The Morris Public Library offers Story and Music Time for participants ages 9 mo. - 5 y.o every Tuesday at 10 am.

Please call to ask if a spot is available: 860-567-7440.

Sing songs, read a story, do a craft!

DRIFTLINES, a dual exhibition featuring new works by painter Heather Neilson and photographer Babs Perkins, explores the meditative connections between memory, place, premonition, and afterthought.  The two artists are local to the Northwest Corner of Connecticut with studios at Whiting Mills in Winsted. DRIFTLINES will be on display through Friday, September 12.

A reception for the artists will take place on Saturday, August 16, 5-7PM and an artist’s talk featuring the two artists in conversation is scheduled for Thursday, September 4 at 5:30PM. 

Does your child have lots of energy? Come have fun on our front lawn with Mrs. Carissa from DBA Dance Studio! Dance and get out all the wiggles in this high energy program for young ones! Enjoy all the silly songs and movements!

Ages 0-7. Please register @harwintonlibrary.org/events (each session is separate registration)

Join us for Story Time on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 for new books, free play, and fun crafts!

Music and Rhyme for Children from Birth to 3s! A program for babies and their caretakers that incorporates music, rhythm, stories, and nursery rhymes to spur language development, body awareness, pre-reading skills, self-confidence, and cooperation. Gathering at 10:15, the program begins at 10:30.

Registration appreciated, drop-ins welcome!

Do you like to hike? Or do you want to get into hiking more? Join our Parks and Recreation Director, Matt, and Parks and Recreation Intern, Sam, for the Emery Park Summit Hiking Club! Matt and Sam will lead a group hike at Emery Park up to the summit and lookout of Leonard Mountain. 

This program is for all ages. All hiking abilities are welcome. Hikes will be canceled at Director’s discretion (inclement weather/thunderstorms, hazards on trial, major flooding, etc). 

The Gunn Museum and Makerspace present a series of craft workshops inspired by artifacts from the Museum’s collections.

We’re crafting with wax seals at this month’s workshop! Learn about the history of these items, see some examples from the Museum’s collections, and create seals with your initials using a custom die carved on the Makerspace CNC machine! When you register, please let us know which letter you’d like on your seal.

Ages 18+

Registration Required: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/crafting-history-wax-seals/

All participants must have a signed GML Makerspace waiver on file. Please arrive a few minutes early to complete this paperwork if this is your first Makerspace program.

Knit and Stitch is a social group for adults who enjoy any type of fiber arts. From knitting & crochet, creative stitching, embroidery & needlepoint, felting, tatting & quilting, to spinning and weaving. Come and enjoy some time with others that share your love of fiber arts. Bring something to work on and something to show and tell. If you have any questions, please call the Library.

Join us at Honeybee Books and Tea for our weekly Open Mic Night!

With a full technical assortment of equipment, we are more than happy to welcome:

• Musicians
• Poets
• Stand-up Comedy
• Reading Excerpts
• Dance
• Puppetry
• Whatever Makes You Buzz

We ask that attendees arrive promptly at 6:00 pm to respect performers. For more information, check out our website or stop by in-store.

The Popular Book Club will meet at the Morris Public Library on Tuesday, August 26 at 6:30 PM. The group will discuss "The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson.

After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he's still in good health, and in one day, he turns 100. A big celebration is in the works, but Allan really isn't interested (and he'd like a bit more control over his vodka consumption). So he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey, involving, among other surprises, a suitcase stuffed with cash, some unpleasant criminals, a friendly hot-dog stand operator, and an elephant (not to mention a death by elephant).

It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but Allan has a larger-than-life backstory: Not only has he witnessed some of the most important events of the twentieth century, but he has actually played a key role in them. Starting out in munitions as a boy, he somehow finds himself involved in many of the key explosions of the twentieth century and travels the world, sharing meals and more with everyone from Stalin, Churchill, and Truman to Mao, Franco, and de Gaulle. Quirky and utterly unique, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared has charmed readers across the world.

E-audio is available via Libby app.

New registrations and book requests: 860-567-7440 or

https://morrispubliclibrary.net/library-calendar-event.../

Music and Rhyme for Children from Birth to 3s! A program for babies and their caretakers that incorporates music, rhythm, stories, and nursery rhymes to spur language development, body awareness, pre-reading skills, self-confidence, and cooperation. Gathering at 10:15 on the green behind the Visitor Center, the program begins at 10:30.

In case of inclement weather or other adverse conditions, this event will move inside to the Junior Room.

Registration appreciated, drop-ins welcome!

DRIFTLINES, a dual exhibition featuring new works by painter Heather Neilson and photographer Babs Perkins, explores the meditative connections between memory, place, premonition, and afterthought. The two artists are local to the Northwest Corner of Connecticut with studios at Whiting Mills in Winsted. DRIFTLINES will be on display through Friday, September 12.

