Area Programs, Exhibitions and Holiday Events

 

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.

For the Holidays:  Performances, Art Markets and Historic House Tours

November 23 – 25, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm – Holiday Trunk Show at Silvermine Arts Center, 1037 Silvermine Road, New Canaan, CT. The Holiday Trunk Show is a one-of-a-kind shopping opportunity, featuring accessories for holiday and home, including handmade and hand-crafted jewelry, hand-painted pottery and ceramics, hand-painted scarves, hand-painted wine glasses, hand-pieced wood creations and more. The Trunk Show will open on Friday, November 23^rd and will continue through the weekend from 11am to 4pm each day. The unique crafts and works of art offered in the Holiday Trunk Show this year include outstanding and original jewelry creations by Mindy Ackerman, Arik Bensimon, Sarah Healy, Studio Minerale, Lynne Mercein, Rachel Morris, and Mic Urban; handmade and hand-painted ceramic art including vases, teapots, mugs, bowls, plates, platters, and décor from Jeanne Besssett, Janis Cutler Gear, Nash Hyon, Jon Puzzuoli, and Matthew Yanchuk; etched glasses from Anne Marie Papineau; textiles and scarves from Leslie Giuliani and Bob Lanaghan; and hand-crafted wood bowls, boards and more from Richard Uva. For more: silvermineart.org.

November 23 – 25 – Holiday Opening Weekend at Lyndhurst, 635 S. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY. This year, for the first time ever, Lyndhurst will open the holiday season with an “Explore at Your Own Pace” event. During Black Friday Weekend only, visitors can walk through the mansion without a guided tour, view the holiday decorations at their own pace, and take in the wonders of the historic mansion. See Lyndhurst mansion transformed into an extravagant wonderland of holiday splendor. Described as one of the “Ten Best Historic Holiday Tours” by USA Today, Lyndhurst goes all-out during the holiday season, filling the mansion with elaborate tableaus of décor, which change every year. Dozens of Christmas trees are expertly decorated and designed to complement the elegant period furnishings within the rooms of the house. November 26 –  December 30 – December Classic Mansion Tours – During this month only, Lyndhurst’s curators bring out rarely seen items that belonged to the former owners, the Goulds. This is a once-a-year opportunity to see many of the Goulds’ glittering possessions that are usually tucked away in their archives. Tours are offered every hour from 10 am to 4 pm, Thursdays through Mondays. Tours last approximately one hour. For more: lyndhurst.org.

November 23 – December 31 – Glenview Decorated for the Holidays at Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY. This season, the six period rooms of Glenview, the Museum’s Gilded-Age home on the National Register of Historic Places, will be decorated for the holidays Friday, November 23 through December 31, 2018. The Library, Parlor, Great Hall, Sitting Room, Dining Room, and the Billiard Room are hung with garlands, baubles, and trees in full Victorian splendor. Each room is defined by a specific color scheme, and arrangements use a combination of traditional Victorian elements such as kissing balls, wreaths, and period toys from the collection, along with designs that boast a contemporary flair, such as a rainbow-colored tree in the Great Hall. Miniature decor will also embellish Nybelwyck Hall, a 24-room dollhouse on permanent display, curated by Darren Scala, owner of D. Thomas Fine Miniatures. For more: hrm.org.

November 23-25, December 1-2, December 8-9 – Twilight Tours at Boscobel House and Gardens, 1601 Route 9D, Garrison, NY. With the mansion lit by candles, decorated for a 19th-century Christmas, and resonating with live string music, Twilight Tours offer an especially beautiful view of Boscobel House and Gardens. Outside, the mansion, Apple Orchard, Rose Garden, and Maple Lane will be lit with an elegant display. They add to this singular experience with a post-tour reception in their decorated gallery, and live holiday music in the Visitor Center as well as a reimagined Design Shop. Experience Boscobel at its holiday best. For tour times and more: boscobel.org.

