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.

Annual two-week residency June 9-22. Please see our website and social media for public-facing workshops and showings of new work in development!

Connecticut Theatre Exchange (CTX) exists to bring together theatre artists from various backgrounds and identities to support their process of developing new projects and new skills in a nurturing environment that is both accessible and affordable.

We do this by:

• Offering residencies for playwrights and screenwriters and their teams in various forms of development 
• Providing low-cost residencies to existing ensembles to experience an uninterrupted and deeper developmental rehearsal process
• Giving space and time for professional artists to study new skills and new ideas, contributing to their artistic process
• Garnering resources for historically under-represented or under-supported populations and actively identifying ways to remove barriers to the CTX experience
• Welcoming the public to free showings of new work and inviting curated feedback
• Programming a variety of free or low-cost workshops of exploration of the artistic process
• Developing partnerships with organizations that promote equitable development of creative work

Free outdoor family movie nights are back at The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens on the third Friday of each month June through September, this time with an exciting new twist. Each screening will be part of a themed evening experience, featuring pre-movie fun which might include trivia, games, live music, sing-alongs and interactive audience activities.

On June 20, we'll be screening "The Birdcage," sponsored by National Iron Bank. In this 1996 remake of the classic French farce La Cage aux Folles, engaged couple Val Goldman (Dan Futterman) and Barbara Keeley (Calista Flockhart) nervously arrange a dinner to introduce their very different families. Val’s father, Armand (the late Robin Williams), who runs a flashy Miami nightclub, agrees to tone things down for the evening and hide his long-time relationship with Albert (Nathan Lane), the club’s larger-than-life star. The goal? To impress Barbara’s father, played by the late Gene Hackman, a buttoned-up political figure with traditional views.

Movie rolls at dusk. Check our website, Instagram or Facebook accounts for any changes or updates.

Begin your story-filled summer adventure at the Gunn Jr. Library on Saturday, June 21 from 10am to 12pm during a special Summer Reading Kick-Off event in collaboration with The GIANT Room, a NYC-based innovation hub for kids.

This community event invites kids and families to level up your imagination with hands-on activity stations led by The GIANT Room. You can create characters, build new worlds, try stop motion animation, and more! It’s the perfect way to jumpstart your summer reading and dive into a season of creativity.

Whether you participated in the GIANT Room remix stations this spring or are joining in for the first time, this is a great opportunity to dive into storytelling through hands-on play and shared creativity.

This program is made possible with generous support from the Connecticut State Library.

Registration Encouraged.

Join the Sherman Chamber Ensemble for a special concert celebrating the genius of Antonín Dvořák.

Featuring Susan Rotholz on flute, Suliman Tekalli and Jane Chung on violin, Sarah Adams on viola, and Eliot Bailen on cello. Works include String Quartet No. 13 in G major, Op. 106 and Terzetto in C Major, Op. 74 for flute (originally violin), violin and viola.

Dvořák (1841-1904) was the first Bohemian composer to achieve worldwide recognition, noted for turning folk material into 19th-century Romantic music.

Violinist Suliman Tekalli joins the Sherman Chamber Ensemble for the first time. He has established his unique voice as an exciting and versatile soloist and chamber musician through his visceral yet elegant and mature performance style, captivating audiences with the depth of his interpretations an assured technique.

As the top prize winner of the 2015 Seoul International Music Competition and prize winner in the Sendai, Lipizer, and Szeryng International Violin Competition, Suliman Tekalli’s performing career has taken him throughout the U.S., Canada, Central America, Europe, and Asia, gracing the stages of numerous halls including Stern Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Seoul Arts Center, Wigmore Hall, and the Millennial Hall at the Kennedy Center among others. His performances have been broadcasted on live TV and radio from KBS TV in Korea, Montreal Canada’s CBC Radio 3, WQXR, and NPR.

Tickets $30. Children ages 16 and under free.

Purchase tickets at www.SCEmusic.org

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.

