Area Events and Exhibitions

 

Along with our Cultural Pursuit member events, this is a select listing of additional 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. Please check with the individual venue when making plans.

Special Events, Programs and Lectures

Sunday, January 20, 2:00 pm – Forces of Nature Artist Talk with Elena Lyakir at Flinn Gallery, 2nd Floor Greenwich Library, 101 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT. The curators of the Forces of Nature exhibition will host artist Elena Lyakir who will discuss her work and answer questions. Raised in communist Ukraine, Elena developed a passion for photography as a young child. The exhibition shows a collection of photographic prints from three different series of her work: Aves: birds as symbols of freedom and migration, The Olive Tree Chronicles: ancient olive trees, photographed on a visit to the Mediterranean coast, and Locus of Memory: a series of in-camera double exposed images of landscapes. For more about the exhibition and event details:  flinngallery.com.

January 2 – March 1, 2019 – Open for Entries – Your Place Squared: A Community Art Project at Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich, CT. The Bruce Museum is organizing an exhibition of small artworks created entirely by the public for the public. They invite art lovers of all ages, interests, and abilities to submit a depiction of “your place” as part of this new community art project. Based on the popular 2012 exhibition of self-portraits, Your Face Squared, the Bruce now asks participants to turn to the landscape for creative inspiration and to be a part of Your Place Squared: A Community Art Project. The subjects of Your Place Squared can be a favorite scene or setting — your home, a room, or any space that you treasure as your own. The artworks can be created in any medium, including writing, drawing, painting, photography, and collage. The Museum will accept artworks from January 2 through March 1, 2019, with submitted artwork on view in the Museum’s Bantle Lecture Gallery from March 9 through June 2, 2019. For more: brucemuseum.org.

Film

Thursday, January 17, 7:30 pm – Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance, sponsored by Hudson River Museum and Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers, 2548 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY. This 1982 experimental film, directed by Godfrey Reggio with music composed by Philip Glass and cinematography by Ron Fricke, weaves together a variety of striking footage to examine the beauty of our environment and the effect humanity has had on it throughout the ages. Koyaanisqatsi will be screened at Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers as part of their film series inspired by Maya Lin: A River Is a Drawing. For more: hrm.org.

Thursday, January 17, 7:00 pm – What is Democracy? Q&A Astra Taylor with JBFC Programming Director Brian Ackerman at Jacob Burns Film Center, 364 Manville Road, Pleasantville, NY. Director Astra Taylor’s (Examined Life, Zizek!) idiosyncratic, philosophical journey spans millennia and continents: from ancient Athens’ groundbreaking experiment in self-government to capitalism’s roots in medieval Italy; from modern-day Greece grappling with financial collapse and a mounting refugee crisis to the United States reckoning with its racist past and the growing gap between rich and poor. Featuring a diverse cast including celebrated theorists, trauma surgeons, activists, factory workers, asylum seekers, and former prime ministers, this urgent film connects the past and present, the emotional and the intellectual, the personal and the political, in order to provoke and inspire. If we want to live in a democracy, we must first ask what the word even means. 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, Cult Classics, and other special events and film series for members and the public. For more information: avontheatre.org.

New Releases, Holiday Offerings 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.

The Bedford Playhouse & 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. Home of the Clive Davis Arts Center, the new Playhouse will be 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 will be a special place where culture and community come together every day. For more: bedfordplayhouse.org.

Theater and Performing Arts

October 10, 2018 – May 26, 2019 – Long Wharf Theatre’s 2018-19 Season, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven, CT. Embark on a journey of 6 plays that will take you outside yourself, moving you to laugh, cry, smile, and wonder as you are introduced to people and places you’ve never known. Their season opens with The Roommate, October 10 – November 4, followed by Paradise Blue, November 21 – December 16; Miller, Mississippi, January 9 – February 3; Tiny Beautiful Things, February 13 – March 10; An Iliad, March 20 – April 14; A Doll’s House, Part 2, May 1 – 26, 2019. For more: longwharf.org.

