Sophia Livecchi is embarrassed to admit it. But growing up in Westport, the 2017 Staples High School graduate had a bit of fear of leaving this bubble.
“People are nervous to step outside of their comfort zone to try something new,” she notes.
Now — a year after graduating from Skidmore College — it’s her job to get people in places like Westport to take that step.
Sophia Livecchi
Sophia is the marketing manager for The Knowlton. That’s the waterfront event venue, artist studios and mural park in Bridgeport that most people here have never heard of.
And if they have — well, maybe they also have misperceptions about the big city, less than 10 miles from our border.
Sophia first heard of The Knowlton from James Brown, a Westporter who is one of the 27 artists with a studio there.
She was looking for a “creative community,” and found it strange she’d heard nothing about it. “It’s in our back yard,” she notes.
The Knowlton is located on Bridgeport’s East Side. It’s on the Peconic estuary, within walking distance of the train station.
Owner Shiran Nicholson — a native New Yorker and professional event planner — has created a vibrant, welcoming and eclectic space in his adopted city.
The Knowlton: a bird’s-eye view.
It includes a large boathouse with deck overlooking the water; 2 galleries; those 27 studios, and a plenty of space for weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, corporate events, outdoor dinners and more.
The main building dates to 1865. The first hybrid electric car was built there, Shiran says, and it survived a tornado in 2010.
The artists with studio space there have formed a true community, Sophia says. They get together often, for social events and creative collaboration.
Children play at The Knowlton’s mural park.
The Knowlton is just one of several spots that make up Bridgeport’s burgeoning arts and cultural scenes. The Bijou Theater is one example; they just welcomed alternative radio station WPKN-FM to new studios upstairs.
Steelpointe is planning luxury apartments. They may be linked to The Knowlton by a walkway, with floating gardens.
“People come here and say, ‘How come I didn’t know about this?'” Sophia says.
“I love the vibe here,” Shiran says. “I’m so glad I found this space.”
So is Sophia.
“If I lived my life being closed to new opportunities, I’d really regret it. This is a creative, comfortable space. I can be myself there. That’s not always the case in Westport.”
She is thrilled she stepped out of her comfort zone.
Martin Luther King Day was Monday. CNBC’s Shepard Smith celebrated with a fascinating story about Martin Luther King’s summers in Connecticut.
As a 15-year-old freshman at Morehouse College, he spent the summer of 1944 working as a farmhand at the Cullman Brothers shade tobacco farm in Simsbury. It was part of a program to raise funds for tuition. He returned in 1947.
The summers were eye-opening. Foro the first time, King saw a world beyond the segregated South. He and his fellow students dined in restaurants with white patrons, and tasted freedoms they’d never experienced.
Smith’s report details those years — and the efforts by Simsbury High School students to delve deeply into King’s summers in their town. They helped lead a successful drive to preserve those 280 acres as a historic site.
What makes that event — and the CNBC story — even more compelling is the Westport connection. Cullman Brothers was a holding company owned by the uncles of current Westport residents Bob Jacobs and Joel Treisman. It was started by Bob’s grandfather, and Joel’s great-grandfather.
The last of 3 “Stars on Stage from Westport Country Playhouse” shows airs this Friday (January 21). It’s 9 p.m. on New York’s Channel 13; check local listings for other PBS stations. The New York Times put it on their “What to Watch This Week” list.
Dixon — whose credits include Harpo in “Color Me Purple,” Eubie Blake in “Shuffle Along,” Barry Gordon in “Motown: The Musical,” and of course Aaron Burr in “Hamilton” — taped 2 shows at the Playhouse in September, with a live audience.
The first 2 “Stars on Stage” shows — produced by Westporter Andrew Wilk — starred Gavin Creel and hoshana Bean
There are few visitors to Burying Hill Beach this winter. Well, few human visitors, anyway. These guys are perfect for a mid-January “Westport … Naturally” feature.
And finally … Edgar Allan Poe was born on this day in 1809. He died just 40 years later, under circumstances that remain mysterious. Many of his works endure more than 2 centuries later. Phil Ochs — who also died young — adapted this beautiful poem, and made it his own.
SHow did your child celebrate Martin Luther King Day?
Students in MoCA Westport’s MLK Day Art Camp for ages pre-K through grade 3 created projects honoring the teachings and legacy of the civil rights leader.
According to MoCA’s Leslie LaSala, youngsters learned that “King believed our lives must be lived intentionally and without regret; that words have meaning, and that we must speak up against injustice.”
MoCA offers a variety of school recess art camps. The next is set for February break.
Learning about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., at MoCA’s holiday camp.
“If Burying Hill is being evaluated for a jetty replacement, please don’t forget the sea wall at Old Mill. It has been breached in 3 places for several years. The center section looks like it could collapse, as so many stones have been washed out.”
