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

Saturday, October 19, 11 am – 5 pm – The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum presents “Weather Report: A Symposium of Art and Weather“ at Ives Concert Hall, Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, CT. The Aldrich Museum will be hosting a one-day cross-disciplinary symposium investigating the intersection of art and weather. The symposium features their Exhibitions Director, Richard Klein, and noted WCBS 880 radio meteorologist, Craig Allen, hosting a unique gathering of artists and researchers presenting on weather as it informs their work, reflecting how atmosphere shapes our collective experience. The symposium is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Weather Report, which will be on view at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum October 6, 2019, to March 29, 2020. Master of Ceremonies: Craig Allen, Meteorologist, WCBS 880. Speakers: Amanda Bunce, Forest Management Researcher, UConn’s Stormwise Program; Todd Forrest, Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections, New York Botanical Garden; Kim Keever, Artist; Richard Klein, Exhibitions Director, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum; Colin McMullan, Artist; Pat Pickett, Artist. Presented in partnership with the Meteorology Club at Western Connecticut State University, the WCSU’s Maricostas School of Arts & Sciences Meteorology Program, and the New York City/Long Island Chapter of the American Meteorological Society. For more and to register: aldrichart.org. 

Saturday, October 19, 2 – 5:30 pm – Symposium: Restoring Gardens: Contrasting Approaches to Historic Garden Design at Untermyer Gardens, 945 North Broadway, Yonkers, NY. Untermyer Gardens will host a symposium on different approaches to historic garden restoration. Suzanne Clary, President of the Jay Heritage Center, Howard Zar, Executive Director of Lyndhurst, and Timothy Tilghman, Head Gardener of Untermyer Gardens, will share their experiences in restoring great New York gardens and landscapes. A pictorial introduction to each garden will be followed by a discussion moderated by well-known garden blogger Shobha Vanchiswar and a tour of Untermyer Gardens by Timothy Tilghman. For more and to register: untermyergardens.org.

Saturday, October 19, 7 – 10 pm – “HRM After Dark: Gilded Age Masquerade” at Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY. Come dressed inspired by the Gilded Age masquerade theme for this spooky night of fun with: music by DJ Jericko & dancing, specialty cocktails crafted by IntoxiKate (plus beer, hard cider, & wine), haunted tours of Glenview historic home, bone-chilling planetarium shows, glamorous mask making and masquerade-themed face painting and Scavenger hunt through the galleries. Tickets: $25; Members $20; one drink included; cash bar for 21+. For more and to purchase tickets: hrm.org.

Saturday, October 19, 4 – 8 pm – October Katonah Art Stroll, downtown Katonah, NY. This month the offerings for Katonah Art Stroll include an open mic poetry venue, more art openings, a free tour at the Katonah Art Museum and refreshments and free live music throughout this idyllic town. New this month: Poetry in the gazebo: 5-7 PM, all poets are welcome to sign up and share their family friendly work, up to 5 minutes/poet. Feature poet and MC: Rebecca Schoenewolf. At 4 pm sharp, start at the Katonah Museum of Art with a docent-led tour of the Museum’s new exhibitions, Sparkling Amazons: Abstract Expressionist Women of the 9th St. Show and Rotem Reshef: Arcadia. Forward Contemporary Gallery, the most recent addition of world class galleries in Katonah, at 43 Katonah Avenue will exhibit new works from Jeffrey Terreson’s deep fluid textural style all done in oil paints. CB Gallery at 23 Valley Rd., is pleased to present local artist Carol Bouyoucos’ show “Wild in 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. Majestic Hudson at 223 Katonah Ave will be showcasing the work of Laura Trisiano, a mixed media, found object and assemblage artist. Oak & Oil Gallery, 89 Katonah Ave. is celebrating the month of October by showcasing the art of four women who are highly accomplished artists from our area and well known for their quality work: Linda Puiatti, Jane Cooper, Julie Testwuide and Ellen Hopkins Fountain. Offerings Gallery, 59 Katonah Ave – will be exhibiting works by four artists: Hudson River Painter Catherine Minnery, found object sculptures by Rina Yeshoua, powerful acrylic and spray paint art by Lance Johnson, and oil paintings from the series ‘Faces of God’ by Mindy Yanish. For a Katonah Art Stroll map and more: katonahartstroll on Facebook.

