Art Exhibits ____________________

Avancé Esthétiques Day Spa, Sand Hill Plaza, 228 Main St South/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-270-8911.

Through Feb 27: watercolors by award-winning New Fairfield artist Susan Holden-Sagona incl still lifes, florals, figure studies & landscapes of New England & Sedona, Ariz.

Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-4533.

On main floor: Through Jan 31: “Newtown Notables: Rhys Caparn,” collection of sculpture by renowned artist who lived in Newtown during 20th Century, on loan from Nancy & Jim Larin.

In first floor display cases: Through Feb 13: Scherenschnitte (intricate paper cuttings) by Sandy Hook resident Theresa Berryman.

Danbury City Hall, 155 Deer Hill Ave, Danbury.

Through Feb 16: “2012 Accessible Art Project: Photography,” images by Kateleen Foy of Newtown, Deanne Komlo of Brookfield & Aparna Phadnis of Brookfield.

Housatonic Community College, 900 Lafayette Blvd, Bridgeport.

Burt Chernow Galleries/Housatonic Museum of Art (in Lafayette Hall, www.housatonicmuseum.org): *(new show) Through Feb 10: “Ground Truth: Mapping the Senses/Charting Experience,” works by 11 “artists … not documenting a physical space, but rather charting an internal reality or mapping an emotional response” (visit museum’s website for more info).

Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Rd, Washington; 860-868-0518.

Through Jan 31: “Native American All-Stars: Contemporary American Indian Heroes,” celebration of professional athletes, musicians, actors, writers & other well known individuals, all of Native American descent, who have been integral part of culture & history of United States.

The Artist’s Corner (in Museum Shop, can be visited without paying full museum adm) — Through Feb 29: wampum jewelry by Allen L. Hazard Sr & Craig Spears St, both members of Narragansett Nation.

Knights of Columbus Museum, 1 State St, New Haven; 203-865-0400.

Through Feb 5: “Christmas Across Africa,” seventh annual crèche exhibition by museum features nearly 100 crèches, statues & other artwork from 23 African countries & tribes incl wood & stone sculptures, Coptic icons, banana leaf Nativity scenes, polished stones & papyrus paintings.

Through Feb 5: “11th Annual Christmas Tree Festival,” Christmas trees decorated by elementary school children from across Connecticut.

Mattatuck Museum, 144 West Main St, Waterbury; 203-753-0381.

Through Feb 26: “Toys!” vintage dolls, toys & games from museum’s collection & private collections incl portion of Bill Brinley’s hand carved miniature circus.

Through March 18: “Shared Sensibilities: The Art of Sol LeWitt and His Friends,” two-part exhibition features LeWitt’s art since 1990s incl structure from his Incomplete Open Cube series & 20 addt’l works on paper, also look at contemporary art collection artist & wife Carol created, featuring works by 18 friends & colleagues of LeWitt incl paintings, sculpture, photography & prints.

Still River Editions, 128 East St, Danbury; 203-791-1474.

Through March 30: “Fourteen Threadless Needles: Photographs by Vita Pasquale”; Jan 28, artist’s reception, 4-6 pm (snow date Feb 4, same time).

Southbury Public Library, 100 Poverty Rd, Southbury; 203-262-0626.

Through Feb 29: “Identity and Other Things,” works in fiber & mixed media art by members of The Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective.

*(new show) Feb 1-26: “Red — Read,” works by The Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective (CT based group of artists dedicated to fiber & mixed media art) w/ focus on the color used to spread messages of love on Valentine’s Day (red) & the idea that libraries offer an opportunity to become immersed in any topic of a patron’s choice (choice).

Yale Center For British Art, 1080 Chapel St (at High St), New Haven; 203-432-2800.

Through Feb 12: “Johan Zoffany RA: Society Observed,” first exhibition ever devoted to Zoffany in US offers approx 70 oil paintings & selection of drawings & prints, many of which have been rarely or never exhibited, from public & private collections around the world, exhibition offers reevaluation of life & career of “brilliant & enigmatic artist” who, in 18th Century England, explored complexities of Georgian society & British imperial rule.

Auditions, Juried Events ________

Connecticut Choral Society, at South Britain Congregational Church Parish Hall, Rte 172 at East Flat Hill Rd, South Britain; 203-206-7186, www.CTChoralSociety.org.

