In the Rio Grande River Valley of central New Mexico and eastern Arizona, the Pueblos, a people spread over 19 communities, continue to practice their ancient art of pottery-making.  Descendents of the Anasazi, the Pueblo People, still use the traditional coiling methods and decorative patterns that have distinguished their work for centuries..

This exhibit compares and contrasts the unique style of each Pueblo community and highlights individual artists who have shaped this timeless craft.

 The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am - 5:00pm* and Sunday 12:00pm to 5:00pm *      *Last admission 4:30pm

A new series of work exploring the inner landscape of the artists’ dreams, blending the commercial with the spiritual.  Delighting in the pop culture of Mickey Mouse, the material expression of joy and all things possible, the artist melds Mickey and Buddha into one sacred Mandela, exploring the boundaries between reality and perception.

GALLERY HOURS: Wednesday – Saturday: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

November 11th through December 20th, 2012

The 50s are often portrayed as the ‘perfect decade’ of American History.  In this new exhibit, the artist reflects the images of this era with oversized graphite drawings of black and white photographs of a ‘picture perfect’ 1950’s family.

GALLERY HOURS: Wednesday – Saturday: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m.

Featuring photographic works by Miggs Burroughs, Leigh Leibel, Jeremy Saladyga, Alan Shulik, Marjorie Wolfe and Torrance York.

GALLERY HOURS: Wednesday – Saturday: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m.

Showcasing his small sculptures and works on paper, Reuben Nakian is a major figure in 20th Century art.

GALLERY HOURS: Wednesday – Saturday: 12 p.m. – 5 pm; Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m.

Gaudete!  ‘Rejoice!’ with CitySingers of Hartford—share the joy of the season with music of varied cultures and traditions from around the world. Each of Gaudete’s three performances offers chant, renaissance motets, choral classics and carols inspired by international folksongs. Alice Parker and Robert Shaw, Healey Willan, Claude Balbastre and Pavel Chesnokov are but a sampling of featured composers.  Unaccompanied voices, organ, harp, woodwinds, bells, percussion and audience participation create a tapestry of sounds, colors and textures that is sure to be a holiday treat for all ages! (snow date, Sunday, December 9^th)    Followed by a reception.  

John Macomber will present his 37th Holiday Open Studio at Greenleaf Pottery, 240 Chapel Road South Windsor, CT on Saturday and Sunday December 1 & 2 and 8 & 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  John’s individually handcrafted functional stoneware pottery will be on sale. The gallery is brimming with unique items from single coffee mugs to complete dinner sets and lamps. This is an opportunity to support a local artisan. December customers will receive a free stoneware wine cup of their choice while supplies last. Greenleaf Pottery Gallery is open year round. Call for directions; 860-528-6090. www.greenleafpottery.net

Brian Enos, who Houston Press called “best up and coming choreographer,” Gabrielle Lamb, former soloist for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, and Trey McIntyre Project dancer Lauren Edson are combining artistic forces with acclaimed Russian choreographer Sergei Vanaev to make Mystic Ballet’s 15^th year unforgettable.

The G.R.A.B. Series, presents Sergei Vanaev’s “Periscope Up!,” set to music by Tom Waits, and Lauren Edson’s exhilarating Japanese-inspired, “Sun and Steel.” Audiences will also be able to see Gabrielle Lamb’s two works, “Transit of Venus,” and “Marooned,” which premiered last month at Jacob’s Pillow. “The Hodgepodge Hustle” shows off Brian Enos’s gift for storytelling, and traditionalists will delight in the classical “Spring Water” a Russian pas de deux known for its athleticism and bravura.

Kehler Liddell Gallery begins the holiday season with a group show inspired by one word, WHITE. Each painter, sculptor, print maker and photographer began somewhere with white and in the end created something with a more memorable and melodious voice than one would ever expect of white.

Franklin Street Works presents the original exhibition Working Alternatives: Breaking Bread, Art Broadcasting, and Collective Action, on view from October 27, 2012 - January 13, 2013. The exhibition looks at three threads of alternative art space histories and examines how engaged, inclusive strategies are still being used to break down perceived barriers between contemporary art and its audiences. The themes covered in Working Alternatives are conviviality and food, artists who use media (newspapers, television, and radio) as platforms for artworks, and artist collectives in the US, explored through an open archive gathered specifically for this exhibition.

Originally Working Alternatives was designed to be the backdrop for our first annual fundraiser, but Franklin Street Works is postponing that event until the spring so the indoor/outdoor extravaganza will coincide with warmer weather and have less proximity to long-standing regional art events. If you saved the date for our fundraiser, however, don’t despair and keep it on your calendars – there is still a party! Working Alternatives will open on the same night, October 27, from 5 p.m. -8 p.m. with a free, public reception. The evening will include a lively performance of San Francisco artist Tom Marioni’s “Drinking Beer Sonata with 13 Players” where thirteen people will create music by blowing into beer bottles based on Marioni’s instructions.

For Working Alternatives, curators Mackenzie Schneider, Terri C Smith, and Jess Wilcox explore three threads of alternative art platforms and production: conviviality and food as components in alternative art space programming and mission (Wilcox); artists using media such as radio, television, and newspapers as alternative venues for presenting work (Schneider); and artist collectives presented in a living archive with weekly changing exhibitions using archive materials (Smith). In addition to historical examples, the exhibition also includes original artworks by contemporary artists that reflect and expand on the showʼs themes. Working Alternatives’ artists include: Paul Branca, Jaime Davidovich, ESP TV, Group Material, Ann Hirsch, Tom Marioni, Anna Ostoya, Legacy Russell, Chris Sollars and Jerome Waag. Franklin Street Works is also excited to collaborate on several off-site artworks, including the live radio broadcast of an Ann Hirsch performance on WPKN, Bridgeport, and collages by Anna Ostoya in the Stamford Advocate via four, monthly ads during the show’s run. 

Guilford Art Center's annual Artistry Holiday Sale of Fine American Craft features handmade works by more than 300 artists from across America, including pottery, jewelry, glass, fiber, ornaments, accessories, toys, specialty foods and more. New works are added throughout the course of the event, encouraging visitors to return to find one-of-a-kind finds. Support American artists, the arts, and small businesses.

Tchaikovsky's holiday mastepriece sparkles with Mystic Ballet's original choreography and characters. This enchanting version follows Clara's adventures with a time-travel twist. Clara, in Central Park at the turn of the century, receives a Nutcracker on Christmas Eve, encounters a mysterious aristocrat, and meets the young man of her dreams before embarking on a wondrous journey through frost and snow to the Land of Sweets. When Santa's workshop proves too chaotic for her taste, she is transported to the Kingdom of Crystals where she must rescue her prince from the spell of the powerful Rat King.

Connecticut's Mystical Nutcracker features captivating special effects and an interactive set that dancers dive into, roll out of, dance on, and disappear under. Stunning, whimsical costumes accentuate the characters' classical and contemporary movements. Mystic Ballet brings the holiday classic to life in an unforgettable classic that is refreshingly original and reverently classical.

Brookfield Craft Center’s 37th Annual Holiday Exhibition will feature an extraordinary collection of contemporary American craft for the holidays: handmade works by more than 140 selected artists in jewelry, wearable fiber, ceramics, toys, glass, wood, paper and steel. All purchases benefit the Craft Center’s education programs, and provide support for independent artists. This Holiday sale will kick off with a Special Members only preview November 2nd. Consider becoming a member today. For more information on membership for Gallery hours please visit brookfieldcraft.org or call 203-775-4526. 

This mixed media exhibition will be held at the Center Stage, Shelton, from November 30 through January 12, 2013.  It opens with a reception on Friday, November 30, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the first performance of, “A Christmas Carol: The Musical.”  Admission to the reception and exhibition is free.

Open during Box Office hours: Tuesday - Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Closed Sunday and Monday

Enjoy a concert of a cappella music by the 17-voice chorale Renaissance Revival in colorful period costumes, directed by Michael McCarthy. The concert features Renaissance motets for the Christmas season by di Lasso, Byrd, Sweelinck, Palestrina, Schein, Victoria, and others, as well as traditional carols with some audience participation. We hope to recreate the beauty, mystery and pageantry of a European cathedral in the 1500’s, when the celebration of Christ’s birth was a major highlight of the year. Event date: Saturday Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m., Hampton Congregational Church, 263 Main St., Hampton, CT.

Quiet, exuberant, inspiring, dynamic, refreshing – just some of the many words to describe the Connecticut Choral Society's Candlelight & Carols concerts. Add some “sparkle” to your season by sharing in a time of joyful celebration.

Audience members will find something for every musical taste and mood, with classical, traditional, and contemporary pieces. There will be the opportunity to participate in singing traditional carols interspersed throughout the program. Many people have made this concert a part of their holiday celebration.

This concert will feature the premier performance of Take Joy! by Ron Dukenski, who both sings with the Connecticut Choral Society and is also its composer-in-residence. This is his fifth work commissioned by CCS.

Directed by internationally-recognized maestro Eric Dale Knapp, the ensemble’s 75 auditioned singers hail from 18 towns, and are committed to presenting a delightful mix of contemporary, classical, and traditional music. In July the group traveled to London to present a pre-Olympics concert, Light the Fire Within, singing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and other well known pieces associated with the Olympics. States Maestro Knapp emphatically, “The goal of each concert is to present beautiful music, and in so doing, to enrich the lives of both the audience and participants.”

NOTE: There are TWO concerts in Woodbury: 3 p.m. AND 7 p.m.

Buy tickets at www.ctchoralsociety.org or by calling 203-206-7186.

In Pegasus Gallery

 November 16, 2012—January 3, 2013

 Reception on Thursday, November 29th, 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

Judith Randall De Graffenried’s painting process considers the varying degrees of analytical, emotional, sensual and spiritual human sensibilities.  In watercolor works like “Resort City,” pictorial plays of space and compositional juxtapositions create a multilayered series of visually charged settings.  In other works painted in oil, figure model session poses are adapted into invented backgrounds.

