The Gunn Memorial Library Stairwell Gallery is pleased to present Restoration: Landscapes & Botanical Abstracts in Gouache, an exhibition of beautiful landscapes and botanicals by artist Susan Newbury, on view from April 5 through May 31.

Susan’s work is a celebration of nature’s depth and detail, drawing inspiration from the stunning landscapes, waterscapes, and gardens of her rural New York State roots and her home in Litchfield County. With a background in graphic and fashion design, her artistic practice has evolved into a dynamic exploration of color, pattern, and movement. She works primarily in gouache, acrylic, and mixed media on paper, canvas, and wood panel, using a bright, rich palette to create layered compositions that blend natural elements with abstract forms.

“Nature not only provides the subject matter but the solitude, joy, and purpose for my paintings, creating a place of quiet introspection and restoration,” she says. Her work reflects this philosophy, infusing familiar landscapes with energy and emotion while maintaining a sense of tranquility and balance. Inspired by both the botanical world and interior design elements such as fabric, wallpaper, and tilework, her paintings feature repeating shapes and striking color contrasts for an unexpected visual experience.

Her instinctive approach to painting allows her to let go of the rules, creating compositions that are both structured and free-flowing. She paints in her Litchfield County studio and accepts commission work.

Gunn Memorial Library is located at 5 Wykeham Road at the juncture of Route 47 opposite the Green in Washington, CT. Library hours may be found at gunnlibrary.org.

For more information call (860)868-7586 or email, adoerwald@gunnlibrary.org.

One week a year, six local artists get together and paint at Onadune, a sprawling family house in Rhode Island. A giant porch, surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic, serves as their studio. The painters ( insert names or list above?) met fifteen years ago at the Washington Art Association, in Ira Barkoff’s class, and have continued sharing their work and ideas ever since.

While the artists have very different styles, interpretations, and backgrounds in the arts, the artwork created at Onadune shares a singular flavor of salt air and light. This special place has given the artists the rare opportunity to paint from dawn to dusk, follow their instincts while supported by each other, and has cemented the bond forged at the Washington Art Association.

The exhibit brings the viewer to Onadune and shows how six different artists have used

the same place for inspiration and personal artistic growth.The artists:

Joanne Conant

A jeweler and recognized enamellist, Joanne brought her talent to seascapes fifteen years ago and never looked back. A resident of Newtown and a former teacher at Brookfield Craft center, she is well known for her cloisonné enamels and jewelry and brings much of that sensibility to her paintings.

Elizabeth MacDonald

After Elizabeth worked as an actor in Seattle, she moved to her Bridgewater residence and started her journey with clay. She is known for her vessels, large scale mosaics, sculptures, and paintings on clay. Her time at Onadune has expanded her paintings on slate as well as canvas.

Ronnie Maddalena

A graphic designer living in Warren, Ronnie contributes her graphics skills to many important corporate and local causes, including The Farmer’sTable. Ronnie creates brilliant and exuberant still lifes, both found and arranged.

Kathleen Love Mooney

A resident of West Cornwall, Kathleen started her career as a fashion designer in NYC designing clothing on silk that she hand-painted. Her focus is painting landscapes; she continues to paint everything she sees.

Karen Simmons

Was an architect in NYC, and in France, and joined WAA when she moved to Woodbury, CT. Her paintings, landscapes and still-lifes, reflect both her architectural and European background.

Wendy Walker

Has previously worked as both an illustrator and a scenic artist /designer in NYC. When she moved to Roxbury Ct, she started painting “a little smaller” and paints landscapes and subjects that inspire her emotionally.

Feeling stressed? Visit the Makerspace to relax and unwind at this calming craft night. Work on a project from home or make a collage as you listen to tranquil music and spend time with friends.

Ages 18+

Registration Required: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/peaceful-palettes-collage/

For preschool children and their caregivers. A cheery program of stories, music, rhymes and crafts designed for busy toddlers.

No registration required

Discover what the CNC machine can do in this beginner-friendly workshop! You’ll learn how to create a design in Canva and then program the CNC to engrave it on a wooden picture frame. Frames will be cut after the workshop and can be picked up at the library at a later date.