Through December 22 – Clay Holiday: Annual Sale and Tour at Clay Arts Center, 40 Beech Street, Port Chester, NY. Start the Holiday Season with Clay Art Center’s highly coveted Clay Holiday Annual Sale. Shop Local & Give Hand-made! The sale features hundreds of pieces of functional pottery and ceramic sculpture by local and nationally recognized artists. It is an opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind clay art for holiday gift-giving as well as for one’s own use. Discover the area’s only ceramic center, where sculptors and potters work in a cooperative environment. Visitors are welcome to tour our artists’ studio spaces and meet the artists. Don’t miss their Ornament Wall – hundreds of hand-made ceramic holiday keepsakes. For more: clayartcenter.org.

November 23 – January 6 – A Magical Christmas Eve at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT. Tour times: 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm. The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum kicks off the Holiday Season the day after Thanksgiving with a new exhibition titled A Magical Christmas Eve at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, which will open at noon on Friday, November 23, 2018. The exhibit, curated by Trustee Mimi Findlay and the LMMM Curatorial Committee, will capture the enchantment and excitement of the night before Christmas and explore Christmas Eve as it was celebrated by the Lockwood and the Mathews families. The Mansion will also feature 21st century holiday decorations with magnificent trees and seasonal displays by Trustee and renowned interior designers Victoria Vandamm of Vandamm Interiors, Marcia Taylor-Reid of Taylor Reid Design and Danna DiElsi owner of The Silk Touch, who will adorn the Herter Brothers’ grand Victorian staircase with white poinsettias and shimmering gold and silver garlands. For more: lockwoodmathewsmansion.com.  

December 1 & 2, 10-4 pm Saturday and 1-5 pm Sunday – School of Art Annual Holiday Sale and Show Fundraiser at Silvermine Arts Center, 1037 Silvermine Road, New Canaan, CT. Every year, School of Art holds its annual Holiday Art Sale and Fundraiser in the School Auditorium to help raise funds for scholarships. Wonderful gifts are available in a variety of media created by the talented students and faculty of the School of Art. Original artwork, all available at very attractive prices, including ceramics, prints, paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, and wearable art such as jewelry, scarves, felt hats and handbags will all be for sale. This event is great for artists, gift-givers, and gift-receivers alike. Everybody wins big for the holidays. In the spirit of the season, a portion of the proceeds from the sales supports the School of Art Children’s Scholarship Fund. For more: silvermineart.org.

Tuesday, December 4, 7:30 pm – Vienna Boys Choir at The Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic Street, Stamford, CT. The Vienna Boys Choir, renowned as one of the finest vocal ensembles in the world for over 5 centuries, is a frequent visitor to North America, performing throughout the country in everything from houses of worship to great concert venues. An ensemble of 23-26 singers from the Vienna Boys Choir, led by conductor Oliver Stech, will present a program featuring the music of Britten and Saint-Saëns. Other beloved holiday favorites, including selections from their popular CD, Merry Christmas from Vienna, will be performed as well. For more: palacestamford.org.

Wednesday, December 5, 6:00 – 9:00 pm – Deck the Walls! Carriage Barn Arts Center Holiday Party and Fundraiser, Carriage Barn Arts Center, 681 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT. Visit the Carriage Barn Arts Center on December 5 for their holiday party, which will exhibit and sell small works by local artists and artisans while serving cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Bid and buy on one-of-a-kind wreaths donated by local organizations, businesses, and individuals as well in order to raise money for the Arts Center. RSVP at carriagebarn.org/holiday/ For more: carriagebarn.org.

December 5 – 13, 1:00 pm – Holiday Tea Musicales at Caramoor, 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah, NY. Take part in Caramoor’s great tradition of holiday music with charismatic musicians, festive decorations, and tea service in the majestic Music Room. Enjoy an assortment of finger sandwiches, scrumptious holiday treats, and a variety of teas while listening to festive works played by acclaimed performers. Events throughout December are known to fill up, so be sure to book early! On Wednesday, and Thursday, December 12 and 13: Chelsea Shephard, soprano and Cris Frisco, piano. To register: caramoor.org.