Music

Saturday, January 19, 8:00 – 9:30 pm – Ensemble REBEL at Westport Arts Center, 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT. Hailed by The New York Times as “sophisticated and beguiling” and praised by The Los Angeles Times for their “astonishingly vital music-making,” the award-winning, New York-based ensemble, REBEL (pronounced Re-BEL) is one of North America’s top-tier ensembles specializing in 17th- & 18th-century repertoire performed on period instruments. REBEL presents a Winter Baroque program entitled “Barocco”. For more: westportartscenter.org.

Saturday, January 19, 8:00 pm – Stamford Symphony presents Oscar Goes to the Symphony with Conductor Ted Sperling, The Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic Street, Stamford, CT. On Saturday, January 19th, New York’s famed Ted Sperling will lead the Stamford Symphony in a special one-night only performance of Oscar Goes to the Symphony. In celebration of the Oscar season, bring your friends and family to an evening where you will ignite your memories of movie favorites (many of which were either nominated for or won an Oscar) with music from Star Wars, The Godfather, Raider’s Of the Lost Ark, Pink Panther, Schindler’s List, The Sting, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and much more! For more: stamfordsymphony.org.

Fall-Spring 2018-19 Season at Caramoor Center for Music & the Arts, 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah, NY. A perennially beloved summer destination, Caramoor remains a hub for musical and artistic exploration all year round. The 2018-19 fall-spring season offers a wealth of the diverse and imaginative programming with which the Westchester estate has long been synonymous, with presentations spanning the musical spectrum from jazz, American roots, and cabaret to chamber and vocal recitals, a period-instrument orchestral concert, and a musical lecture. Some performers featured this season: The English Concert, Alexandre Tharaud, and Quatuor Ébène are among the A-list acts making Caramoor debuts, while stellar returning artists include Julia Bullock, New York Polyphony, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Acoustic Hot Tuna, and Christine Ebersole. Fall and spring concerts are held indoors amid the authentic Renaissance furniture, paintings dating from the 16th century, and terra cotta reliefs of the Rosen House Music Room. For 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

February 2 – March 30, 2019 – The Great Race at Clay Art Center, 40 Beech Street, Port Chester, NY. Clay Art Center will be using its exhibition space to understand and celebrate cultural heritage; we will be telling the story of the Great Race – a short story narrating the travels of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals to the Jade Emperor to solidify their place in the calendar. Each artist has chosen one animal of the zodiac to represent in clay – their own unique history shapes their contemporary interpretation. While the story of the Great Race will be outlined throughout the gallery, each artist will provide information as to why they chose each animal and how it is relevant to contemporary culture. Participating Artists: Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Ayumi Horie, Sin-Ying Ho, Adam Chau, Patti Warishina, Steven Lee, Hatsumi Suyama, Kenjiro Kitade, Vipoo Srivilasa, Sunkoo Yuh, Kyungmin Park, Kensuke Yamada, and Adriel Tong. Opening Reception, Saturday, Feb 2, 6-8pm. For more: clayartcenter.org.

January 13 – February 6, 2019 – 2019 New Members Exhibit at Silvermine Arts Center, 1037 Silvermine Road, New Canaan, CT – Silvermine Arts Center will begin 2019 with a New Members Exhibition featuring 42 new artists juried into the nearly 100-year-old Silvermine Guild in 2018. Their work, which spans a wide range of artistic disciplines, will be on view through Feb. 6. The public is invited to an opening reception on Sun., Jan. 13 from 2-4pm. For more:  silvermineart.org.

January 12 – February 15, 2019 – 39th Annual Photography Show at Carriage Barn Arts Center, 681 South Avenue, New Canaan, NY. Submission was open to regional photographers — amateur, professional, and student. All original photographic media, including film and digital images was accepted. JURORS: Susan Carlson is an assistant curator at the International Center of Photography, where she has organized and co-organized exhibitions, including Perpetual Revolution: The Image and Social Change (2017) and Winning The White House: From Press Prints to Selfies (2016). Claartje van Dijk is assistant curator, collections at the International Center of Photography where she conducts research on the over 150,000 historical and contemporary photos and objects in the ICP Museum’s collection. Together with Susan, Claartje co-curated Winning the White House: From Press Prints to Selfies (2016) and she was a curator for Perpetual Revolution: The Image and Social Change (2017), among other exhibitions. Opening reception with photographers and jurors: Saturday, January 12, 4 – 6pm. $10 suggested donation for guests and non-members. For more: carriagebarn.org.

