THE JAMIE A. HULLEY ARTS FOUNDATION invites the public to attend the 11th Annual Gala Benefit, An Evening for the Arts, on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Regina A. Quick Center at Fairfield University. This year’s event will feature Broadway Boys, back by popular demand with a new set of show tunes from past and present Broadway shows. Preceding the performance, there will be an auction preview, a silent auction and a reception at 6 p.m. The performance will be at 7:30 p.m. Share the fun and bring your friends. Tickets are $40 for advanced sales, $45 at the door. Checks can be sent to: Jamie A. Hulley Arts Foundation, P.O. Box 1208, Orange, CT. 06477-7208. All proceeds are used for scholarships and educational programs. The Hulley Foundation awards annual scholarships to Amity graduates pursuing further study in the arts, provides artist in residence programs for local and area schools, and supports arts organizations. The Foundation was created to honor the memory of Jamie Hulley, a young multifaceted artist and resident who passed away when she was only 20 years old and a student of Wesleyan University. The Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, is a strong force in the arts — it deserves our thanks and support. For more information call 203-891-8869 or email jamieart@snet.net.
BEECHER PARK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES (behind Mitchell Library, 37 Harrison Street, Westville) is an eclectic music line-up, full of talent and fun, also featuring the Hi Fi Pie Contest, and runs Mondays at 6:30 through Aug. 19. Bring a picnic and blanket. Like Violet on Monday, Aug. 12, features young, yet seasoned musicians with good groove and major creativity in a program of pop music. On Monday, Aug. 19 Dr.Caterwaul’s Cadre of Clairvoyant Claptrap will present a program of intuitive, flowing improvisations of folk music from various sources. With West Rock as a backdrop, enjoy music and pie (slices are sold during the concerts.) To enter the Hi Fi Pie contest, bring two pies related to the week’s pie theme. For more information, contact Naomi at brabdandnaomi@hotmail.com or call 203-387-2980.
ART IN THE LIBRARY (176 Tyler City Road, Orange) features the work of Cheshire artist Katie Samuelson, with works in oils, graphite and oil pastels for the month of August. Her forms allude to cityscapes and landscapes, but the work is largely abstract in its expression. Thin washes capture light and create an atmospheric quality to the work. The addition of palette knife strokes, graphite and oil pastels add texture. Samuelson studied art at Mt. Holyoke College, Parsons School of Design, University of Hartford and other area arts organizations. She has exhibited extensively at galleries throughout Connecticut. The artist’s reception will be on Thursday, Aug. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Meeting Room at the Library. Stop by to see the latest in the monthly shows presented by the Art in the Library Committee.
THE GALLERY AT TOWN HALL (617 Orange Center Road, Orange)
continues the show of local artist and teacher Audrey Galer through the month of August. A water colorist, Audrey has exhibited throughout the area and has taught countless children and adults in her studio, at the Orange Senior Center and in the Adult Education Program at Amity. Enjoy the art while at Town Hall conducting other business. The Gallery is in the hall opposite the First Selectman’s office.
THE DAVIS GALLERY (200 Boston Post Road, Orange) currently is showing the work of renowned orchid artist, Patricia La Spino in The Art of Awareness. In her career of over 35 years, La Spino has done research and has collaborated with scientists and artists at the Smithsonian, the American Orchid Society and Yale. On Saturday, Aug. 10 there will be an artist’s reception from 1 to 5 p.m. at the gallery. The artist will be present to answer questions and to make a video presentation. La Spino has created a global project to increase awareness and appreciation of the natural world, using orchids as a metaphor to examine the cultural and biological evolution, biodiversity and environmental stewardship at the intersection of art and science. Her work hangs in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian, The U. S. House of Representatives, the U. S. Botanic Garden at the Capitol and the American Orchid Society.
THE MILFORD FINE ARTS COUNCIL AND THE MILFORD HISTORICAL SOCIETY are sponsoring an exhibit, Prelude to the 375th, that will display photos and paintings of historical Milford, along with artifacts used by early families. The free exhibit will be open during the Oyster Festival. There will be a reception on Thursday, Aug. 15th from 5:30 to7:30 p.m. at the Milford Fine Arts Council (40 Railroad Avenue, Milford). This exhibit is presented as part of the yearlong celebration of the founding of Milford that will be observed in 2014. For more information on this or other programs, go to www.milfordart.org or call 203-878-6647.
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION AT MILFORD LISMAN LANDING (37 Helwig Street, Milford) Laudamus, features photos by Carlyne Labrecque, and explores the pleasures and workings of Milford harbor. Subjects include service, commercial and pleasure boats with their captains and crews hard at work; there are candid shots of remarkable, strong and hospitable people, mostly unknown to the public. Other denizens of the harbor are included, such as the aquatic birds that float, flap and screech through the water, creating harbor music. Labrecque is a native of Milford, now living in Orange, who is well known for her portraits of farmyard and barn animals and her series on swans. She has exhibited at The Firehouse Gallery in Milford, the Gallery at Stony Creek, The Case Memorial Library and the Gallery at Town Hall, as well as other venues in the area. Laudamus, the name of the exhibition, is Labrecque’s homage to the beauty, peace and hospitality of the harbor.
