. Ellen Schön has four ceramic pieces in the exhibition. Two of her pieces – Five Hills Font and Lotus Pod – are part of her Wellspring Series. For Schön, “the pieces in this series explore the ceramic vessel as a wellspring or womb. They are meant to evoke sources of life-whirlpools, fonts, pods, seed of hope, as well as the landscape of the female body.” Several of Jodie Colella’s sculptures are ceramic and one incorporates fabric. According to Colella, her three pieces – Offspring, Seeds, and Attempts at Conviviality Exhaust Me – “comingle rigid forms with fibers to create vessels containing the stories that embody domestic life.”
Elemental is curated by Flinn Gallery committee members, Barbra Fordyce and Nancy Heller. It will include over 40 works of art by the following Boston Sculptors Gallery artists:
Jodie Colella (clay, fiber, stone, and mixed media), Carrie Crane (mixed media),
Anna Kristina Goransson (felt and wool), Mo Kelman (silk, wood, and mixed media), Michelle Lougee (crocheted plastic and wire), Ellen Schön (stoneware and fired-clay), Julia Shepley (mixed media), Keri Straka (fabric and mixed media), Jessica Strauss (mixed media), Margaret Swan (aluminum), Nora Valdez (limestone), Leslie Wilcox (steel screen and mixed media), and Andy Zimmerman (wood).
The Flinn Gallery is a non-profit organization sponsored by Friends of the Greenwich Library. The Gallery welcomes visitors daily Monday to Saturday, 10-5pm, Thursday until 8pm, and Sunday 1-5pm, and is located on the second floor of the Greenwich Library, 101 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT.
The Boston Sculptors Gallery (BSG) was founded in 1992 by 18 artists as a venue for contemporary sculpture. It is located in Boston’s SoWa arts district and has 38 member artists from Boston and New England. There is a natural kinship between the Flinn and Boston Sculptors Galleries. Both are nonprofit entities that are volunteer-run and operated with support from a part-time staff member.
Events:
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 8 from 6-8pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, June 7 from 2-3pm.
Elemental: Work by Boston Sculptors Gallery Artists
This festival features fine contemporary hand-made crafts in jewelry, wearable and decorative fiber, glass, furniture and housewares, pottery, and much more, all available for purchase along with demonstrations and food.
Festival hours: 10am–5pm
Festival parking: Island Beach parking lot, Steamboat Road, Steamboat Road Commuter Garage, Museum Drive
Admission to the Outdoor Festival and the Museum during this weekend is $15 for all; Members and children under 5 are free.
40th Annual Outdoor Crafts Festival
Come join us on the terrace by the Design Barn for a talk and walk with in-house horticulturalist Melanie Fox! Grab a coffee from our coffee bar, stroll our park-like grounds and visit our curated selection of vendors to round out your morning. Bring your questions! Free and open to all.
Clematis and Peony Pairing Talk with Melanie Fox at Oliver Nurseries!
The Dober Team Invites You To Putt-Putt for a Purpose!
Come join us at Norwalk Cove Marina Mini Golf for a fun-filled day of mini-golf for a good cause. Putt your way through 18 exciting holes while supporting a great purpose.
Whether you're a mini-golf pro or just looking for a good time, this event is perfect for everyone.
After golf enjoy some Ice Cream courtesy of The Polson Team with Cross Country Mortgage. Additional food items and drinks will be available for purchase.
Grab your friends and family and putt your way to victory while making a difference. See you there!
This is a fundraising event in support of the Breast Cancer Alliance . 100% of the net proceeds will be donated to their organization.
"The mission of Breast Cancer Alliance is to improve survival rates and quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer through better prevention, early detection, treatment and cure. To promote these goals, we invest in innovative research, breast surgery fellowships, education, dignified regional support and screening for the underserved."
Mini golf runs from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM! After you’ve conquered all 18 holes, swing by The Galley Green for some ice cream.
Putt-Putt for a Purpose With The Dober Team at Keller Williams
Please join us at Silvermine Galleries on Saturday May 17th from 5 - 7pm for the opening reception of the Fiber 2025 Exhibition.
This international exhibition seeks to showcase the best of contemporary fiber art that reflect the breadth of functional or non-functional works that use fiber and/or fiber art techniques in traditional or innovative ways. Artwork in this exhibition may be made from natural or high tech materials that reference fiber and that blur the lines between art, architecture and craft.
The exhibition will run from May 10th through June 19th, 2025.
It will be accompanied by two small exhibitions curated by browngrotta arts: Masters of the Medium: CT and Mastery and Materiality: International.
Fiber 2025 Exhibition at Silvermine Galleries
The Greenwich Art Society is offering:
YOUNG ARTISTS IN THE STUDIO, AGES 6-8
with OLGA KLYMYK
10 SATURDAYS
April 12 – June 21 (Except May 24)
10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Program Description
This class will explore new approaches to creativity with children. Using drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, and sculpture children will learn new skills and improve on old ones as they experiment with new media and different techniques. To reinforce their understanding, children will learn about important artists who are either historically significant or are forerunners in contemporary art. Come join in and stretch your imagination in a relaxed, fun environment. Materials supplied.
Instructor
Olga Klymyk
Olga Klymyk was born in the fall of 1977 in the Ukraine and grew to become a talented creative artist. A graduate of Arts & Crafts College in Kociv, she majored in Monumental Art, then completed graduate studies in graphics at University Stefanyke at Ivano-Frankivst, in the Ukraine.
After teaching art on the college level, painting murals in commercial buildings, consulting as an interior designer, as well as selling her art in retail stores, Olga emigrated to the USA in 2006 to continue exploring career opportunities.
She became a US citizen in 2011, and actively engages in a variety of work experiences to provide income for her and her teenage daughter living in Stamford, Ct. Olga gives private art instruction and teaches at the Ukrainian school. Although she has moved on from her membership, Ms. Klymyk spent the last few years as an active member of the Stamford based Loft Artists Association, now in its 40th year.
Olga is painting more, creating a new series, and pursuing new opportunities to exhibit and sell her growing collection of watercolor art that now consists of more than 30 pieces all professionally presented and ready to complete interiors.
The Greenwich Art Society is offering Young Artist in the Studio on Saturday mornings!
Heather Gaudio Fine Art is pleased to present Martin Kline: The World In All Its Plenitude, the artist’s fifth solo exhibition at the gallery. The public is invited to attend an opening reception on Saturday, May 3, 4-6pm, and the exhibition will remain on view through June 14th. A fully illustrated catalogue with an essay written by art critic and poet Carter Ratcliff accompanies the exhibition.
“…ever since he made his first mature work, Kline has felt free to make paintings that are not flat and sculptures that are powerfully pictorial. He is not just inventive. He is reliably – startlingly – original.” [1]
The show brings together thirty-nine works executed between 1997 and 2025, surveying Kline’s long-standing engagement with encaustic. Kline’s output has consistently been one of working in series, creating several paintings, drawings and sculpture surrounding a theme or idea. At times he has revisited these themes to expand his material investigations, technical mastery and visual explorations. The distinguishing motif in the paintings and sculptures presented in this show, regardless of the year or series they belong to, is that they all share in the color blue. Arguably one of the favorite colors on the spectrum, blue has for millennia captivated the human eye and carried a special allure for its symbolic and emotive qualities. From ancient China and Egypt to the Celtic times, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and Baroque periods, from the Industrial Revolution and the nineteenth century to the modern and contemporary era, blue has fascinated artists, musicians and writers. Sourced from cobalt, lapis lazuli, indigo, ultramarine and other materials, blue can transform into varying hues: cyan, navy, turquoise, aqua, midnight blue, sky blue, royal blue and aquamarine.
Kline’s nimble use of the color takes its hue and shade ranges in different directions, accentuating its characteristics and evocative nature with his adroit use of encaustic. Whether applied in flat bold brushstrokes, dripped or layered to create textured surfaces, Kline modulates the color and manipulates the material to create a vast range of visual experiences. Some grided paintings are structures that take on a retro feel with lighter and darker tones and hues, such as Blue Order and Blue and White Impression. The brushstrokes create a patchwork of tetris-like tiles seeming to compete for space. A mixture of values and tones in other panels such as Blue Grid are not as delineated and appear to meld into one another. These networks are transformed into more complex systems in Blue Mosaico (Tondo) and in the camo-bot series such as Patchwork Blue and Camo Bluebot.