January 11 – March 2, 2019 – Fractured: Spencer Platt at Westport Arts Center, 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT. Curated by world-renowned art critic Kenneth Baker, this first solo exhibition of award-winning photographer and Westport native Spencer Platt, presents the photojournalist’s work in a fine art space and context, allowing the viewer to question meaning, place and situation. This exhibition conducts an experiment: subjecting the work of photo-journalist, Spencer Platt to the pressures of presentation in a fine arts venue. News photos fulfill their purposes, frequently beyond the camera worker’s intentions or expectations, serving some editorial agenda to inform or illustrate, provoke response, or embed events in civic memory. Yet the photographic acts — reflexes responding to immediate circumstances, perhaps steered by an assignment — also have their own particular content and personal register. This selection of Platt’s work cross-sections all these dimensions. For more: westportartscenter.org.

January 3 – February 23, 2019 –“Jae Ko: 漂流 Drift” at Heather Gaudio Fine Art, 66 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT. Heather Gaudio Fine Art is pleased to present “Jae Ko: 漂流 Drift,” the artist’s first solo exhibition at the gallery. In addition to showcasing recent wall and free-standing sculpture, Ko will create a site-specific installation consisting of 50-60 industrial sized rolls of recycled paper. The public is invited to witness the artist at work beginning January 3rd and view the installation as it takes form. About the artist: Born in Korea, Ko grew up in Tokyo and was formally trained as an artist at Wako University before moving to the United States.  She earned her MFA and went on to develop a highly personalized technique to create the sculptural work for which she is today known.  Early explorations working with water and paper (submerging utilitarian Kraft paper into ocean-soaked sand) led her to test the physical properties of the material and combine these with traditional paper techniques used in Japanese, Korean and Chinese cultures. Her geometric shapes and concentric circles referenced nature, such as waves, ripples in sand and water rings. An opening reception will be held on January 5th, 4-6pm. For more: heathergaudiofineart.com.

December 13 – January 23, 2019 – Forces of Nature at Flinn Gallery, 2nd Floor Greenwich Library, 101 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT. The beauty and wonder of nature provides us with endless visual influences and opens infinite possibilities for art making. Experiences with the natural world can evoke memories, enhance the meaning of imagery and inspire the creative process. Artists Rebecca Hutchinson, Elena Lyakir and Amy Talluto guide us through their visions in Forces of Nature. Curated by Laura Schroeder and Claudia Schipper. Visit Flinn Gallery’s website for information about exhibition-related events, including two Artist Talks: one with Amy Talluto on January 6 and one with Elena Lyakir on January 20. For more: flinngallery.com.

December 1, 2018 – March 3, 2019 – Pressed for Time: Botanical Collecting as Genteel Pastime or Scientific Pursuit? at Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich, CT. Presented in the Bantle Lecture Gallery, the exhibition Pressed for Time: Botanical Collecting as Genteel Pastime or Scientific Pursuit? explores the hobby and profession of plant collecting around the turn of the nineteenth century.  Starting in the 1820s, botanical collecting became a hugely popular outdoor activity for both amateurs and professionals. Plant collecting was an acceptable activity for women, children, and gentlemen alike. For decades, amateurs and academics respected each other as colleagues, publishing articles in the same journals, exchanging specimens, and considered one another peers. But by 1900, a divide developed between the two camps that fractured the former collaborative spirit. As botanists moved toward academic and scholarly work, local clubs of amateur enthusiasts carried on the tradition of collecting and pressing plants as a hobby. Highlighting amateur collectors in Connecticut from 1885 – 1944, this exhibition presents beautiful and fragile historical herbarium specimens. For more: brucemuseum.org.

November 3 – January 27, 2019 – Downsized: Small Scale Sculpture by Contemporary Artists at Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich, CT. A miniatures show has been a biennial Bruce Museum holiday tradition for over 35 years—come take a peek when Downsized: Small-Scale Sculpture by Contemporary Artists opens to the public in the Museum’s Arcade gallery. Enticing viewers to take a closer look, this exhibition of miniatures, models, and dioramas explores interior and exterior architecture in a range of scales. Some works contemplate the structure and its place in history as a monument to architectural creativity. Others pay homage to the history of an urban environment or to the emotions elicited by places close to our hearts. Yet others depict fanciful, surreal places that could only exist in miniature. The sculptures encourage observers to suspend their perception of reality and to invent their own narrative. These mixed media sculptures fascinate because of the juxtaposition of size and subject and elicit amazement at the precision of the workmanship. For more: brucemuseum.org.