Sunday, November 10, 5:30 – 7:00 pm – Katonah Museum of Art Himmel Award and Lecture: Honoring Philippe de Montebello at Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, 480 Bedford Road, Chappaqua, NY. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Director Emeritus Philippe de Montebello will receive the Katonah Museum of Art’s (KMA) 2019 Himmel Award on November 10, 2019 in recognition of his many contributions to the art world. Throughout his career, Mr. de Montebello has played a prominent role in forming coalitions among and demanding the highest standards of museums. He has placed education over entertainment in defining the mission of museums. In emphasizing the primacy of collections in the museum he has also demanded transparency and promoted research into the ownership history of collections. His prominence and wealth of experience from years of successful leadership in the world of art include his well-known role in bringing important art to an international audience and for fostering arts appreciation among people of all ages. Mr. de Montebello will address the changing world of art and museums in a short lecture, followed by a conversation with Executive Director Michael Gitlitz and questions from the audience.  The Himmel Award and Lecture is an annual event that recognizes creators, radical thinkers, and risk-takers who provoke new thinking in art and design. The Award is named in honor of Betty Himmel, a KMA Emerita, arts advocate and civic leader, who continues to play an instrumental role in guiding the Museum. About the Honoree: In 2008, Philippe de Montebello retired after 31 years as the longest-serving director in the Metropolitan Museum’s 150-year-long history. Following his retirement, Mr. de Montebello became the first scholar in residence at the Prado Museum in Madrid, and he launched a new academic career as the first Fiske Kimball Professor in the History and Culture of Museums at the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University. In 2008 Mr. de Montebello was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and in 2012 he was elected Honorary Trustee of the Prado Museum in Madrid. In 2014 he was elected to the French Académie des Beaux Arts. In 2015 he was elected Chairman of the Hispanic Society Museum and Library. To purchase tickets: katonahmuseum.org.

Wednesdays: October 23, 30, November 6, 13, 20 – 11:30 am – 1 pm – “Getting” Contemporary Art: Defining “Now” from “Then” – New Adult Class Series at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT. This 5-session course provides a roadmap to explore the central themes and ideas that have influenced artistic practice since the 1960s. In an intimate studio setting, participants will build skills to analyze, interpret, and discuss contemporary art while looking closely at works in the Museum. This course includes a unique, behind-the-scenes opportunity to meet with exhibiting artist Zoë Sheehan Saldaña at the November 20 class, during the installation of her exhibition There Must Be Some Way Out of Here. “Getting” Contemporary Art is led by Danielle Ogden, M.A., Ed.M., Adjunct Professor at Fairfield University. CLASS SCHEDULE: October 23 – Defining “Now” from “Then”: Critical Vocabulary in making sense of art, Modern through Contemporary; October 30 – Whose Art History? Investigating Identity and Seeing Color with Sara Cwynar’s exhibition, Gilded Age; November 6 – Art, Place, and the Weather: An Exploration of Works in and about the Natural Environment from Andy Goldsworthy to Nick Cave; November 13 – Is Less More? Sculpture, Minimalism, and the Work of Eva LeWitt; November 20 – Pushing at the Boundaries: The Body, Politics, and Critique with exhibiting artist, Zoë Sheehan Saldaña. 5-Class Series: $200; $180 member, Single drop-in class: $40; $36 member. Register at shop.aldrichart.org.

Tuesday, October 22, 6 – 8 pm – The Glass House Presents – Beyond the Glass House: New Canaan Mid-Century Modern Houses 1947 – 1979 at New Canaan Library, 151 Main Street, New Canaan, CT. a+u – Architecture & Urbanism – is a magazine in Japanese and English that provides information on architecture around the globe to a global readership. A recent issue of the magazine examined fourteen Mid-Century Modern houses in New Canaan, designed by nine architects between the years 1947-1979. Join guest editor and architect Alan Goldberg and photographer Michael Biondo for a conversation with writer Gwen North Reiss about the New Canaan houses featured in the magazine, the making of the monograph, the related international competition, “Living in the Future,” and exhibitions at the Center for Architecture Sarasota and the Yale School of Architecture Main Gallery. For more information about the participants and program: theglasshouse.org and to register on the New Canaan Library website: newcanaanlibrary.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