Razzle Dazzle may be visually related to the latter two but is also part of another seminal body of work by the artist, the Hammock paintings. In this large panel, Kline’s line of enquiry comes from a narrative referenced in Leo Steinberg’s essay “Other Criteria.” In it, he touches on the 19th century artist Thomas Eakins’ addressing the question whether painting and sculpture should have the same moral standing as traditionally defined manual labor, and not just be considered an activity of leisure or pleasure. Kline’s Hammock paintings are created on actual canvas service hammocks, some dating back to WWII, that the artist has collected over the years. Razzle Dazzle, with its honey-combed surface and blue color patterns, camouflages the hammock on the panel, keeping the object used for work and /or leisure not readily apparent.
Audiences familiar with Kline’s artistic trajectory will enjoy viewing the deep, midnight blue, almost black The Prussian Blues (II), an encaustic on linen that would be a precursor to an important series in Kline’s oeuvre, the white linen, or Tabula Rasa, paintings. Other works on view include the artist’s signature additive layered Bloom, Jewel, and Leda paintings, with their surfaces so textured they become quasi sculptural, where shadow plays an important part in the visual engagement. When does a textured painting become a sculpture? The coup de grâce that drives this concept home is Diagonal Blue Growth on Canvas, a painting the artist cast into a unique bronze and finished with a rich blue patina to make it look like a painting.
About Martin Kline
Kline has had a prolific career as a painter, sculptor and draughtsman and his works have been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions in the United States and abroad. His works are in many notable public and private collections, including The Metropolitan Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art; the Brooklyn Museum and the Morgan Library in New York City; the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo; The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore; the Fogg Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge; The High Museum of Art, Atlanta; the Albertina, Vienna; The Museum of Fine Art, Houston; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland; the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Ohio University, Athens; the New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain; Triton Foundation, Belgium; Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, among others. Kline lives and works in upstate New York.
About Carter Ratcliff
American critic and poet Carter Ratcliff has published writings on art for The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Guggenheim Museum; the Royal Academy of Arts, London; Maxxi Museum of 21st Century Arts, Rome and many other institutions. He has contributed to notable art publications such as Art in America, Art Forum, Art News, Arts, Tate, and Art Presse, as well Vogue, Elle, and New York Magazine. Books include The Fate of a Gesture: Jackson Pollock and Postwar American Art, Out of the Box: The Reinvention of Art, and monographs on Andy Warhol, John Singer Sargent, Georgia O’Keeffe, Gilbert & George among others. His books of poetry include Fever Coast, Give Me Tomorrow and Arrivederci, Modernismo. Born in Seattle, Ratcliff lives and works in upstate New York.
Heather Gaudio Fine Art specializes in emerging and established artists, offering painting, works on paper, photography, and sculpture. The gallery provides a full-range of art advisory services, from forming and maintaining a collection, to securing secondary market material, to assisting with framing and installation. The focus is on each individual client, selecting art that best serves his or her vision, space, and resources. The six exhibitions offered every year are designed to present important talent and provide artwork appealing to a broad range of interests. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday; 10:30am to 5:30pm; and by appointment.
[1] Carter Ratcliff, “Martin Kline: The World in All Its Plenitude”, 2025, Martin Kline, exhibition catalogue
"Martin Kline: The World In All Its Plenitude"
This exhibition presents highlights from the collection of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum, which explores the impact of the Irish Famine of 1845-1852 through artwork produced by eminent Irish and Irish-American artists of the past 170 years. The works on view in the exhibition will include paintings by late 19th- and early 20th‐century artists like James Brenan, Daniel Macdonald, James Arthur O'Connor and Jack B. Yeats, as well as sculptures, paintings, and works on paper by contemporary artists including John Behan, Rowan Gillespie, Brian Maguire, and Hughie O'Donoghue. The exhibition is presented by Quinnipiac University and the Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield Exhibition.
An Gorta Mór: Selections from Ireland's Great Hunger Museum
We are pleased to announce our next On View feature, highlighting original landscape paintings by South Carolina-based artist Karin Olah on the main wall of Sorelle Gallery. The Feature will open Saturday, May 10, 2025. Visitors will have the opportunity to view new work by Karin, with light refreshments on opening day.
Inspired by the colors and light of coastal landscapes, Karin Olah creates multi-layered paintings with acrylic paint, hand-dyed fabric, and vintage textiles. Karin’s subject matter ranges from seascape to abstract expressionism to a dreamy place in-between.
Karin combines her obsession with textiles and quilts, a background in fashion design in NYC, a BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art, and an ever-growing fabric collection to add layers of texture to her work. She is a recipient of the Lowcountry Artist of the Year Award and an Artist-in-Residence at Palmetto Bluff. Her work has been on the cover of Charleston Magazine and featured in Southern Living, House & Garden Magazine, and American Contemporary Art Magazine. Her work is in public collections at Mayo Clinic Florida, Medical University of South Carolina, Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, and Ilya Corporation in Japan. Originally from Lancaster Country, Pennsylvania, Karin has lived in Charleston, South Carolina since 2003. Karin enjoys going to the beach, playing golf, being silly with her daughters, and chasing after a naughty labradoodle named Charlie.
"Fabric is something that evokes an emotional response," Olah says. "Soft materials can make us feel calm, relaxed, cozy, and safe. I use textiles in my paintings to suggest a connection between the beautiful places in nature and the comforting touch of a well-loved quilt. Inspiration for my subject matter comes from cloud watching at the beach, the stripes of ocean waves on the horizon, a patchwork of farm fields, the meandering thread of a creek through the marsh, and quiet time at the lake. My interpretations of landscapes focus on color and mood more than realism. In these dreamscapes, the brushstrokes are fabric."
Karin's paintings will be on view through Saturday, May 31st.
This On View feature is free and open to the public during gallery hours, Tuesday through Saturday 11:00am - 5:00pm. Street parking is available.
On View: Karin Olah
📅 Our 3rd Annual Rebel Daughter Day will be held Saturday, May 17th, 11am-3pm
🎪40-50 Small, local women-owned businesses will be popping up in front of our bakery. The event is FREE for vendors and attendees in the spirit of women supporting other women and supporting small businesses.
👭The businesses range from food and drink (hello pasta and pizza-making demonstrations, gluten-free and vegan foods, sushi, a champagne cart, an ice cream truck, and desserts galore!) to handmade jewelry, art, clothing and more! Vendors are a mix of more established purveyors you know and love to moms with a side hustle, passion, big dreams and a great product. Come out to shop, sample and support these awesome women! All are local, small businesses and all woman-owned!
🚗 Limited, paid parking available on-site in the Isaacs Square Parking Lot, or nearby parking decks (4 min walk) or street parking
🎫 Last year was a HUGE success! We estimate at least 850 people came from all over to shop and support! It was incredible! Come out and find your new favorite small, local business!
🛍️ Giveaways (free Rebel Daughter totes) to the first 30 attendees + enter raffles for RDC swag and girl power books by a local female author with all proceeds benefitting local non-profits!
3rd Annual Rebel Daughter Day!
Join us for “Museum Movers,” a Bruce Museum yoga class for learners ages 3-6 and their grownups. Participants will explore the Bruce Museum’s galleries using a variety of sensory and experiential modalities, followed by an exhibition inspired yoga class. Museum Movers uses movement, breath, group games and creative activities to reinforce the gallery experience. Come have fun in our galleries and get to know the Bruce in a whole new way. Wear comfortable clothing and be ready to take your shoes and socks off! We have a limited number of foam mats, please bring your own mat.
Cost: Free with admission to the Bruce Museum. Members admission is free with membership. Reservations required
Classes are held once a month on Saturdays, from 11am-12pm. Please meet at the Grand Hall Staircase.
