Cultural Events & Art Exhibitions

 

This is a select listing of recommended area art exhibitions, musical performances, film events, lectures, programs and special events in both Fairfield and Westchester Counties. The list is updated regularly, so please check back for new events and exhibitions. Please note: Some events are weather-dependent or subject to change. Please check with the venue when making plans.

Special Events, Programs and Lectures

Thursday, November 14, 4 – 8 pm – Opening Reception for Chagall for Children and Holiday Market at Stamford Museum & Nature Center, 38 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford, CT. Stamford Museum & Nature Center is pleased to present Chagall for Children, an interactive, hands-on exhibition that presents a unique opportunity to introduce children to art through the work of master artist, Marc Chagall, while allowing them to explore their own creativity. The public is invited to an opening reception in conjunction with the SM&NC’s annual Holiday Artisan Market, and a book signing with local author, Lynn Villency Cohen. The exhibit has traveled the nation since 1996, organized by the Kohl Children’s Museum of Illinois and it will be on view at the SM&NC through Saturday, January 5, 2020. The hands-on exhibition is comprised of 14 stations, each featuring a reproduction of a Chagall masterpiece accompanied by multi-sensory elements and an informative audio recording. Guests can create mosaics, weave tapestries, use touch screens to digitally alter Chagall’s masterpieces, conduct symphonies, and even insert themselves into one of his paintings through the magic of video. The SM&NC’s annual Holiday Market, which will showcase the hand-made work of more than 20 local artisans including textiles, jewelry, apparel, ceramics, photography, pet gifts, woodwork, candles, skincare, soaps, gemstones, stationery, etchings and more. The evening will also feature an on-site book singing of “To the Editor: a Curated Collection of Letters and Opinion Pieces” by Stamford author, Lynn Villency Cohen. Lynn has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the SM&NC since 2002, and was recognized by Moffly Media’s 2018 “Light a Fire” event as “Most Dedicated Supporter of the Arts” in Fairfield County. For more: stamfordmuseum.org.

Saturday, November 16, 12:30 – 3:30 pm – Magazzino Italian Art Foundation presents Marinella Senatore and The School of Narrative Dance Performance in the Village of Cold Spring, NY. Visit the Village of Cold Spring, New York for a special performance featuring Italian multidisciplinary artist Marinella Senatore and The School of Narrative Dance. This is also a good opportunity to visit Magazzino Italian Art, which will be open from 3:30 – 6:00 pm that day. The performance will begin at 12:30 pm at the Veterans Monument on the lawn of St. Mary-in-the-Highlands, near the corner of Main Street and Route 9D, and will move down Main Street towards the waterfront, with a grand finale at the Cold Spring Bandstand at 3:00 pm. Transportation will be provided free of charge by the Cold Spring Trolley from the Village of Cold Spring (near the Bandstand where the performance will end) to Magazzino Italian Art for those wishing to visit the museum after the event. For more: magazzino.art. 

Saturday, November 16, 4 – 8 pm – November Katonah Art Stroll, various locations in Katonah, NY. The last stroll of the year! Named Best New Community Event by Westchester Magazine, The Katonah Art Stroll is the place to be for fun and inspiration and enjoy live music, shopping and refreshments throughout this idyllic Westchester town. The event kicks off at 4pm at the Katonah Museum of Art (134 Jay Street) with free admission and a docent-led tour of the Museum’s exhibitions on view. “Sparkling Amazons: Abstract Expressionist Women of the 9th St. Show” and “Rotem Reshef: ARCADIA” an immersive painting installation exploring the contemporary artist’s process. The Katonah Village Library (26 Bedford Rd.) will also be on hand this stroll with 51 works of art in various mediums from artist members of the Katonah Museum of Art Artists Association. CB Gallery (23 Valley Rd.) is pleased to present local artist Carol Bouyoucos’ show “Wild by Nature” which explores Bouyoucos’ passion for flora and fauna through her digital process of reconfiguring images from nature into fantastical patterns of color and light. Offerings Gallery (59 Katonah Ave.) will be exhibiting the work of Hodaya Louis, an Israeli-born artist known for her work that features resisting elements and expressive brushstrokes, used to convey strong female narratives and tension-filled experimental abstracts. The Eclectic Collector (215 Katonah Ave.) will feature incredible hand made wooden kaleidoscopes by artisan Henry Bergeson. Majestic Hudson (223 Katonah Ave.) will be exhibiting work by mixed media artist Laura Trisiano. Oak & Oil Gallery (89 Katonah Ave.) is featuring a series of small works by several accomplished artists including Shelly Dell, Richard Lang Chandler, Jane Cooper, Lila Turjanski-Villard, Richard Coico and Erin Nazzaro. Old New House, located at 33 Katonah Avenue, will be featuring etheral weavings by Brooklyn artist Lea Thomas, as well as a collection of antique 19th century miniature watercolor paintings, black and white photography by Purchase artist Dennis Dilmaghani, and oil paintings by Chappaqua artist Grace Keogh. FORWARD Contemporary (43 Katonah Ave.) is excited to debut 5 new paintings by Jeffrey Terreson created in his Bedford studio in alignment with his distinction at MCA Denver. For more information, contact Mindy Yanish at Offeringsgallery59@gmail.com, 914-232-9643 or facebook.com/katonahart. 

November 15 – 17 – Wilson Avenue Loft Artists (WALA) Open Studios Weekend, 225 Wilson Avenue, South Norwalk, CT. This Open Studios weekend features Wilson Avenue Loft Artists’ annual exhibition and open studio event. The event is free, open to the public and handicap accessible. A portion of sales will benefit The High School Scholarship Fund at The Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk, Connecticut. Artists exhibiting include Farnösh Olamai Birch, Jay Brodsky, Connie Brown, Leslie Concannon, Erin Dolan, Heide Follin, Lori Glavin, Ruth Ipe, Maryann Jones, Nancy McTague-Stock, Claudia Renfro, Vicki French Smith, Susan Cutler Tremaine, Julie Van Norden, Ayse Wilson. Exhibition Opening: Friday, November 15, 6 – 8 pm. Open Studios: Saturday and Sunday, November 16 and 17, 11am – 4pm. For more: wilsonavenueloftartists.com.