Beyond the Basics: Foundation Paper Pieced Quilt Blocks | June 24, 2:00-4:00 pm

Level up your sewing skills with this intermediate workshop! Do you like the look of intricate quilt blocks but dislike fiddly cutting, measuring, and trimming? Foundation paper piecing might be the technique for you! In this workshop, you’ll learn how to “sew by number” and create a beautiful quilt block by machine stitching fabric on top of a removable paper template. Once you know the basics, you can visit the Makerspace during Open Hours to create more blocks and transform them into a fully finished quilted project! Ages 18+, Registration Required: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/beyond-the-basics-foundation-paper-pieced-quilt-blocks/

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 the Gunn Library Book Club on Thursday evening for a rewarding discussion on celebrated author Niall Williams's beautiful book, The Time of the Child.

Doctor Jack Troy was born and raised in Faha, but his responsibilities for the sick and his care for the dying mean he has always been set apart from the town. His eldest daughter, Ronnie, has grown up in her father's shadow, and remains there, having missed one chance at love – and passed up another offer of marriage from an unsuitable man.

But in the Advent season of 1962, as the town readies itself for Christmas, Ronnie and Doctor Troy's lives are turned upside down when a baby is left in their care. As the winter passes, father and daughter's lives, the understanding of their family, and their role in their community are changed forever.

Registration is required: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/gml-thursday-book-club-the-time-of-the-child-by-niall-williams/

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.

Mini Makers Cricut Puzzle Lab | June 28, 10:00 am-2:00 pm (Drop In)

Join us in the Junior Library for a fun project using one of our high-tech maker machines! Create a work of art on cardstock paper and transform it into a puzzle with a bit of help from the Cricut and our Makerspace Specialist. Stop in any time between 10 am and 2 pm! Ages 5+

https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/mini-makers-cricut-puzzle-lab/

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.

Learn how to use the library apps Libby and Kanopy to take books, audiobooks, movies, and shows with you wherever you travel this summer! After a brief introduction to these apps, we’ll help you use them to curate lists of digital books and movies to enjoy on your next road trip, plane ride, or relaxing afternoon at the lake. Please bring your library card and a phone to this workshop.

Ages 18+.

Registration Required: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/tech-tuesday-books-and-shows-on-the-go/

Explore the colorful and resonant work of artist Dana Bol. Using materiality and color, Bol creates emotional tableaux.

Explore the colorful and resonant work of artist Dana Bol. Using materiality and color, Bol creates emotional tableaux.

Explore the colorful and resonant work of artist Dana Bol. Using materiality and color, Bol creates emotional tableaux.

Explore the colorful and resonant work of artist Dana Bol. Using materiality and color, Bol creates emotional tableaux.

Explore the colorful and resonant work of artist Dana Bol. Using materiality and color, Bol creates emotional tableaux.

Gunn Memorial Library invites young readers to join a new program designed to build confidence and a lifelong love of reading. Aligned with the library’s Level-Up summer reading theme, the Read Aloud Book Club will run from the week after July 4 through the first week of August 2025, and is specially tailored for children entering Kindergarten and 1st Grade.

The program features a rich blend of read-aloud sessions and fun crafts, all designed to make reading both enjoyable and educational. The books selected span multiple genres to encourage engagement, imagination, and conversation.

This week’s book is Mary Had a Little Lab by Sue Fliess!

Mary is an enterprising young inventor. She wants a pet, but it isn’t one she can easily buy, so she makes one with the Sheepinator! Mary’s pet sheep and her new invention make her popular with her classmates. But when she starts making sheep for her new friends, things go hilariously awry. Can Mary invent a way to fix this mess?

Registration Required.

Fulfill your summer reading goals and enjoy literary adventures with Gunn Junior Library’s Summer Reading Book Club, held every Monday afternoon in July!

Led by Ms. Ashley, this program is designed for rising 4th and 5th graders and will meet from 3:15 to 4:15 PM, July 7–28. Readers will explore Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Doom by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr. A laugh-out-loud story about a boy who takes a fortune cookie’s advice a little too seriously, leading to silly yet meaningful adventures. A 2024 Nutmeg nominee, this book offers the perfect blend of humor and heart, exploring themes of choice, friendship, and what truly matters.

Each session features a discussion and creative activities inspired by surprise weekly “mystery envelopes.” Let’s make summer reading a whole lot of fun.

Registration Required.

Books will be available for pickup in the Jr. Library starting Monday, June 23.