Museum Movers: Yoga for Kids
Join us on Saturday, May 17th for a day of art in Bridgeport! Celebrate the 21st Anniversary of City Lights Gallery at 265 Golden Hill St, Bridgeport's downtown art hub, hosting a festive opening reception for the exhibit “21 Artists” from 3 PM - 6 PM. Stroll three blocks to Read’s ArtSpace at 1042 Broad St for the new exhibit “Mirrored Resilience” from 1 PM - 6PM. On the East Side, experience open studios at the American Fabrics Arts Building at 1069 Connecticut Ave (11AM - 6 PM) and the Bridgeport Innovation Center at 995 Connecticut Ave (12 PM - 5 PM). For more info go to BridgeportArtTrail.org Send inquiries to bridgeportarttrail@gmail.com
Bridgeport Spring Art Hop - May 17th Open Studios and Exhibits
The GR Art Gallery presents:
Ellen Gordon
“A Creative Journey II”
April 4th, 2025 – May 30th, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 5th from 4 PM – 7 PM
“A Creative Journey II”” is Ellen Gordon’s first solo exhibit at the GR Art Gallery. This exhibition is a retrospective of paintings and drawings by the artist created since 2009. In 2009 Ms. Gordon had her first solo exhibition entitled “A Creative Journey” at the Stamford Mayor’s Gallery. The exhibit will be on display from April 4th thru May 30th. Gallery hours are Wednesday - Saturday from 12-6 pm and from Sunday 12-4. Any time by appointment, 203-274-7497.
The GR Art Gallery will host a reception to celebrate the artist on Saturday April 5th from 4 – 7 PM. The public is invited.
Ellen Gordon is a Stamford, CT-based award-winning mixed media artist. The colors and patterns in her artwork are roller coaster rhythms of fences, grids, and fractured geometries – a kind of mapping. She guides us along a journey of the personal narrative through landscaped layers of abstraction and portraiture. Playful and speculative, the rhythms remain determinedly open-ended and essentially borderless. An un-plotted story with unbounded possibilities. Over the past two decades, Gordon’s work has evolved through many phases, but her main body of work centers on figurative collages - intimate yet colorful portrayals of a woman in her own thoughts, providing the viewer a window into honest moments with a series of striking and bold women. Her most recent work has been a transition into the abstract patterns, experimenting with geometric shapes and inverted forms in color palettes evoking various states of mind.
Ms. Gordon has been active in the local arts for many years. She currently serves on the board of The Greenwich Art Society and The Connecticut Women Artists. Ms. Gordon is a commissioner of The City of Stamford’s Cultural Arts and Culture Board. She is the former Executive Director of the Loft Artists Association and was Co President of the Stamford Art Association.
In 2022, Ms. Gordon became the curator of the Mayor's Art Gallery in Stamford, CT.
The GR Art Gallery is located at 1086 Long Ridge Road, Stamford, CT 06903. Gallery hours are Wednesday - Saturday from 12-6 pm and from Sunday 12-4. Any time by appointment, 203-274-7497. Parking is available and the building is handicap accessible.
"A Creative Journey II", Ellen Gordon at the GR Art Gallery
Get ready for a magical journey into the land of fairy tales at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre, where dreams come true and adventure awaits around every corner! In our final enchanting TYA production of 2025, witness the timeless tale of a beautiful princess cursed into a deep slumber, awaiting the kiss of true love to awaken her. But fear not, because a brave prince is ready to rise to the challenge! With his trusty sword in hand, he sets off to rescue the princess from the clutches of an evil witch and face the fiery breath of a fierce dragon.
But our hero won’t be alone on this daring quest! With a team of helpful fairies by his side and true love lighting the way, nothing can stand in the way of our intrepid prince and his sleeping beauty. Prepare to be swept off your feet as the princess is awakened, the witch is vanquished, and order is restored to the kingdom in a spectacle of magic, bravery, and true love’s triumph!
But wait, there’s more! At DCT, we’re known for putting our own unique twist on classic stories, so get ready for surprises around every corner that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you begging for more. So gather your family, pack your imagination, and join us for an unforgettable adventure that’s sure to capture your hearts and leave you believing in happily ever afters!
Our Theatre for Young Audiences shows are recommended for ages 3 to 10, but all ages are welcome!
Sleeping Beauty
Our beloved GARNER ARTS FESTIVAL returns on Saturday, May 17 & Sunday, May 18, 2025, from 12 PM to 6 PM each day.
Rain or shine.
Held within the iconic GARNER Historic District in Garnerville, NY.
Festival partner, TRADE AND PROSPER, will present a thoughtfully curated "Retro/Vintage Market", offering handmade crafts, eye-catching retro/vintage clothing, jewelry, and one-of-a-kind ephemera. Enjoy delicious samples from Hudson Valley’s premier makers, bakers, and top-shelf distilleries! Pairs well with a taste of North Rockland, as offered at our festival food court and beer garden.
The 2025 Arts Festival will feature
GARNER's signature festival attractions!
Open Studios
Live Music
World-class art exhibitions
Large-scale installations
Site-specific performances
Youth Art Offerings!
Regional Student Art Show
Hands-on Creative Workshops
(for children & adults)
Mark your calendars…
and
STAY TUNED for festival updates!
GARNER Arts Festival
The Greenwich Art Society is pleased to announce its 108th Annual Juried Exhibition, at the Bendheim Gallery at 299 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT. Exhibition dates are May 8th thru June 8th. There will be an opening reception and awards ceremony on Saturday May 8th from 5:15 - 6:30 PM. An online digital and virtual gallery will be available on our website, www.greenwichartsociety.org . All work will be for sale.
JUROR: Kelly Long is an art worker and writer currently serving as Senior Curatorial Assistant at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, where she has worked with the Photography Acquisitions Committee since 2017), developed exhibitions across mediums, including Rachel Harrison Life Hack (2019), Fragments of a Faith Forgotten: The Art of Harry Smith (2023, and a forthcoming exhibition focused on surrealism and the 1960’s. Most recently, she curated Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and the Last Gullah Islands (2024), and Trust Me (2023), a group exhibition exploring the role that vulnerability plays in forging connection, and the overlapping lives and loves of photography’s creators, viewers, and caretakers. Previously, she has held curatorial and teaching positions at the George Eastman Museum and at the University of Rochester. Her writing has appeared in the catalogues for Chiharu Shiota: The Hand Lines and Gail Thacker: Fugitive Moments, and in publications such as InVisible Culture and MOSSFLOWER. She holds a B.A. in art history from Vassar College, and an M.A. in visual and cultural studies from the University of Rochester, where her research focused on the engagement of postmodern and contemporary art with housing, exploring notions of being and belonging, access, and ownership in the art of our time.
AWARDS : Cash and other awards totaling over $2000 will be presented at the opening reception.
108th Annual Juried Exhibition at the Bendheim Gallery
Skaters & Spectators of all ages, join Skateport at Foolproof Brewing Company for our May Family Session! Rent a pair of skates with us or bring your own as we transform the Foolproof Gallery into a roller skating rink.
Skateport at Foolproof, Sat. May 17th (Family Session)
An extraordinary exhibition featuring stunning photographic images of birds, mammals and sea life engaging in their natural habitats. Vivid color, amazing action moments and the sheer beauty of the natural world are all masterfully captured by this talented, award-winning filmmaker, expeditionist and dedicated environmentalist.
FLYWAY OF LIFE, Wildlife Photography by Tomas Koeck
Incredicause Minifest 2025 - Aetheria Band
Come join us for a unique experience to help support the Christian Metal Band & National Fine Arts Competitor, Aetheria! The event will help fundraise their trip to Orlando, FL where they will perform the original song, "Forever in Your Grace." This event features exciting outdoor activities, including a Battle of the Bands, special guest performances, a 50/50 raffle fundraiser supporting Aetheria Band, a kids' play zone with bouncing, badminton, and freeze tag, along with food and beverages for sale. Indoor activities include an art show benefiting local artists, music workshop demos during band breaks, hands-on creativity sessions like painting and jewelry-making, and swimming available by appointment. Parking is limited to 25 vehicles so please carpool or get a ride when passes run out.
Aetheria Battle of the Bands Fine Arts Fundraiser
What: Community theater group Fairfield Center Stage (FCS) will present the musical comedy SISTER ACT, based on the hit movie in downtown Fairfield, CT. The show runs for two weekends, May 9-18, 2025 at Wakeman Hall inside First Church Congregational of Fairfield at 148 Beach Rd (free parking lot onsite). Tickets ($30 Regular / $45 VIP) are available for sale now.
