Explore the dynamic possibilities of sculptural ceramics with an emphasis on small hand-built forms. Designed for all levels of experience, you will experiment with form and texture, learning techniques in handbuilding, slab construction and surface decoration.

Instructor: Falcon Laina

Saturdays, June 28, July 5, 12 & 19, 2025

9 AM - 12 PM

Members: $225 / Non-Members: $250

MORE INFO & REGISTER

Bell Ringing Weekend

July 5th 10:00am - 4:00 pm

Join us as we ring in the 4th of July weekend at the Eric Sloane Museum. Learn about an American tradition of bell ringing which is as old as the country itself while visiting our large collection of early American art. Museum hours will be from 10:00-4:00 . The museum grounds also offer a perfect place to enjoy an afternoon picnic in the Housatonic River Valley.

We look forward to ringing in Independence Day weekend with you!

View the works of local artist DJ Stenson at the New Hatford Artistans Guild.

Dates:  June 14 – July 27, 2025

Reception: Saturday June 14, 4 – 6 PM, public invited

Gallery hours: Thursday – Saturday 11:00 – 5:30, Sunday 12:00 – 4:00 and by appointment

Kenise Barnes Fine Art is honored to present a solo exhibition of new paintings by Janna Watson. Watson is a conceptual painter based in Toronto, Canada. Poems Without Words is Watson’s fourth solo exhibition with the gallery who has included Watson in eight other exhibitions and placed her work in numerous private collections. The gallery has represented the artist since 2017.

Through her practice, Watson works to reframe spirituality into objects that reflect fluidity, agility, and joy. She communicates this through a queering of the painterly process, into one that is diversely applied, gestural, and multi-oriented. Janna intentionally forgoes the use of borders on her paintings to create a sense of the infinite, and the inherent vulnerability of a spirituality that is not contained by a canon.

Janna Watson’s compositions and color choices are both careful and spontaneous, each gesture evoking an unstated emotional response. The paintings are generous passages of vivid color with swooping buttery paint strokes, and calligraphic marks floating on fields of saturated color. They are not spare, but they have an implied economy of language, each gesture gathered towards the others with an unseen gravitational force coalescing into a graceful equilibrium.

Part of the exhilaration I acquire from painting is being able to see shifts within myself manifested into a physical reality. The most truthful form of expression I have found in my life thus far has been the abstract language of painting.  – Janna Watson, 2025

Janna Watson’s work is widely exhibited internationally including in Canada, the United States and Taiwan. Watson’s paintings can be found in significant collections including Google, Air Canada, TD Bank Financial Group, Toronto, CIBC, Toronto, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Toronto, HBC Global Art Collection, New York, to name a few. Watson earned a BFA in Drawing and Painting from Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto.

Please contact Lani Ming Holloway, Associate Director, Lani@kbfa.com, 860 560 3085 with inquires or to arrange a preview of the exhibition.

Weekly starting June 7 through August 16

Time: 1:00 p.m.

Location: The Litchfield History Museum

Cost: Free for Members, $10 for non-Members

Registration Requested

The Litchfield Historical Society’s weekly walking tours are the perfect way to discover Litchfield’s vibrant history and explore the town’s celebrated Historic District. The history and stories of old Litchfield are preserved in the architecture of the town. Each tour provides visitors with an overview of Litchfield’s history - from the stories behind famous landmarks to anecdotes about past residents to appreciation of prominent buildings. 

The walk will begin at the Litchfield Historical Society (7 South Street) and lasts approximately 1 hour. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water. Walking tours are free for members and $10 for non-members.

Walking Tours are sponsored by Berkshire Alarm

Saturday, July 5th, at 7:00 PM, Mad River Music, with Frank and Sam Guglielmino, are back at 2nd Home! It is always a great time with MRM, and we know this time will be no different!

For reservations (encouraged but not required) call 860-238-4500 or email us at momanddad@2ndhomelounge.com

See our complete event list - https://2ndhomelounge.com/events/

2nd Home Lounge

524 Main Street, Winsted

2ndhomelounge.com

Join our mailing list - https://2ndhomelounge.com/email-sign-up/

BOB PARKER’S JIVE BY FIVE

Tickets: $35-50, Under 19 Free

Musicmountain.org or 860-824-7126 for tickets and more information

Dates:  June 14 – July 27, 2025

Reception: Saturday June 14, 4 – 6 PM, public invited

Gallery hours: Thursday – Saturday 11:00 – 5:30, Sunday 12:00 – 4:00 and by appointment

Kenise Barnes Fine Art is honored to present a solo exhibition of new paintings by Janna Watson. Watson is a conceptual painter based in Toronto, Canada. Poems Without Words is Watson’s fourth solo exhibition with the gallery who has included Watson in eight other exhibitions and placed her work in numerous private collections. The gallery has represented the artist since 2017.

