We’re just 2 days away from the 53rd annual Fine Arts Festival.
Across North America, over 150 artists will head to Westport. (Six already live here — they’re hometown favorites.)
Selected from more than 320 applications, and representing 12 categories, they come from 23 states and Canada.
All 2025 award winners return (click here for a full list). Meanwhile, a record 52 artists make their Fine Arts Festival debut.
New this year: Staples High School art students will paint a BMW in the family area (Sigrid Schultz parking lot). There are lots of other kids’ activities there too.
Plus, of course, music and food.
Two new judges join the panel: art enthusiasts Lonnie Quinn (CBS weatherman) and Louise Crowley.
The dates are Saturday and Sunday (May 23-24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Click here for a full list of artists, and a map. The Fine Arts Festival is sponsored by the Westport Downtown Association.
=================================================
Also downtown, coming soon: an interesting reshuffling of space.
After more than 25 years in Westport, Brooks Brothers will vacate its space in what used to be called Brooks Corner, at the corner of Main and Elm Streets.
But they’re not closing. In fact, they’re moving a few yards away, to bigger digs.
Brooks Brothers’ new location is 44 Main Street. For decades, it was Klein’s department store. For a couple of decades after that, it was Banana Republic. For a few minutes most recently, it was Oka furniture.
(Before Klein’s expanded north from its smaller beginning, the space belonged to the Townly restaurant. During Banana Republic’s renovation, they discovered a long-lost painting, depicting life — in Westport? — during that era. They preserved it. Hopefully, Brooks Brothers will too.)
The move is planned for late October or early November — in time for the holidays.
The new space will be 1,000 square feet larger. It will include new women’s casual and everyday wear, in addition to the current inventory.
DOWNTOWN TRIVIA: Brooks Corner (now called much more generically “Main & Elm”) was not named for Brooks Brothers.
It’s a tribute to B.V. Brooks and his family. The real estate developer created the small shopping plaza in the 1960s — years before Brooks Brothers arrived in Westport.
Of course, the clothing company has a much longer history than that. They were founded in New York City in 1818 — 17 years before Westport was incorporated.
That makes them the oldest apparel brand in continuous operation in the United States.
Brooks Brothers’ new home.
==================================================
Speaking of companies that have been around a long time: Texaco — originally the Texas Fuel Company — was founded in 1902.
We’re not sure when it came to Westport. But it was a loooong time ago.
We know, because a faded sign on Riverside Avenue has long marked the long-gone location of King’s Texaco.
(Photo/Mary Maynard)
Sure, it was old and faded. But it was a reminder of Westport’s heritage.
(It may even have been a remnant of when Riverside Avenue was named King Street. Yeah, that goes back a ways.)
No longer. Driving toward the Post Road yesterday, Jamie Walsh spotted this:
(Photo/Jamie Walsh)
“I almost crashed!” he reports.
“Just what Westport needs — another f—ing pizza place … touting New York City- style pizza in ‘the Pizza Capital of the World.’
“No SOHO Pizza for me … don’t NYC our Westport!”
At least there’s always Sunny Daes, next door.
==================================================
There will be no Democratic primary in the 26th State Senate district race.
Weston 1st selectwoman Sam Nestor is assured of a clear path to the November ballot. State Representative Lucy Dathan of New Canaan had explored a bid after Nestor outpolled her nearly 2 to 1 at the nominating convention, but decided against it.
Nestor’s Republican opponent for the seat being vacated by Ceci Mahar will be Westporter Alma Sarelli.
State Senate candidate Sam Nestor.
==================================================
Last month, Dr. Matthias Becker led a powerful Westport Library conversation about decoding bias and hate.
Next Thursday (May 28, 6 p.m.), the noted linguist returns for a follow-up discussion.
The evening includes screenings of video shorts about the subject, created by local teens — and an announcement of the winners of the “Decode Hate Video Challenge Awards.”
Parents, teens, and all community members are invited to learn — and to celebrate the next generation, using creativity to tackle an enormous social problem.
Dr. Matthias Becker
==================================================
My Toyota Camry is not an official weather station.
Still, it was quite something to see this reading yesterday, at 3 p.m.:
(Photo/Dan Woog)
But hey … this is New England. Conditions change rapidly.
Today is forecast to be about 40 degrees cooler — 60 degrees.
With rain showers.
It was nice while it lasted.
==================================================
The Brubecks are one of the jazz world’s leading family.
They’re also local. Their roots in Wilton date back decades.
So it was fitting on Tuesday night for for Dave Brubeck’s son Chris to bring his trio, Triple Play, to MoCA\CT, for an intimate, high-octane performance. A full house enjoyed the warm, playful and intimate show.
Arts supporters and blues lovers joined together in the gallery space where the current exhibition, “Art, Jazz + the Blues,” has drawn raves.
It closes June 7. Click here for more information.