When: The performance schedule is as follows: Fri May 9 @ 7:30pm, Sat May 10 @ 7pm, Sun May 11 @ 4pm, Fri May 16 @ 7:30pm, Sat May 17 @ 2pm, Sat May 17 @ 7pm, Sun May 18 @ 4pm.
Cast: The all-local cast includes Leondra Smith-West (Deloris Van Cartier), Marilyn Olsen (Mother Superior), Marcelle Morrisey (Sister Mary Robert), Najlaa Noonan (Sister Mary Patrick), Mia Tommins (Sister Mary Lazarus), Natasha Fenster (Sister Mary Martin of Tours), Sarah McCormack (Sister Mary Theresa), Emmanuella Dorcely (Michelle), Hailey Stevenson (Tina), Andy Stubbs (Monsignor O’Hara), Ken Skjeveland (Curtis), Jay Reyes (Eddie), Jess Ricketts (TJ), Jayden Santos (Pablo), Cheyenne Perez (Joey), John Moran (Ernie), and Brian Bish (Drag Queen). The Ensemble includes: Jim Hisey, Maggie Kruse, Ben Legum, Jacob Legum, Sam Matis, Bridget McBride, Alana Merly, Lindsay Protsko, Jasmin Salas, Rhet Sealfon, Lauren Sittard, Xoe Tracey, Taylor Tunstall and Jennifer Turner.
Production: The all-local production staff includes Director Brian Crook, Choreographer Bonnie Gregson, Music Director Ken Legum, Scenic Designer Kelley Wright, Costume Designer Christy McIntosh-Newsom, Sound Designer Chris Gensur, and Lighting Designer Don Rowe. Brian Bish serves as Media Manager, and Trudi Durrell serves as Stage Manager. Fairfield Center Stage is led by Artistic Director Christy McIntosh-Newsom & Executive Producer Eli Newsom.
Ticketing/seating policies: Regular reserved seating is available for $30. VIP table seating ($45) allows a bring-your-own-food option for 4-top and 6-top tables (must purchase entire table) and includes wine or soft drinks. There are also 2 front-row church pews for sale that seat 4 people ($25 per person, must purchase entire pew). No outside drinks at this event per the agreement with the venue. Concessions (drinks/snacks) available before and throughout the performance.
Table Seating Bring-Your-Own-Food option: VIP table patrons who have purchased a VIP table (sold as a 4-top or a 6-top) may choose to bring their own food to enjoy before and during the performance. No outside beverages permitted per the agreement with our venue. VIP patrons will also be provided their choice of a bottle of wine or non-alcoholic drinks (soda/water), and additional drinks may be purchased from concessions.
Individual seated patrons ($30): seating will be in regular row seating (folding chairs), 16 seats per row. There will be two front-row church pews available for sale at each performance. Bring-Your-Own-Food is not permitted in regular seating due to close proximity to other patrons (no outside food or drinks permitted for this seating section, but concessions food/drinks permitted.)
Seating begins approximately 30 minutes before showtime and the approximate running time is 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.
Concession snacks and drinks will be available before the show and at intermission. A bar with wine (red / white / sparkling), soft drinks, and candy/snacks will be open before and during the performance. Parking is free in the on-site lot. Indoor public restrooms available.
Patrons will check in at the entrance and show their phone with an order confirmation email. This is a paperless event. All sales are final and there are no refunds or exchanges, with the exception of an unforeseen canceled performance (in which case patrons will have the option to choose between being reseated at another performance, future credit, or a refund). Transferring tickets to another person’s name is allowed, email the box office for requests (info@fairfieldcenterstage.org).
Parental Advisory: all ages welcome (all patrons must have a ticket), but we recommend this full-length production for audience members age 8+, and it is not recommended for anyone under the age of 4. Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket. Please no babes in arms --- and as a courtesy to other patrons, guardians are thanked in advance for temporarily removing any rambunctious little ones to the outer lobby during the performance.
Audience Policy: In order to support a collaborative and respectful environment for our performers and audiences, the producers/house staff reserve the right to ask any disruptive patrons to exit the performance space.
About the show: Sister Act is the feel-good musical comedy smash based on the hit 1992 film that has audiences jumping to their feet! Featuring original music by Tony- and eight-time Oscar winner, Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), this uplifting musical was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
When disco diva, Deloris Van Cartier, witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won't be a found: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and uptight Mother Superior. Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and community but, in doing so, blows her cover. Soon, the gang is giving chase, only to find them up against Deloris and the power of her newly found sisterhood.
Following this show the 2024/25 season concludes with the 12th Annual Playathon on May 31. Future shows and auditions will be announced later this spring. Open call auditions are held throughout the year at various times.
Fairfield Center Stage is a local community theater group in Fairfield, CT that utilizes local artists and staff from Fairfield County. Inspired by the concept of environmental theatre, Fairfield Center Stage dedicates its seasons of shows to putting Fairfield “center stage,” by highlighting several of the town’s amazing venues.
For additional information about Fairfield Center Stage, visit www.fairfieldcenterstage.org
Fairfield Center Stage presents SISTER ACT -- Sat May 17 @ 2pm
Experience the highlights of the Bruce Museum’s exhibitions during a guided tour that is free with museum admission. No reservations are required but capacity is limited to twenty people on a first-come, first-served basis. Please check in with the front desk if you wish to join. Tours depart from the bottom of the staircase in the Grand Hall.
Exhibitions Highlights Tours - Saturdays
Looking for a furry addition to your family? Come to the Adopt and Stroll Pet Adoption event at the Richmond Hill Riverwalk! Lucky Dog Refuge will have their available dogs for adoption here to meet your new best pal.
The first 100 attendees will also be able to get a free Kona Ice slushie, courtesy of a generous donor!
Adopt and Stroll Pet Event
4th Annual Stafford Child Safety Day:
Don’t miss the fun and educational activities children and their families can enjoy at the upcoming “4th Annual Stafford Child Safety Day” being organized by West Stafford School. This free (rain or shine) event will be held on Saturday, May 17th from 2:00-4:00pm at Stafford High School located at 145 Orcuttville Road in Stafford Springs, CT. In fair weather, the event will be held on the field in front of the high school’s entrance. In poor weather, the event will be moved indoors to the back entrance utilizing the high school’s cafeteria and adjacent hallways.
Stafford Child Safety Day will offer three dozen groups featuring interactive vehicle displays such as: police cruisers, fire trucks, an ambulance, a high-tech satellite truck, several military vehicles, an environmental display and an ice cream truck. In addition, check out the CT State Police’s “Trooper Two” helicopter (weather permitting)!
Children and their families will also experience many safety and wellness groups featuring information on railroad safety, injury prevention, poison control, healthy relationships, impaired driving awareness, mental health resources, early childhood education, vision screenings, community and health resources and free Child ID Kits. Not to mention a free face painting booth!
If you have any questions, please contact Janice Morton at West Stafford School by calling 860-684-3181 (Ext. 50009) or by emailing mortonj@stafford.k12.ct.us.
4th Annual Stafford Child Safety Day
Get ready to rev up your social life because Stamford is gearing up for a thrilling evening of speed dating on May 17th, 2025! If you've been yearning for a fun and exciting way to meet new people, this event is your golden ticket to a night of potential connections and memorable encounters.
Stamford, known for its vibrant atmosphere and diverse community, sets the stage for a speed dating experience like no other. Picture yourself in a chic venue, surrounded by the city's lively energy, engaging in quick and lively conversations with an array of interesting individuals.
What sets this event apart? Well, mark May 17th, 2025 on your calendar because all participants are in for a delightful treat – a free drink to kick off the evening! It's the perfect icebreaker to set the mood for a day of laughter, shared stories, and maybe even a spark or two.
The beauty of speed dating lies in its fast-paced yet relaxed environment. Each encounter lasts just long enough to leave you intrigued and excited for the next. Whether you're a Stamford local or a newcomer to the city, this event is your chance to expand your social circles and potentially find that special someone.
So, why not make May 17th, 2025, a date to remember? Join us in Stamford for an unforgettable day of sizzling connections, where laughter flows as freely as the drinks. Who knows? The person of your dreams might just be a speed date away. Don't miss out on the chance to make new connections and create lasting memories in the heart of Stamford!