Through her practice, Watson works to reframe spirituality into objects that reflect fluidity, agility, and joy. She communicates this through a queering of the painterly process, into one that is diversely applied, gestural, and multi-oriented. Janna intentionally forgoes the use of borders on her paintings to create a sense of the infinite, and the inherent vulnerability of a spirituality that is not contained by a canon.

Janna Watson’s compositions and color choices are both careful and spontaneous, each gesture evoking an unstated emotional response. The paintings are generous passages of vivid color with swooping buttery paint strokes, and calligraphic marks floating on fields of saturated color. They are not spare, but they have an implied economy of language, each gesture gathered towards the others with an unseen gravitational force coalescing into a graceful equilibrium.

Part of the exhilaration I acquire from painting is being able to see shifts within myself manifested into a physical reality. The most truthful form of expression I have found in my life thus far has been the abstract language of painting.  – Janna Watson, 2025

Janna Watson’s work is widely exhibited internationally including in Canada, the United States and Taiwan. Watson’s paintings can be found in significant collections including Google, Air Canada, TD Bank Financial Group, Toronto, CIBC, Toronto, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Toronto, HBC Global Art Collection, New York, to name a few. Watson earned a BFA in Drawing and Painting from Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto.

Please contact Lani Ming Holloway, Associate Director, Lani@kbfa.com, 860 560 3085 with inquires or to arrange a preview of the exhibition.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN String Quartet in F Major, Opus 18/1

Joan TOWER Night Fields

Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD Piano Quintet in E Major, Opus 15

Tickets: $30-65, Under 19 Free

Musicmountain.org or 860-824-7126 for tickets and more information

Come early for a free pre-concert talk at 2PM

From Music Mountain to the Himalayas

Pre-Concert Talk with Judith Glyde, former cellist of the Manhattan String Quartet (in residence at Music Mountain 1981-88) and author of “Under the Goddess of the Sky – A Journey Through Isolation, Bach and the Himalayas.”

The 2025 season of free concerts in the Park continues on Monday, July 7th at 7 pm with a concert by Eran Troy Danner Band. The concerts are returning to the renovated Seth Thomas Park on South Main St. in Thomaston. Each concert begins at 7 pm and concludes at 8:30 pm. The Fine Arts Connection of Thomaston’s concert series is indebted to the Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation for core funding.

Eran Troy Danner is a blues musician based in Connecticut. He has been a notable figure in the local blues scene since he started performing in 1998. ETD is known for his work both as an acoustic solo performer and a band leader, playing at various venues across the state. He caught the blues bug after seeing Johnny Winter perform live in New Haven in 1986. His dedication to the genre has earned him accolades, including winning the Connecticut Blues Society's Blues Challenge in 2010 and the Society's award for the Best Self-Produced Blues CD in 2011 with his album "Lucky Day". He won the CTBS Challenge again in 2025 and will be representing Connecticut in the Nationals in Memphis, TN in January 2026. ETD has opened up for legendary performers such as Johnny Winter, BB King, Robert Cray, Walter Trout and Samantha Fish, and he maintains an active performance schedule with about 180 shows a year.

Alcohol is not permitted in the Park by Town ordinance. Bring your lawn chair, your friends, and your love of music to Seth Thomas Park on Monday, July 7th!! All ages welcome, and the Park is handicap-accessible. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will move to the Thomaston High School, 185 Branch Road. Visit the FACT website for further information or weather alerts concerning concert

relocation: www.thomastonfinearts.com.

Join the Monthly Critique sessions at Five Points Arts Center – Bring in an original work for personal, constructive feedback and discussion with Founder and Executive Director, Judy McElhone. All skill levels and mediums are welcome!

Free and open to the public

Tuesday, July 8

2 – 3 PM

Five Points Arts Center

MORE INFO & RSVP

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

This summer, Grumbling Gryphons returns to Rumsey Hall School to hold a five day theater arts camp for children ages 6-14 years old. Directed by Leslie Elias - Artistic Director with a staff of professional actors, musicians, puppeteers, and visual artists, children will engage in drama, art, music and storytelling. Campers will have fun learning and exploring musical and theatrical improvisation, make puppets, masks and act together in a final production at the end of the week. They will play parts such as Royalty, acrobats, jesters, ceremonial dancers and become part of a gigantic dragon in an original production of St George and The Dragon: A Medieval Fantasy & Celebration. The play, written and directed by Leslie Elias, with costumes by Ellen Moon will be performed by campers and counselors with live music by Brian Bender on keyboard and trombone. Natalie Resto will teach art and actor Daniel Saed will assist in acting and directing.

 The performance of St George & The Dragon: A Medieval Fantasy & Celebration will be open to the public and performed In the Maxwell A. Sarofim '05 Performing Arts Center at the upper campus on Friday, July 11th at 1 pm.

 For more information contact Leslie Elias-artistic director at grumblinggryphons@gmail.com

 To register go to wwww.grumblinggryphons.org