18+

Registration Required: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/adult-workshop-engraved-frames/

ASAP!’s annual fundraiser is not only a night of celebration but a crucial source of funding for the arts-infused educational programming we provide to youth in our community. Your participation in this extraordinary evening of art and live performances directly supports a world where young people’s passion for learning is ignited.

Join us to honor Founder JoAnne Torti’s remarkable 26-year legacy and welcome our new Executive Director, Ali Psomas. Let’s celebrate the rich history and exciting future of ASAP! with host Ellen McCourt!

Families are welcome. We look forward to celebrating with you!

Attire

Casual cocktail

Program

5:30-6:00 pm – Check-in, snacks, and open bar

6:00-7:00 pm – ASAP! Youth Ensemble and Celebration of Young Writers performances

7:00-8:00 pm – Food, open bar, and Celebration of Young Photographers exhibition

One week a year, six local artists get together and paint at Onadune, a sprawling family house in Rhode Island. A giant porch, surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic, serves as their studio. The painters ( insert names or list above?) met fifteen years ago at the Washington Art Association, in Ira Barkoff’s class, and have continued sharing their work and ideas ever since.

While the artists have very different styles, interpretations, and backgrounds in the arts, the artwork created at Onadune shares a singular flavor of salt air and light. This special place has given the artists the rare opportunity to paint from dawn to dusk, follow their instincts while supported by each other, and has cemented the bond forged at the Washington Art Association.

The exhibit brings the viewer to Onadune and shows how six different artists have used

the same place for inspiration and personal artistic growth.The artists:

Joanne Conant

A jeweler and recognized enamellist, Joanne brought her talent to seascapes fifteen years ago and never looked back. A resident of Newtown and a former teacher at Brookfield Craft center, she is well known for her cloisonné enamels and jewelry and brings much of that sensibility to her paintings.

Elizabeth MacDonald

After Elizabeth worked as an actor in Seattle, she moved to her Bridgewater residence and started her journey with clay. She is known for her vessels, large scale mosaics, sculptures, and paintings on clay. Her time at Onadune has expanded her paintings on slate as well as canvas.

Ronnie Maddalena

A graphic designer living in Warren, Ronnie contributes her graphics skills to many important corporate and local causes, including The Farmer’sTable. Ronnie creates brilliant and exuberant still lifes, both found and arranged.

Kathleen Love Mooney

A resident of West Cornwall, Kathleen started her career as a fashion designer in NYC designing clothing on silk that she hand-painted. Her focus is painting landscapes; she continues to paint everything she sees.

Karen Simmons

Was an architect in NYC, and in France, and joined WAA when she moved to Woodbury, CT. Her paintings, landscapes and still-lifes, reflect both her architectural and European background.

Wendy Walker

Has previously worked as both an illustrator and a scenic artist /designer in NYC. When she moved to Roxbury Ct, she started painting “a little smaller” and paints landscapes and subjects that inspire her emotionally.

More Crochet Granny Squares with Missy Stevens | June 3, 2:00-5:00 pm

Do you know how to chain and double crochet? Come to the Makerspace and learn how to combine these foundational techniques to create colorful squares for blankets, pillows, and scarves. Whether you’ve joined our previous crochet workshops, made a few granny squares at home, or are diving into this classic craft for the first time, this workshop is for you!

Guest instructor Missy Stevens will guide participants through decoding crochet pattern language, crafting a modern granny square block, and joining multiple blocks to build a larger project. Bring your questions, four colors of worsted-weight yarn, and an H-8 (5mm) crochet hook.

About the Instructor:

Missy Stevens is a maker and studio artist who works with thread, fabric, and clay to create distinctive pieces inspired by the natural world. Introduced to sewing in childhood, she has since explored many textile arts, including weaving, embroidery, crochet, and punch needle embroidery—a technique she uses to produce richly colored thread paintings. Her work has been exhibited nationally and featured in numerous books and magazines.