How Does Speed Dating In Stamford Work?
- Pre-purchase your Stamford Speed Dating Ticket in advance!
- We will email you where to check in up to a week before the event!
- Upon checking in you will be given access to a digital Matchmaking Form to keep notes and evaluate your potential compatibility with others.
- Upon checking in on the day of the event you will be greeted by our staff and will be guided to a table for the start of the game.
- You will be given conversation starters for ice breakers. You may also choose not to use them.
- You will be given 5 minutes to talk to each partner.
- After the event ends we will reach out via email/sms to inform you of your matches from the event.
What's Included With Ticket🚨
- A Fun Way To Meet Singles In Stamford🔥
- Exclusive Food Or Drink Specials 🍻
- 1 FREE Drink 🍺
- DateFaster.com Digital Match Form ✅
- Get 2 Tries (With VIP Pass) 🤩
- On-Site Staff 🕺
What Can I Expect From Speed Dating In Stamford?
You can expect to have a fun experience meeting other singles in your area.
This could be a stepping stone to find your perfect match!
Visit Datefaster.com for more information and discounts.
Disclaimer: Must be 24 years or older to participate in our events with a valid form of government issued id. Food or drink specials may be subject to change at the venue's discretion. All sales are final as there are no refunds unless the event is cancelled. By attending our event you are giving us approval to exchange your contact information with only the people you match with.
Speed Dating Stamford Singles 24-39
“Croc Couture” is a high-energy, fashion-forward customization event where guests transform their Crocs into bold, personalized style statements—without a single stitch required.
This event is part creative workshop, part social fashion lounge, and fully aligned with the playful, expressive spirit of Ladur Sewciety. It invites guests to explore their personal style through Crocs customization using a wide variety of materials and embellishments, from glam rhinestones to punk chains to whimsical charms.
Target Audience : Creative adults who love fashion, DIY, and playful self-expression. Ideal for friend groups, date nights, or solo creatives looking for a fun night out.
Croc Couture: Custom Crocs Party
Preservation Connecticut and Connecticut's Historic Preservation Office explain the importance of historic preservation and the process for preserving buildings and structures in Connecticut.
Historic Preservation: Why Do We Preserve Buildings
Get ready for a magical journey into the land of fairy tales at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre, where dreams come true and adventure awaits around every corner! In our final enchanting TYA production of 2025, witness the timeless tale of a beautiful princess cursed into a deep slumber, awaiting the kiss of true love to awaken her. But fear not, because a brave prince is ready to rise to the challenge! With his trusty sword in hand, he sets off to rescue the princess from the clutches of an evil witch and face the fiery breath of a fierce dragon.
But our hero won’t be alone on this daring quest! With a team of helpful fairies by his side and true love lighting the way, nothing can stand in the way of our intrepid prince and his sleeping beauty. Prepare to be swept off your feet as the princess is awakened, the witch is vanquished, and order is restored to the kingdom in a spectacle of magic, bravery, and true love’s triumph!
But wait, there’s more! At DCT, we’re known for putting our own unique twist on classic stories, so get ready for surprises around every corner that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you begging for more. So gather your family, pack your imagination, and join us for an unforgettable adventure that’s sure to capture your hearts and leave you believing in happily ever afters!
Our Theatre for Young Audiences shows are recommended for ages 3 to 10, but all ages are welcome!
Sleeping Beauty
Come discuss a book on the 3rd Saturday of each month. We alternate between fiction and nonfiction books. There will be a catch up session at end of the year to review everything from the year!
January: Queer Privacy
Feb: A Lady for a Duke- ALexis Hall
March: Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique
May: Body Horror: Capitalism, Fear, Misogyny, Jokes
June: Man O'War by Cory McCarthy
July: Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity
August: Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
Bethel Pride's Book club
FAITH PURPOSE & CONNECTION
Come join us for an uplifting and inspiring event at Jubilee Christian Sanctuary! Get ready to connect with like-minded individuals and explore the power of faith and purpose in our lives. This in-person event will take place on Sat May 17 2025 at 15:00:00 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) at 2226 Fairfield Ave.
Experience a day filled with insightful discussions, meaningful connections, and spiritual growth. A day filled with food, prizes, and laughter. We thank you in advance for your support!
FAITH PURPOSE & CONNECTION
The Loft Artists Association (LAA) is excited to announce its Annual Spring Juried Exhibition, titled “ ZING”. The exhibition will be on display at the Loft Artists Gallery from April 26 through June 8, 2025, with an opening reception and awards ceremony on Saturday, April 26 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM. The Gallery located at 575 Pacific Street in Stamford, CT is open weekends from 1:00 – 4:00 PM. Beth Gersh Nešić, visiting juror and independent curator, invited artists to submit works that celebrate joy, positivity, excitement, good energy, and humor. This “ZING” should communicate directly to the viewer through color, line, form, composition, and/or content. It should move hearts and minds viscerally, intellectually, cognitively, and/or spiritually.
ZING!- Our Annual Spring Juried Exhibition
Come join us and learn all the basic skills of macrame workshop, every third Saturday of the month.
Macrame workshop!
Connecticut’s premier creative networking experience is back and ready to kick off the summer!
Luminary Artist Showcase: Presented by Starrlight Social
The Friends of the Music at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, New Canaan, CT , proudlypresents: “Two Frenchies, four hands” a piano recital by Edward Tipton and Andrew Kimsey. Saturday May 17th, 2025 , at 5:00 PM , St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 111 Oenoke Ridge , New Canaan, CT.
Much of the music coming from France, from the mid-19th century until the early 20th, has an unmistakable "French" sound - rich in tone color, sometimes ambiguous in harmony, and evocative of a certain mood or atmosphere. This recital features piano compositions of four prominent composers: Ravel, Fauré, Debussy, and Lili Boulanger, including two works for piano four hands: Ravel's Ma mère l’Oye (the “Mother Goose” suite), and Fauré’s Dolly Suite for piano. Also included are solo works by Debussy (Estampes), Lili Boulanger (Prélude in D-flat) and Fauré (Nocturne No. 6, in D-flat). Join us for a tonal voyage to Impressionist France!
Pianist Andrew Kimsey has produced a variety of work for piano, choral, vocal, electronic music, and other entertainment genres, as well as having written and produced his own recordings. His published choral service setting of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (Paraclete Press Inc.), premiered at Southwark Cathedral, London, in 2005 by Atlanta’s Peachtree Road United Methodist Choir. Other notable performances of the same work include the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys in New York City.
Pianist, organist, and conductor “Ned“ Tipton is Director of Music Ministries at St. Mark’s, and came to New Canaan after seven years at St. John’s Cathedral, Los Angeles; preceded by twenty-one years as Director of Music at the American Cathedral in Paris. Mr. Tipton has performed and conducted throughout the U.S. and Europe.
The event is followed by a light reception.
General tickets $30, Students $10 ($35 and $15 day of the event) / available Here
More information about the 2024-2025 season of the Friends of Music at St. Mark’s is available HERE
Contact:
Ned Tipton, Director of Music Ministries
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
(203) 966-4515, x 113
“Two Frenchies, four hands” a piano recital by Edward Tipton and Andrew Kimsey!
Come and try some delicious homemade food!
Chicken Parm Dinner
Norwalk to Host Medal of Honor Recipient Jim "Doc" McCloughan for Special Dinner and Memorial Ceremony
Norwalk, CT – The Norwalk Veterans Memorial Committee is honored to welcome Medal of Honor recipient Jim "Doc" McCloughan to Norwalk for a weekend of remembrance, reflection, and community recognition.
A special dinner in Mr. McCloughan’s honor will be held on Saturday, May 17, at 6:00 p.m. at the Norwalk Inn. The public is warmly invited to attend this event and hear firsthand from one of our nation’s most decorated military heroes.
Jim McCloughan was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2017 by President Donald Trump for his acts of extraordinary bravery and heroism while serving as a combat medic during the Vietnam War. From May 13 to May 15, 1969 , McCloughan risked his life numerous times to rescue and treat wounded soldiers under intense enemy fire.