Rick sent this photo from yesterday morning, as the tide flowed in.
(Photo/Rick Benson)
Rick adds: “The ‘fishing pier[ separating Compo Beach from South beach was ravaged by the last 2 years of winter storms, moving huge boulders way out of alignment. It starts just west of the cannons, all the way to the end.”
Posted onJanuary 15, 2022|Comments Off on 0*6*Art*Art*0 — Week 93 Gallery
It never rains. But it pours.
Or, to put it in “06880” online art gallery terms: When the snow falls, lots of artists go to work.
Last week’s snowfall brought several submissions. So — for some reason — did non-weather subjects, including a trip to Tucson. We’ve got a full gallery this week: 14 works, ranging from nature to abstract, and from oil and charcoal to photography and wood carving.
Whatever your age and level of experience — professional or amateur, young or old — this gallery is open to you. In every medium.
All genres are encouraged. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage and needlepoint — whatever you’ve got, email it to dwoog@optonline.net. Share your work with the world.
Paint poured glass vase, sitting in the sun. (Amy Schneider)
An extensive search river and land search was conducted yesterday by the Westport Department and Fire Dive team, after a 22-year-old woman disappeared from a canoe near the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.
After 5 hours, the woman was seen on a surveillance tape at a local business. The search was suspended.
Early this morning she was located in Norwalk, and reunited with her family. Chief Foti Koskinas thanked all who aided in the search.
Based on Emily Dickinson’s poem of the same name — and spurred partly by the darkening political climate — the noted Westport artist asked 30 Westporters to participate.
Old and young; Black, white and Asian — all learned one word or phrase in American Sign Language. Through Miggs’ unique lenticular photography, each sign shows the beauty of that form of communication. It’s also a “visual chorus of our community, expressing the need for compassion in the world.”
Nearly 5 years later — thanks to the generosity of Westporter Melissa Ceriale — the 30 portraits have been permanently acquired by Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains. They were installed on Wednesday.
COVID has delayed a formal unveiling. But the hospital has a robust social media presence, and they’re showing off their new acquisition to the world.
As Miggs notes, his piece lives on, “in a place dedicated to compassion and healing.”
Miggs Burroughs’ “Signs of Compassion,” at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital. And yes, that’s me in the top row, 2nd from left.
Looking for some great reading this holiday weekend?
Click here for the “Westport Progress Report on Floodplain Management.”
As you probably know, the report is prepared annually to enable residents to receive a 10% reduction in flood insurance. That insurance is offered by FEMA, to communities participating in the Community Rating System.
Municipalities are ranked from 1 to 10. A ranking of 1 offers the highest reduction in flood insurance rates. Actions taken by the Planning & Zoning Commission over the years have brought Westport’s ranking from 10 to 8. More efforts are planned.
Insurance is important to homeowners in flood-prone areas like Compo Cove.
Speaking of water: Yesterday was moving day at Joey’s by the Shore.
Equipment was moved out of the longtime deli/market, now closed for several months.
The property has been on the market. No deals have been finalized, and there is no word on what is next for the historic property across from Old Mill Beach.
Nicholas Marsan has been promoted to deputy chief of the Westport Fire Department, while Theodore Crawford has risen to lieutenant. They — and new Fire Chief Michael Kronick — were sworn in yesterday at Town Hall.
The promotions fill vacancies created by the retirement of Chief Robert Yost on January 1.
Marsan became a Westport firefighter in 2007. He then served as fire inspector and lieutenant.
He is a veteran of the US Army and the CT Army National Guard. In 2010 he was deployed overseas. He received the Army Commendation Medal for Valor during operations in Afghanistan, and is a 2-time recipient of Westport Rotary Public Protection & Safety Awards, and 2 unit citations.
Marsan was also president of the Westport Uniformed Firefighters Association, Local 1081. He earned a master’s degree in history from Western Connecticut State University. He is now completing a master’s in public administration and emergency management at Sacred Heart University.
Crawford joined the department in 2011. He is an EMT, and president of the Westport Uniformed Firefighters Charitable Foundation.
He is also a rescue diver on the Westport Police/Fire dive team, and a hazardous materials technician on the Fairfield County Hazmat Team. He received a Westport Rotary Public Protection & Safety Award, the Firefighter Dominic Zeoli Award, and 2 Unit Citations.
Crawford is a graduate of Clarkson University, majoring in civil engineering.
From left: Theodore Crawford, Nicholas Marsan, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Fire Chief Michael Kronick.
Audiences across the country look forward to tonight’s “Stars on Stage From Westport Country Playhouse” (Friday, January 14, 9 p.m. Channel 13; check listings for other PBS stations).
Shoshana Bean is the star of this episode. It was taped in September, before 2 local audiences.