Rehearsals have begun for spring season, Maestro Eric Dale Knapp will lead 77-meber choral group in 3 performances this spring (Feb 20 at Radio City Music Hall, June 3 at Naugatuck Valley Community College & June 28-July 4 at Westminster Hall, London), new singers invited for any or all concerts, auditions continue to end of Jan, rehearsals each Mon 7:30-9:30 pm in South Britain.

Newtown Cultural Arts Commission, c/o Koenig FrameWorks, 97 South Main St, Newtown; 203-270-1919, NewtownArtsCommission.org.

Feb 1-29: Submissions due for 2012 Newtown Arts Festival promotional artwork for Sept 15-16 event at Fairfield Hills, open to Newtown residents only, must be original & professional quality following “Life In Newtown” theme, work will be used on posters, shirts, tote bags, etc, artists limited to 2 submissions, deliver original work & entry form (available on NCAC’s website) to Koenig FrameWorks, see NCAC website for full details & entry form, contact Donna Mangiafico at above phone # for addt’l info.

Sherman Players, at The Sherman Playhouse, 5 Rte 39 (next to fire station), Sherman; 203-942-6003, www.ShermanPlayers.org.

Jan 29-30: Auditions for Frank D. Gilroy’s The Subject Was Roses, 7-9 pm, director Tom Libonate has openings for 1 woman (age 45-60) & 2 men (one age 47-65, other age 18-30) for season-opening production of Tony Award winning drama, readings from script, professional & amateur actors available, sides & addt’l details available online, rehearsals to begin Feb 13, production to run weekends March 30-April 21.

Concerts, Musical Events _______

Jan 28: Monthly Ballroom Dance, Holy Trinity Greek Church Community Center Grand Ballroom, 4070 Park Ave, Bridgeport, 7 pm-midnight, $17, singles & couples welcome for dancing to DJ selections, free dance lesson at 8, also performance by World Cup Professional Latin Dance Champions Delyen Terziev & Boriana Deltcheva at 9:30, complimentary snacks; 203-374-7308.

Feb 3: Kevin Briody at Lyrics Coffeehouse, Redding Community Center, Rte 107, Redding, 7:30 pm, $10/adv, $12/door, $6 seniors & children, monthly music offering featuring singer-songwriters, refreshments available; 203- 938- 2551, http://www.townofreddingct.org/Public_Documents/ReddingCT_ParksRec/music/lyrics.

Flagpole Radio Café, at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-364-0898.

Performances by Flagpole Radio Café Orchestra & radio style comedy sketches by Flagpole Shakespeare Repertory Theatre w/ guest headliners, 7 pm, $25, $20 students & senior citizens, guest headliners as follows: Feb 4, Deborah Henson-Conant, dynamic harp sensation rescheduled from Nov 2011.

Newtown Friends of Music, at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown; 203-426-6470, www.NewtownFriendsOfMusic.com.

Concerts at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown, start times as noted, tickets $20, free ages 5-14 w/ ticket-holding adult, reception follows performances: Feb 12, Trio Solisti, 3 pm, works of Mozart, Moravec Hubay & Dvorak.

For Kids & Families ______________

C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-4533 (children’s dept 203-426-3851), www.CHBoothLibrary.org.

Children’s programs, free unless specified: Jan 30, Theatre Games, 4 pm, children in grades K-3 invited to join acting teacher & director Twyla Hafermann-Kessler for theatre game workshop, registration requested; Feb 4, Take Your Child To The Library Day: Lionheart Puppet Theatre show, 10 am, performance of Jack Tuesday, the Fairy Tale Investigator suitable for ages 3-9, registration requested.

Young Adult programs, free unless specified: Jan 30, Young Adult Council meeting, 3-5 pm, members discuss & share books, plan young adult programs & have opportunity to volunteer at library, newcomers welcome (must be in grades 6-12 & live or at least attend school in Newtown); Feb 1, Creative Chocolates For Valentine’s Day, 3-5 pm (snow date Feb 8), $6 supply fee due at program, students in grades 6-12 invited to join Marie Walker to make variety of chocolate candies, group limited to 10, registration required.

 

Miscellaneous ___________________

Jan 28: Guided Walk at Holcombe Hill Preserve, 55 Great Hill Rd, Newtown, 1 pm, members of Newtown Forest Assn will lead guided walk, participants asked to arrive before start time, bring proper footwear, warm layered clothing & something to drink; 203-270-3650.