Sunday, December 8, 1:00 pm – RiverArts Chamber Music Fundraiser hosted by the Newington-Cropsey Foundation, 49 Washington Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. Enjoy an afternoon of Dvořák surrounded by 19th-century paintings by Jasper Cropsey. This year’s Chamber Music Fundraiser at the Newington-Cropsey Foundation features two glorious pieces of Antonin Dvořák. Joining the ensemble on the Bass Quintet will be Grammy-winning jazz bassist, John Patitucci with Kelly Hall-Tompkins (violin), Ling Ling Huang (violin), Andrew Gonzalez (viola), Peter Seidenberg (cello), April Johnson (violin), Chi-chi Bestmann (viola), and Tomoko Uchino (piano). Tickets must be purchased in advance. For more and tickets: riverarts.org.

Select dates, September 20 – November 30 –  Historic Hudson Valley’s Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 S. Riverside, Croton-on-Hudson, NY. Meander through an 18th-century landscape and discover a breathtaking display of more than 7,000 illuminated jack o’lanterns—all designed and hand-carved on site by Historic Hudson Valley’s team of artisans! Tour the brand-new Museum of Pumpkin Art, where classic paintings get the gourd treatment, listen for the Headless Horseman—and watch out for swooping jack o’lantern bats! Step inside the Pumpkin Planetarium for a star show like you’ve never seen. You’ll certainly hold a torch for the 25-foot-tall jack o’lantern Statue of Liberty and get personal with Instagrammable signs of the zodiac. Complete with synchronized lighting and an original soundtrack, this one-of-a-kind event is not to be missed! A treat for all ages. For tickets and more: hudsonvalley.org.

Film

September 10 – December 3 – Film Series – Caramoor at the Burns: Movies Musicians Love at Jacob Burns Film Center, 364 Manville Road, Pleasantville, NY. “We tend to think that film is essentially visual, but often music is the beating heart, the invisible place where the emotional life of a film happens. And movies are now at the very center of the musical world, the place where the some of the most interesting and innovative music finds home. This made us wonder: What movies do musicians love because of their music, and why? And so we’re thrilled to partner with our fellow Westchester institution, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. They have asked some extraordinary performers to choose a favorite film to showcase here, and we couldn’t be happier with their selections! We welcome members of the Caramoor community to join us for these screenings, which will take place once a month starting in September” – Brian Ackerman, programming director. Films include: Black Orpheus, September 10; O Brother, Where Art Thou, October 1; Alexander Nevsky, November 5; The Triplets of Belleville, December 3. For more: burnsfilmcenter.org.

Five Wednesdays, July 17 – December 11, 1:00 pm – Adapted Page to Screen Series at Jacob Burns Film Center, 364 Manville Road, Pleasantville, NY. Adapted Page to Screen is a new daytime club at Jacob Burns Film Center: watching a film upon which a book is based followed by a discussion which will be moderated by Series Curator Sarah Soliman. Films include In a Lonely Place (September 11), The Virgin Suicides (October 23), Sometimes a Great Notion(November 13) and Brokeback Mountain (December 11). For more: burnsfilmcenter.org.

New Releases and Film Series at Avon Theatre Film Center, 272 Bedford Street, Stamford, CT. The Avon Theatre features the best of independent, world and documentary films, foreign and Hollywood classics and educational programming that enhances the cultural richness of the downtown Stamford community. Itself a 1939 historic landmark, provides a forum for in-person, community dialogue with directors, actors and other luminaries in a vibrant “Main Street America” setting. Series include: French Cinematheque, Documentary Night, Discover Indian Cinema, The Black Lens, Cult Classics, and other special events and film series for members and the public. For more information: avontheatre.org.

New Releases and Film Series at Jacob Burns Film Center, 364 Manville Road, Pleasantville, NY. Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) is a nonprofit five-screen cinema and education center located in Pleasantville, NY. One of the most successful suburban art houses in the country, they celebrate film as a vehicle for entertainment, education, and inspiration. With their films, events, community screenings, visiting artists, and special guests, they strive to further their nonprofit mission, spark dialogue and encourage an acceptance of a diversity of perspectives among their theatergoers and the community—something they started when they opened their doors in 2001. For more: burnsfilmcenter.org.

Bedford Playhouse Home of Clive Davis Arts Center, 633 Old Post Road, Bedford, NY. After over three years of fundraising, planning, and construction, Bedford Playhouse opened its doors to its 167-seat Main Theater, the largest of its three theaters, in May of 2018. Home of the Clive Davis Arts Center, the new Playhouse is a vibrant cultural and social destination featuring outstanding films, arts-related programming and educational offerings — as well as a fun, welcoming place to socialize. It’s a special place where culture and community come together every day. For more: bedfordplayhouse.org.

Theater and Performing Arts

October 20, 2019 – May 5, 2020 – The Performing Arts Center 2019-2020 Season at SUNY Purchase, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY. The Performing Arts Center is pleased to announce the 2019-2020 Season, which continues “to disrupt the widespread notion that modern society does not want to leave the living room, by making The PAC itself a living room for the entire community,” states director Seth Soloway.  “What happens in a living room? Shared experience, and critical conversation. At The Performing Arts Center we continue to provide experiences that spark conversations and make connections; in so doing, we further enhance our reputation as a welcoming community hub for an increasingly diverse audience base.” This year’s unique experiences welcome old friends and new to The PAC’s stages, and include expanded offerings in dance, featuring notable artists such as alumni Kyle Abraham and the fabulous Paul Taylor Dance Company and four brand-new works commissioned by The PAC, two of which will be World Premieres. Of note is the new work from Purchase College faculty member and alum Doug Varone, which will feature dancers from the Purchase College Conservatory of Dance. For more and tickets: artscenter.org.