Notably, McCloughan served in the same unit as Norwalk native Daniel Shea , who was killed in action on May 14, 1969. At the request of the Shea family, Mr. McCloughan has graciously agreed to speak at the Veterans Memorial Ceremony on Sunday, May 18 at 12:30 p.m. , to be held at the Shea-Magrath Memorial and Wall of Remembrance.
“Welcoming a veteran of this caliber to Norwalk is a tremendous honor,” said Jeff DeWitt, Chairman of the Norwalk Veterans Memorial Committee. “This weekend is not just about history—it’s about personal sacrifice, brotherhood, and the power of remembrance. We hope the community will join us in showing our deep appreciation.”
McCloughan will be traveling from his home in Michigan with his wife and their two dogs to attend the weekend’s events.
Those interested in attending the dinner can RSVP through the following link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/d...
About the Norwalk Veterans Memorial Committee:
The Norwalk Veterans Memorial Committee is dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of Norwalk’s military veterans through events, education, and the preservation of local memorials and history.
Norwalk to Host Medal of Honor Recipient Jim "Doc" McCloughan for Special Dinner and Memorial Ceremony
Mr. McCloughan was raised in the rural area of Bangor, MI. He graduated from Olivet College in 1968 with a BA in Sociology. Drafted into the United States Army in 1968, Jim served as a combat medic with the Americal Division where he rose to the rank of Specialist Five. In one battle alone “Doc” McCloughan has been credited with moving into the “kill zone” on ten occasions, saving ten American lives and one Vietnamese interpreter’s life.
Specialist McCloughan was highly decorated receiving the Combat Medic Badge, two Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars with “V” device for valor, The U. S. Army Valorous Unit Citation, The National Defense Medal, The Good Conduct Medal, The Vietnam Service Medal with three Battle Stars, The Vietnam Campaign Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palms and one Oak Leaf Cluster and the M16 Expert Rifle Badge. In 2017, Jim was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military commendation.
In 1970, upon returning home from service to our country, Mr. McCloughan resumed his contract with South Haven Public Schools and in 1972 earned a MA in counseling. Remaining with South Haven High School for 38 years, Jim taught psychology and sociology while coaching football, wrestling, baseball, and American Legion Baseball. As a MHSAA wrestling official, he was selected to referee eighteen MI Wrestling State Finals. Jim has been inducted into three athletic halls of fame, plus the MI High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, the MI High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame, and the MI High School Coaches Hall of Fame which represents coaches from all boys’ and girls’ sports. In June 2019, Jim was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Since retirement Jim has remained dedicated to his community and the nation, as a member of non-profit organizations, serving multiple charitable projects, assuming roles on boards and performing as a vocalist. Representing the Medal of Honor, Jim speaks across the nation. He and his wife, Chérie, reside in Saugatuck, MI. They have four adult children, seven grandchildren, and two standard poodles.
Dinner with Medal Of Honor recipient Doc McCloughan
New Canaan Library invites the community to a free music and dance party under the stars on Saturday, May 17th on the Library Green. We're thrilled to share an evening of country music featuring SHOT DOWN band, performing their upbeat and energetic playlist of modern and standard country favorites. You'll also be treated to expert dance instruction to tune up your line dancing skills, led by a team from New Canaan's own Fred Astaire Dance Studio.
Purchase delicious food from the Avellino Family BBQ truck or bring your own picnic dinner.
Bring your picnic blankets and chairs to spread out on the Library Green.
The Library Green is a carry-in and carry-out space in keeping with the Library's sustainability aims. Compostable trash bags will be provided so that you can take home whatever you have carried in.
Restrooms and a water refill station are inside the library.
Advance registration for this fun evening is required.
Leading corporate sponsorship support for this program has been generously provided by Karl Chevrolet and Walter Stewart's.
Groove on the Green Free Outdoor Concert
Join us for our first live music event of the year! We're so excited to welcome Parker's Tangent, a New Haven-based band with a unique blend of blues and art-rock, to the studio. Led by Leslie VanEtten Broatch's soulful vocals, the group also features Arthur Bargar (guitar), Hal Klein (bass), Joe Rosano (drums), and Ken Ryu (violin). Their set will showcase original compositions that highlight the band’s chemistry and musical range.
Celebrate the coming of summer with a night of great music and good vibes at Studio Andreas! Doors open at 7:00PM, performance beings at 8:00PM. Food and refreshments will be served, we hope to see you there!
Studio Andreas Presents: Parker's Tangent 🎸
New York City’s Premier ABBA Tribute – Mamma Mania!
Prepare to be transported back to the vibrant 1970s as New York City’s premier ABBA
tribute band, Mamma Mania! brings the classic hits of one of pop music's most iconic
groups to life. With their dazzling costumes, flawless harmonies, and captivating stage
presence, this tribute captures the essence of ABBA’s unforgettable sound.
From "Dancing Queen" to "Mamma Mia," fans will enjoy a night filled with nostalgia from a
stellar cast of musicians! Performers include current or former touring members of:
Mamma Mia - Official North American Tour, Marc Martel’s Queen Extravaganza, INXS,
Britney Spears, Rob Thomas, The Weeknd and many more! Mamma Mania! pays homage to ABBA's legacy, celebrating the timeless melodies and uplifting lyrics that have charmed
listeners for generations.
Join us for an evening of music that showcases not only the incredible songs but also the
joyful spirit of ABBA. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to their music, this tribute
promises to be an unforgettable experience filled with energy, enthusiasm, and plenty of
dancing. Don't miss your chance to be part of this extraordinary celebration of ABBA from
some of New York’s finest!!
Mamma Mania! NYC'S Premier ABBA Celebration - Bridgeport, CT
2025 PARKER PROJECT BENEFIT
Performance and Fundraiser to support access to the Arts
Saturday, May 17<sup>th</sup> at 7:00pm at Mertens Theater
For the past 17 years The Parker Project, a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization founded by Nikole LaChioma, has been supporting Fairfield County students going on to pursue the arts. Each year we award the Steven A. Merrihew Performing Arts Scholarship to those graduating Fairfield County Seniors going on to pursue dance, choreography or musical theater as a Major or Minor in college. To date we have awarded over $90,000.
This year we are giving out one $5,000 and two $1,000 Scholarships to deserving graduating Seniors of any public or private Fairfield County High School. The Benefit is an amazing concert and all the funds go to scholarships.
Tickets are $25 and are 100% tax deductible. To reserve your seats or make a donation Venmo @theparkerproject. Please indicate your name, number of tickets or if it is donation. Tickets will be held at the Will Call the night of the performance. Thank you!
In addition, The Parker Project supports and scholarships local dancers for class tuition, summer programs, costumes, competition fees and more. In just the past two years students from the Fairfield County area have received over $28,000 in scholarships. It is the goal of The Parker Project to support access to the arts on both a talent and need basis for our community's youth.
The Parker Project was founded in 2007 by Nikole LaChioma and is a 501© 3 non-profit organization. All donations to the organization are tax deductible under the fullest extent of the law.
2025 Parker Project Benefit - Performing Arts Scholarship Concert for Ffld County Graduating Seniors
Mark your calendar for the annual Spring for Abilis Gala on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Abilis, the nonprofit organization providing services and support to more than 800 individuals with special needs and their families, will transform Greenwich Country Club into a spectacular spring party for an unforgettable evening of joy, connection and community. Spring for Abilis will feature celebrity emcee Billy Blanks Jr., and music by ETA Music. The evening offers dinner, dancing and charitable giving through exciting silent and live auctions, the Abilis Giving Garden and Abilis Art Gallery. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at https://2025abilisgala.givesmart.com.
purchase much-needed every day items for Abilis’ programs, like diapers, books, and educational games for Abilis’ Birth to Three program, and other needed items for Abilis’ lifespan programs. The Abilis Giving Garden will be live on the Spring for Abilis website prior to the Gala and the community is invited to participate in supporting these crucial needs for the organization. The Abilis Art Gallery will also be available online for anyone to bid on wonderful, one-of-a-kind artwork created by Abilis community members. There will also be a fabulous silent and live auction as part of this special evening. For the most up to date information on Spring for Abilis, please visit: https://2025abilisgala.givesmart.com.