            Judith de Graffenried is associate professor of fine arts/graphic design and program coordinator at Middlesex Community College. She earned a B.A.at the University of South Carolina, an M.A.T. at the University of South Carolina, and an M.F.A. at City University of New York.  She also attended a year-long painting program at the Art Academy of Munich, Germany and studied art at Queens College and Indiana University. She has exhibited her paintings in more than 50 national juried exhibitions and received awards at: Maryland Federation of Art, (2008, 2005) The Montpelier Center for Arts & Education, Montpelier, VA (2008, 2006), Strathmore Award for Excellence, “Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition”, Golden, CO (1995). 
 

Pegasus Gallery is located within the library on the first floor of Chapman Hall

Hours: Monday - Thursday 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-2 p.m., when classes are in session. 

For more information please contact:

Matthew Weber, Art Curator

860.343.5806, mweber@mxcc.commnet.edu

http://www.mxcc.commnet.edu/Content/Art_Exhibits.asp

Chava Light's work investigates contemporary Jewish identity, addressing the juxtaposition of tradition and modern life.

Born and raised in New Haven, Chava Light is a painter, illustrator, cartoonist, and graphic designer. Her work is regularly featured in The Algemeiner and Chabad.org. She teaches at Paier College of Art. www.chavastudios.com

Secret Santa tells the story of a school where outrageous pranks and selfish behavior bring down the Christmas season. Can the rumor that Santa’s own child is among them help to lift students’ spirits and finally make them behave? Filled with familiar Christmas music and a madcap Winter Carnival, the play was written by Denise Clapsaddle, author of last season’s I’m Getting Nothin’ for Christmas. The New Britain Youth Theater production, co-directed by Darren Farrington and Nicki LaPorte, will be the play’s premiere.

“This is a fun, fast-paced show that combines comedy, mystery and a feel-good Christmas message,” said Farrington, adding that the show stars children ages 7 through 14 and is appropriate for audiences of all ages. The cast of over forty children has come together from New Britain, Berlin, Bristol, Farmington, Middletown, Plainville, Southington, Torrington and West Hartford. The production’s venue, at Jefferson Elementary School located at 140 Horse Plain Road in New Britain near the Farmington border, is a 300-seat community performance space with recent renovations.

Secret Santa will be performed on Friday, December 7, at 7  p.m.; Saturday, December 8, at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, December 10, at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $12 for adults and $10 for children, students, and seniors. Special group rates are available for parties of ten or more. Tickets may be reserved by calling New Britain Youth Theater at 860-515-8115 or may be purchased online through a link at www.nbyt.org.

S

Susan White:  “Picture Perfect”

The 1950’s are considered by many to be the "perfect decade" of American history, when everything was “right” and America was at its “best” – a nostalgic posture that denies the truth.  The artists oversized graphite drawings are taken from black & white photographs in which the viewer can experience the subtext behind the smiles.

Killingworth Family Theater will present Kathleen Dahill’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” in the Old Town Hall 273 Route 81, (next to the Congregational Church) in Killingworth. Performances will be held on Saturdays.

December 1 and 8 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, December 2 at 3 p.m.; 

Friday, December 7, at 7:30 p.m.

Pat Souney directs a multigenerational cast that includes Dana Sachs, Chris Hamilton, Maureen Alfiero, Craig Hines, Rene Smith and Emily May.

All tickets are $7.50. Profits will benefit the Old Town Hall Renovation Project.
For information, call Maureen at (203) 619-3976.

Mystic Aquarium’s Winter Waterland holiday celebration returns Saturdays and Sundays in December and Thursday, Dec. 27 – Tuesday, Jan. 1 with festive entertainment for all to enjoy. This month-long series of events features visits from Santa, elves diving among fish, live music by local artists, seasonal crafts and scavenger hunts, all against a backdrop of fascinating marine animals and holiday décor.

Guests can also enjoy The Polar Express 4-D Experience, a holiday favorite brought to life with the visual drama of a 3-D film and a variety of sensory effects, including wind, snow and scents.

Winter Waterland activities and entertainment take place Saturdays and Sundays in December (1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 and 23) and December 27 - January 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are included with aquarium admission. The Polar Express 4-D Experience is included with Mystic Aquarium membership and the value ticket option, or tickets can be purchased inside the aquarium for $6 each.

Warm up at the Fairfield Museum and see the new displays at the Holiday Express Train Show! Kids and adults alike will delight in the magic of the model trains winding around a winter wonderland of spectacular trees and beautiful holiday scenery.

Holiday Express Schedule:

Weekends: Saturday, December 1 – Sunday, December 30:   12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Weekdays: Monday, December 3 – Friday, December 21: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Holiday Vacation Hours:

Wednesday, December 26 – Friday, December 28: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday, December 24 & Monday, December 31: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day