October 9, 2019 – May 31, 2020 – Long Wharf Theatre 2019 – 2020 Season, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven, CT. From their blog: Long Wharf Theatre Reinvents Itself:  This season at Long Wharf Theater will transcend both time and place with stories which speak to our shared humanity and demonstrate our shared connections. The 2019-2020 season will introduce important voices that speak to our collective past, present and future to New Haven audiences. The season opens with the world premiere of Ricardo Pérez González’s beautiful love story, On the Grounds of Belonging (October 9 – February 3). Also featured is Pride and Prejudice (November 27 – December 22); the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play of survival against great odds, Doug Wright’s I Am My Own Wife (February 5 – March 1); Lauren Yee’s The Great Leap (May 6 – 31, 2020) tells the story of a scrappy basketball hot-shot playing in high stakes game across the Pacific , and Lloyd Suh’s The Chinese Lady (March 18 – April 12) is the powerful and mesmerizing tale of America’s first female Chinese immigrant. For more and tickets: longwharftheatre.org.

April 23 – November 23 – Westport Country Playhouse 2019 Season, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Ct. The Playhouse’s 2019 Season, from April 23 through November 23, 2019 features five-plays including two musicals, two dramas, and a comedy.  The season will begin with “In the Heights,” with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, from April 23 through May 19. Following this will be “Skeleton Crew,” June 4 – 22; “Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin,” July 16 – August 3; “Mlima’s Tale,” October 1 – 19 and “Don Juan,” November 5 – 23. Westport Country Playhouse is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, professional theater under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos and management leadership of Michael Barker. For tickets and more: westportplayhouse.org.

Music

Saturday, November 16, 7:30 – 9:30pm – Norwalk Symphony Orchestra presents “American Connections” with Andrew Armstrong, Rebecca Ringle Kamarei and The New England Academy of Dance at Norwalk Concert Hall, 125 Main Street, Norwalk, CT. Music Director Jonathan Yates has put together an exciting concert titled “American Connections.” The program is epitomized by its featured work, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, performed by acclaimed pianist Andrew Armstrong. The evening includes two intriguing song cycles: one by Charles Ives – Mists, Charlie Rutlage, and Rainbow – and the other by Maurice Ravel -3 Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé. Mezzo-soprano star, Rebecca Ringle Kamarei, will be the soloist for these songs. A tremendously innovative part of the concert will be a World Premiere ballet set to Richard Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll written as a birthday present to the composer’s wife after the birth of their son, Siegfried. Created and performed by The New England Academy of Dance, the dancers are drawn from the pre-professional Company, each with at least 12 years of training at NEAD and the country’s most prestigious dance companies. For more and tickets: norwalksymphony.org.

November 16, 8:00 pm and 17, 3:00 pm – Stamford Symphony presents “A Dance with Spanish Guitar” featuring guitarist Thomas Flippin with Steve Hackman, Guest Conductor at The Palace Theater, 61 Atlantic Street, Stamford, CT. PROGRAM: Mozart Overture to The Magic Flute, Rodrigo Concierto di Aranjuez, Dvořák Symphony No. 7. ABOUT: Thomas Flippin is established as an original and versatile voice in the world of contemporary music. Whether premiering new works with his pioneering classical guitar ensemble, Duo Noire; performing avant-garde art songs on the theorbo as part of Alicia Hall Moran’s Black Wall Street; or plucking the banjo in the American Repertory Theater’s critically-acclaimed premiere of The Black Clown. Beginning with the 2019-20 season, Steve Hackman serves as Creative Director of the Indianapolis Symphony’s Stella Artois Happy Hours Series. Hackman is a daring voice leading the charge among a new generation of classical musicians intent on redefining the genre. Equally adept in classical and popular forms, his breadth of musical fluency and technique is uncanny—he is at once a composer, conductor, producer, DJ, arranger, songwriter, singer, pianist, and rapper. He uses those wide-ranging abilities to create hybrid compositions that blur the lines between high and pop art. The result is evocative works that are both derivative yet wholly original. For more and tickets: stamfordsymphony.org.

November 10, 2019 – May 10, 2020 – The Sanctuary Series 2019/2020 Season at South Salem Presbyterian Church, 111 Spring Street, South Salem, NY. Mary Jane and Anthony Newman kick-off the 2019-2020 Season of The Sanctuary Series on Sunday, November 10, 4:00 pm with “Newman and Newman play Bach” a recital featuring the great preludes and fugues of J.S, Bach arranged for two pianos, plus one pieces performed on the pipe organ by Mr. Newman who is internationally renowned on the instrument. Labeled the “High Priest of Bach” by Wynton Marsalis, Anthony Newman, is considered by many to be America’s leading Bach specialist His wife, Sanctuary Series Artistic Director, Mary Jane Newman, herself an acclaimed pianist and organist, made her New York debut in 1986 in Lincoln Center’s “Great Performers” series at Alice Tully Hall. Now entering its seventh season, The Sanctuary Series remains committed to presenting “extraordinary keyboard recitals in the pastoral setting of northern Westchester’s historic South Salem Hamlet.” The six-concert series will also feature pianists Jeffrey Biegel in a special Holiday concert on December 15, Michael Brown (March 1, 2020), Simone Dinnerstein (March 29), Dominic Cheli (April 19) and Fei-Fei (May 10). For more and tickets: thesanctuaryseries.org.