To purchase Spring for Abilis tickets, sponsor or learn more, visit abilis.us.
Spring for Abilis
WHAT: Community theater group Fairfield Center Stage (FCS) will present the musical comedy SISTER ACT, based on the hit movie in downtown Fairfield, CT. The show runs for two weekends, May 9-18, 2025 at Wakeman Hall inside First Church Congregational of Fairfield at 148 Beach Rd (free parking lot onsite). Tickets ($30 Regular / $45 VIP) are available for sale now.
WHEN: The performance schedule is as follows: Fri May 9 @ 7:30pm, Sat May 10 @ 7pm, Sun May 11 @ 4pm, Fri May 16 @ 7:30pm, Sat May 17 @ 2pm, Sat May 17 @ 7pm, Sun May 18 @ 4pm.
WHO: This production will feature a cast of 30 local performers and a live onstage band of 5 musicians.
The all-local production staff includes Director Brian Crook, Choreographer Bonnie Gregson, Music Director Ken Legum, Scenic Designer Kelley Wright, Costume Designer Christy McIntosh-Newsom, Sound Designer Chris Gensur, and Lighting Designer Don Rowe. Brian Bish serves as Media Manager, and Trudi Durrell serves as Stage Manager. Fairfield Center Stage is led by Artistic Director Christy McIntosh-Newsom & Executive Producer Eli Newsom.
The all-local cast includes Leondra Smith-West (Deloris Van Cartier), Marilyn Olsen (Mother Superior), Marcelle Morrisey (Sister Mary Robert), Najlaa Noonan (Sister Mary Patrick), Mia Tommins (Sister Mary Lazarus), Natasha Fenster (Sister Mary Martin of Tours), Sarah McCormack (Sister Mary Theresa), Emmanuella Dorcely (Michelle), Hailey Stevenson (Tina), Andy Stubbs (Monsignor O’Hara), Ken Skjeveland (Curtis), Jay Reyes (Eddie), Jess Ricketts (TJ), Jayden Santos (Pablo), Cheyenne Perez (Joey), John Moran (Ernie).
The Ensemble includes: Jim Hisey, Maggie Kruse, Ben Legum, Jacob Legum, Sam Matis, Bridget McBride, Alana Merly, Lindsay Protsko, Jasmin Salas, Rhett Sealfon, Lauren Sittard, Xoe Tracey, Taylor Tunstall and Jennifer Turner.
Ticketing/seating policies:
Regular reserved seating is available for $30. VIP table seating ($45) allows a bring-your-own-food option for 4-top and 6-top tables (must purchase entire table). There are also 2 front-row church pews for sale that seat 4 people ($25 per person, must purchase entire pew). No outside drinks at this event per the agreement with the venue. Concessions (drinks/snacks) available before and throughout the performance.
Table Seating Bring-Your-Own-Food option:
VIP table patrons who have purchased a VIP table (sold as a 4-top or a 6-top) may choose to bring their own food to enjoy before and during the performance. No outside beverages permitted per the agreement with our venue. VIP patrons will also be provided their choice of a bottle of wine or non-alcoholic drinks (soda/water), and additional drinks may be purchased from concessions.
Individual seated patrons ($30):
seating will be in regular row seating (folding chairs), 16 seats per row. There will be two front-row church pews available for sale at each performance. Bring-Your-Own-Food is not permitted in regular seating due to close proximity to other patrons (no outside food or drinks permitted for this seating section, but concessions food/drinks permitted.)
Seating begins approximately 30 minutes before showtime and the approximate running time is 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.
About the show: Sister Act is the feel-good musical comedy smash based on the hit 1992 film that has audiences jumping to their feet! Featuring original music by Tony- and eight-time Oscar winner, Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), this uplifting musical was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
When disco diva, Deloris Van Cartier, witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won't be a found: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and uptight Mother Superior. Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and community but, in doing so, blows her cover. Soon, the gang is giving chase, only to find them up against Deloris and the power of her newly found sisterhood.
Fairfield Center Stage presents SISTER ACT
Quite the Combination! Join us on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 7:30pm at the Norwalk Concert Hall as the Orchestra presents its season finale with great music and soloists! This will be an event not to be missed.
Tickets on sale now through our website, by calling or emailing the office or at the door. Hope to see you there!
Norwalk Symphony & Don Giovanni!
Featuring acclaimed soloists with chorus members from Fairfield County Chorale
Bringing opera to the Norwalk Symphony stage once more, we present Mozart’s Don Giovanni, hailed as the epitome of 18<sup>th</sup>-century artistry. Beyond the tale of a notorious rake, it delves into deeper themes. Rumor suggests Librettist Lorenzo da Ponte fashioned “the Don” (Don Juan) after his friend, Giacomo Casanova. Beneath the comedic surface lies a damning critique of aristocratic sexism and greed, ultimately doomed to Hell. With Chris Mirto’s stage direction, this production is sure to captivate!
Please bring any non-perishable food items to donate to The Pantry at Connecticut Community College in Norwalk.
Don Giovanni
Experience the power and beauty of contemporary ballet as East Coast Contemporary Ballet (ECCB) returns to the Darien Arts Center for three special performances. Join us on May 15, 16, and 17 at 7:30 p.m. for a weekend of all-original works choreographed by ECCB’s talented artistic directors and company members.
Known for blending classical technique with innovative movement, ECCB will debut a captivating program that showcases the athleticism, artistry, and emotional depth of its professional dancers.
Tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for students. Performances will take place at the Darien Arts Center, 2 Renshaw Road, Darien, CT.
Don't miss this opportunity to experience groundbreaking contemporary ballet right in your community!
Click here to purchase tickets
East Coast Contemporary Ballet: New Spring Season "Continuum" at the Darien Arts Center
🎻 Rising Stars Performing Arts Presents: Fiddler on the Roof JR. 🎭
Join us for an unforgettable journey to the little village of Anatevka in Fiddler on the Roof JR., a special adaptation of the nine time Tony Award winning Broadway classic. This timeless musical follows Tevye the milkman as he tries to protect his five daughters and his way of life in a world that’s rapidly changing.
Set in Czarist Russia and created by Broadway legends Jerome Robbins, Harold Prince, Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joseph Stein, Fiddler on the Roof JR. explores the universal theme of tradition in a way that transcends barriers of race, class, nationality, and religion. With warmth, humor, and honesty, this beloved story tackles love, faith, family, and the bonds of community, making it a perfect introduction to musical theatre for audiences of all ages.
Featuring iconic songs like “Tradition,” “Matchmaker,” and “If I Were a Rich Man,” this production showcases the incredible talent and heart of our Rising Stars students.
✨ Directed by Joe Santaniello
💃 Choreographed by Jessica Rae Foulds
Whether you're a longtime theatre fan or new to the stage, this spirited production will leave you laughing, crying, and humming along.
🎟️ Don’t miss your chance to celebrate tradition with us, get your tickets today!
📅 Friday, May 17 at 7:30 PM
📅 Saturday, May 18 at 3:00 PM
📍 81 West Rocks Road, Norwalk, CT
Fiddler on the Roof JR.
This event is General Admission Standing Room Only on the Floor, and Reserved Seated in the Balcony.
PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC FT. GEORGE CLINTON
Links: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Parliament Funkadelic feat. George Clinton
Set in the prohibition-era -inspired tasting room of SoNo 1420 , this night promises handcrafted cocktail s, an electric comedy lineup , and a vibe that’s equal parts refined and unfiltered.
Hard Headed Comedy , the powerhouse women-owned production company created by Luz Michelle , brings its signature high-energy, diverse, and inclusive lineup to this intimate space where every seat feels like VIP.
Join Kendra Cunningham , Michale Brigante , Alyce Chan , and Luz Michelle for a night of laughter, libations, and unforgettable moments. The space is limited , the drinks are flowing, and the comedy is unapologetically bold.
Secure your tickets now—this one’s selling fast!
Kendra Cunningham is a Boston-born stand-up comic, comedy writer, actress and filmmaker living in Brooklyn, where she owns a super comfortable bed. She also bartends and has an MA in Forensic Psychology .
Michael Brigante , having performed to sold-out audiences in comedy clubs and theaters throughout the United States- this Caribbean born, New York City-bred , performer is unapologetic in his approach to humor as he explores topics such as parenting, weight loss and growing up in the city that never sleeps.
