Event Types: Arts & Culture

Matt Wood returns to The Hen’s Nest Gallery with his artwork of the furry or feathered, horned or clawed. Join The Hen’s Nest for an opening reception on Saturday, March 2nd at 4:00pm. The show will run through May 19th, 2024.

Matt catches a moment of movement, leaving us to imagine that if we turn away the subject will move. Matt Wood is currently part of show at The Mattatuck Museum that explores climate change and its global impact. Joining Matt will be Erin Dibble with her photographs, some of which Matt has used as studies for his paintings. Willow Gray, also invited by Matt, will be showing her photography.

The Gunn Memorial Library Stairwell Gallery presents the “Atmospheric Abstractions” Exhibit by Edward Muszala on display from Saturday, March 23rd – Saturday, May 18th, 2024.

Pilot and artist, Edward Muszala, finds inspiration in the sky. “As a pilot I was aware of the constantly changing play of air and light in the atmosphere, the warmth of the sun, the speed of the wind, the water in the clouds” he says. Through the lens of a seasoned aviator, he captures the ever-shifting tapestry of light, color, and temperature in the atmosphere, translating this awe-inspiring spectacle onto canvas with his mastery of oil and encaustic techniques bringing these atmospheric scenes to life, evoking feelings of calm and awe in every brushstroke.

An opening reception for “Cleve Gray: Towards an Art of Hope,” a retrospective exhibition featuring eight decades of the artist’s work, will be held on Thursday, April 25, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Perakos Family Cares Art Gallery at The Frederick Gunn School. The gallery, located in the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center on campus, is open to the public free of charge, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the Upper Parking Lot off Kirby Road, with a limited number of accessible parking spaces outside the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center. The show will remain on view through May 22, 2024.

Image: Cleve Gray, “Silver Breath,” 1967, Acrylic and Aluminum Paint on Duck Cloth, 82×79 inches; courtesy of Cleve Gray Foundation

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens hosts an art exhibit featuring works by AP art students at Shepaug Valley School and The Frederick Gunn School. The exhibit will be on view Friday, April 12 through Sunday, April 28.

Throughout the school year, each student has been exploring a theme in art, and their works reflect their year-long study of that theme.

“The students possess this exuberance of youth that keeps them excited about the possibility that their art brings to them. They all approach their art in different ways but their enthusiasm shines through in all that they do,” says Andrew Richards, Visual Arts Chair at The Frederick Gunn School.

This show will be open for viewing during scheduled events at the park or by appointment.

April 19th – 28th, 2024

Ever wonder about that restaurant you’ve heard about or driven by all those times? Washington Restaurant Week 2024 is your chance to give it a try and experience “The Arts” while you’re doing it! This is your opportunity to try as many restaurants as your schedule allows for an incredible price.

Washington Restaurant Week, Where Food and the Arts Meet, is proudly organized by the Washington Business Association, Washington Arts Council, Town of Washington – Economic Development Committee and Litchfield.co.

View all participating restaurants:

Community Table
GW Tavern
Hopkins Inn
Hopkins Vineyard
Inari Asian Bistro
Marty’s Cafe
Mayflower Inn & Spa
The 202 Tavern
The Owl Wine & Food Bar
The Pantry
Po Cafe
Smithy Cafe at 9 Main
The White Hose
Washington Pizza House

View exciting art shows at:

Eckert Fine Art
KMR Arts
The Hen’s Nest
Washington Art Association
Judy Black Park
Gunn Museum Stairwell Gallery
Marty’s Cafe

Learn more

The Washington Art Association is pleased to announce a retrospective exhibition of work by Elizabeth MacDonald from April 20 through May 26, 2024. The Opening Reception takes place on Saturday, April 20, 4:00pm to 6:00pm at The Washington Art Association, 4 Bryan Memorial Plaza, Washington Depot, CT 06794.

In addition to her sculptural and ceramic pieces, MacDonald, an accomplished working artist in a variety of mediums, will also be exhibiting paintings and works on paper created throughout her long and impressive career.   In her clay work, MacDonald creates an effect of intimacy and vastness using small surface elements and fragmentation. These elements and marks of color, texture and layers of powdered ceramic stain are revealed as finished surfaces after firing.

In describing her process, MacDonald states, “As I choose powders of one imagined hue to mingle with another, I know that every bit of pigment, though hidden in the powdered mixture, will affect the whole. Results of this initial process become the chaos of fragments from which I work. Each element becomes a discovery.”

Her intriguing designs involve rectangular slabs with an archeological or geological effect. She says the earth toned layers and striations give the effect of “a mountainous landscape, a glimpse beneath the surface of the earth, or a closer look at one of nature’s exquisite details.” Her aim is to convey, through contrasting textures, shapes and surfaces, with an intuitive awareness of time and space.

MacDonald has exhibited her work extensively. Her work has been included in many major private and public collections and she has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1999 Governor’s Arts Award in visual arts. She lives in Bridgewater, CT.

Opening Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday, 12:00pm – 4:00pm

Join the Washington Environmental Council on April 20th from 10am – 2pm for an Earth Day Celebration at Judy Black Park and Memorial Gardens! There will be live music, Shepaug senior project presentations, refreshments, family friendly activities, and community fun! We will be joined by our local environmental friends at Steep Rock Association, Lake Waramaug Association, The Sustainability Committee, Washington Montessori School, The Rumsey Hall School, and more.

And take part in Washington Environmental Council’s Annual Roadside Cleanup from 4/18-4/21!

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Daffodils and tulips are the traditional spring stunners, but beyond them lies a dazzling array of untapped spring bulbs. Grecian windflowers, wild hyacinth, starflowers and Roman squills are just some of the potential performers that add excitement and variety to a garden. Learn how to create stunning borders by mixing a variety of bulbs with herbaceous perennials and woody plants for maximum effect. Chanticleer Garden’s Eric Hsu will teach design techniques and guide us through the process of bulb selection, planting, feeding, pest control and the sourcing of quality bulbs. Weather permitting, we will end with a short garden walk to look at some of the planting combinations at Hollister House Garden.

Horticulturist Eric Hsu, is the Plant Information Coordinator at Chanticleer Garden, one of the nation’s finest public gardens. He has written for The New York Times, The Plant Review (formerly The Plantsman), and on his blog, Plinth et al. His lectures include the Western Horticultural Society and Wave Hill in New York. Eric has been interested in bulbs ever since he convinced his parents to order a box of tulip bulbs mail order from Breck’s when he was six years old.

HHG Members $30 | Non-members $40

Register here

Patricia Mason-Martin says that very often a career in writing is not a direct line, from A to B to C. Patricia will discuss the routes her writing journey has taken, from the freelance commercial copywriting life, creating taglines, ads, brochures, videos, and even features for the LEGO Builders’ Club magazine, to being an author of several nonfiction books: a poetry collection In Venice I Could Sing, and a haiku chapter book, How Fickle is Love. It has been, and remains a grand adventure!

Patricia feels honored to have been appointed The State of Connecticut Beat Poet Laureate 2023 – 2025, and during her presentation, she will read select poems from both In Venice I Could Sing and How Fickle is Love.

Mason-Martin also collaborated on a music/spoken word CD with musician/composer/producer Ogostino Mancini entitled Mancini and Martin, and will play two or three pieces from it. It was a wonderful experience recording it and is a great way to demonstrate the synergy of original music and poetry.
Q&A will follow!

Save the date for a Spring Sip & Shop event at Hopkins Vineyard on Saturday, April 20th from 12-4pm!

Sip wine while you browse local craft vendors. One-of-a-kind gift items and fun finds will include jewelry, candles, soaps, honey, preserves, home goods, handmade items, and more.

The Washington Art Association is pleased to announce a retrospective exhibition of work by Elizabeth MacDonald from April 20 through May 26, 2024. The Opening Reception takes place on Saturday, April 20, 4:00pm to 6:00pm at The Washington Art Association, 4 Bryan Memorial Plaza, Washington Depot, CT 06794.

In addition to her sculptural and ceramic pieces, MacDonald, an accomplished working artist in a variety of mediums, will also be exhibiting paintings and works on paper created throughout her long and impressive career.   In her clay work, MacDonald creates an effect of intimacy and vastness using small surface elements and fragmentation. These elements and marks of color, texture and layers of powdered ceramic stain are revealed as finished surfaces after firing.

In describing her process, MacDonald states, “As I choose powders of one imagined hue to mingle with another, I know that every bit of pigment, though hidden in the powdered mixture, will affect the whole. Results of this initial process become the chaos of fragments from which I work. Each element becomes a discovery.”

Her intriguing designs involve rectangular slabs with an archeological or geological effect. She says the earth toned layers and striations give the effect of “a mountainous landscape, a glimpse beneath the surface of the earth, or a closer look at one of nature’s exquisite details.” Her aim is to convey, through contrasting textures, shapes and surfaces, with an intuitive awareness of time and space.

MacDonald has exhibited her work extensively. Her work has been included in many major private and public collections and she has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1999 Governor’s Arts Award in visual arts. She lives in Bridgewater, CT.

Opening Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday, 12:00pm – 4:00pm

Join the Sherman Chamber Ensemble for this memorable afternoon featuring Evan Shinners on piano. He joins Eliot Bailen, cello, and Susan Rotholz on flute, Jane Chung and Doori Na on violin, and Sarah Adams and Michael Roth on viola. Music by Bach, Schein, CPE Bach, Telemann and Albinoni.

Shinners, a Yamaha Artist, graduate of the Juilliard School has, since 2010, devoted himself almost exclusively to the study and performance of the works of J.S. Bach. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative and daring artistry. He has toured the world professionally delighting audiences with his stories, humor, original music, and Bach-playing. He has revolutionized the way audiences experience the music of Bach, through concerts in unlikely venues like empty storefronts, and spontaneous pop-ups where superb artists surprise and delight with joyful performances.

Johann Hermann Schein was a German composer of the early Baroque era. He was one of the first to import the early Italian stylistic innovations into German music, and was one of the most polished composers of the period.

Tickets $30. Children ages 16 and under free.

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Join us for a film screening of The Art Of Eating: The Life Of M.F.K. Fisher on April 21st at 2:00pm @ The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens (1 Green Hill Rd. Washington Depot). Introduction by local Jane Darby, film story consultant. This event is free and open to the public.

The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher is a feature documentary about the dramatic life and lasting impact of the California food writer M.F.K. Fisher, who elevated cooking from a domestic chore to acritical study of what it means to be human. Described by W.H. Auden as “the best prose writer in America,” the intrepid but underrecognized Fisher helped introduce continental sensibilities to America’s burgeoning culinary world. Perhaps more importantly, she forever transformed the 1950s-erabackground figure of a woman in the kitchen into a living, breathing subject—with dazzling ideas, passionate emotions, and insatiable appetites.

This event is made possible by the town of Washington Economic Development Committee and the Arts Council Subcommittee

Join us on Sunday, April 21st at 5:00pm at Thomas S. Parakos Arts and Community Center for Dorothy’s moving solo show explores themes of family, feminism, and the artist’s journey.  The show will be followed by a Q&A with Dorothy. A short reception of coffee, tea, and treats in the TPAAC lobby will follow. All proceeds benefit Connecticut Theatre Exchange.

Tickets $25 General Admission – Available to purchase ahead of time as well as at the door

Get tickets

Our mission: CTX exists to bring together theatre artists from various backgrounds and identities to support their process of developing new projects and new skills in a nurturing environment that is both accessible and affordable.

From acclaimed filmmaker Nicole Holofcener comes a sharply observed comedy about a novelist whose longstanding marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband give his honest reaction to her latest book. A film about trust, lies, and the things we say to the people we love most.
R – 1 hr 33

Register here

Wednesday, April 24, 7:00pm 
Virtual Program

Looking to expand your reading list and discuss a variety of issues and topics important to Native people? Please join our virtual book club, As They Speak: Native Voices in Today’s Literature. Based on a variety of topics and featuring a range of genres, all of the books we will be reading have been written by contemporary authors.

This month, in celebration of National Poetry Month, we will be reading and discussing Dragonfly Dance: Poems by Denise Lajimodiere (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa). In this collection of poems Lajimodiere opens a door into the lives of Native girls and women. Her poems, remarkable for their candor and sense of catharsis,  often reflect tensions between Native and white cultures. Unadorned, direct, and often raw, these riveting poems sear their way into our imaginations, inviting us into a world we might never have known.

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An opening reception for “Cleve Gray: Towards an Art of Hope,” a retrospective exhibition featuring eight decades of the artist’s work, will be held on Thursday, April 25, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Perakos Family Cares Art Gallery at The Frederick Gunn School. The gallery, located in the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center on campus, is open to the public free of charge, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the Upper Parking Lot off Kirby Road, with a limited number of accessible parking spaces outside the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center. The show will remain on view through May 22, 2024.

Image: Cleve Gray, “Silver Breath,” 1967, Acrylic and Aluminum Paint on Duck Cloth, 82×79 inches; courtesy of Cleve Gray Foundation

In April, our Thursday evening book club will discuss the New York Times Bestseller, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, by Lisa See. Copies of the book are available at the Gunn Memorial Library circulation desk.

According to Confucius, “an educated woman is a worthless woman” but Tan Yunxian—born into an elite family, yet haunted by death, separations, and loneliness—is being raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother is one of only a handful of female doctors in China, and she teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine, the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, and asking—something a man can never do with a female patient.

Yunxian learns about women’s illnesses from a young age, many of which relate to childbearing, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. The two girls find fast friendship, a mutual purpose and vow to be forever friends, sharing in each other’s joys and struggles.
But when Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling and helping the women and girls in the household. Yunxian is to act like a proper wife—embroider bound-foot slippers, recite poetry, give birth to sons, and stay forever within the walls of the family compound, the Garden of Fragrant Delights.

Register here

Join The Hickory Stick Bookshop for a day full of fun and games to celebrate 11th Annual Independent Bookstore Day on April 27th along with hundreds of other independent bookstores across the country – including all 21 stores on the CT Book Trail!

In addition, join the Connecticut Bookstore Passport Program where participants are eligible to win over $4,000 in prizes. Learn more

Sunday, April 28, 1:00pm and 3:00pm 
In-person Event

Have you ever wondered how traditional indigenous communities knew which types of materials to use for making tools, and how to source them? Join Traditional Skills Expert and IAIS Head of Fabrication and Exhibit Production Griffin Kalin for a class in which he will focus on identifying and processing useful local minerals for use in tool making. This program will include discussion of local materials, as well as demonstration of traditional techniques used in ceramics, crafting stone axes and adzes, and flintknapping. The program will also include a walk down to a tributary of the Shepaug River to further investigate the onsite minerals. Join one of two sessions for a Program that is bound to “rock” your world!

Please note: Participants should dress appropriately for the weather, and wear sturdy footwear if they plan on joining the walk portion of this program. Portions of the hike will involve a steep section of trail.

Space is limited in each session and pre-registration is requested. Please visit our website to register online. Questions? Please email [email protected] or call (860) 868-0518. Price of participation: $10 for Members, $20 for Non-Members.

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The Frederick Gunn School Music Program is pleased to present “A Chamber Concert: An Eclectic Mix of Music Solos & Small Ensembles.” Student-musicians will perform a wide range of musical styles, from classical to contemporary, with a program that includes works by Brahms, Haydn, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Édith Piaf, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Gerald Marks. There will be no intermission.

Students were selected to perform through in-class auditions and assessments and represent the school’s String Ensemble, Voice Ensemble (Chorus), and Jazz Band. They will be accompanied by adjunct music instructors Sarah Fay and Oksana Protenic. Admission is free. No registration is required.

Based on a true story, this heartfelt, underdog comedy follows the American Samoa soccer team, infamous for their brutal 31-0 FIFA loss in 2001. With the World Cup qualifiers fast approaching, the team hires down-on-his-luck, maverick coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender), hoping he will turn the world’s worst soccer team into winners.
PG 13 – 1 hr 44

Register here

WAA is passionate about arts education. Whether you are an experienced artist or a novice, WAA offers a range of opportunities for creative exploration. We provide a nurturing place for people of all ages to develop their skills and explore new artistic directions with classes in painting, ceramics, sculpture, drawing, and more.

View current class offerings

In an immersive forest setting with no locks, keys or clocks, Wigwam Escape’s thematic puzzles challenge game players to hunt, find water and prepare food similar to how Native people did for thousands of years prior to European contact. The Institute for American Indian Studies, proudly presents a new way to interact with history, a themed escape room, Wigwam Escape.

Our museum’s mission is to “preserve and educate through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality and knowledge of Native American cultures”. We chose an escape room setting as an interactive and captivating way to educate the public about how pre-contact Native peoples lived within their environment over 500 years ago. This hand-on experience of history is demonstrated through a series of custom puzzles and hand crafted set, complete with a full sized traditionally sourced wigwam.

The full experience is 90 minutes in the museum’s Research Center. This includes a pre-game orientation, the one hour escape room centerpiece, and post-game popcorn snack and discussion when your team returns to the 21st Century. The game is set for 3 to 7 players and the cost is $25 per person, or $20 for our museum members or students.

More than just a game, Wigwam Escape is built to teach through experience and foster dialogue in a game that’s dynamic, challenging and entertaining. Visit Wigwam Escape for this must-do team building experience for friends, families and co-workers.

For more information or to book your escape room, go to: wigwamescape.org.

Matt Wood returns to The Hen’s Nest Gallery with his artwork of the furry or feathered, horned or clawed. Join The Hen’s Nest for an opening reception on Saturday, March 2nd at 4:00pm. The show will run through May 19th, 2024.

Matt catches a moment of movement, leaving us to imagine that if we turn away the subject will move. Matt Wood is currently part of show at The Mattatuck Museum that explores climate change and its global impact. Joining Matt will be Erin Dibble with her photographs, some of which Matt has used as studies for his paintings. Willow Gray, also invited by Matt, will be showing her photography.

The Gunn Memorial Library Stairwell Gallery presents the “Atmospheric Abstractions” Exhibit by Edward Muszala on display from Saturday, March 23rd – Saturday, May 18th, 2024.

Pilot and artist, Edward Muszala, finds inspiration in the sky. “As a pilot I was aware of the constantly changing play of air and light in the atmosphere, the warmth of the sun, the speed of the wind, the water in the clouds” he says. Through the lens of a seasoned aviator, he captures the ever-shifting tapestry of light, color, and temperature in the atmosphere, translating this awe-inspiring spectacle onto canvas with his mastery of oil and encaustic techniques bringing these atmospheric scenes to life, evoking feelings of calm and awe in every brushstroke.

An opening reception for “Cleve Gray: Towards an Art of Hope,” a retrospective exhibition featuring eight decades of the artist’s work, will be held on Thursday, April 25, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Perakos Family Cares Art Gallery at The Frederick Gunn School. The gallery, located in the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center on campus, is open to the public free of charge, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the Upper Parking Lot off Kirby Road, with a limited number of accessible parking spaces outside the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center. The show will remain on view through May 22, 2024.

Image: Cleve Gray, “Silver Breath,” 1967, Acrylic and Aluminum Paint on Duck Cloth, 82×79 inches; courtesy of Cleve Gray Foundation

The Washington Art Association is pleased to announce a retrospective exhibition of work by Elizabeth MacDonald from April 20 through May 26, 2024. The Opening Reception takes place on Saturday, April 20, 4:00pm to 6:00pm at The Washington Art Association, 4 Bryan Memorial Plaza, Washington Depot, CT 06794.

In addition to her sculptural and ceramic pieces, MacDonald, an accomplished working artist in a variety of mediums, will also be exhibiting paintings and works on paper created throughout her long and impressive career.   In her clay work, MacDonald creates an effect of intimacy and vastness using small surface elements and fragmentation. These elements and marks of color, texture and layers of powdered ceramic stain are revealed as finished surfaces after firing.

In describing her process, MacDonald states, “As I choose powders of one imagined hue to mingle with another, I know that every bit of pigment, though hidden in the powdered mixture, will affect the whole. Results of this initial process become the chaos of fragments from which I work. Each element becomes a discovery.”

Her intriguing designs involve rectangular slabs with an archeological or geological effect. She says the earth toned layers and striations give the effect of “a mountainous landscape, a glimpse beneath the surface of the earth, or a closer look at one of nature’s exquisite details.” Her aim is to convey, through contrasting textures, shapes and surfaces, with an intuitive awareness of time and space.

MacDonald has exhibited her work extensively. Her work has been included in many major private and public collections and she has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1999 Governor’s Arts Award in visual arts. She lives in Bridgewater, CT.

Opening Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday, 12:00pm – 4:00pm

Join The Pantry for Open Mic Night on the first Wednesday of each month! Dinner orders are from 5:30pm-6:00pm and readings start at 6:00pm.

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to welcome an art exhibit featuring works by Anastasya Peña. The exhibit, “Spillover,” will be on view beginning Friday, May 3. The show highlights Peña’s layered abstract paintings. A reception with the artist is being planned. Check our website and social media for updates.

Peña is an abstract, color–based painter born and raised in New York City. She received her BFA in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2019 with a concentration in Literary Arts and Studies. While at the Rhode Island School of Design, she participated in the European Honors Program in Rome, Italy.

“I explore how paint responds to different surfaces,” says Peña of her painting approach. “I am receptive, driven by the discovery of what paint can do,” she says of her process.

Check our website and social media for weekly open hours.

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Mother Nature is the greatest architect. Reading the natural landscape offers a planting palette that is both resilient and already adapted to your specific eco-region. Learn how to use native plant communities in your backyard and the surrounding habitats as a mirror for the types of plants that will survive and thrive in the built landscape. Get intimate with our local native flora while learning simple design techniques to create a functioning space that is both beautiful and supportive to wildlife. Join field botanist and environmental designer Heather Liljengren as she explains the importance of the botanical blueprint and how it can help you make smarter, more climate conscious design choices.

Heather Liljengren has been professionally botanizing in the New England and Mid-Atlantic region since 2008. For 15 years she actively managed the seed collection and banking program for the NYC Parks Greenbelt Native Plant Center. She served 10 years as an advisor to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Seed Bank (MARS-B), a cooperative conservation effort to collect seed from targeted native plant species across every eco-region in the Mid-Atlantic. Her intimate knowledge of native habitats and ecosystems highlights the necessity and potential of locally-sourced native plants in every reach of restoration and landscape design. She recently moved to Northwest Connecticut and founded LocalLands Consulting.

HHG Members $30 | Non-Members $40

Register here

The Hickory Stick Bookshop is delighted to host Connecticut author Brendan Flaherty who will be here to sign copies of his new book “The Dredge” on Saturday May 4th at 3 pm. This event is free and open to the public. If you are unable to attend this event, you may reserve signed copies of “The Dredge” by calling The Hickory Stick Bookshop at (860) 868 0525, or shop our website 24/7 at hickorystickbookshop.com.

In Flaherty’s debut novel, two estranged brothers must confront the violence of the past when they find out a pond where they played as children will be dredged.
After some traumatic teenaged years in rural Connecticut, Cale and Ambrose Casey had nothing left to say to each other. Cale ran off to Hawaii to sell luxury real estate. Ambrose stayed behind and built up his construction company. Neither thought they’d be in touch again and were glad for it–until they learned of a real estate developer’s plan to drain and expand Gibbs Pond.

Nearly 30 years before, the Casey brothers buried a secret in that pond, which fell somewhere between self-defense and family preservation.
Lily Rowe, the contractor in charge of the dredging, can also trace her roots–and her trauma–to the banks of Gibbs Pond. After a childhood that saw her and her brother yanked across the country by her abusive father, it was here where she finally stayed put, even if they didn’t. But as ambitious as Lily is, and as much as she wants answers of her own, her family also has secrets to protect. Now, the haunted lives of Cale, Ambrose, and Lily collide once more as they reunite to unearth the devastation of the past.

About the Author: Connecticut’s 6th or 7th best writer since Mark Twain. Brendan Flaherty is from outside Hartford. He went to Washington University in St. Louis and received his MFA from Boston University. He lives with his wife and two sons. “The Dredge” is his debut novel.

“’The Dredge’ probes the conventional American myth: the past can be reformed and even suppressed so that one can turn a new page in the American Eden and become a new Adam or Eve. The intense story dramatizes how the past always shapes and determines the main characters’ quotidian existence and mental activities. An ambitious, splendid debut.”– Ha Jin, National Book Award winning author of Waiting

“Flaherty writes with stealthy acuity, his prose seemingly simple yet full of coiled power. Multiple hauntings emerge in ‘The Dredge, ‘ and you’ll be contemplating them after the last page.”–Sarah Weinman, The New York Times

“Two brothers with a secret and a woman with a job to do (and traumas of her own to reckon with) converge at the site of a Connecticut pond scheduled to be dredged, in this powerful new novel. Flaherty deftly conjures up an atmosphere of dread and suspense, with all roads leading to the pond, and all concerns pointing toward what lies at its bottom. This is an assured, compulsively readable debut.”–Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads

Author photograph – Luke Wayne Photography

Join us for a Fiesta featuring “BooYah Funk” along with Swanson’s Foundation Food Truck, The Mobile Pub, live music, and more.

Tickets are $10 per person. This event is hosted by Washington Parks & Recreation.

Get tickets

Join us at the Gunn Memorial Library as we will be showing two powerful movies for our May Monday matinees.

About The Color Purple: A story of love and resilience, “The Color Purple” is a decades-spanning tale of one woman’s journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.
PG 13 – 2H 20

Register here

Join the Gunn Memorial Library and Museum on Thursday, May 9th at 6:00pm for our program Cooking Through Time. For May, we will explore the history of American Tea Rooms and their menus. Tea Rooms were the rage starting in the 1920s, Washington boasted two tea rooms.

Participants will receive recipes upon registering. Please feel free to bring your creations to our meeting for fellow participants to taste. Participants do not need to cook. For more information please visit our website.

Register here

Up for our Friday book discussion in May is The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak.

Two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot, and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. In the taverna, hidden beneath garlands of garlic, chili peppers, and creeping honeysuckle, Kostas and Defne grow in their forbidden love for each other. A fig tree stretches through a cavity in the roof, and this tree bears witness to their hushed, happy meetings and eventually, to their silent, surreptitious departures. The tree is there when war breaks out, when the capital is reduced to ashes and rubble, and when the teenagers vanish. Decades later, Kostas returns. He is a botanist looking for native species, but really, he’s searching for lost love.

Years later a Ficus carica grows in the back garden of a house in London where Ada Kazantzakis lives. This tree is her only connection to an island she has never visited— her only connection to her family’s troubled history and her complex identity as she seeks to untangle years of secrets to find her place in the world.

A moving, beautifully written, and delicately constructed story of love, division, transcendence, history, and eco-consciousness, The Island of Missing Trees is Elif Shafak’s best work yet.

Register here

Learn the basic techniques of sumi-e, Japanese black ink painting. Because the process of sumi-e painting is immediate, we will have time to learn to load our brushes, practice different brush strokes and get comfortable using ink on paper before starting on our final paintings. Using the blossoming magnolias of Hollister House Garden as our inspiration, each participant will create original sumi-e ink paintings. While we will be using black ink, colors will be available to those who want to branch out. This class is suitable for all levels.

Materials will be provided by the instructor.

Joanne Wasti has worked as a museum educator at the Guggenheim Museum and as a teaching artist for various arts organizations in New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Litchfield County. Painting and collage are her main media, but her passion is teaching people of all ages to let go of their fear of art making. She encourages students to make their own choices and break rules and is always pleasantly surprised by what is produced in her classes. Joanne a founding board member of the Kent Curiosity Lab, promoting access to the arts for all children.

HHG Members $90 | Non-Members $120

Register here

The Gunn Junior Library welcomes back local artist Marisabel Artieda for a special Mommy & Me Art Program!

In this artistic program, mothers and caregivers will learn to draw and paint tulips on canvas panels, while children will enjoy painting ceramic fruits. Join us for a delightful experience! This program is best suited for children aged 5 years and older.

About Marisabel Artiega: Marisabel comes from Lima, Peru, and developed a passion for painting early on, studied art at the Institute of the Andes, and furthered her skills at the Washington Art Association. She merged her love for art with teaching children, finding fulfillment in creating art and nurturing young minds.

This program is free and open to the public. Space is limited.

Register here

The Hickory Stick Bookshop is delighted to host author Jack Sheedy who will be here to sign copies of his new book “In My Father’s Tire Tracks” on Saturday May 11th at 3 pm. This event is free and open to the public. If you are unable to attend this event, you may reserve signed copies of “In My Father’s Tire Tracks” by calling The Hickory Stick Bookshop at (860) 868 0525.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Why does a man jump into a new Thunderbird in December 1959 and drive across the U.S., vowing to his wife and young children, “I’ll be home for Christmas”? And why, more than six decades later, does his son, the author of this thoughtful road trip memoir, decide to retrace those tire tracks city by city? As you ride along with both men on their separate but congruent journeys, watch as the author makes surprising connections with his father across the gulf of time. Was that his father’s Thunderbird he just spotted? Who does he speak to under a salmon-colored sky in New Mexico? Can two people truly see and experience the same things through different lenses and in different millennia? The answers may surprise you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jack Sheedy is the author of “Sting of the Heat Bug,” “Magical Acts in Two Suitcases” and “It Bears Repeating: Twice-Told Tales of John P. Sheedy.” He is a feature writer, hard news reporter, essayist, and playwright. His honors include awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New England Newspaper and Press Association; in 2000, his play “Guardrail Nikes,” was a winner in the Connecticut One-Act Play Festival competition. His articles have appeared in numerous regional and state publications and have been syndicated on Catholic News Service. Sheedy is an award-winning correspondent for the Catholic Transcript, the magazine of the Archdiocese of Hartford. He lives in northwestern Connecticut.

In her collection of essays, Karen Chase weaves together threads from one single contemporary life and recounts how that life collides with history. As a girl with polio, a Jewish woman, poet, writer, and painter, the author is an outsider as are most of the characters in these pages – undercover cops, poets, a gay couple in 1500s India, bear poachers, psychiatric patients, even a president. Each of these characters is one tiny dot in the enormous flow of humans from the beginning until now. Each life is equally a story that adds to the human story, to history.

What binds the characters all together is her distinct voice, the startling directness, immediacy, and intensity of her writing, and her fearlessness to go wherever her interests and imagination take her. Yet there are no easy conclusions or phony epiphanies here, no designs on the reader, but instead many surprises. Chase prizes authenticity and has it in spades.

About the author:

Karen Chase is the author of two collections of poems, Kazimierz Square and BEAR, as well as Jamali Kamali, a book-length homoerotic poem that takes place in Mughal India. Her award-winning book Land of Stone, tells the story of her work with a silent young man in a psychiatric hospital where she was the hospital poet. Her childhood bout with polio sparked her memoir Polio Boulevard, as well as FDR on His Houseboat: The Larooco Log, 1924-1926. She and her husband live in western Massachusetts.
Visit her online at www.karenchase.com

Register here

The Gunn Memorial Library in collaboration with The Hickory Stick Bookshop presents an author talk with Karen Chase, “History is Embarrassing.”

In her collection of essays, Karen Chase weaves together threads from one single contemporary life and recounts how that life collides with history. As a girl with polio, a Jewish woman, poet, writer, and painter, the author is an outsider as are most of the characters in these pages – undercover cops, poets, a gay couple in 1500s India, bear poachers, psychiatric patients, even a president. Each of these characters is one tiny dot in the enormous flow of humans from the beginning until now. Each life is equally a story that adds to the human story, to history.

What binds the characters all together is her distinct voice, the startling directness, immediacy, and intensity of her writing, and her fearlessness to go wherever her interests and imagination take her. Yet there are no easy conclusions or phony epiphanies here, no designs on the reader, but instead many surprises. Chase prizes authenticity and has it in spades.

Register here

About the author: Karen Chase is the author of two collections of poems, Kazimierz Square and BEAR, as well as Jamali Kamali, a book-length homoerotic poem that takes place in Mughal India. Her award-winning book Land of Stone, tells the story of her work with a silent young man in a psychiatric hospital where she was the hospital poet. Her childhood bout with polio sparked her memoir Polio Boulevard, as well as FDR on His Houseboat: The Larooco Log, 1924-1926. She and her husband live in western Massachusetts. Visit her online at www.karenchase.com.

The third Wednesday of each month is Open Mic at The Hen’s Nest Gallery.

All are welcome to join Open Mic Night at The Hen’s Nest! Read a poem, tell a story, sing, play an instrument, do a magic trick. People share and listen. It is a fun evening of the unexpected and spontaneous.

The Gunn Memorial Library Stairwell Gallery presents the “Atmospheric Abstractions” Exhibit by Edward Muszala on display from Saturday, March 23rd – Saturday, May 18th, 2024.

Pilot and artist, Edward Muszala, finds inspiration in the sky. “As a pilot I was aware of the constantly changing play of air and light in the atmosphere, the warmth of the sun, the speed of the wind, the water in the clouds” he says. Through the lens of a seasoned aviator, he captures the ever-shifting tapestry of light, color, and temperature in the atmosphere, translating this awe-inspiring spectacle onto canvas with his mastery of oil and encaustic techniques bringing these atmospheric scenes to life, evoking feelings of calm and awe in every brushstroke.

Matt Wood returns to The Hen’s Nest Gallery with his artwork of the furry or feathered, horned or clawed. Join The Hen’s Nest to view the show through May 19th, 2024.

Matt catches a moment of movement, leaving us to imagine that if we turn away the subject will move. Matt Wood is currently part of show at The Mattatuck Museum that explores climate change and its global impact. Joining Matt will be Erin Dibble with her photographs, some of which Matt has used as studies for his paintings. Willow Gray, also invited by Matt, will be showing her photography.

Join us at the Gunn Memorial Library as we will be showing two powerful movies for our May Monday matinees.

About Hacksaw Ridge: The amazing true life story of Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector ever to be awarded the Medal of Honor. A 7th Day Adventist who believed WWII was a just cause – even though killing was not- Doss was the only American soldier to serve on the front lines without a weapon and single-handedly saved the lives of 75 men.
R – 2H 19

Register here

The Thursday evening book club at the Gunn Memorial Library will discuss the 2017 award-winning book, Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. Copies of the book will be available at the library’s circulation desk.

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than 20 years experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?
Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family – especially her teenage son – as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others – and themselves – might be wrong.

With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion – and doesn’t offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.

Register here

Friday, April 12th from 6-8pm and Saturday, May 25th from 1-3pm

Legrify Inspired is taking their candle making event on the road and has teamed up with us at Hopkins Vineyard for a candle making experience! Enjoy the beautiful atmosphere at Hopkins Vineyard and sip on some delicious wine and enjoy some bites! Joe and Julianna will be instructing you on how to make an organic soy scented candle of your choice! They are bringing out their SPRING scents for this one! Get your creative juices flowing. Reservations are required. Cost is $45 pp. *Food & Drink sold separately at Hopkins Vineyard.

Sign up link – April 12th

Sign up link – May 25th

In an immersive forest setting with no locks, keys or clocks, Wigwam Escape’s thematic puzzles challenge game players to hunt, find water and prepare food similar to how Native people did for thousands of years prior to European contact. The Institute for American Indian Studies, proudly presents a new way to interact with history, a themed escape room, Wigwam Escape.

Our museum’s mission is to “preserve and educate through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality and knowledge of Native American cultures”. We chose an escape room setting as an interactive and captivating way to educate the public about how pre-contact Native peoples lived within their environment over 500 years ago. This hand-on experience of history is demonstrated through a series of custom puzzles and hand crafted set, complete with a full sized traditionally sourced wigwam.

The full experience is 90 minutes in the museum’s Research Center. This includes a pre-game orientation, the one hour escape room centerpiece, and post-game popcorn snack and discussion when your team returns to the 21st Century. The game is set for 3 to 7 players and the cost is $25 per person, or $20 for our museum members or students.

More than just a game, Wigwam Escape is built to teach through experience and foster dialogue in a game that’s dynamic, challenging and entertaining. Visit Wigwam Escape for this must-do team building experience for friends, families and co-workers.

For more information or to book your escape room, go to: wigwamescape.org.

Curiosity ignites a world of discovery!

Get ready to play, party, and feel the love at ASAP!’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Join us in celebrating curiosity with a fun variety show of entertaining performances, live music and surprise guests. Doors open at 5:30pm, show begins promptly at 6:00pm. Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and an ASAP! art exhibition following the show.

Time: June 1st from 5:30pm-9:30pm
Location: Thomas S. Perakos Arts & Community Center
The Frederick Gunn School
99 Green Hill Road, Washington CT, 06793

Get color to work for you. Create beautiful effects and avoid the trap of allowing misplaced colors to disrupt the harmony of your garden. Do you love pink and hate yellow? Or vice versa? Is blue your favorite color? Whatever your likes and dislikes may be, it is the way in which your colors are combined and contrasted that will ultimately spell success or failure.

George Schoellkopf is the creator, founder and President of Hollister House Garden. He was educated at Yale University and also holds a master’s degree in Art History from Columbia University. For many years he ran a gallery specializing in 18th and 19th century American antiques and folk art in New York City. His articles on gardening have appeared in Town & Country, House & Garden, House Beautiful, Fine Gardening and Rosemary Verey’s The American Man’s Garden among others.

HHG Members $30 | Non-Members $40

Register here

Create your own original botanical print using hand-carved linoleum blocks. Learn to work with positive and negative space as you plan out and draw your design. Then, after instruction in basic linoleum cutting techniques, you will carefully carve your design into a block. Learn printmaking skills such as proper inking and registration as you print your botanical design onto paper or note cards. Along with your prints, the block is yours to take home and re-use. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the unique visual qualities of linocut prints. All levels are welcome.

Materials Fee: $20.00 (included in your course fee)

Joanne Wasti has been an art educator for over twenty years. She encourages students to make their own choices and break rules and is always pleasantly surprised by what’s produced in her classes. She’s worked as a museum educator at the Guggenheim Museum and as a teaching artist for various arts organizations in New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Litchfield County. Painting and collage are her main media, but her passion is teaching people of all ages to let go of their fear of art making.

HHG Members $110 | Non-Members $140

Register here

Beginning Wednesday, June 5 and continuing through August 28, Hollister House Garden welcomes artists and photographers to come and be inspired by the beauty of the garden in the morning light. Every Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Admission $10 per person.

Learn more