November 3 – June 15 – 2019-2020 Season of Music from Copland House, at venues including John Jay Homestead in Katonah, NY and Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, NY. America’s musical past and future meet in a truly historic setting this season, when the internationally-acclaimed Music from Copland House ensemble (MCH) moves its 2019-2020 mainstage concert series to the John Jay Homestead in Katonah, NY. Four of the five performances in the series (November 3, March 8, April 26, June 14) will take place on Sunday afternoons at 3pm at the John Jay Homestead’s elegant, acoustically outstanding Ballroom. MCH’s December 8th concert takes place at another important historic site in Westchester: the majestic Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown. Each program will last an hour, without intermission, and will be followed by a meet-the-artists reception. As Copland House’s Artistic and Executive Director Michael Boriskin explained, “while the site of our mainstage concerts for the past 10 years, Westchester County’s Merestead estate, is closed for first-stage renovations, we sought an architectural and historical counterpart to our focus on American music past and present. It would be hard to imagine a better setting for this than the fabled home of one of our nation’s founders. The John Jay Homestead and Copland House are both National Historic Landmarks, steeped in American heritage and identified with commanding, influential, and revered historical figures.” For schedule and tickets: coplandhouse.org.

October 16, 2019 – May 13, 2020 – 2019-2020 Season of the Bedford Chamber Concerts, Fellowship Room of Parish House of St. Matthews Episcopal Church, 382 Cantitoe Street, Bedford, NY. The 2019-2020 season features a variety of musical offerings, from solo and chamber works to orchestral masterpieces. Returning audience favorites include Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti, performed in their Gala Holiday Concert in December, Mozart’s Elvira Madigan Piano Concerto in April, and Handel’s festive Fireworks Music in May. In November they provide for the first time a concert featuring the harp, paired with the flute in music by Mozart and Debussy. April’s concert will present another first; a concert devoted to classical music appearing in films. All concerts begin at 8 PM. October 16: Featuring Carter Brey, Principal Cellist for the NY Philharmonic – Bach: 3 Sonatas for Cello & Harpsichord, Bach: Italian Concerto. November 20: “Flute & Harp” – Debussy: Syrinx & Trio for Flute, Harp & Viola; Beethoven: Piano Trio Opus 1, No. 1; Mozart: Concerto for Flute & Harp. December 11: “Bach by Popular Demand” – Complete Brandenburg Concertos. March 18: Andrius Zlabys: Masterpieces for Solo Piano. April 15: “Night at the Movies” – “Elvira Madigan” – music of Mozart, “Tous les Matins du Monde” – music of Marais, “Testament d’Orphée” – music of Handel. May 13: “Time to Ring in Spring” – The Great Trumpet Voluntaries: Purcell, Clarke & Charpentier, Beethoven: Triple Concerto, Handel: Royal Fireworks. For tickets: bedfordchamberconcerts.org.

October 5, 2019 – May 9, 2020 – 2019-2020 Concert Series at Westport MOCA, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT – Purchase a ticket for the entire concert series including performances by Pacifica String Quartet on October 5, Kenny Barron on January 11, Matt Haimowitz on February 29, American String Quartet on April 4 and the Fred Hirsch Trio on May 9. The season begins with Pacifica String Quartet: Recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style, and often daring repertory choices, their ‘playing is nothing short of phenomenal.’ -The Daily Telegraph, London. For more: westportartscenter.org.

October 6 – April 27 – The Chamber Players of the Greenwich Symphony 2019-2020 Concert Season. October 6-7, 2019 “From Two Worlds”: These concerts juxtapose string quartets from two hemispheres – Gabriela Lena Frank’s Leyendas, an Andean Walkabout, and Mendelssohn’s final quartet, Opus 80 in F minor. Also heard will be EJ Moeran’s Phantasy Quartet for oboe and strings. November 17-18, 2019 “Out of the Salon”: A program of lyrical works for trios in a small setting, featuring flute, piano and strings. Works include Pierné’s Sonata da Camera and Clara Schumann‘s Piano Trio. March 15-16, 2020 “Unabashed Originals”: Celebrating three unique voices and Beethoven’s Bicentennial in a concert of music for clarinet, string quartet and piano. April 26-27, 2020 “Intimacy and Grandeur”: Presenting a Mozart masterpiece: the Violin Sonata in A, K526, as well as Rebecca Clarke’s miniature Lullaby and Grotesque. The Brahms monumental Op. 60 Piano Quartet will be the season finale. Performance locations: Sunday Concerts: 4:00 p.m. – Round Hill Community Church, 395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, CT. Monday Concerts: 7:30 p.m. October 7, 2019 and April 27, 2020 – Greenwich Historical Society, Vanderbilt Education Center, 47 Strickland Road, Cos Cob, CT. Monday Concerts: 7:30 p.m. – November 18, 2019 and March 16, 2020 – Greenwich Arts Council Recital Hall, 299 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT. For more and tickets: chamberplayersofthegso.squarespace.com.

September 22, 2019 – May 9, 2020 – Caramoor Fall-Spring Season at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah, NY. With expanding audiences and a lineup that continues to go from strength to strength in the summer, Caramoor also remains a hub for musical and artistic exploration all year round. The 2019–20 fall–spring season offers a wealth of the diverse and imaginative programming with which the Westchester venue has long been synonymous, all presented indoors amid the authentic Renaissance furniture, paintings dating from the 16th century, and terra cotta reliefs of the historic Rosen House Music Room. Singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, whose folk opera Hadestown just won eight Tony Awards, performs on September 27. A trio of outstanding pianists are featured in the month of April: distinguished British classical master Stephen Hough (April 26), jazz great Aaron Diehl with his trio, presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center (April 18), and influential jazz pianist and composer Brad Mehldau (April 4). Early music comes courtesy of Sherezade Panthaki in concert with the Helicon Ensemble (Oct 20), violinist Rachel Podger (Sep 22), and the female vocal trio ModernMedieval (Dec 14). All three of the mentorship programs through which Caramoor serves as an incubator for exceptional young talent are showcased, with two concerts featuring the Evnin Rising Stars (Nov 2 & 3), one presented by the Schwab Vocal Rising Stars (March 15), and two programs with the incoming Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, the Thalea Quartet (Nov 17 & May 3). A Roots music benefit with the legendary John Hiatt (Dec 7) plus Roots music by Della Mae (May 9); the Miró Quartet playing touchstones of the repertoire by Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert (March 22); Tony Award nominees Laura Osnes and Tony Yazbeck in an evening of Gershwin (May 2); and many other artists and events grace the Rosen House stage this fall and spring season. For tickets and more: caramoor.org.

Jazz Forum Club, 1 Dixon Lane, Tarrytown, NY. On June 9th, 2017 Mark Morganelli and his wife, Ellen Prior opened the Jazz Forum as the only dedicated Jazz club in Westchester County, New York. This 90-seat weekend-only live music venue is an intimate listening room with a warm and welcoming mood, affordable ticket prices and clear sightlines from all seats. It has been presenting internationally renowned and master musicians. The club presents headliner Jazz artists on Friday and Saturday nights, Brazilian groups on Sundays afternoons, top-notch Jazz groups on Sunday nights, and monthly jam sessions. With a Steinway grand piano, hand-crafted walnut bar, informal dinner and full bar menu, separate lounge and pool room, and contemporary art gallery, the club has been an astonishing success. It is now the affordable alternative to NYC clubs for music lovers from New Jersey, Rockland County, Connecticut as well as across Westchester as a “wonderful new addition to the New York area Jazz scene.”  For more: jazzforumarts.org.

Visual Art

Through December 6, 2019 – How We Live at Hudson Valley MOCA, 1701 Main Street, Peekskill, NY – How We Live​ is a sculpture and video exhibition from the Marc and Livia Straus Family Collection which includes artists from around the globe who explore the particularities of their individual cultures through art. 34 sculptures by 31 artists along with six video artists showcase unique heritages, and in doing so enrich our understanding of the world. This exhibition combines the curatorial vision of O​ mar Lopez-Chahoud​, Independent Curator and Artistic Director and Curator of Untitled, Art, and Nicola Trezzi,​ Director and Chief Curator of the Center for Contemporary Art Tel Aviv, in collaboration with the Marc and Livia Straus Family. Featured in this exhibition are works such as G​lobal Encoder​ (1994) by Nam June Paik, monument to V.Tatlin​ (1966) by Dan Flavin, C​radle (​ 1999) by Janine Antoni, Felt Floor​ (2003) by Rachel Whiteread, and ​Traitment Musicale​ (1997) by Chen Zhen. Each work is in part an exploration of an artist’s life through the lens of their practice, a poignant reflection of how cultures shape lives and are in turn molded by those living in them. For more: hudsonvalleymoca.org.

Through December 22, 2019 – “Art Got into Me”: The Work of Engels the Artist at Neuberger Museum of Art, SUNY Purchase, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY. This monographic exhibition features more than fifty works created by Engels the Artist over the past ten years. Born in Haiti, the artist has been living in Brooklyn for more than three decades. For Engels, the canvas is a limited space that requires subversion, inversion, expansion, or containment. He engages in a sort of metonymic game, whereby the container becomes the contained, and the support becomes the object itself. For example, the fabric of the canvas, the wood of the stretcher, and the metal staples are all part of his iconography. Abstract and poetic, his sculptural paintings are both aesthetically appealing and profoundly meaningful. According to the artist, “The strict economy of line and texture, the use of everyday objects, and makeshift elegance recall my grandmother’s home in Port-au-Prince, which against all odds had splendor.” The exhibition will include an artist residency during which Engels will create new works inside the museum. Visitors will be able to view over 50 of his works and will be able to meet him when he is in residence at the museum this fall, working with Purchase College students to create a piece that, when completed, will be moved to the Gordon Sculpture Park in Monkton, Vermont. Public studio visits with the artist are scheduled on Thursday, November 14 and Saturday, November 16 from 12:30 to 3:30 pm. For more: neuberger.org.

Through December 22, 2019 – Cleve Grey: Threnody at Neuberger Museum of Art, SUNY Purchase, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY. Threnody (1973-74) is a 250-foot-wide site-specific painting created by American artist Cleve Gray for the opening of the Neuberger Museum of Art. At that time, college students across the country were demonstrating against the conflict in Vietnam, a war that they felt to be unjust and inhumane. An active anti-war supporter himself, Gray saw this as an opportunity to express his hope for humanity’s spiritual and emotional healing. Threnody is a lament for the dead on both sides of the war. Although the theme of Threnody was conditioned by current events, Gray sought a more reconciliatory image and mood. Somber grounds of red, black, green and violet delineate the four walls in the space that he envisioned as a cathedral. Tall vertical forms engaged in a “dance of death and life” draw the eye upward, taking full advantage of the monumentality of the gallery. For more: neuberger.org.

Through December 22, 2019 – Yto Barrada: The Dye Garden | The 2019 Roy R. Neuberger Prize at Neuberger Museum of Art, SUNY Purchase, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY. The Neuberger Museum’s 2019 Roy R. Neuberger Prize, carrying an honorarium of $25,000, has been awarded to Yto Barrada, an internationally-acclaimed, Moroccan-French multi-media artist. In addition to the cash award, the exhibition, Yto Barrada: The Dye Garden, will be presented for the first time in the United States. Originally presented at the American Academy in Rome and expanded for the Neuberger Museum of Art, Yto Barrada: The Dye Gardenfeatures recent work by Barrada, whose artistic practice weaves together family history and broader sociopolitical narratives, employing a variety of media, including photography, film, video, installation, sculpture, books, and hand-dyed textiles. The artist has long investigated gestures of resistance to structures of power and control. She has an abiding interest in mechanisms of displacement and dislocation, as well as questions of appropriation and authenticity. For more: neuberger.org.

