Category Archives: Arts

Hundreds Celebrate Summer Solstice With Stroll Down Lyme St. Enjoying ‘Make Music Day’

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Lyme Street was filled with cheerful folk enjoying the sounds of ‘Make Music Old Lyme’ and visiting with friends they had not seen in a long time due to pandemic restrictions. Photo by Cheryl Poirier.

OLD LYME — ARTICLE UPDATED, PHOTOS ADDED: The air was warm and spirits were high early on Monday evening when more than 500 people took a stroll on Lyme Street to enjoy the music of a dozen bands and solo performers, who together created Make Music Old Lyme. 

‘The Voice’ finalist Braiden Sunshine drew a large crowd in front of Center School. All photos by Alan Poirier except where otherwise indicated.

It turned into an evening of wonderful musical entertainment and also the opportunity to reconnect with friends after a very long and challenging year.

Plywood Cowboy played on the steps of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.

The celebration spanned the length of Lyme Street from the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, where Steve Dedman of Plywood Cowboy played all the way up to the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts where the Old Lyme Town Band entertained on the front lawn.

The Old Lyme Town Band gave a rousing performance in front of Lyme Academy of Fine Arts.

A number of people brought chairs and moved from performance to performance to enjoy the evening full of folk, indie rock, Americana, and more.

Welcome to Space performed at Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau as part of ‘Make Music Old Lyme.’ From left to right are Thomas Pennie, Colin Hallahan and Jess Kegley with Noah Rumm on drums. All four are members of the Lyme-Old Lyme High School Class of 2019. Photo by Tracy McGlinchey.

Many residents were surprised to learn that all of the musicians donated their time and talent to support the international Make Music Day credo of free music for all.

The Lyme-Old Lyme Lions did brisk business selling hot dogs and hamburgers.

The Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club sold over 100 hamburgers and more than 100 hot dogs …

Steve Patarini and Dean Montgomery performed on the new patio of the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library.

… and meanwhile, The Chocolate Shell generously offered a 10 percent on all purchases.

Hot Strings Café could be found in front of Patricia Spratt for the Home.

Cheryl Poirier, a lead organizer of Make Music Old Lyme, told LymeLine after the event that she felt it was, “A highly successful night  … [and] a great time was had by all!”

The Nightingale Fiddlers and Friends played in front of … where else, but Nightingale’s Acoustic Cafe?!

The comments we have seen about the event on our Facebook page and here on LymeLine strongly suggest that was the universal opinion!

The Moving Target Band played in front of The Village Shops.

The event was part of an international celebration of free music for all produced by the Old Lyme Arts District in conjunction with the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition and Nightingale’s Acoustic Cafe arranged the musical lineup.

The Midnight Anthem delighted crowds in front of Old Lyme’s Memorial Town Hall. Photo by Cheryl Poirier.

This was the third year Make Music Old Lyme has been presented; it was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whiskey and Aspirin and friends performed in front of The Cooley Gallery.

At the end of the two-hour event, a ‘Kazoo Parade’ led by Dan Stevens brought people to Studio 80+ Sculpture Grounds, where a final jam session involving many of the performers continued.

After a jovial musical march up Lyme Street, several of the musicians stopped a while at Gil Boro’s studio to make more music. Photo by Cheryl Poirier.

Make Music Old Lyme returns next year on the Summer Solstice, Tuesday, June 21, 2022.

The grand, unplanned finale at Studio 80 + Sculpture Grounds made for a perfect end to an amazing evening. Photo by Cheryl Poirier.

Studio 80’s ‘Summer Sculpture Showcase’ on View Throughout Summer

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‘Yes’ by Joe Gitterman is one of the featured works in this year’s Summer Sculpture Showcase.

OLD LYME — An Opening Reception for Studio 80 + Sculpture Grounds’ 7th Annual Summer Sculpture Showcase will be held Saturday, June 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. to celebrate the artwork on display … and a much-anticipated return to socialization! All are welcome.

The event will feature a live performance by Ramblin’ Dan Stevens and Steve Sigel.

Ramblin’ Dan Stevens will be playing with Steve Sigel during the Opening Reception.

Studio 80 + Sculpture Grounds is a vibrant community environment dedicated to arts education and appreciation on the Connecticut shoreline. Its mission is to create a bond between art, nature and community by inspiring and promoting participation in the arts.

The exhibition provides a unique opportunity for artists to showcase their sculptures in a wonderful environment specifically designed to nurture the creative arts.  This year, the Showcase features sculptural works by 20 selected artists.

Take the opportunity to wander around Gil Boro’s Sculpture Grounds and see the more than 100 sculptures on display,

In an effort to keep everyone safe and healthy, masks will be mandatory for all and social distancing measures will be practiced. If you have not been vaccinated, you are requested to consider not attending the event.

The health and well-being of the community is of paramount importance. It is for this reason that the event will be held exclusively outdoors, weather permitting, and no refreshments will be served this year. Guests are, however, welcome to BYO!

‘Sticky Chromosome’ is one of the sculptures juried into the Showcase.

Parking is available next door at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts. Handicapped parking is available at the Sculpture Grounds.