Saturday, December 8, 8:00 pm – Handel’s Messiah with Stamford Symphony at Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist, 279 Atlantic St, Stamford CT. Enjoy Handel’s Messiah, Part 1 and Hallelujah Chorus with the Stamford Symphony and the MasterVoices choir at the Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist on December 8th. MasterVoices, founded in 1941 by conductor Robert Shaw, the “dean of American choral singing,” is a choir renowned for the vitality and scale of its productions, with repertoire spanning multiple genres. Ted Sperling, artistic director of MasterVoices and 2005 Tony winner for his orchestrations of The Light on the Piazza, will serve as guest conductor. For more: stamfordsymphony.org.

December 8, 9, 15 & 16, see website for times – Historic Hudson Valley’s Dickens’s Christmas Carol at Old Dutch Church, 430 Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY. Experience the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge like never before with Dickens’s Christmas Carol at Historic Hudson Valley. Nestle into the historic Old Dutch Church and let master storyteller Jonathan Kruk regale you with his adaptation of Charles Dickens’s holiday classic, complete with musical accompaniment. For more: hudsonvalley.org.

Sunday, December 9, 12 pm – 4:00 pm – Holiday Open House at Lockwood-Mathews Mansion, 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT. At the annual Holiday Open House, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion will feature a full hour with the North Pole’s Santa Claus and music performances in collaboration with the award-winning Wilton High School Music program, under the direction of Kevin Cotellese, Director of Choral Activities. Visitors will have the opportunity to view the exhibit A Magical Christmas Eve at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, take memorable family portraits, and enjoy the beauty and splendor of the Museum’s holiday displays. During the event, the Mansion’s Cafe will be open to visitors and offer complimentary refreshments served by the Museum’s costumed interpreters and generously provided by Stew Leonard’s. For more: lockwoodmathewsmansion.com.

Sunday, December 9, 3:00 pm – Handel’s “Messiah” sing-along with Westchester Oratorio Society at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 331 NY-100, Somers, NY. Westchester Oratorio Society with Benjamin Niemczyk, artistic director, continues its 2018-2019 season with a “Scratch” Messiah (Handel’s “Messiah” sing-along) at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Somers, NY.  Members of the audience are invited to celebrate the season by joining with the WOS chamber chorus and the St. Luke’s choir, (music director, Joyce Ottinger) in singing choruses from Handel’s “Messiah” accompanied by the Church’s wonderful von Beckerath pipe organ with professional soloists. For more: westchesteroratorio.org.

Wednesday, December 12, 8:00 pm  – Bedford Chamber Holiday Concert – Vivaldi: The Four Seasons as well as a double and a triple concerto for strings in the Fellowship Room of the Parish House of St. Matthews Episcopal Church, 382 Cantitoe Street, Bedford, NY. Bedford Chamber Concerts presents great music of the baroque, classical and romantic eras, spiced occasionally with music of the twentieth century or new music composed by their Music Director, Anthony Newman. Since Bedford Chamber Concerts’ inaugural season in 2000-2001, performances have been held in the acoustically excellent Fellowship Room of Saint Matthew’s Church in Bedford, New York. A special feature of their concerts is that the performance space holds a maximum of about one hundred and seventy-five people, allowing chamber music to be performed in the intimate setting the composers intended. For more: bedfordchamberconcerts.org.

December 14 & 15, 8:00 pm – Rob Mathes 25th Holiday Concert Anniversary: Special Guests Include Sting, Vanessa Williams and David Sanborn, Performing Holiday-Themed Songs at Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY. Emmy winner and Grammy, Tony, and Drama Desk-nominated arranger and composer, music producer/director, and singer/songwriter Rob Mathes returns to the Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, on Friday, December 14, and Saturday, December 15, at 8:00 p.m., for the annual Rob Mathes Holiday Concert. Rob is celebrating 25 years of performing his annual holiday concert and is honored to be joined this year by special guests Sting, Vanessa Williams and saxophonist David Sanborn, who will each perform a couple holiday-themed songs with Rob and the band. For more: artscenter.org.

Saturday, December 15, 4:30 and 6:00 pm – A Christmas at Boscobel with the Putnam Chorale at Boscobel House and Gardens, 1601 Route 9D, Garrison, NY. Putnam Chorale Music Director Douglas Anderson selects and directs holiday music that would have been heard in American churches and homes in the early 19th century, reflecting life as it would have been lived at Boscobel. Guests are welcome to arrive fifteen minutes early to enjoy the first floor rooms of the Historic House Museum, beautifully decorated for the holidays. Performances will take place in the Entrance Hall of the mansion followed by a reception in the Gallery. (Advance registration recommended). Program includes Gloria by Vivaldi, Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, and other traditional carols. For more: boscobel.org.

December 15 & 16, 1 & 5 pm – Connecticut Ballet’s The Nutcracker at The Palace Theater, 61 Atlantic Street, Stamford, CT.Connecticut Ballet’s annual production is a staple of holiday entertainment in the region. Join Clara Stahlbaum as she travels with her Uncle Drosselmeyer thru the Land of the Snowflakes to the Land of the Sweets, meeting exciting characters danced by the professional corps de ballets. The Sugar Plum Fairy and Her Cavalier will be danced by guest stars Lauren Lovette and Taylor Stanley of New York City Ballet (December 15) and Devon Teuscher and Alexandre Hammoudi of American Ballet Theatre (December 16th). Come early and do some holiday shopping at the Nutcracker Holiday Boutique or stay afterwards to meet the guest stars in the lobby. For performance times and more: palacestamford.org.

Saturday, December 15, 5:00 pm – Bach to Pops: Magnificat and More with Norwalk Symphony at Norwalk Concert Hall, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT. A wide selection of holiday music will be performed at the Norwalk Symphony’s Joys of the Season Concert. Works in the program include Bach’s Magnificat, with soloists and the Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut, Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Snowflakes, Bizet’s Farandole from L’Arlésienne, Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on Greensleeves, Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, and other Christmas and Chanukah favorites. For more:  norwalksymphony.org.

Sunday, December 16, 3:00 pm – Holiday Concert with Fairfield County Chorale, Norwalk Concert Hall, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT. Enjoy holiday music from unexpected sources — including the stunning Misa Tango by Argentinian composer Martín Palmeri, and Italian composer Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Romancero Gitano — plus a selection of your holiday favorites! This critically-acclaimed group, led by music director David Rosenmeyer, is now in its 56th year of presenting great choral works in southwestern Connecticut. The mission of the Fairfield County Chorale is to perform a broad range of choral music for the benefit of the community, and to champion the appreciation of excellence in choral literature. For more: fairfieldcountychorale.org.

Sunday, December 16 at 2 & 5pm and Saturday December 22 at 3 & 7pm – Nutcracker Dream with Ballet des Amériques at Emelin Theater, 56 Library Lane, Mamaroneck, NY. The Emelin Theatre comes together with renowned choreographer Carole Alexis to present The Nutcracker featuring the professional dance company Ballet des Amériques. Alexis’ Nutcracker Dream is a special one hour, family-friendly adaptation of the classic ballet, inspired by the work of Marius Petipa and Rudolf Nureyev. Carole Alexis created Nutcracker Dream to bring families and friends together around what she believes is the essence of the story, namely the beautiful balance between Marie’s childhood playfulness and her coming of age in the midst of family and friends. The Emelin Theatre is thrilled to present this professional adaptation of the beloved ballet for the enjoyment of family audiences throughout Westchester. Looking to collaborate with Westchester-based artists, the Emelin sought out Carole Alexis and Ballet des Amériques, whose quality, cultural knowledge and artistic vision brings world-class art to its family and holiday season programming. For performance times and more: emelin.org.

Sunday, December 16, 3:00 pm – Westchester Philharmonic: Winter Pops! at The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY. The exuberant maestra and Rockland native Rachael Worby is welcomed to the stage with the Westchester Philharmonic for their winter concert at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. Worby is an acclaimed conductor who has served as Music Director of the Pasadena Pops, Wheeling Symphony, and Carnegie Hall’s Young People’s Concerts, guest-conducts around the world with legendary soprano Jessye Norman, and leads her own LA-based ensemble, Muse/ique. Joining her and the Westchester Philharmonic will be Time for Three (violists Nicolas Kendall and Charles Yang, bassist Ranaan Meyer), who happily and infectiously defy genre classification, performing music from Bach to Brahms to bluegrass to the Beatles. Light classics, American Songbook gems, and holiday favorites round out the program. For more: artscenter.org.

Special Events, Programs and Lectures

Thursday, November 29, 5:30 pm – Bruce Icon Awards in the Arts at Belle Haven Club, 100 Harbor Drive, Greenwich, CT. Hailed as one of the favorite Museum events of the year, the Icon Awards will begin with a cocktail reception at 5:30 pm, followed by a panel discussion and awards presentation at 6:30 pm and dinner with the honorees at 7:30 pm. The Bruce Museum’s Icon Awards in the Arts recognizes the contributions of distinguished figures in the art world who enrich the cultural life of our community. This year’s ceremony will honor the following individuals in three categories – Artist: Petah Coyne, Art Historian: Kenneth E. Silver, Collectors/Patrons of the Arts: Herbert Lust, Ann and RJ Vassiliou. The subject of the panel discussion among the honorees is “Creating, Curating and Collecting: The Art Market Today.” The moderator is Evan Beard, National Art Services Executive, US Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. Based in New York City, Evan leads the bank’s outreach to private and institutional art collectors, investors, and artists nationwide. For more information about the Icon Awards or to receive an invitation, please contact Brooke Amico, Special Events Manager, at 203-413-6761 or bamico@brucemuseum.org. Reservations for the cocktail reception, panel discussion, and awards ceremony, as well as the dinner that follows, may be made at brucemuseum.org.

Film

November 21 – 29 – At Eternity’s Gate at Jacob Burns Film Center, 364 Manville Road, Pleasantville, NY. Academy Award nominee Julian Schnabel’s new film, At Eternity’s Gate, is a journey inside the mind of Vincent van Gogh (Willem Dafoe in a magnificent performance), who, in the face of skepticism, ridicule, and illness, created some of the world’s most beloved and stunning works of art. Gorgeously shot and creatively told, At Eternity’s Gate is a kaleidoscopic experience that is, at its core, an unwavering ode to the artistic spirit. Also starring Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Ex Machina), Rupert Friend (The Death of Stalin, Showtime’s Homeland), and Mads Mikkelsen (A Royal Affair, NBC’s Hannibal). At Eternity’s Gate was the closing-night selection at the New York Film Festival. For more: burnsfilmcenter.org.

November 21 & 22 – At Eternity’s Gate at Avon Theatre, 272 Bedford Street, Stamford, CT. More:  avontheatre.org.

Wednesday, November 21 – Green Book at Bedford Playhouse & Clive Davis Arts Center, 633 Old Post Road, Bedford, NY. A working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South. Starring Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini and Viggo Mortensen, directed by Peter Farrelly. For showtimes and more: bedfordplayhouse.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 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

Sunday, November 25, 3:30 – 5 pm – Peterson Concert: Peter Serkin in Recital at Greenwich Library’s Cole Auditorium, 101 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT – Peter Serkin holds a singular place among today’s classical music artists, admired equally for his performance of established repertoire and as a consummate interpreter of contemporary music.  His music-making demonstrates a keen understanding of the masterworks of J.S. Bach as well as an exceptional grasp of diverse musical styles, ranging from Stravinsky to Messiaen, Tōru Takemitsu, and Oliver Knussen. Serkin has performed with the world’s major symphony orchestras, led by such eminent conductors as Seiji Ozawa, Daniel Barenboim, Simon Rattle, Herbert Blomstedt, as well as Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.  In chamber music, Serkin has collaborated with Alexander Schneider, Pamela Frank, Yo-Yo Ma, and the Budapest, Guarneri, Orion, Shanghai, and Dover String Quartets, among others.  He was a founding member of the TASHI Quartet, with violinist Ida Kavafian, cellist Fred Sherry, and clarinetist Richard Stoltzman.  For more: greenwichlibrary.org.