October 21, 2018 – January 27, 2018 – Outrageous Ornament: Extreme Jewelry in the 21st Century at Katonah Museum of Art, 134 Jay Street, Katonah, NY. In recognition of the universal passion for and power of jewelry, the Katonah Museum of Art opens the 2018 fall season with Outrageous Ornament: Extreme Jewelry in the 21st Century curated by Jane Adlin, who in her role of curator of modern and contemporary design at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, organized the Jewels by JAR and Cartier 1900-1939 exhibitions. In Outrageous Ornament, the KMA presents provocative work by internationally renowned artists which expand the boundaries and our understanding of personal adornment. For more: katonahmuseum.org.

October 14, 2018 – January 19, 2019 – Helena Hernmarck: Weaving In Progress at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT. In addition to exhibiting a selection of her work, Hernmarck, one of the most important contemporary figures in the evolving history of woven tapestries, will be in residence at the Museum through January 12, 2019. Hernmarck began her career in the 1960s; unlike many of her contemporaries, she focused her practice on the pictorial, rather than sculptural form and abstraction. Influenced by pop culture, her mature style evolved into the creation of often-monumental tapestries that exhibit complex illusionary space and diverse subject matter, including trompe l’oeil, landscape, still life, and the human figure. During Weaving in Progress, the gallery space will not only exhibit a selection of tapestries, but also function as a weaving studio. Three days a week, Hernmarck and her apprentice Mae Colburn, will be working at the artist’s five-foot-wide Glimåkra Countermarch loom. An inventory of the wool used in the process will be on view, along with a display of materials from the artist’s archive, including photographs, watercolors, drawings, prototype samples, and other ephemera that illustrate and inform her process and the evolution of her career. For residency dates, programs and more: aldrichart.org.

October 12, 2018 – January 20, 2019 – Maya Lin: A River Is a Drawing – An Immersive, Site-Specific Exhibition that Explores the Geology and Topography of the Hudson River and the Effects of Climate Change at Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY. A recipient of the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom for her outstanding contributions as an artist, architect, and environmental activist, Maya Lin (born 1959) sees and interprets the natural world through art, science, history, and culture. Maya Lin: A River Is a Drawing is a groundbreaking exhibition developed in close collaboration between the HRM and this visionary artist, focusing on the theme of the Hudson River. With the Museum’s architectural features and location along the banks of the river as a potent backdrop, Lin will create a series of new works and ambitious site-specific installations that invite visitors to interact. The exhibition will be presented in seven sections, with all of the new works created along the theme of the Hudson River. For more: hrm.org.

September 2018 – March 2019 – Practicing 2018 | Julianne Swartz: Joy, still. at Grace Farms, 365 Lukes Wood Road, New Canaan, CT. The temporary sound installation Julianne Swartz: Joy, still. is comprised of three new, collaborative, site-responsive works in the River building at Grace Farms. This project is part of the Arts Initiative’s Practicing series, which since 2015 has brought together interdisciplinary cohorts of collaborators to explore empathy, awe, silence, and joy. The multisensory works—Joy, still. in the Sanctuary; Transfer Objects in the Library, and Prelude / Postlude in the corridor that connects the Sanctuary and Library sites—are directly inspired by Foundation’s Practicing Joy workshop, a multifaceted study involving poets, theologians, composers, musicians, choreographers, dancers, chefs, and humorists. This practically invisible installation makes use of the SANAA-designed River building’s acoustic character, creating shared and singular sonic spaces where visitors may contemplate joy and appreciate the splendor of the site. For more: gracefarms.org.

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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. 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 Museum of Contemporary Art (Peekskill, NY); Katonah Museum of Art (Katonah, NY); Neuberger Museum of Art (Purchase, NY); and Wave Hill (Bronx, NY). 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.

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