But that’s not the only Shoshana news this week. The “Wicked” and “Witness” actress has just been signed to the cast of the new musical comedy “Mr. Saturday Night,” with Billy Crystal. The shows opens at the Nederlander Theatre on April 27.
There’s a new time for this Sunday’s Dr. Martin Luther King celebration.
The free program featuring author Heather McGhee begins at 2:30 p.m. It had been set for 3 p.m.
Her book — The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together spent 10 weeks on TheNew York Times bestseller list. Her TED talk — “Racism Has a Cost for Everyone” — reached 1 million views in just 2 months.
Due to COVID, the event — sponsored by the Westport Library, Westport Country Playhouse, TEAM Westport, Westport/Weston Interfaith Council, and the Westport/Weston Interfaith Clergy — is now online only.
The program includes performances by the Bridgeport Boys Choir, and dance by the Regional Center for the Arts.
But Westport’s favorite running store is not going far. The new location is just a jog away: the Fresh Market plaza, next to Little Beet.
Fleet Feet will double its size, offering an even larger selection of footwear, apparel and accessories. The more open space will also allow for expanded service, and social distancing. The move is planned for mid-February.
Sure, Local to Market is a great place to shop for food with “local” ties.
But it also provides food for the soul.
Westport artist Elizabeth Petrie DeVoll has a solo show at the store — formerly Talbots and before that, the Remarkable Book Shop — at the corner of Main Street and Parker Harding Plaza.
The show also features cards by Jane Gilman Fleischner.
There’s a great tie-in with the historic building. DeVoll creates new art from old objects. She “enlivens history and questions the supposed border between the past and the present. She sees possibility in the discarded, weathered, and forgotten.”
Her work is part of a rotating gallery. All art shown at Local to Market comes through the Artists Collective of Westport.
Elizabeth Petrie DeVoll, with her work at Local to Market.
A free Zoom event featuring Westport child psychiatrist Gwen Lopez-Cohen Dr. Harold Koplewicz is set for next Tuesday (January 18, 7:30 p.m.). They’ll discuss Koplewicz’s new book, The Scaffold Effect: Raising Resilient, Self-Reliant, and Secure Kids in an Age of Anxiety.
Koplewicz says that the deliberate buildup and then gradual loosening of parental support (like scaffolding on a building) is the single most effective way to encourage youngsters to climb higher, try new things, grow from mistakes, and develop character and strength.
Click here to register. Sponsors are Schoke Jewish Family Service and the Federation for Jewish Philanthropy of Upper Fairfield County.
Dr. Gwen Lopez-Cohen
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An opening reception for the latest George Billis Gallery show — featuring 34 artists curated by New York critic and writer David Masello — is set for Saturday (January 15, 4 to 7 p.m.).
The public is welcome.
Norm Siegel’s “Mona Rolla” oil on canvas is featured at the new George Billis Gallery show.
Posted onJanuary 13, 2022|Comments Off on WestportREADS: A Story Across The Ages
And the selection for the 20th anniversary of WestportREADs is … “he Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.” Westport Library — the sponsor of the annual event — will host thebestselling author, V.E. Schwab, for a keynote event February 26 (3 p.m., Zoom; click here to register).
Schwab’s compelling story is set in France, in 1714. In a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever — and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Her dazzling adventure plays out across centuries and continents, history and art, as sheh learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
V.E. Schwab
“In addition to encouraging literacy and community bonding, ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’ will provide some much-needed distraction during these challenging times,” says Library executive director Bill Harmer.
In past years, the Library chose books and topics that were timely and topical. This year, they say, a bit of escapism feels appropriate. They offer multiple copies of the book and discussion guides, and invite Westporters to organize their own book groups with friends and neighbors.
WestportREADS 2022 also includes companion books for younger readers. They include “Willa the Wisp” by Jonathan Auxier for younger elementary school readers, and “Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt for older elementary students.
Created in 2002, WestportREADS is a community-wide event. It is supported by a generous bequest from the estate of Jerry A. Tishman.
For more information on how to obtain a physical, audiobook or e-book copy of “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,” click here.
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CT Humanities has awarded grants to non-profit museums, cultural organizations, humanities organizations and arts organizations. The funds will help them recover from the pandemic, connect K-12 teachers and students to strong humanities and arts content, and improve information technology and digital infrastructure.
CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants are part of $30 million allocated over the next 2 years by the state General Assembly.
Local recipients include:
Artists Collective of Westport – $5,600
Beechwood Arts & Innovation – $8,800
Earthplace – $168,700
Friends of Westport Public Art Collections – $5,900
Too many Americans today know Paul Newman only as the popcorn guy. And not enough know his wife, Joanne Woodward.
Yet, as Variety notes: “They were a Hollywood power couple who chose to live and raise their family in Connecticut, far removed from the center of moviemaking. They were box office draws who remained true to their art, using their celebrity to finance smaller dramas and passion projects. They epitomized glamour and romance for legions of fans, but remained more devoted to social justice and philanthropy than red carpet premieres.”