Alyce Chan has been featured on CBC Radio, Today Parents and NBC New York. She also founded one of the biggest parenting platforms, MOMCOMNYC, which Vogue named among the top 6 funniest parenting Instagram accounts .
As Founder of Hard Headed Comedy™ , a women-owned powerhouse production company based in New York. Luz Michelle has hosted over 200 shows across the Tri-State area, showcasing diverse and inclusive line-ups. She has curated and produced several notable sister shows of Hard Headed Comedy, including Still Standing Monologues, Queerlarious, and Bluntness Comedy.
SoNo 1420 After Dark: A Night of Laughter & Spirits
Ally Venable
Texas blues-rock singer/songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire, Ally Venable, entertains wherever she goes. With her signature glitter dresses and black knee-high boots, Venable comes off of the ropes swinging dazzling crowds on tour or throughout the festival circuit. "Venable pulls off a stunner of gritty and/or sultry blues rock tunes embellished with lots of tasty guitar solos." - Guitar Player Magazine. A Kilgore, Texas native, Ally began singing at church at four and picked up the guitar at age 12. By 13, she started her own band and through her early influence of Stevie Ray Vaughan captured the passion and yearning for more in the blues genre. Early releases No Glass Shoes (2016) and Puppet Show (2018) started her fanbase, charting radio play, and several East Texas Music Awards. It was 2019’s #2 Billboard Blues charting Texas Honey and rocking sets on Ruf’s European Blues Caravan tour that propelled her internationally. “Ally is the future of blues and the crossover music of American roots-rock.” - Mike Zito.
In what silenced many musicians during the pandemic, Venable now in her 20’s, released another Blues Billboard charting album, Heart of Fire (2021), which challenged her to write not only about love but the unguarded honesty of feeling pain.”On this album,I really wanted to create a tone of overcoming your struggles and persevering through them,” she explains. Mentor and featured artist on this album, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, lends his guitar skills on XM Bluesville’s charted song, “Bring on the Pain.” In 2022, Guitar World Magazine named Ally #2 on the top 15 Young Guns Making the Gibson Les Paul Cool Again, and she received the Road Warrior award from the Independent Blues Music Awards. Along with Ally’s own tour domestically and in Europe, her band has supported Buddy Guy and Kenny Wayne Shepherd throughout the US, as well as Colin James in Canada. She has performed as a featured artist on the Experience Hendrix Show at the ACL Live at Moody Theater in Austin, Texas.
Ally Venable: Money & Power Tour
Welcome to the Pre-Memorial Day Celebration!
Come join us for a fun-filled event on Sun, May 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM at 800 Union Ave. Get ready for a day of music, food, and community spirit as we kick off the holiday season!
Don't miss out on the chance to celebrate with friends and family before Memorial Day. There will be games, live performances, and delicious food for everyone to enjoy.
Mark your calendars and spread the word - this is an event you won't want to miss!
Pre-Memorial Day Celebration
A one-of-a-kind triathlon dedicated to the most personalized racer experience. This local gem features a 1-mile swim in Pinewood Lake, a challenging 25-mile out-and-back ride, and a 5-mile run around the lake with some serious hills. Proceeds of the BoFish go towards the Cardinal Sheehan Center in Bridgeport
6th Annual BoFish Triathlon Presented by Happy Place
Staples Tuition Grants Kids Fun Run
Come join us for a day of fun at the Staples Tuition Grants Kids Fun Run!
Staples Tuition Grants is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Staples High School graduates who need financial assistance pay for college. Please visit staplestuitiongrants.org for more information.
This event is perfect for kids PreK - 5th Grade who love to run and have a great time. Lace up your sneakers and get ready to race with other kids in a friendly and supportive environment. The event will have activities like a bounce house, face painting, snacks, awards, and more! Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to run, play, and make new friends. See you at the starting line!
Staples Tuition Grants Kids Fun Run
March 29 through June 1
Reception: Thursday, April 10, 6-8 pm, in the Trefz Forum; click here for more information. (Reception kicks off at 6 pm, followed by a conversation between 5iveFingaz and Miggs Burroughs at 7 pm.) Click here for more on VersoFest 2025!
In the Sheffer Gallery: Visual Verses
Visual Verses is an immersive art exhibit that merges the expressive power of visual art with the profound impact of language. Each painting in this collection is paired with original phrases crafted to evoke thought, emotion, and reflection. The artwork transcends traditional boundaries, using bold colors and dynamic compositions to amplify the messages embedded within the text. This fusion of imagery and words invites viewers to engage not only with the aesthetics but also with the deeper narratives and meanings behind each piece.
At its core, Visual Verses carries a strong social conscience, addressing themes of justice, equality, and human connection. The text-based elements of the exhibit deliver positive messages meant to inspire, uplift, and provoke meaningful conversations. Through this harmonious blend of art and language, the exhibit aims to spark awareness and foster a sense of community, encouraging viewers to reflect on their role in shaping a more compassionate and just world.
In the South Gallery: Interactive Community Participation Mural
This Interactive Community Participation Mural will be designed by 5ive, with members of the community to help fill it in on Saturday, April 5, from 10 am to 2 pm during the VersoFest 2025 Weekend Kickoff Celebration hosted by 5ive (also featuring DJs and other fun fare for the whole family!) This exhibit will invite the viewer to participate in the making of the artwork, interacting with the canvas and materials so that both tactile processes and community contribution are as much a part of the piece as the art itself.
In the Jesup Gallery: Graffiti Art Mural
More information regarding scheduled mural participation times and 5ive’s Jesup Gallery exhibit is forthcoming. Stay tuned and join in on the fun at VersoFest 2025!
In addition to his art exhibits, 5iveFingaz will also be leading two back-to-back sessions of his Verso University course Graffiti 101: Finding Your Voice as a Graffiti Artist on Saturday, April 5.
About 5iveFingaz
5iveFingaz is a visionary artist whose work seamlessly bridges the realms of street art, contemporary expression, and social consciousness. Renowned for his distinctive fusion of bold visuals and thought-provoking text, 5iveFingaz crafts pieces that resonate deeply with audiences, challenging them to reflect on both personal experiences and broader societal issues. His signature style often features vibrant colors juxtaposed with powerful, concise phrases that speak directly to the heart of human experience, exploring themes of love, resilience, unity, and justice. Emerging from a background rich in urban culture and creative exploration, 5iveFingaz honed his artistic voice through a unique blend of trained and self-taught techniques and active community engagement. His art transcends traditional canvases, finding life on walls, public spaces, and unconventional surfaces, transforming everyday environments into platforms for inspiration and dialogue. The artist’s work has garnered global attention not only for its striking aesthetic appeal but also for its profound ability to connect with diverse audiences on an intimate level.
At the core of his practice lies the "Love More Than Ever" movement, a heartfelt initiative that underscores the importance of uplifting one another with kindness and understanding. 5iveFingaz’s unwavering commitment to positive messaging and social awareness drives his creative process, with each piece serving as a rallying cry for change. His work urges viewers to reflect on their roles in fostering a more compassionate and equitable world. Through exhibitions, collaborations, and public art projects, he amplifies voices that are often unheard, using art as a powerful tool for empowerment and community building. As his influence continues to grow, 5iveFingaz remains steadfast in his mission to spark meaningful conversations and inspire action, solidifying his place as a transformative figure in the contemporary art scene.
5iveFingaz Art Exhibits at VersoFest 2025
Join us for an energizing morning of fitness and fun with a Zumba class and stay for Brunch! Start your day with an exciting, high-energy Zumba class led by Christina Rabasco, where you'll dance, groove, and get your heart pumping to upbeat music. Whether you're a Zumba pro or a first-timer, everyone is welcome to join in on the fun!
Tickets are just $10 and include one mimosa (21+). Following the class, if interested - Brunch is offered from 10-3pm for $35/per person (N/A Beverages included only).
Whether you're coming with friends or meeting new people, this event is all about having a great time while staying active and enjoying good food. So, grab your sneakers, bring your positive energy, and let's move, munch, and make some memories!
We strongly advise making a brunch reservation to secure a table. Please note that walk-in guests will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis.