Saturday, December 1, 8 pm – Joe Lovano Plays Bernstein at Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY. This is the 100th anniversary of the birth of American legend, Leonard Bernstein and tributes abound. But, at Purchase, we have the talents on board to present perennial poll winner and Jazz star Joe Lovano as headliner in a concert featuring homegrown arrangements of The Maestro’s music by pianist and Head of Jazz Studies at Purchase College, Pete Malinverni, and featuring performances by some of our award-winning faculty and rising stars from among our Jazz Studies students. Be on hand for this singular celebration! For more: artscenter.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

November 18 – December 20, 2018 – Guild Group Exhibition at Silvermine Galleries, 1037 Silvermine Road, New Canaan, CT. The Silvermine Galleries will present a Guild Group Exhibition with new work by 44 members of the Silvermine Guild of Artists. The exhibition is curated by Susan Eisner Eley of Susan Eley Fine Art, the salon-style gallery on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The public is invited to an opening reception on Sun., Nov. 18 from 2-4 pm, and the exhibition runs through Dec. 20. As it nears its Centennial, Silvermine celebrates its extraordinarily accomplished painters, sculptors, printmakers, and collage and mixed media artists. Visitors will be able to see new work and new explorations in this wide-ranging, end-of-the-year Guild Group Exhibition. For more: silvermineart.org.

Date Change: November 16 – December 30, 2018 – Handwright Gallery Annual Holiday Show, Handwright Gallery, 93 Main Street, New Canaan, CT. Stop in for the Handwright Gallery Annual Holiday Show, exhibiting works by James Coe, Patricia Davis-Ganek, Mireille Duchesne, Carolyn Edlund, Katherine Evans, Karen Fitzgerald, Rose-Marie Fox, Linda George, Jeff Gola, Dana Goodfellow, Dick McEvoy, Vera Rahn, Claudia Seymour, George Van Hook, and Antonia Walker.  There will be a public opening reception on Friday, November 16, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. For more: handwrightgallery.com.

November 3, 2018 – January 12, 2019 – Room for Play at Heather Gaudio Fine Art, 66 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT. Heather Gaudio Fine Art opens Room for Play, a group exhibition featuring works by Ellen Carey, Deborah Kass, Robert Sagerman and Andrés Schiavo. A public reception will be held on November 30th , 5-7 pm, to coincide with the New Canaan Holiday Stroll. The artists in this exhibition are working with imaginative and distinct processes to create colorful and engaging visual experiences. Ellen Carey has been a groundbreaking experimental photographer for several decades, producing abstract images through the use of lens-based and camera-less methods. Deborah Kass acknowledges art historical forebears such as Andy Warhol and Ed Ruscha in works that appropriate and reclaim imagery and linguistics. Robert Sagerman combines mysticism and investigation of color relationships in his paintings. Equally labor-intensive but approaching his creativity from a different context, Andrés Schiavo’s sculptures emerge from his compulsive and obsessive processes. Using colorful pencils as his primary medium, Schiavo makes intricate arrangements that are geometric sculptural forms, at times referencing landscapes or objects found in nature. For more: heathergaudiofineart.com.

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 26 – December 15, 2018 – Mohamad Hafez: Collateral Damage at Fairfield University Art Museum at Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT. cMohamad Hafez: Collateral Damage features a selection of work across multiple projects, including the site-specific installation Sea Garbage, as well as pieces from his Baggage series, in which the artist creates tableaus suggestive of the experience of refugees – many of whom are forced to flee their homes at short notice, or with only as much as they can carry – and places them inside vintage suitcases. This exhibition also features selected works by two contemporary Syrian artists, photographer and digital artist Hala el-Abed and filmmaker Waref abu Quba, which explore themes of violence and loss centered around the Syrian refugee crisis. For information on programs and the exhibition: fairfield.edu.

October 25 – December 5, 2018 – All Together at Flinn Gallery, Greenwich Library, 101 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT. All Together takes a fresh look at still life. Our choice of plants and pottery, the way we arrange our furniture, the cultural markers of coffee cups and chocolate bars, and the symbolic nature of vases are explored. Artists Kate Gilmore, Karen Lederer, Polly Shindler, Paul Wackers, and Alex Yudzon combine humor and formal rigor to examine the importance and meaning of objects placed together. There will be an Artist Talk on Saturday, November 3 at 2pm, as well as other exhibition-related programming. Opening Reception is on Thursday, October 25 from 6 – 8 pm. For more: flinngallery.com.