Ages 18+, Registration Required.

https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/more-crochet-granny-squares-with-missy-stevens/

The Gunn Memorial Library and the Washington Ambulance Association are pleased to offer CPR Training in Spanish on Thursday, June 5, 2025, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. This free, hands-on session will provide participants with life-saving skills in a supportive and accessible environment.

Led entirely in Spanish by a certified instructor, the training covers the basics of adult and child CPR, how to respond to choking emergencies, and using an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). Participants will gain practical knowledge that can help save lives in their homes, workplaces, and communities.

This program is ideal for parents, caregivers, and anyone who wants to be better prepared in a medical emergency. All materials will be provided.

Registration is required: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/cpr-training-in-spanish/

***********************

 Entrenamiento de RCP en Español en la Biblioteca Gunn Memorial

Jueves, 5 de junio de 2025 | 6:00–7:30 PM

La Biblioteca Gunn Memorial se complace en ofrecer un entrenamiento gratuito de RCP en español el jueves 5 de junio de 2025, de 6:00 a 7:30 PM. Esta sesión práctica brindará a los participantes habilidades esenciales para salvar vidas, en un ambiente accesible y de apoyo.

Impartido completamente en español por un instructor certificado, el entrenamiento cubre los fundamentos de la RCP para adultos y niños, cómo responder ante emergencias por atragantamiento y el uso del desfibrilador externo automático (DEA). Los participantes obtendrán conocimientos prácticos que pueden marcar la diferencia en situaciones de emergencia en el hogar, el trabajo o la comunidad.

Este programa es ideal para padres, cuidadores y cualquier persona que desee estar mejor preparada ante una emergencia médica. Todos los materiales serán proporcionados.

El cupo es limitado y se requiere inscripción.

Para registrarse: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/cpr-training-in-spanish/

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present Just Passing Through, an art exhibition by Brooke Hirsheimer, on view beginning Friday, June 6.

An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, June 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Brooke Hirsheimer is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work explores the whimsical and grounding relationship between humans and the natural world. Her playful yet introspective style combines color and abstraction, reminding us that we’re all here navigating a beautiful and wild planet.

This show will remain on view through Sunday, June 29. Check our social media for weekly open hours: @judyblackpark on Instagram and Facebook.

Support our new works, education programs, and performances in the year ahead by attending our most important fundraiser of the year!

Join us for a sun-kissed cocktail reception followed by an outdoor performance with casual lawn seating for the audience. As the sun sets, we'll enjoy dinner under a glittering tent and a joy-filled dance party featuring the Pilobolus artists.

For more information, visit pilobolus.org/ball

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present Just Passing Through, an art exhibition by Brooke Hirsheimer, on view beginning Friday, June 6.

An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, June 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Brooke Hirsheimer is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work explores the whimsical and grounding relationship between humans and the natural world. Her playful yet introspective style combines color and abstraction, reminding us that we’re all here navigating a beautiful and wild planet.

This show will remain on view through Sunday, June 29. Check our social media for weekly open hours: @judyblackpark on Instagram and Facebook.

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present Just Passing Through, an art exhibition by Brooke Hirsheimer, on view beginning Friday, June 6.

An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, June 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Brooke Hirsheimer is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work explores the whimsical and grounding relationship between humans and the natural world. Her playful yet introspective style combines color and abstraction, reminding us that we’re all here navigating a beautiful and wild planet.

This show will remain on view through Sunday, June 29. Check our social media for weekly open hours: @judyblackpark on Instagram and Facebook.

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present Just Passing Through, an art exhibition by Brooke Hirsheimer, on view beginning Friday, June 6.

An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, June 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Brooke Hirsheimer is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work explores the whimsical and grounding relationship between humans and the natural world. Her playful yet introspective style combines color and abstraction, reminding us that we’re all here navigating a beautiful and wild planet.

This show will remain on view through Sunday, June 29. Check our social media for weekly open hours: @judyblackpark on Instagram and Facebook.

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present Just Passing Through, an art exhibition by Brooke Hirsheimer, on view beginning Friday, June 6.

An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, June 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Brooke Hirsheimer is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work explores the whimsical and grounding relationship between humans and the natural world. Her playful yet introspective style combines color and abstraction, reminding us that we’re all here navigating a beautiful and wild planet.