SHAKESPEARE ON THE SHORELINE (Guilford Town Green), celebrates its 12th anniversary with a free performance of Much Ado About Nothing, running from Wednesday, Aug. 7 to Sunday, Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m. on the Green. Shakesperience, a professional theater company based in Waterbury that brings performances, workshops and educational experiences to venues throughout the Northeast, will perform in the play. The plot is based on deliberate deception –some malevolent — some benign — but all resulting in turmoil. The main story line revolves around the many obstacles to the union of Claudio and Hero. The subplot, equally vivid, involves a merry war of the sexes involving Beatrice and Benedick matching wits and displaying intelligence and humor. Bring picnics (no alcohol), beach chairs, blankets, etc., your family and your friends to enjoy theater under the stars.
DRAMA WORKSHOP AT CASE (176 Tyler City Road, Orange) will be lead by ECA Drama Chair, Ingrid Schaeffer on Saturday, Aug. 17th at 1:30 p.m. Using the classic tale The Three Billy Goats Gruff, she will work with children (ages 5-10) utilizing techniques of creative drama for children. To register call 203-891-2170.
JCC SUMMER MUSIC SERIES (JCC – 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge) rocks the JCC terrace on Wednesday, Aug. 14th from 5 to 8 p.m. when Robert Messore and Christy Farber bring a fresh blend of rock and soul. Admission is free and Barbeque Food will be available for purchase.
TANGLEWOOD (Rte 183 S-1.4 miles east of Lenox Center (West Street) Lenox, MA.) has, in addition to the full schedule, two special events in August. The 2013 Festival of Contemporary Music, under the direction of Pierre Laurent Aimaud, runs from Thursday, Aug. 8 to Monday, Aug. 12th. It will highlight the works of composers Helmut Lachenmann and Marco Stoppa, with performances of music of Gyorgi Ligeti, Conlon Nancarrow, Steve Reich and TMC commissions of Elliott Carter’s Instances (East Coast premiere) and Christian Mason’s Years of Light (World premiere). The festival concludes with the U.S. premiere of George Benjamin’s critically acclaimed opera Written on Skin in a concert performance. The Tanglewood Food and Wine Classic runs from Thursday, Aug. 15 to Sunday, Aug. 17. It will feature wines from around the world and locally sourced foods to be enjoyed in an incomparable setting on the Tanglewood grounds. The Wine and Food Classic includes seminars, celebrity chef dinners, a Grand Tasting and cooking demonstrations. Sounds like a wonderful experience!
For full details go to tanglewoodwineandfoodclassic.com. For concert information and schedule, go to tanglewood.org
BIENECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY (121 Wall Street, New Haven) has an exhibit called PERMANENT MARKERS: Aspects of the History of Printing through Sept. 14. Included in the exhibit is the oldest datable printed object in the world; the first book printed in English; the first book printed in North America and the first printing of the Declaration of Independence. It is free and open to the public.
THE SHUBERT THEATER will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2014. The Shubert brothers opened it in 1914 and for many years was the last tryout city before a play went on to Broadway. The theater’s stage has been the site of more than 6oo pre-Broadway tryouts, including more than 300 world premieres, most between 1930 and 1950. New Haven audiences saw The Sound of Music, The King and I, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, My Fair Lady and South Pacific at the Shubert – to name but a few of the many, many shows that had tryouts here. Nowadays the venue still has packed houses for groups like Pilobus, Blue Man Group, and touring shows such as West Side Story and Les Miserables. Owned by the City of New Haven for more than 15 years, the theater acts as a rentable space between the major shows presented there. Each year, the venue has an average of 115 “lit nights” with an average of 100,000 patrons enjoying those shows. With the 2014 anniversary fast approaching, there are big plans for the Shubert. Thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the organization is currently planning a massive lobby renovation as well as the addition of a smaller venue of 100 to 200 seats — allowing smaller organizations and/or performances to utilize the space. The director of marketing and community relations Anthony Lupinacci says, “It will be great for community groups. It’s all about access and diversity.”
ORANGE ART AND CULTURE COUNCIL reminds residents old and young to plan to enter the Build a Better Bird House Event at the Orange Country Fair. Entry blanks are available in the Fair booklet. This year, jewelry designer Lucia Bloom will set up a crafty free jewelry making activity for children at the OACC Booth. Interested people can obtain information about the group and membership from OACC members staffing the booth. Make or Decorate a Bird House -join the OACC — Support the Arts!
Have an event, an idea, a comment? Send to patmiller605@sbcglobal.net.