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.

October 12 – November 30, 2018 – MARCK + SPERBER: Through the Looking Glass – Alternative Viewpoints at Gilles Clement Gallery, 45 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT. Going full throttle with their creative license to manipulate reality and perception, the two artists featured in the upcoming exhibit utilize their respective mediums to draw the viewer into a wonderland of optical illusion, playful visual layering and unexpected use of space and scale. The human visage and form take the thematic center stage, presented in the gargantuan pixilated enlargements of Devorah Sperber’s thread spool installations, and the miniaturized women of MARCK’s video sculptures, dancing in an elegant decorative case, trapped in a spinning tank, or posing as the power source of a light box. Expect no ordinary art browse – the eyes are engaged as never before, the brain challenged and teased, and the spirits uplifted by this delightful pairing of conceptual and technical artistry. For more: gillesclementgallery.com.

September 22 – December 30, 2018 – ReTooled: Highlights from the Hechinger Collection at Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich, CT. Featuring more than 40 richly imaginative, quirky, and thought-provoking paintings, sculptures, photographs, and sketches, ReTooled celebrates the prevalence of tools in our lives with art that magically transforms utilitarian objects into fanciful works that speak of beauty, insight, and wit. The Bruce Museum’s signature fall exhibition, ReTooled profiles 28 visionary artists from the Hechinger Collection and includes major artists such as Arman, Richard Estes, Howard Finster, Red Grooms, Jacob Lawrence, and Fernand Léger; photographers Berenice Abbott and Walker Evans; as well as pop artists Jim Dine, Claes Oldenburg, and James Rosenquist. For more: brucemuseum.org.

September 8 – December 2, 2018 – 21st Annual International – American Society of Botanical Artists and Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx, NY – Wave Hill is pleased to partner with the American Society of Botanical Artists to present the juried 21st Annual International exhibition that advances the tradition and contemporary practice of botanical art. This collaboration celebrates art that inspires gardeners and the vibrant, burgeoning horticulture at Wave Hill that inspires artists.  ASBA recognizes the power of botanical art to educate, promote ecological awareness and enrich our lives. Botanical artworks by 47 international artists from the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Russia, Slovenia and the UK are presented. The artists’ renderings of exotic and native flowers, fruits, roots, and trees provide unique points of view with precise attention to detail that astonish and provoke close observation. For more: wavehill.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.

August 18 – November 25, 2018 – A Continuous Thread: Navajo Weaving Traditions at Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich, CT. A Continuous Thread: Navajo Weaving Traditions traces the history of the Navajo weaving tradition from the earliest Mexican-inspired Saltillo serapes, c. 1880, to mid-20th century pictorial rugs. Featuring a dozen items from the Museum’s Native American ethnographic collection – some of which have never been publicly exhibited – the exhibition will be on display in the Bantle Lecture Gallery. The ability to conceive and execute two-dimensional designs in extraordinary patterns and colors set Navajo weavers apart from the creators of other Native rugs and blankets. Knowledge of this traditional process is an important cultural tradition that has been maintained through intergenerational instruction and mentoring despite the obstacles of displacement, discrimination and isolation experienced by the Navajo Nation. For more: brucemuseum.org.

May 20 – January 13, 2019 – The Domestic Plane at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT. The Domestic Plane (May 20 – January 13, 2019) This is a meta-group exhibition in five chapters—organized by five curators, including more than seventy artists—that will feature tabletop art objects from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The experience could be likened to theatre, as viewers encounter objects that interact with each other, their audience, their setting, forging relationships to be examined and meanings to be discovered in their adventurous methods of display.  Pictured, Double Cherry by Genesis Belanger, from Objects Like Us, from The Domestic Plane: Genesis Belanger, Double Cherry, 2017. For more: aldrichart.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 Center for 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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