Stephen Karam's hilarious 2007 off-Broadway hit comes to Hartford's TheaterWorks!  Three high school students in Salem, Oregon go on a modern day witch hunt involving sex, lies & YouTube videos!

June 12 through July 14, 2009

Artist Reception May 1, 6 - 8 p.m.

Chet Kempczynski

retro:works

Hartford Public Library opens ARTWALK, a new exhibition space in Downtown Hartford.  The ARTWALK will draw from a diverse community of artists to showcase the creative spirit of Metro Hartford.  The inaugural show features Hartford native Chet Kempczynski.  Kempczynski attended the Hartford Art School and the Paier School of Art, Connecticut, where he studied with the realist painter Ken Davies. Over the last four decades, he has exhibited extensively in the U.S., Spain and France.  This retrospective show captures the transitions in his work from small and precise still life images in oil to oil monotypes that capture the exterior and interior light, color and essence of landscapes. The ARTWALK is made possible through the generosity of our donors, including the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

…Age is a dynamic public art collaboration between Greater Hartford cultural organizations.  Created under the banner of the national Age in America project, the exhibition represents a conversation between generations of artists, poets, and community members and showcases the unique contributions of participating organizations working together with the theme of age and aging in our region.    

Main Street walkway between Hartford Public Library and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Thursday, May 14 through Friday, August 28

Opening Reception, 5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Hartford Public Library, Hartford History Center, 3^rd Floor

Capital Classics Shakespeare Festival production of "The Tempest."  Professional, family-oriented, classical theater.  Outdoor setting in beautiful weather.  Indoor theater when raining.

Group exhibition of photos by architects highlighting the ways these designers perceive their surroundings through the camera´s lens and present their images as art. Guest curator: Roberto Espejo.

Plant Clinic Open for the Season

Monday, May 11, 9:00am- 12 noon and 12:30- 3:30pm

Having a plant or gardening dilemma? Bring any questions or plant samples to the UCONN Master Gardeners for help. The Plant Clinic is open Monday through Friday throughout the growing season.  This is a FREE service. Call 203-322-6971 for questions, visit www.bartlettarboretum.org or email visitorservices@bartlettarboretum.org

 Opening Reception: Friday May 15, 6-8pm & Film and Multimedia Project Screenings begin 7pm

The annual Arts and Media Festival showcases projects produced by MxCC’s Broadcast Communications, Fine Arts, Graphic Design and Multimedia students.  In addition to the student film and multimedia projects screening, student works are displayed throughout the Jean Burr Smith Library, Pegasus Gallery and the Niche.  This exhibition allows each instructor to share the most accomplished examples of student skill, ingenuity and creativity with our entire campus and local community.

The Jean Burr Smith Library is located on the first floor of Chapman Hall,Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30am-8:00pm Friday 8:30am-4:30pm & Saturday 8:30am-1:30pm when classes are in session.

Pegasus Gallery, Hours: Monday & Wednesday 5pm-8pm & Saturday 9:30-1:30pm when classes are in session.

The Niche is located on the first floor of Founders Hall and open: Mondays through Thursdays 8:30am-6:00pm, Fridays & Saturdays 8:30am-4:30pm when classes are in session.

Enjoy the pleasure of a summer evening during this weekly series of participatory arts workshops held outdoors in the Mary Susan Gawlak Memorial Garden at Green Street (51 Green St) and at the Erin Street Community Garden (corner of Erin and High Streets). Arts in the Garden offers free, fun activities for people of all ages. Light refreshments will be served; children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. In the event of rain, Arts in the Garden will take place indoors at the Green Street Arts Center. 5:30-6:30pm.

Co-sponsored by the North End Action Team with support from the Middletown Commission on the Arts

This series is a chance for photographers and photo enthusiasts to share work, tips, questions and opportunities! Bring up to five recent works to share with the group, or participate in monthly photo projects and share results online at http://www.flickr.com/groups/flash51/. Flash Forward is planning three photographic field trips this summer: June- Magic Wings, Deerfield, MA, July- Gillette Castle, Hadlyme, CT, August- Angelic Cemetery, Hartford, CT. We will discuss theses field trips and share photos. 7-9pm

Haul those pages out of your drawer, dust them off and sharpen your prose—Green Street offers writers a night to share works-in-progress, socialize and seek out constructive comments. Readings are limited to prose short stories or excerpts under 10 minutes. Open mic sign up begins at 7 pm, readings begin at 7:30pm. Each evening will be limited to six readings, with time for one-on-one feedback and sharing afterward. 7-9pm

July 9, 10, 11 and July 16, 17, 18, 2009
6:00, 7:00, and 8:15 PM

After a four-year absence the Travelers Science Dome is bringing back laser music shows for two weeks this summer. These concerts use a solid state projection system from Audio Visual Imagineering called Skylase that covers the planetarium dome with colorful swirling patterns and cartoon images that complement the recordings played by the original artists.

The first show each evening, at 6:00 pm, will be suitable for children with their parents and will last about 30 minutes. Tickets for the family program will be $5.00 for TCM Members and $6.00 for non-members. The first week’s show will be Laser Pop, a collection of radio hits such as “Get This Party Started” by Pink and “I’m a Believer” by Smashmouth. The second week, the early show will be Laser Beatles including the songs “Twist and Shout” and “Help.”

Later each night there will be two different programs, one at 7:00 pm and another at 8:15 pm that may not be suitable for younger children (PG-13). Tickets for the 45 – 50 minute adult shows will cost $7.00 for TCM Members and $8.00 for non-Members. The first week will include Laser U2, a collection of their hits from the past 30 years, and Laser X: The Alternative Experience with bands like Foo Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins. During the second week, we will feature Laser Retro at 7PM with bands from the 80s and early 90s like The Police and INXS. At 8:15PM will be Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, one of the most popular laser shows ever.

To pre-order tickets call 860.231.2830 x44 or e-mail Events@TheChildrensMuseumCT.org. Tickets, if still available, will also be sold at the door.

Begins Wednesday, June 24, and operate every Wednesday from 10:00am-2:00pm ending on September 9th. Our market will be held on the Great Lawn area and features local, grown products from CT. Have lunch at the Bartlett. Buy a sandwich made with fresh, local produce. Collection D'Objets D'Art. A special market addition featuring a table of gently used, new and surplus items with 50% of the proceeds being donated to the Bartlett. Call 203-322-6971 for questions, visit www.bartlettarboretum.org or email visitorservices@bartlettarboretum.org for information.

The Litchfield Jazz Festival is proud to present Jazz Around Kent; a series of 19 FREE concerts throughout the month of July.

Part 2 of the series, Jazz Around Kent, features talented Litchfield Jazz Camp students in Kent restaurants.  Thursday July 9, 16 and 23 at Doc’s Trattoria there will be live jazz by Jazz Camp students from 6:30 – 9:00 PM with no cover charge.  Doc’s Trattoria is at 9 Maple Street (Route 341) in Kent. 

This is a unique opportunity to hear up-and-coming talent in an intimate setting free of charge. Performers will include talented Litchfield Jazz Camp students and will vary each week.  Many LJC students go on to first -rate music programs at institutions like New England Conservatory of Music, New School, Berklee, and others, most receiving scholarships. Our alums are already on tour with Herbie Hancock, Eddie Allen, Winard Harper, Gary Burton, Donald Harrison and others.

The “Jazz Around Kent” series leads seamlessly into the Litchfield Jazz Festival on July 31, August 1 and 2 at its new home, the beautiful campus of Kent School in Kent, CT.  The Festival line-up includes Jane Monheit, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Poncho Sanchez, Wycliffe Gordon, Houston Person, Bucky Pizzarelli, Benny Green and many more.  The weekend also includes crafters, artists, local and fresh cuisine and performances by Litchfield Jazz Camp students.  Tickets start at $35 and children under 12 are free on the lawn.  For tickets and more information call (860) 567-4162 or visit www.litchfieldjazzfest.com.

Jazz Around Kent presented by the Litchfield Jazz Festival
Litchfield Jazz Campers at Doc’s Trattoria
www.docstrattoria.com

Thursday July 9, 6:30 – 9:00 PM
Thursday July 16, 6:30 – 9:00 PM
Thursday July 23, 6:30 – 9:00 PM

For details visit our calendar page.

Trinity College will host the 60th Annual Plumb Memorial Carillion Concerts and the 35th Annual Chamber Music Series as part of the 2009 Summer Music Series.  The music series, held annually at the College, features performances every Wednesday during the summer, over a nine-week period.  The performances are free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine.  Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic.  For a complete schedule, please visit: www.trincoll.edu.  

The Stevens-Frisbie House in Cromwell Connecticut is open each Sunday afternoon for visitors. The House is a museum of Cromwell history and features exhibits about the Frisbie and Ranney families.  Admission is Free.

Just in time for the Riverfest 2009 vintage baseball games at Colt Meadows, we'll explore the public parks of Hartford and their rich baseball history.  Gary "Pops" O'Maxfield, Hartford baseball historian, and Gary Wait, City Parks Collection archivist, explore Hartford's forgotten baseball parks and the lost stories of our city's amazing contributions to The Grand Old Game.  From Gershon Hubbell to Bill Savitt, we'll follow how our parks were laden with diamonds. 

 July 6-10, 9am-3pm

Connecting children with nature through science and exploration.

Spend the week exploring the most populous inhabitants on earth, insects. Encounter both the enemies of our garden and the insects that keep them under control. Daily bug patrol in the vegetable garden will always find something new. 

Call 203-322-6971 for questions, visit www.bartlettarboretum.org or email tdupont@bartlettarboretum.org for information.

July 6-10, 9am-3pm

Connecting children with nature through science and exploration.

97% of all animals in the world do not have a backbone.  Meet our hissing cockroach, observe swallowtail and monarch butterflies, hunt for insects under logs in our woods, and scoop in our pond for dragonfly nymphs and other aquatic invertebrates. Call 203-322-6971 for questions, visit www.bartlettarboretum.org or email tdupont@bartlettarboretum.org for information.

July 6-10, 9 am-12 noon

Connecting children with nature through science and exploration.

What are those plants and animals that you see in your backyard? Are they pollinators or decomposers? This week will be spent hunting in our butterfly garden, planting in the greenhouse and searching for wildflowers in our woods. 

Call 203-322-6971 for questions, visit www.bartlettarboretum.org or email tdupont@bartlettarboretum.org for information.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal finds the Alexander Technique more effective for treating back pain than other conventional or alternative therapies. A New York Times article from June 1, 2009 quotes the lead researcher on this study recommending all back pain sufferers try the Technique before more invasive interventions. People also use the Technique to alleviate stress, increase range of motions, enahnce performance skills, and much more.

Walking, speaking, and other daily activities can be transformed when we engage our mind, creating opportunity for change.

Join Rachel in a friendly group environment. She will introduce Alexander through demonstrations, discussion, and group activities.

Space is limited. Please reserve your spot.

To Register: 917.531.4484 or rachelbernsen@gmail.com

On the web at: www.rachelbernsen.blogspot.com

Rachel Bernsen is a nationally certified teacher, M.AmSAT. She teaches private lessons, group classes, and workshops in New Haven and in New York City at the American Center for the Alexander Technique (ACAT) and Movement Research. Rachel serves on the board of the American society for the Alexander Technique (AmSAT) and holds an MFA in Dance from NYU, Tisch School of the Arts.

This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to explore the process of fine arts conservation, uncovering the relationship between curators and conservators and the objects entrusted to their care. Each of the works in the exhibition, which includes Asian ceramics, African ritual objects, ancient statues and mosaics, and American and European paintings and decorative arts from the Gallery’s collection, illustrates a different conservation dilemma. What does cleaning a painting’s surface reveal? Should fragmented objects be displayed as pieces or reassembled into a convincing pastiche? Should damaged objects be repaired for aesthetic reasons? The passage of time impacts not only the physical state of an object but also the techniques used to preserve it. Time Will Tell examines the evolving science of conservation and the questions that arise in preserving works of art while staying faithful to the artists’ intentions.

Currently in its 14th season, Shakespeare on the Sound presents Settle's site-specific production of A Midsummer Night's Dream  in beautiful Baldwin Park, Greenwich July 4-12.  Audiences are invited to arrive early and picnic in the park before the performance.  There is no admission fee, but a donation of $20 ($10 for students and seniors) is suggested.  The production is less than a five minute walk from the Greenwich Metro-North stop.  Ample parking is available.

Rick Moody grew up in the suburbs of Connecticut, where he set many of his stories and novels. Moody is the author of Garden State, The Ice Storm, Purple America, and The Diviners. This event is free and open to the public.