A reception for the artists will take place on Saturday, August 16, 5-7PM and an artist’s talk featuring the two artists in conversation is scheduled for Thursday, September 4 at 5:30PM. 

Stop by to get help using your tech gadgets, basic computer help or to explore e-books, e-audio, movies, comics, languages & more.

OR

Schedule an appointment.

“Ending Redlining through a Community-Centered Reform of the Community Reinvestment Act,” book talk and signing with Morris author Josh Silver, Wednesday, August 27, 6:30 PM

 This author talk describes a new book, Ending Redlining through a Community-Centered Reform of the Community Reinvestment Act, and will explore how and why members of Congress and community-based organizations developed the CRA law that emphasizes community participation in stopping redlining and rebuilding neighborhoods experiencing discrimination.

This talk will explain:

 ·        What is redlining and how it devastates communities

·        Why CRA is relevant for rural areas and smaller towns as well as urban neighborhoods

·        How and why CRA was devised as a means to rectify redlining through community empowerment

·        The successes and limitations of CRA

·        An overview of the legislative and regulatory history of CRA since its enactment in 1977

·        Recommendations for updates to CRA, its application to other industries, and the current threats to CRA

Please register with the library: 860-567-7440 or https://morrispubliclibrary.net/library-calendar-event-registration/

Global artists have sent in their wildest images, film, music and poems for Personaland's online art show

Personaland is an artist-driven global village transforming the world of art by using technology to bridge time zones and cultural boundaries. Our mission is to promote humanity, creativity, and community through a mix of entertainment, enchantment, and imagination.

Since its 2018 launch, Personaland, in its global reach, has showcased over 800 visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, and poets from 68 countries in 32 group art shows and 55 individual exhibitions, many with videos of artist profiles.  https://www.personaland.com

The Merwinsville Hotel is excited to be continuing the Glass Orb Scavenger Hunt thanks to a generous donation from the New Milford Commission on the Arts.

There are 25 area historic sites and organizations that are participating with the Hotel. Each site is hiding four numbered and dated one-of-a-kind glass orbs (three clear and one colored) either inside or outside on their property. Participants can search for and keep any glass orb that they find, but please limit one orb per person/family so everyone has a chance! Be sure to register your orb on the Merwinsville Hotel website where you can also upload a photo. Share your find on social media and don't forget to tag the organization where you found it!

The blown glass orbs that are numbered, dated for 2025, and stamped with “MHR 50”. In addition to the clear glass orbs, there are 25 colored orbs for 2025. Reminder: Because each organization's hours vary, be sure to check their websites before you head out on your hunt.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS BY TOWN:

Bantam:

Bantam Cinema

Brookfield:

Brookfield Craft Center

Danbury:

Danbury Museum & Historical Society; Danbury Railway Museum

Gaylordsville - Celebrating its 300th Anniversary!

Browns Forge; Little Red Schoolhouse; Merwinsville Hotel Restoration, Inc.; The Washington Oak Park (DAR Roger Sherman Chapter)

Kent:

Connecticut Antique Machinery Association; Eric Sloane Museum; Kent Historical Society

Litchfield:

Litchfield Historical Society

New Fairfield:

New Fairfield Historical Society (at the Little Red Schoolhouse); Preserve New Fairfield

New Milford:

Gallery 25 & Creative Arts Studio; Harrybrooke Park; Merryall Center for the Arts; New Milford Historical Society; Pratt Nature Center; The Silo @ Hunt Hill Farm Trust; TheatreWorks; Village Center for the Arts

Sherman:

Sherman Historical Society

Washington:

Gunn Historical Museum

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The Gunn Memorial Library is pleased to present the captivating floral photography of Nina McKitty, on view in the Stairwell Gallery from August 9th to October 4th.

Drawing inspiration from nature, travel, and the artistic traditions of both East and West, Nina McKitty brings a joyful and thoughtful lens to her digital photography. Her work explores the delicate beauty of flowers—each image carefully composed, captured, and refined in her studio to evoke both surprise and delight in the viewer.

Originally gifted a digital camera by her husband, McKitty transformed a curiosity into a profound creative journey. Over the past 15 years, she has immersed herself in the art and craft of digital photography, studying under acclaimed artists and continuously evolving her techniques. Her photographs are printed and framed by hand using archival materials, merging technical precision with artistic expression.

A former nurse practitioner and consultant, McKitty turned to photography in retirement, channeling her lifelong passions for nature and visual storytelling into a rich new chapter as a digital artist. Since 2019, her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including shows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Employee Gallery, Kent Art Association, and Washington Art Association.