October 17 – 24 – Film Series: Dance on Film 2019 at Jacob Burns Film Center, 364 Manville Road, Pleasantville, NY. Jacob Burns Film Center’s annual celebration leaps, pirouettes, stomps, and runs the gamut from films on modern dance and ballet, featuring performers from young initiates to some of the greatest stars, to a flamenco artist who is redefining this supremely traditional form. We open with the biopic Yuli—The Carlos Acosta Story, featuring Acosta himself and a stellar cast of Cuban dancers. Later in the series, choreographer Trey McIntyre joins for Gravity Hero, about his world-famous Trey McIntyre Project, and they continue our tradition of an evening dedicated to short films, curated by choreographer Peter Pucci. Pictured: From Knee to Heart, a portrait of the charismatic Catalan dancer and choreographer Sol Picó. For more: burnsfilmcenter.org.

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.

July 10 – November 2 – Art Films from Exhibition on Screen™ at The Avon Theatre, 272 Bedford Street, Stamford, CT. Exhibition on Screen™ is the originator and pioneer of bringing exhibition-based art films to the cinema. Created in collaboration with top international museums and galleries, these films offer a cinematic immersion into the world’s best loved art, accompanied by insights from the world’s leading historians and arts critics. Featuring Van Gogh: A New Way of Seeing – July 10 and 13, Rembrandt – August 14 and 17, Young Picasso – September 25 and 28 and Leonardo: The Works – October 30 and November 2. For more: avontheatre.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

Sunday, October 20, 3:00 pm – The Paco de Lucia Project at Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, SUNY, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY. The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College opens its season with Flamenco Legends: The Paco de Lucia Project on October 20. Paco de Lucía was widely considered to be the world’s premier flamenco guitarist and by many to be Spain’s greatest musical export. He died more than three years ago, leaving behind an immense impact on flamenco music. Now members of his last touring band, led by guitarist-producer and 10-time Latin Grammy® winner Javier Limón, are on the road as the Flamenco Legends, revisiting the late guitarist’s music and honoring his legacy while paving a new path into the future of flamenco. Featuring: Israel Suárez “Piraña” – Percussion, Alain Pérez – Bass, Antonio Sánchez – Guitar, Antonio Serrano – Harmonica, David De Jacoba – Voice, Antonio Fernández Montoya “Farru” – Dance, Javier Limón – Producer. For more and tickets: artscenter.org.

Select Dates, October 18 – November 2 – Hudson Stage Company presents A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath at Whippoorwhill Hall Theatre at North Castle Public Library, 19 Whippoorwhill Road East, Armonk, NY.  With Denise Bessette, Rachel Kent, Kurt Rhoads and Mary Stout, directed by Margarett Perry. Lucas Hnaths’ inspired comedic modern imagining of Nora Helmer’s return 15 years after her shocking decision to leave her husband and children in Ibsen’s world of 1879. Now she’s back…but why? And what will that mean for those she left behind? “A smart, funny and utterly engrossing play” – The New York Times. DATES: Oct. 18, 19 @ 8pm; Oct. 20 @ 3pm; Fri. Oct. 25, 26 @ 8pm; Oct. 27 @ 3pm; Nov. 1 @ 8pm and Nov. 2 @ 3pm and 8pm. For more and tickets: hudsonstage.com.

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. For tickets and more: westportplayhouse.org.

Music

October 19, 8:00 pm and October 20, 3:00 pm – Stamford Symphony presents Epic Rachmaninoff with pianist Stephen Hough at The Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic Street, Stamford, CT. It’s Opening Weekend for Stamford Symphony with three centuries of music, Latin inspiration and world-renowned pianist Stephen Hough. Michael Stern, as Music Director Designate will perform this, the first of two programs in the 2019-20 season. Program: Gabriela Lena Frank, Apu: Tone Poem for Orchestra (Stamford Symphony Premiere); Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2; Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4. For more and tickets: stamfordsymphony.org.