Through January 12, 2020 – HeART & Mind at Silvermine Art Galleries, 1037 Silvermine Road, New Canaan, CT. The HeART & Mind exhibition and accompanying programs will engage our community in conversations about mental health and the healing power of art. It will open a window to creativity and well-being by bringing together works by an exceptional array of artists who are exploring mental health issues—intimacy and inwardness, inclusion and exclusion, anxiety and serenity, love and loss, addiction and recovery, and the yearning to understand and accept ourselves and to connect in an authentic way to those around us. For more information and schedule of programs: silvermineart.org.

Through December 7 – A MENAGERIE OF WONDERS at Madelyn Jordon Fine Art, 37 Popham Road, Scarsdale, NY. Madelyn Jordon Fine Art is delighted to present A MENAGERIE OF WONDERS, a solo exhibition of new paintings by HUNT SLONEM. There will  be an opening reception and book signing Tuesday, October 29, 2019 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. This is Slonem’s second solo exhibition with the gallery and the public is welcome to attend and meet the artist. The exhibition will debut 15 of Hunt Slonem’s newest paintings on subjects for which he is best known – bunnies, butterflies, and tropical birds. As an artist who has fashioned a distinctive, neo-expressionist style over a stellar 40-year career, Slonem continues to evolve his artistic practice, keeping his work fresh and on trend, while remaining true to his artistic roots. Depicting his signature motifs of repeating whimsical animal imagery and fauna, Slonem’s ongoing experimentation with unconventional methodologies and materials, such as diamond dust and resin, provide the perfect conduit to express his artistic vision as an abstract painter of living things in nature. As stated by Slonem “Unlike a lot of contemporary art which is political or shocking or jarring, mine is non-judgmental. I’m exhilarated by nature, including birds, plants and butterfly forms that most people don’t even know exist.” Additionally, included in this exhibition, the gallery will feature an acrylic and aluminum ‘bunnies’ sculpture for the first time. For more: madelynjordonfineart.com.

Through November 16, 2019 – Ian McKeever: The Nature of Painting at Heather Gaudio Fine Art, 66 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT. The public is invited to attend a reception for the artist on Saturday, October 19th, 4-6pm. Heather Gaudio Fine Art is pleased to announce Ian McKeever:  The Nature of Painting, the British artist’s first exhibition at the gallery. McKeever began his artistic practice in the late 1960s, executing landscape drawing and photographic works influenced by the writings of land artist Robert Smithson, and his own travels to Greenland, Papua New Guinea and Siberia. He began painting over his imagery by the 1980s, shifting his attention to emphasize gestural brushstrokes.  Although McKeever had a growing interest in the figural and architectural, he eventually abandoned any sense of representation.  Using different techniques to apply translucid layers of paint, McKeever went on to create beautiful lyrical abstractions on canvas. Increasing in scale, his paintings became more about their implicit light and suggestions of visual passageways to a space inside their surface. The show will feature recent paintings from his Portrait of a Woman and Day Paintings series, alongside works on paper. For more: heathergaudiofineart.com.

Through January 26, 202o – Sparkling Amazons: Abstract Expressionist Women of the 9th Street Show at Katonah Museum of Art, 134 Jay Street, Katonah, NY. Sparkling Amazons presents the often-overlooked contribution by women artists to the Abstract Expressionist movement and the significant role they played as bold innovators within the New York School during the 1940s and 50s. Through the presentation of some 30 works of art alongside documentary photography, the exhibition captures an important moment in the history of Abstract Expressionism. In the early 1970s, the preeminent editor and art critic, Thomas Hess, would refer to them as “sparkling Amazons.” These women would neither have viewed themselves as “Amazons” nor as feminists; they simply worked and lived as artists, pursuing their professions with the same dedication as their male counterparts even though the social stakes were much higher for them at the time. Several of the artists, including Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell, Elaine de Kooning and Helen Frankenthaler went on to have distinguished careers and have found their rightful place in the art historical canon. Others, including Grace Hartigan, Perle Fine and Anne Ryan, enjoyed critical success. The remainder, Sonia Sekula, Day Schnabel, Jean Steubing and Guitou Knoop are yet to be fully recognized by art history, a fact that this exhibition addresses. For more: katonahmuseum.org.

Through March 29, 2020 – Weather Report at Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT. Weather Report will reveal the sky as a site where the aesthetic, the romantic, the political, the social, and the scientific co-exist and inform one another. The depiction of weather phenomena in the visual arts is traditionally linked with either landscape painting or photography, but in the last two decades artists have increasingly turned to other media to explore weather and, by extension, the larger subject of the Earth’s atmosphere. Featuring the work of Bigert & Bergström, Barbara Bloom, Sara Bouchard, Josh Callaghan, Nick Cave, Violet Dennison, Bryan Nash Gill, Andy Goldsworthy, Nancy Graves, Ellen Harvey, Ayumi Ishii, Jitish Kallat, Kim Keever, Byron Kim, Damian Loeb, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Colin McMullan, Hitoshi Nomura, Pat Pickett, Sean Salstrom, and Jennifer Steinkamp, and an installation by researchers Amanda Bunce, Joel Salisbury, and Michael Vertefeuille. Outdoors: works by Tom Friedman, Radcliffe Bailey, Nari Ward and Tony Tasset, through March 15, 2020. For more: aldrichart.org.

Through January 10, 2020 – Life and Art: The Greenwich Paintings of John Henry Twachtman at Greenwich Historical Society, 47 Strickland Road, Cos Cob, CT. An exhibition of 25 paintings will bring viewers into an intimate relationship with the place that American Impressionist John Henry Twachtman (1853-1902), one of the most prominent figures in late nineteenth century American art, loved best, the home and land in Greenwich, Conn., where he resided from 1890 – 1899. Together with the catalog, it will enable viewers to consider the relationship between the artist and his subject matter, and his life and creative output, while setting his Greenwich work in the context of American Impressionism and shedding new light on the movement. It will be the inaugural art exhibition in the Frank Family Foundation located in the new 9,900 square foot museum and library building at the Greenwich Historical Society, which opened to great fanfare in October 2018.  It is especially appropriate that Twachtman be the subject given the artist’s residency in Greenwich and his central role in the Cos Cob art colony, where he taught summer classes to over 100 students between 1890 and 1899. For more: greenwichhistory.org.