This show will remain on view through Sunday, June 29. Check our social media for weekly open hours: @judyblackpark on Instagram and Facebook.

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present Just Passing Through, an art exhibition by Brooke Hirsheimer, on view beginning Friday, June 6.

An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, June 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Brooke Hirsheimer is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work explores the whimsical and grounding relationship between humans and the natural world. Her playful yet introspective style combines color and abstraction, reminding us that we’re all here navigating a beautiful and wild planet.

This show will remain on view through Sunday, June 29. Check our social media for weekly open hours: @judyblackpark on Instagram and Facebook.

Join us as we continue to explore contemporary American poets. For the next few months, we will focus on collections from Joy Harjo, Ocean Vuong, Tracy K. Smith, and Dianne Seuss. We will examine how these poets transform personal experiences through their craft.

* Copies will be available for check out at the circulation desk

About Mark Scarbrough:

A former academic, Mark Scarbrough, left the seminary to pursue his doctoral work in nineteenth-century American literature at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has presented papers on medieval literature at the International Medieval Conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and American literature at MLA and regional MLA conferences. He wrote screenplays for various production companies and developed much of the original food content in the early 1990s for a small internet startup called America Online. Mark Scarbrough is the co-author of thirty-five titles and has a thriving cookbook career. In 2020, Mark published his memoir, “Bookmarked: How The Great Works Of Western Civilization F*cked Up My Life,” which Will Schwalbe described as “equal parts charm, wit, and withering self-reflection.” Having left the classroom, Mark now finds himself immersed in literature, leading grant-sponsored book groups and six- to eight-week literary seminars throughout Litchfield County, Connecticut, and Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

Registration is required

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present Just Passing Through, an art exhibition by Brooke Hirsheimer, on view beginning Friday, June 6.

An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, June 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Brooke Hirsheimer is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work explores the whimsical and grounding relationship between humans and the natural world. Her playful yet introspective style combines color and abstraction, reminding us that we’re all here navigating a beautiful and wild planet.

This show will remain on view through Sunday, June 29. Check our social media for weekly open hours: @judyblackpark on Instagram and Facebook.

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present Just Passing Through, an art exhibition by Brooke Hirsheimer, on view beginning Friday, June 6.

An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, June 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Brooke Hirsheimer is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work explores the whimsical and grounding relationship between humans and the natural world. Her playful yet introspective style combines color and abstraction, reminding us that we’re all here navigating a beautiful and wild planet.

This show will remain on view through Sunday, June 29. Check our social media for weekly open hours: @judyblackpark on Instagram and Facebook.

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present Just Passing Through, an art exhibition by Brooke Hirsheimer, on view beginning Friday, June 6.

An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, June 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Brooke Hirsheimer is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work explores the whimsical and grounding relationship between humans and the natural world. Her playful yet introspective style combines color and abstraction, reminding us that we’re all here navigating a beautiful and wild planet.

This show will remain on view through Sunday, June 29. Check our social media for weekly open hours: @judyblackpark on Instagram and Facebook.

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present Just Passing Through, an art exhibition by Brooke Hirsheimer, on view beginning Friday, June 6.

An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, June 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Brooke Hirsheimer is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work explores the whimsical and grounding relationship between humans and the natural world. Her playful yet introspective style combines color and abstraction, reminding us that we’re all here navigating a beautiful and wild planet.

This show will remain on view through Sunday, June 29. Check our social media for weekly open hours: @judyblackpark on Instagram and Facebook.

Kids Sewing Workshop: Sew a Playing Card Holder (Grades 4-5) | June 17, 3:30-5:00 pm

Summer is an excellent time to play card games with friends. Make it easier to track all the cards with a handmade playing card holder! In this beginner-friendly workshop, participants will learn how to thread a sewing machine, sew straight stitches with an accurate seam allowance, pivot around corners, and sew topstitching as they create a practical item that’s also great for gifting. 

Grades 4+5, Registration Required: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/kids-workshop-sew-a-playing-card-holder/