Sunday, October 20, 4:00 pm – REBEL Musica Antiqua: Les Barricades Mystérieuses: Music & Poetry of Enigma at Bedford Presbyterian Church, 44 Village Green, Bedford Village, NY – The internationally-acclaimed chamber ensemble, REBEL, will present a multi-faceted concert of music and poetry on the subject of enigma. The centerpiece and inspiration for the program, Couperin’s famous and enigmatic work for harpsichord, ‘Les Barricades Mystérieuses’ is woven throughout, interspersed with music performed on period instruments by Telemann, J.S. Bach, Biber, Vivaldi and Maute as well as selections of poetry on the subject by Shelley, Rumi, Rosetti and others. This musical and literary tapestry will feature the following performers: Paul Hecht, actor/ narrator; Matthias Maute & Sophie Larivière, recorders; Nina Stern & Ed Matthew, chalumeaux (the predecessor of the clarinet); Jörg-Michael Schwarz & Karen Marie Marmer, violins; Risa Browder, viola; Motomi Igarashi, violone and Dongsok Shin, harpsichord & organ. The concert takes place in the historic and acoustically-excellent Bedford Presbyterian Church. A fully-catered reception follows the concert where audience members can meet and mingle with the artists. For tickets: rebelbaroque.com.

October 5 – May 9 – 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

October 12 – 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.

October 6, 2019 – 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.

October 6, 2019 – 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. For more: aldrichart.org.

October 7, 2019 – 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.

October 1 – 19, 2019 – The Chair Show at ArtsWestchester Gallery, 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY. This exhibition explores the creativity, forms and art of seating: at center stage is the chair, endlessly recast as luxurious or austere, regal or intimate, straightforward or ironic. Chairs give shape to the ways in which we rest and recreate ourselves in private, or inhabit ‘seats of power’ in public. As supporting players of day-to-day existence, focal points of ceremonies, or revered objects of spiritual and sacred spaces, chairs are invested with diverse meanings and purposes. The Chair Show includes sculptural, conceptual, functional and dysfunctional forms of seating, as well as paintings and installations inspired by chairs. The works, chosen by an open call and curatorial invitation, represent over 50 artists from the regional artistic community. Gallery Night Out: The Chair Show Uncovered – Thursday, October 10, 5:30 – 7:30pm. For a list of participating artists and more information: artswestchester.org.

September 28 – 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.

September 28 – 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.

September 27 – October 26 – In The Pocket: Images Of and Through Jazz at Rye Arts Center, 51 Milton Road, Rye, NY – Featuring multiple mediums exploring the musician, the music, and the form itself. Through paintings, photographs and more, join in celebrating this uniquely American musical form. Participating artists include: Larry D’Amico, Jerry Prettyman, Joel Trieger, Charles Seton, Ruchama Schechter, Patti Mollica, Mark Hagan, and Stone Shi. For more: ryeartscenter.org.

September 22  – November 2, 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.

September 20 – November 3, 2019 – Fruitfulness by Nathalia Edenmont at Stamford Museum & Nature Center, 38 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford, CT. Nathalia Edenmont was born in Yalta in 1970, and moved to Sweden by the time she was 20, realizing that life in the Soviet Union was disintegrating and held no future for her. At 27, she was accepted to Forsberg Skola to study graphic design, where an artist mentor encouraged her to visualize her inner pictures and try to capture them with a camera. Fearlessly re-awaking memories, Edenmont’s repository of images are from her dreams, her own past works, art history and contemporary culture, and the DNA code she uses to building her powerful lexicon of life and loss. Her passion translates into powerful images that attract us with their beauty, and snare us with their honesty. In each new series it is as if she is a chrysalis challenging herself to emerge with different wings; her visions of Madonnas, paradise, and succor exquisitely composed for her large format camera. For more information on the exhibition: stamfordmuseum.org.

September 13 – 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.

September 13, 2019 – 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.