Through December 8, 2019 – Contemporary Artists/Traditional Forms: Chinese Brushwork at Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich, CT. Opening on September 28 in the Bantle Lecture Gallery, Contemporary Artists/Traditional Forms: Chinese Brushwork will feature the U.S. debut of 15 pieces of contemporary Chinese Brushwork gifted to the Town of Greenwich as part of the 2019 U.S.-China Art and Culture Exchange. The exhibition introduces visitors to the basic tools and concepts that inform these works of art, and presents these pieces in their historical and present-day contexts. This exhibition seeks to highlight the connections between calligraphy and traditional brushwork by exploring the time-honored practice of water-painting by contemporary scholar artists. In the traditional calligraphic practice, artists copy the masterworks of previous generations in order to learn to create their own works. Each of the artists in the exhibition uses an established language of brushstrokes, natural images, and color washes to express their own unique point of view. For more: brucemuseum.org.

Through November 16, 2019 – Endangered Species Project: New York, Presented by Julia Galloway at Clay Art Center, 40 Beech Street, Port Chester, NY. Bringing awareness to our impact on our natural environment, Julia Galloway presents her first installment of a large project consisting of urns for near-extinct animals. Each plate depicts an endangered animal from the state of New York. She states: “Making pottery is how I understand the world; I am making a covered jars, urns really, for endangered species. Urns are traditionally used to hold ashes from cremation so the size of these jars are determined by the resulting ash mass of each species. The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker would be a small urn; the California Bear vessel would stand almost three feet tall. I intend on displaying these all of these pots in a large grouping in one large gallery. The urns will be display empty, as the species are endangered, not extinct and in their emptiness lies hope.” Related Programming: Julia Galloway Workshop, Sunday, September 29th, 10am – 4pm. Montana-based artist Julia Galloway will take you through her creative and technical process in conjunction with the opening of her solo show. To register for the workshop: click here. For more on the exhibition: clayartcenter.org.

Through November 30, 2019 – Infinity Mirror Room: Where the Lights in My Heart Go and Narcissus Garden by Yayoi Kusama at MOCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT. This September, the Westport Arts Center will be opening the doors to a new chapter in its history. A natural evolution is underway, with much exciting news to share in the coming months. It all comes together at the Grand Opening of the new space at 19 Newtown Turnpike with the presentation of two of Yayoi Kusama’s most iconic installations  – Infinity Mirror Room: Where the Lights in my Heart Go; and Narcissus Garden. Both of these installations have been exhibited around the world to great critical acclaim. They are shining examples of how this exceptional artist sees the world and reflects our part in it. Where the Lights in My Heart Go is a ten-by-ten-foot polished stainless-steel chamber with a mirrored interior. Small holes in the walls and ceiling allow light to penetrate the darkened room. Multiplied by the reflective surfaces, these pinpricks of glowing light create a celestial experience when visitors step inside. Kusama calls the work a “subtle planetarium,” an intimate and enclosed space that also gives the illusion of a continuously expanding universe. Yayoi Kusama’s installation Narcissus Garden originated in 1966, when the artist first participated, albeit unofficially, in the Venice Biennale. This expansive and immersive work comprises mirrored spheres displayed en masse to create a dynamic reflective field. For more: westportartscenter.org.

Through December 21, 2019 – Rodin: Truth, Form, Life – Selections from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Collections at Walsh Gallery, Fairfield University Art Museum, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT. By the early 20th century, Auguste Rodin (1840 – 1917) was widely regarded as the greatest European sculptor since Michelangelo. Rejecting 19th-century academic traditions that dictated what was “proper” in art, Rodin pursued his own deeply held belief that art should be true to nature. Working in clay, wax, plaster, marble, and bronze with vigorous modeling that emphasized his personal response to his subjects, Rodin explored new ways to express the vitality of the human spirit. With his commitment to the free exploration of form and emotion, Rodin’s work paved the way for the development of 20th-century modernist sculpture. This special exhibition, organized and made possible by the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, presents 22 of Rodin’s bronze sculptures, which were modeled between 1860 and 1910. The works on view include preparatory studies for some of Rodin’s most important public commissions, such as The Burghers of Calais and The Gates of Hell, as well as portraits of French authors Victor Hugo and Honoré de Balzac. A complementary exhibition in the Bellarmine Hall Galleries, Prints from the Age of Rodin (October 4 – December 21), features lithographs and etchings by Rodin’s contemporaries, ranging from views of the urban environment of Paris, to portraits of artists, writers, and thinkers, t o theater playbills and advertisements. Drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, as well as selected items on loan from the Jundt Art Museum of Gonzaga University, the exhibition includes works by Berthe Morisot, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Félix Vallotton that illuminate the rich cultural atmosphere of Paris during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are also several programs and lectures planned, on select dates from the opening lecture on September 12 to an Art in Focus program on December 12. For more: fairfield.edu.

Through February 16, 2020 – James McElhinney: Discover the Hudson Anew and Janelle Lynch: Another Way of Looking at Love at Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY. James McElhinney: Discover the Hudson Anew –  Fourteen years ago, during a period of convalescence, James McElhinney used a sketchbook and watercolor to paint views from his hospital windows. That pragmatic decision was pivotal for the artist. He fell in love with the mobility and intimacy of this small-format media, which can be packed into the lining of a hiking vest, following in the footsteps of historical expeditionary artists. Since then, he has engaged in pictorial conversation with the Hudson River, always with materials on hand. James McElhinney: Discover the Hudson Anew presents the painter’s sketch books and prints related to the River in a comprehensive showing for the first time. Janelle Lynch: Another Way of Looking at Love – This fall, the Hudson River Museum presents color photographs of Catskills foliage from Janelle Lynch’s series Another Way of Looking at Love. Finding subjects on her wooded property during all seasons, Lynch (American, born 1969) focuses closely on dense trees, plants, and flowers to encourage us to look more intently and think more deeply about our natural surroundings. The title of the series is a quote from contemporary British philosopher Alain de Botton, who believes that love is about making connections and about long-term, pro-active commitment. His ideas resonated with Lynch, who related them to her own work reimagining our relationship to nature, the planet, and each other. The exhibition comprises fourteen large photographs and, from the Museum’s collection, an accordion portfolio of five small-format prints from the same series. For more: hrm.org.

Through November 24, 2019 –  Outlooks: Jean Shin at Storm King Art Center, 1 Museum Road, New Windsor, NY. For the seventh iteration of Storm King Art Center’s Outlooks series, artist Jean Shin has chosen to respond to a conservation project on Storm King’s grounds: twenty-four declining maple trees are being replaced with black gum, or tupelo, trees that will better stand up to changes in local climate and ground conditions. This is part of an ongoing effort to revitalize Storm King’s Maple Allée, an important historic feature in the landscape. Shin has salvaged the wood from many trees that were removed as part of this revitalization to create a monumental picnic table. Her ensuing work, Allée Gathering, offers a communal place to rest and come together in conversation, observation, and reflection. For more information: stormking.org.

Through November 30, 2019 – Gay Gatherings: Philip Johnson, David Whitney, and the Modern Arts at the Glass House, 199 Elm Street, New Canaan, Ct. Gay Gatherings: Philip Johnson, David Whitney and the Modern Arts explores interactions at the Glass House among eight gay men who profoundly shaped 20th-century artistic culture: architect Philip Johnson and his longtime partner, curator/collector David Whitney; composer John Cage; choreographer Merce Cunningham; ballet impresario Lincoln Kirstein; and artists Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol. Coincident with the 50th anniversary of New York’s Stonewall Uprising in 1969, a watershed in the contemporary gay rights movement, and the 70th anniversary of the Philip Johnson’s completion of the Glass House in 1949, Gay Gatherings underscores an essential element of the site ‘s history that has not been fully presented as part of its public interpretation. “The exhibition highlights the Glass House as an intellectual and artistic gathering place,” says Thomas Mellins, co-curator of the show, “where these men’s work was collected, exhibited, and performed.” For more: theglasshouse.org.

July 21 – December 1, 2019 – Figuring the Floral at Wave Hill Public Garden and Cultural Center, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx, NY. A flower’s life cycle of budding, blooming and pollinating, as well as its process of decay, strongly echoes the human condition. The exhibition Figuring the Floral features artists who apply this symbolism to their work—touching on race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, aging and other facets of identity. Reflecting on the site-specificity of these works exhibited amid the flourishing gardens of Wave Hill, Curator of Visual Arts Eileen Jeng Lynch notes how the exhibition is enhanced by the visible and tangible connections with flora on the grounds. The work includes collage, drawing, painting, photography, sculpture and an outdoor installation amidst the living foliage of the gardens. Exhibiting artists: Derrick Adams, Nicole Awai, Bahar Behbahani, Christian Ruiz Berman, Sanford Biggers, Cecile Chong, Max Colby, Abigail DeVille, Valerie Hegarty, Christopher K. Ho and Kevin Zucker, Diana Lozano, Natalia Nakazawa, Ebony G. Patterson, Bundith Phunsombatlert, Lina Puerta, Simonette Quamina, David Rios Ferreira, Alexandria Smith, Katherine Toukhy, Lina Iris Viktor, William Villalongo and Saya Woolfalk. To learn more about the exhibition and related programs: wave hill.org.

Ongoing – Arte Povera Group Show at Magazzino Italian Art Foundation, 2700 Route 9, Cold Spring, NY. Open since March 1st, 2018, this exhibition presents a comprehensive panorama on the artistic practice of 12 artists associated with the Arte Povera movement: Giovanni Anselmo, Alighiero Boetti, Pierpaolo Calzolari, Luciano Fabro, Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz, Marisa Merz, Giulio Paolini, Pino Pascali, Giuseppe Penone, Michelangelo Pistoletto and Gilberto Zorio. Their work came at a defining moment in the 1960s, as Italy was transitioning into an era of burgeoning industrialization, student rebellion, and a decline of the “economic miracle” of the 1950s allowed by the Marshall Plan. The artists aimed to eradicate the boundaries between media as well as between nature and art under the mantra “Art is Life.” The exhibition represents the Olnick Spanu Collection’s core of Post-war Italian art, allowing the space to be an environment solely devoted to this generation of Italian artists. For more: magazzino.art.

 

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FAIRFIELD WESTCHESTER MUSEUM ALLIANCE: Established in 2009 to help promote the rich and diverse offerings of eight cultural institutions in Fairfield, Westchester, and the Bronx, the Fairfield Westchester Museum Alliance continues to give local families and visitors the opportunity to enjoy eight great museums for the price of one. Become a member at any of these participating organizations and get free admission at eight neighboring institutions, from the Bronx to Bridgeport. Visitors who are not members of an FWMA organization can request a free same-day pass to all FWMA museums when paying admission at any one of the eight institutions. The eight FWMA member institutions are: Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum (Ridgefield, CT); Barnum Museum (Bridgeport, CT); Bruce Museum (Greenwich, CT); Hudson River Museum (Yonkers, NY); Hudson Valley MOCA (Peekskill, NY); Katonah Museum of Art (Katonah, NY); Neuberger Museum of Art (Purchase, NY); and Wave Hill New York Public Garden and Cultural Center (Bronx, NY). 

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