Ivoryton Playhouse Reopens its Doors with ‘Murder for Two,’ July 8

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IVORYTON — The Ivoryton Playhouse will open its doors for a five-play season on July 8.

Murder For Two by Kellen Blair and Joe Kinosian is a blend of music, mayhem and murder! In this hilarious 90-minute show, two performers play 13 roles—not to mention the piano—in a witty and winking homage to old-fashioned murder mysteries.

The New York Times calls it “Ingenious! A snazzy double-act that spins out a comic mystery animated by funny, deftly turned songs.”

Murder For Two was developed at the Adirondack Theatre Festival and 42nd Street Moon. Chicago Shakespeare Theater presented the World Premiere Production in May, 2011, which was extended four times and ran for more than six months. Kinosian and Blair were recognized with a 2011 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Musical.

Everyone is a suspect in Murder For Two – Ian Lowe*, who was last seen in Ivoryton in The Woman in Black — plays the detective, and Joe Kinosian* plays all 13 suspects and they both play the piano.

A zany blend of classic musical comedy and madcap mystery, this 90-minute whodunit is a highly theatrical duet loaded with laughs.

The show is directed and choreographed by Wendy Seyb, the set is designed by Martin Marchitto, lighting by Marcus Abbott and costumes by Elizabeth Saylor.

Murder For Two opens at the Ivoryton Playhouse July 8 and runs through Aug. 1, 2021. Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. There will be one Thursday matinee on July 8.

The safety of the audience is the primary concern. Face masks are required at all times in the theatre. There is no intermission and no concessions will be sold. Eating and drinking are not allowed in the theatre. Socially-distanced  seats mean there are only 96 seats in the theatre for your comfort and protection.  To view the socially-distanced seating plan, follow this link.

The second show in the 2021 Summer Season will be:

HAVING OUR SAY:  THE DELANY SISTERS FIRST 100 YEARS
by Emily Mann, adapted from the book “Having Our Say”
Aug. 12 – Sept. 5
A beautiful, funny and heartfelt family drama based on the bestselling memoir of Bessie and Sadie Delany – trailblazers, activists and best friends.

More shows will be announced soon.

Tickets are $55 for adults, $50 for seniors, $25 for students and are available on June 14 by calling the Playhouse box office at 860.767.7318. Tickets are not available online. Visit the website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org for more information. (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.

*denotes member of Actors Equity

 

 

Lyme Academy Welcomes Community Back to Campus with Upbeat Concert

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OLD LYME — Hundred came out yesterday evening to enjoy a free concert hosted by Lyme Academy of Fine Arts featuring singer Chris Gregor on guitar, who was followed by Brad Bensko and Kathleen Parks.

The crowd seemed genuinely pleased to be back on the grounds of the beloved institution, which has experienced a period of uncertainty in recent years as it transitioned back from a degree-granting college to a fine arts academy.

It was an evening for all ages …

… with something for everyone.

The music delighted the audience …

… and a wonderful evening was had by all.

There will be another free concert next Thursday evening, June 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. on the grounds of the Academy featuring the Java Groove.

Don’t miss it!

Artist and Community Volunteers Turn Prison Cell into Garden at Flo Gris Museum; Solitary Garden Artist to Give Talk Sunday

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OLD LYME — As part of the Florence Griswold Museum’s current exhibition, Social & Solitary: Reflections on Art, Isolation, and Renewal, the Museum is collaborating with the New Orleans-based artist jackie sumell to install one of her “Solitary Garden” beds on the Museum’s grounds.

A group of volunteers from the community will work with the artist to create the fixtures and plant garden

Thursday, June 10, from 10 am to 5 pm
Friday, June 11, from 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday, June 12, from 10 am to 1 pm

If you wish to volunteer for this project, visit https://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/solitarygarden/

The Solitary Garden project comes to life through correspondence between a volunteer and a currently incarcerated “gardener.” Their letters articulate to the Museum what kinds of flowers or plants are grown in the garden bed. Each Solitary Garden is a gesture of hope connecting an isolated person to the outside world through the restorative act of nurturing plants.

The size and layout of sumell’s 6’ x 9’ plots replicate prison cells, with “fixtures” made from biodegradable materials that will disappear over time as the plants and flowers mature.

The gardener is currently incarcerated at the York Correctional Institution, a facility for women in Niantic. By pending agreement with the prison and the gardener, we will soon be able to share the gardener’s initials.

Photo of jackie sumell by Maiwenn Raoult.

Artist jackie sumell works with gardeners incarcerated around the country and encouraged the curator to connect with someone in prison locally.

The Hartford artist Judy Dworin of the movement-based, multi-arts Judy Dworin Performance Project works with women incarcerated at York and helped identify the gardener based on her past involvement in both gardening and writing programs at the prison.

Sumell will be at the Museum on Sunday, June 13 at 2 p.m. for a free talk on the grounds. She will speak about her Solitary Gardens and The Prisoner’s Apothecary, a traveling project that grows plant medicine in collaboration with incarcerated individuals and distributes it to affected communities nationally.

The Solitary Gardens project cultivates conversations around alternatives to incarceration by catalyzing compassion. This project directly and metaphorically asks us to imagine a landscape without prisons.

Editor’s Note: The artist’s name is intentionally lowercase. The Florence Griswold Museum is located at 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT.