Category Archives: Arts

Registration Open Now for Community Music School’s Fall Semester, Open House Week, Sept. 8-12

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The Community Music School (CMS), located in the Spencer’s Corner professional complex at 90 Main St. in Centerbrook, is now registering for the Fall semester which begins Sept. 3, and welcomes the general public to visit during Open House Week Sept. 8 through 12.

Children and adults can tour the School’s studios, meet teachers and staff, enjoy a free preview lesson, and learn about a vast array of programs including private and group lessons, jazz and string ensembles, musical theater, the Kindermusik early childhood program, and music therapy services.  Community Music School is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays.  Those interested in a 15-minute preview lesson are requested to call 860-767-0026 for scheduling.

Community Music School offers innovative music programming for infants through adults, building on a 30-year tradition of providing quality music instruction to residents of shoreline communities.  The School’s programs cultivate musical ability and creativity and provide students with a thorough understanding of music so that they can enjoy playing and listening for their entire lives.

For additional information, visit www.community-music-school.org or call 860-767-0026.

Big Book Getaway Hosts Authors Green, Greenspan at Bee & Thistle for Saturday Lunch

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Jane Green Photo credit: Ian Warburg

Jane Green
Photo credit: Ian Warburg

The Big Book Getaway (BBG) team presents New York Times bestselling author, Jane Green, and award-winning cookbook author, Dorie Greenspan, at the next Big Book Getaway luncheon at The Bee & Thistle Inn this Saturday, Aug. 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Green, who is British but now lives in Connecticut, wrote one of her books, Family Pictures, while staying at the Inn.

Green will be introduced by award-winning cookbook author Dorie Greenspan of Westbrook, whose new book, “Baking Chez Moi: Recipes from My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere” (Rux Martin Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), $40, will be available for puchase at the event.  

Green will then give the feature talk about her new book, titled, “Tempting Fate,” (St. Martin’s Press, $25.99, hardcover), which has been described as a, “riveting, heartrending, and ultimately hopeful new novel, praised by Kirkus as “a Scarlet Letter for the 21st Century.”

Dorie Greenspan

Dorie Greenspan

Both women will also sign copies of their new books at the event.  Book sales will be offered by Bank Square Books of Mystic, CT. 

The Big Book Getaway is a creation of LaFrancois Marketing Consultants and Essex Books.  Tickets to the luncheon and author talks may be purchased via the BBG website at this link.

For further information or questions, contact 914-310-5824.  

Essex Winter Series Board of Trustees Elects New Members

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Essex Winter Series Vice President Janice Atkeson (left) stands with (from left to right) newly-elected trustees Madeleine Nichols and Paula Anik, and board president Peter Amos at the organization’s June garden party. Not shown is Henry Resnikoff, who was elected to the board in August. Photo by Peter Harron.

From left to right, Essex Winter Series Vice President Janice Atkeson stands with newly-elected trustees Madeleine Nichols and Paula Anik, and board president Peter Amos at the organization’s June garden party. Not shown is Henry Resnikoff, who was elected to the board in August.           Photo by Peter Harron.

Peter Amos, president of the Board of Trustees of Essex Winter Series, has announced that Paula Anik of Essex, Madeleine Nichols of Lyme, and Henry Resnikoff of Essex were recently elected to the board of the organizatioin.  In addition, Janice Atkeson, who has served on the board since 2012, was elected vice president.

Anik has strong ties to music and has been a member of Essex Winter Series.  Her father was a classically-trained vocalist who toured with the USO entertaining troops. her eldest daughter is also a classically trained vocalist. She has lived in Boston, Los Angeles and Essex, where she now resides with her husband, Joel.  Anik is a retired residential real estate broker and has served on various charitable committees in a fund-raising role.

Nichols, an interior designer, was born in Budapest, Hungary, and attend Hungarian University of Fine Arts.  She has lived in Cairo, Egypt, and Athens and is fluent in in numerous languages.  She has been professionally involved with antiques and interior design for nearly 30 years in New York and Connecticut, and is currently as Associate with Jonathan Isleib Design of Old Lyme and owner of MWN Interior Design.

Henry Resnikoff is a professional real estate developer and has developed commercial, residential, industrial and assisted living properties throughout the Northeast and Mid Atlantic states.  He was born and raised in New London where his father was also a real estate developer.  With the exception of four years, Henry and his wife Daphne Nielsen have lived in Essex since 1978, currently on Ingham Hill Rd. They have four grown sons.

Bringing world-class classical and jazz music to the shoreline area was the dream of Fenton Brown, who established the Essex Winter Seriesin 1979.  Each year, the Essex Winter Series presents a series of concert performances by top-rated musicians from around the world.

These concerts, held primarily at Valley Regional High School in Deep River, are presented on Sunday afternoons in January, February and March.  A single season may include a mix of such performances as instrumental soloists, opera singers, chamber orchestras, and jazz bands.