September 15 – November 10, 2019 – From the Head and the Heart at Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Mathews Park, 299 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT. The exhibition From the Head and the Heart includes prints made in the recent past giving visual expression to a wide range of political and social topics that have become omnipresent in our culture. The art selected illustrates subject matter that is important to the artists represented in the show and speaks to the current state of our national and international discourse, some topics of which are immigration, gun control, the environment, endangered species and land use, racism, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights. Artists in the exhibition: Jamaal Barber, April Bey, Enrique Chagoya, Alex Dodge, Stella Ebner, Karen Fiorito, Annalise Gratovich, Nina Jordan, Emily Lombardo, Fernando Martí, Roger Peet, Margaret Roleke, Lara Schnitger, Demetri Stefan, Swoon, Meg Turner. The opening reception is on Sunday, Sept. 15 from 2-4 pm. For a list of artists in the exhibition and more information: contemprints.org.

September 7 – October 18 – 69th AONE  at Silvermine Galleries, 1037 Silvermine Road, New Canaan, CT. The 69^th annual AONE, now a national exhibition honoring emerging and established artists, opens Sept. 15 at the Silvermine Galleries. Bill Carroll, Director of the Studio Program at The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, served as Juror. AONE spotlights contemporary trends and new explorations across various media. Silvermine Gallery Director Roger Mudre announced a significant change for 2019: “Established in 1949 as the New England Exhibition, a regional exhibit, it later became known as Art of the Northeast. This year it has once more transformed—to AONE, a national exhibition. It features a wide range of collectible contemporary artwork that is both vibrant and surprising.” The opening reception on Sunday, Sept. 15 from 2-4 pm is free and open to the public. For more: silvermineart.org.

September 7 – November 3 – EXHIBITION | Cross-pollination: An Evolution in Foliate Forms at Boscobel House and Gardens, 1601 Route 9D, Garrison, NY. Boscobel’s intense study of plants admired and cultivated in early America grew into new plantings for their Formal Garden and Cross-pollination, an exhibition of contemporary works on paper inspired by plant life. Complementing the flora in Boscobel’s renowned permanent collection, Cross-pollination illustrates the Hudson Valley’s ongoing dynamic exchange between design, history, and nature. Artists whose work appears in the exhibition include Austin Ballard, Livia Cetti, Jeri Eisenberg, Matthew Friday, Marian McEvoy, Jill Parisi, Wendy Small, Sara Story, Lori Van Houten, Erin Walrath, and Eleanor White. Cross-pollination will be on view from September 7 through November 3, 2019 in Boscobel’s gallery and throughout the Historic House Museum, 10:00am – 5:00pm each Wednesday through Monday. Gallery admission is included with grounds tickets. House, gallery, and grounds admission is included with Insider Tour tickets. Opening Reception on Sunday, September 8, 4:30 – 6:30pm. For more and tickets: boscobel.org.

Through November 11 and 24 – Mark Dion: Follies (through November 11) and Outlooks: Jean Shin (through November 24) at Storm King Art Center, 1 Museum Road, New Windsor, NY. Mark Dion: Follies is the first exhibition to unite Mark Dion’s signature architectural projects into a major survey. Over the course of his career, Dion has investigated intersections between art, nature, and culture by collecting and displaying a wealth of objects as part of his sculptural works. Architectural follies—compact, decorative structures intended to inspire meaning rather than serve a functional purpose—have been an important part of this practice. This exhibition features thirteen of Dion’s follies made between 1996 and 2019 for both outdoors and indoors, many of which are recreated here in slightly altered forms to respond to their new sites at Storm King Art Center. The landscape at Storm King, from rolling hills to wooded forests, is uniquely suited to showcase the many forms Dion’s follies take. 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 on both exhibitions: stormking.org.

Through November 10, 2019 – Sara Cwynar: Gilded Age at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT: is the New York-based Canadian artist Sara Cwynar’s (b. 1985, Vancouver) first solo museum exhibition on the East Coast. Cwynar’s practice spans photography, installation, book-making, and film, and surveys the transitory object-life of visual matter in our time of image infatuation. The works selected for this exhibition specifically interrogate what constitutes a pretty picture. Appropriating imagery that ranges from art history to advertising, Cwynar collapses time and circumstance, appraising the standardization of beauty in subjects (muses and models), objects (flowers and products), and locales (historical ruins) across centuries and platforms—what persists and what is on the wane. Outdoors: works by Tom Friedman, Radcliffe Bailey, Nari Ward and Tony Tasset, through March 15, 2020. For more: aldrichart.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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