A new 6-part documentary will bring their lives and legacies to light.
“The Last Movie Stars” is directed by Ethan Hawke and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. The series debuts on CNN+ later this year, and will be available on HBO Max.
No word on its content, but there’s sure to be plenty about Westport — an integral part of their lives — in at least some of the 6 parts. (Hat tips: David Roth and Kerry Long)
Westporters — especially seniors and those with low to moderate incomes — can once again take advantage of the town’s no-cost full-service AARP/VITA/IRS Volunteer Tax Assistance Program.
On-site personal counseling is available by appointment at Town Hall (Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m.) and the Senior Center (Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursdays from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.), starting January 24. Call 860-590-8910 for an appointment.
The service is also available through a secure internet site. Click here for an appointment.
The program is administered by Westport’s Department of Human Services.
The 2nd of PBS’s 3 special concerts — “Stars on Stage From Westport Country Playhouse” airs this Friday night (9 p.m. ET on Channel 13; check other local listings). The series is also available on PBS.org and the PBS Video app.
Shoshana Bean is this week’s guest. The Broadway (“Wicked,” “Waitress”) and recording star taped 2 shows at the Playhouse in September.
The series — spearheaded by executive producer Andrew Wilk of Westport — debuted last week with Gavin Creel. It concludes January 21, with Brandon Victor Dixon.
The Westport Library and WestportWRITES sponsors a pair of workshops, with best-selling author, personal essayist and memoir writer Mary-Lou Weisman. She’s taught her craft too, at The New School, New York University and Manhattanville College, and through Westport and Norwalk continuing education programs.
The Introductory Memoir Writing Workshop meets Tuesdays (12:30 to 2:30 p.m.) from February 15 through March 29. Click here for information.
The Advanced Memoir Writing Class meets Thursdays (12:30 to 2:30 p.m.) from February 17 through May 17. Click here for information.
And finally … today is the birthday of Slim Harpo. The spectacularly named blues singer-songwriter and musician was born in Louisiana in 1924. He died of a heart attack in 1970, at just 46.
Posted onJanuary 12, 2022|Comments Off on “The Westport Idea” Emerges At MoCA
Two of Westport’s powerhouse arts institutions — MoCA and the Westport Public Art Collections — join forces soon.
“The Westport Idea” debuts at MoCA January 28. The exhibit features selections from WestPAC’s 2,000-work collection. Most are housed in public schools and town buildings.
They’re amazing treasures. But even before COVID, because of their locations they were not easily accessible to the public.
The exhibit includes several 2021 acquisitions by artists of color and under-represented groups. Examples include “Village @ Ntonso,” filled with colors and patterns from African symbols, architectures and textiles, by internationally known (and Staples High School graduate) Charles Joyner; “Three Shadows” by photographer Adger Cowans of Harlem’s’ Kamoinge Workshop, and “Don’t Judge Me” by Stamford artist Christa Forrest.
“Village @ Ntonso” (Charles Joyner)
The Westport Public Art Collections’ origins date back to 1910. But it became more fully evolved in 1965, thanks to the vision of artist and educator Burt Chernow. His “idea” was to collect original fine art, for students to experience daily.
Simultaneously with “The Westport Idea,” MoCA will showcase the works of students from around the region, in its annual high school exhibition. This year’s title is “Identity.”
It features over 100 works based on the memories, experiences, relationships and values that create one’s sense of self. High school students were invited to submit drawings, paintings, digital and graphic images, photos, sculptures and videos.
“Facing Myself” (Tessa Moore, Staples High School senior)
Many familiar names will be highlighted in the main “Westport Idea” show. Among the artists included in the exhibit: Lynsey Addario, Ann Chernow, Charles Daugherty, James H. Daugherty, Lisa Daugherty, Stevan Dohanos, Walter Einsel, Leonard Everett Fisher, Jerri Graham, Hardie Gramatky, Robert Indiana, Estelle Margolis, Henri Matisse, Norma Minkowitz, Enid Munroe, Baroness Hilla von Rebay, Robert Rauschenberg and Larry Silver.
“Six Dancers, Children at Yangzhou School for the Deaf and Blind” (Larry Silver)
The opening reception is January 28 (6 to 8 p.m.). The exhibit runs through March 12. Admission is free, thanks to an anonymous gift.
Supporting programming for “The Westport Idea” includes a talk by co-curator Kathleen Motes Bennewitz (February 3); an in-depth discussion on Tom Wesselmann (February 17), an ekphrastic writing workshop with Westport poet laureate Diane Lowman (February 24)m, and a WestPAC teaching gallery talk (March 3).
All programs run from 6 to 7 p.m. Click here to register.
“Portrait of Joseph Mortimer Lichtenauer” (James Henry Daugherty)
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