Two New Exhibitions on Show at LAA

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"Bouquet with thistles" by Marilyn Caissy is featured in the Connecticut Pastel Society exhibition opening Friday at the LAA.

“Bouquet with thistles” by Marilyn Caissy is featured in the Connecticut Pastel Society’s exhibition opening Friday at the LAA.

The Lyme Art Association, (LAA) presents an exhibition celebrating landscape, still life, and figurative scenes captured on canvas and in sculpture on view from Aug, 1 through Sept. 20, 2014.  The August Light: Summer Painting and Sculpture Exhibition for Members is on view in the Association’s three front galleries.

A separate juried show, Pastel Brilliance, in the Goodman Gallery highlights the talented artist-members of the Connecticut Pastel Society (CPS).
      
The Lyme Art Association is pleased once again to host the CPS in Old Lyme. Exhibition Chairwoman and CPS Signature Member, Cindy Mazzaferro explains, “The CPS is happy to once again partner with the LAA to showcase some of our most talented artists during the Pastel Brilliance exhibition.  This year, our donated demo paintings will be available through the CPS silent auction, which will end the last day of the LAA exhibition, Sept. 20, at 4 p.m.”  Bids can be placed in person or called in to the LAA at (860) 434-7802.
 
As part of the sculpture component to the exhibition, the LAA is also delighted to welcome members of the Connecticut Sculpture Society as invited guests.
 
The Lyme Art Association was founded in 1914 by the American Impressionists and continues the tradition of exhibiting and selling representational artwork by its members and invited artists, as well as offering art instruction and lectures to the community.

The Lyme Art Association is located at 90 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, in a building designed by Charles Adams Platt and located within a national historic district.  Admission is free with contributions appreciated.  Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm, Sunday 1 to 5pm.

For more information on exhibitions, purchase of art, art classes, or becoming a member, call (860) 434-7802.

Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts Becomes Sixth College of University of New Haven

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The Chandler Academic Center at Lyme Academy College.

The Chandler Academic Center at Lyme Academy College.

The University of New Haven announced today that it has finalized its affiliation with Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, making the fine arts school in Old Lyme the university’s sixth college.

“This a historic event, and we look forward to providing outstanding educational opportunities to generations of aspiring artists,” said University of New Haven President Steven H. Kaplan. “The affiliation of our two institutions will raise the stature of fine arts education in the Northeast while providing expanded benefits, services and opportunities to students, faculty and alumni at both the University of New Haven and Lyme Academy College. We also intend to expand the outreach efforts at Lyme Academy College to benefit local residents and, in fact, all Connecticut residents.”

The Board of Governors of the University of New Haven and the Board of Trustees at Lyme Academy College approved the affiliation in early April. The Connecticut Office of Higher Education and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges also approved the affiliation. Since that time, both institutions have worked to merge their student services, faculty units and other support and operating systems. Those integrations will continue through the upcoming academic year.

Todd Jokl, associate professor and past chair of the UNH Department of Art and Design, will serve as the campus dean at Lyme Academy College. Jokl will be based at the College in Old Lyme. Jokl received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University and his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Connecticut.

“I envision great things happening in the months and years ahead,” Kaplan said. “We will work closely with Lyme Academy College to create a top-tier fine arts education program.”

The affiliation presents many advantages to both institutions. Lyme Academy College will benefit from the operational breadth and depth of the University of New Haven, gaining access to an expanded range of liberal arts courses and complementary UNH art programs, such as design and digital media. The University of New Haven also offers study-abroad opportunities at its campus in Tuscany, Italy, where Lyme Academy College students can attend classes. Lyme Academy College students also will gain access to the university’s broad liberal arts program and new learning opportunities.

Administrators have said that little will change regarding the student experience at Lyme Academy College. The small classes will be retained, and students will continue to be provided the hands-on experiences and the opportunity to become immersed in figurative and representational art. But through the affiliation, students will be provided access to more courses, technologies and academic initiatives that will strengthen their educational experience.

The University of New Haven will add Lyme Academy College’s high-quality Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) program to its curriculum, making it possible for UNH students to study painting, sculpture, drawing and illustration. The university does not currently offer a B.F.A.

“Our university is known for the unique experiential programs it offers to students,” Kaplan said. “The program at Lyme Academy College fits in well with our rapidly expanding offerings at our main campus in West Haven, our new campus in Orange, and our international program in Italy.

“We are determined to protect and preserve the mission of Lyme Academy College, retaining the unique qualities that appeal to students seeking an arts degree in an idyllic, rural setting that nurtures creativity,” he added.

The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. The university has 80 degree programs at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Founded in 1920, the university enrolls approximately 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates.

Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts is nationally known for its academic tradition of figurative and representational fine art that prepares students for a lifetime of contemporary creative practice. The college offers bachelor of fine arts degrees in drawing, illustration, painting, and sculpture (full- and part-time study); certificates in painting and sculpture, a post-baccalaureate program; continuing education for adults; and a pre-college program for students aged 15-18.