Chris Brubeck (left) and his trio, in the MoCA\CT gallery. Two of Westport artist Eric von Schmidt’s majestic paintings, telling the stories of America’s jazz, blues and folk music history, hang on the wall. All 7 of his works are part of the show. (Photo/Roger Young)
==================================================
Lila Doromal is going to the Venice Biennale.
The Pierrepont School junior will perform there in November, with Pierrepont dance faculty members Jamal Jackson and Emily Pacilio.
They’ll be in “Timaeus and The Teacher,” an opera written by former Pierrepont teacher Tammy Nguyen.
It will cost $100,000 to produce the piece. Tax-deductible donations can be made through the Center for the Arts at Wesleyan University. Designate a gift to the “Venice Biennale Project Fund,” or email Joshua Lubin-Levy, director and chief curator: jlubinlevy@wesleyan.edu.
Questions? Email Lisa Manimala: lisamanimala@gmail.com.
“Timaeus and the Teacher”
==================================================
We’re not sure where exactly this guy was headed to Tuesday, at Burying Hill Beach.
But it was sure easy for Gary Shure to snap him, for our “Westport … Naturally” series.
Let’s just say he was not racing to get there.
(Photo/Gary Shure)
==================================================
And finally … in honor of yesterday’s wonderful (if fleeting) weather:
(“06880” delivers hot fun — and news, features, photos, and much more — all summer long. Plus spring, fall and winter too. We rely on reader support to do it all. Please click here to help. Thank you!)
Wait, they appropriated the Texaco sigh (“trust your car to the man that wears the star”)?? Did that go through the Historical Commission? Just the other day I was marveling about how it was still there….my older sister lived above Pearl’s (before its was Pearl’s) and would be awakened by the gas station bells (who remembers those?!).
Texaco has roots in Westport. Arnold Schlaet of Bluewater Hill fame was one of the founders. The estate had a 10,000 gallon oil tank. He would have the barge stop on it’s way to Stratford on the sound and fill his tank. Good to be the owner!
so who has the sign????
I’m glad despite recent financial troubles that Brooks Brothers endures and is staying in Westport. They have indeed been around a very long time; Theodore Roosevelt had bespoke cavalry uniforms tailored by Brooks Brothers when he commanded the ‘Rough Riders’ (he also had a hunting knife made by Tiffany & Co). In fact, at least up until I retired in 2010, U.S. Air Force officers could elect to have custom made service dress uniforms from Brooks Brothers.
Quite a reaction from Mr. Walsh regarding the soon to be opened Pizza shop. Personally, I’m looking forward to it. It’s nearby to my office and it’ll be a pleasant departure from my usual tub of Tuna Salad.
I wanted to commend Mr. Walsh on his flawless Wesportian logic:
1. It’s new. It must be bad
2. It’s from somewhere else. It must be bad.
3. The owners did not graduate from Staples. It must be bad.
4. Remember when what that place was something else! It must be bad.
5. Westport is now “the pizza capitol of the world” not New Haven! It must be bad.
6. Imagine what this place will do the traffic! It must be bad.
7. I didn’t approve of this! It must be bad.
Reply of the day! Bravo Mr. Brunetti!
Thanks, Andy!
Ridiculous reply of the day!
Michael, Thank you for your not so flawless compliment. Connecticut not Westport is “The (self proclaimed) Pizza Capital of the World….although with all the many pizza joints in Westport ….maybe we are becoming that…. Anyway, everyone’s entitled to their opinion….although you, not so flawlessly, assumed I think everything new in Westport is bad. Many things are better, but I do think something’s are ….in your words bad. I have lived here almost 30 years so I have experienced a lot of changes over the years and have my own opinion. Personally, I have had SOHO Pizza in NYC and in my humble opinion is just OK. Maybe we can get Dave Portnoy to do a One bite challenge?
A few quick things, Mr. W:
1. “something’s” does not need that aphostrophe.
2. Of course you “have your own opinion.” Who else’s (aphostrophe needed there) opinion would you have?
3. You really needed the little word “it” between “opinion” and “is” or the word “which” instead of “and” between “NYC” and “in.”
4. If you are going to capitalize “One” in the title of Portnoy’s pizza show then you must also capitalize “Bite Challenge.”
5. Oh, never mind…
What high school did you attend Mr. Smartypants? What world class rock bands played at your school? How many of your female classmates were world class skinflick stars?
Haven’t heard that words “skinflick” and “smartypants” since Westport was a real, old-fashioned bedrock New England village where you could leave your house unlocked all night long and go skinny dipping with good ole Easy Ed and Chubs while we ate the best burgers this side of Norwalk. Ahhh, good times!
Pizza capital is stretching the truth.
Haven’t really parsed the back and forth above, but I think it sucks that a goddamned pizza joint thinks it’s more important to have their stupid (really stupid) sign in place of the, yes. historic, Texaco sign…A pizza lover, I will avoid that thoughtless, interloping joint.
Another note about Brooks Brothers; they provided the uniforms for the Jarvis Military Academy in Weston, open from 1835-1888!