Jan 28: Author & Illustrator program at C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown, 1:30-3 pm, residents invited to meet editor of The Secret Life of Pancho Villa: Poems and Memories of Other Beloved Pets (writings by the late Newtown resident Donald Dale Jackson, collected & published by his widow Darlene Jackson) & illustrator Koren Harpaz; 203-426-4533.

Jan 28: Alliance Française of Northwestern CT (AFNWCT) Café Conversation, at The Barn Club, 558 Main St South/Rte 6, Woodbury, 10:30 am-12:30 pm, free discussion & reading in French of language & culture of France & other French speaking countries incl politics, art, literature, music & current events, hosted by Alliance Française of Northwestern CT (AFNWCT), call if inclement weather; 203-266-5588.

Jan 29: College Goal Sunday, Western CT State Univ Westside Campus Center, 43 Lake Ave Extension, Danbury, 1:30-4:30 pm, college-bound high school seniors & parents invited to meet w/ financial aid professionals who will help submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online forms, college faculty will answer questions, also info about benefits of attending college, student support ser-vices, etc, target audience is low-income families & those who are first in their family heading to college; 203-837-8582, 888-277-2270.

Feb 4: “Ice For Sale: The History of Ice Making in Connecticut,” Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Ave, Derby, 10:30 am-noon, free program by Bob McClellan (from Great Burnside Ice Company, East Hartford) will cover history of ice harvesting, storage & trade, suitable for ages 8 & up (children must be accompanied by adult); 203-734-2513.

Feb 4: “Rochambeau In Connecticut” lecture & book signing event, Gunn Memorial Museum, 5 Wykeham Rd (at Rte 47), Washington Green, 1 pm (snow date Feb 11), program by Jini Jones Vail (author, Rochambeau: Washington’s Ideal Lieutenant – A French General’s Role in the American Revolution) will recall history of unprecedented alliance, improbable victory & “true story behind our nation’s birth”; 860-868-7756.

C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-4533.

Jan 28, Author & Illustrator program, 1:30-3 pm, meet editor of The Secret Life of Pancho Villa: Poems and Memories of Other Beloved Pets (writings by the late Newtown resident Donald Dale Jackson, collected & published by his widow Darlene Jackson) & illustrator Koren Harpaz; Feb 7, Non-Fiction Book Group, 1 pm, discussion of Simon Winchester’s The Man Who Loved China.

Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-2475.

(FILM) Jan 27-Feb 2: Tower Heist (PG-13), Fri-Sat 7 & 9 pm, Sun-Thurs 7 pm, mat Sat-Sun 1 & 4 pm.

Flagpole Photographers Camera Club, C.H. Booth Library lower meeting room, 25 Main St, Newtown; 203-270-0483.

Hands-on workshops, free & open to all levels of photographers, at Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West St: Feb 2, “Camera Basics,” 7:30 pm, free workshop will cover basics, BYO camera, all levels of photographers welcome.

Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Rd, Washington; 860-868-0518, www.IAISmuseum.org.

Misc programs: Jan 28, Winter Survival Walk, 12:30-2:30 pm, $8 adults, $6 IAIS members, $4 children, reservations requested, join primitive skills technologist Jamie Leffler to learn how to ID animal tracks, creating fire from friction & Other winter survival skills; Jan 29, “Medicine Wheels, Animal Totems & New Years Manifestations,” 1-3 pm, $20 ($15 IAIS members), join herbalist & flower essence Lupo Passero to learn how to visualize energy on what you would like to create for yourself in new year.

Newtown Chess Club, at C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-4533.

Weekly games, Sat 1-5 pm, drop-in chess open to all skill levels, sets & boards provided, hosted by US Chess Federation expert Glenn Budzinski.

Newtown Hikers. Call 203-788-1398 (Ester Nichols), 203-270-4340 (Newtown Parks & Rec).

Hikes leave from lower lot @Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown, 10 am (winter start time), free, all welcome (children must be accompanied), bring bag lunch/beverage, wear sturdy shoes, destinations & leaders (in parentheses) as follows: Jan 28, Twin Brooks Park, Trumbull (Irene Juthnas, 203-268-2254); Feb 4, Milford Beach Boardwalk, Silver Sands to Walnut Beach, (Cassie Brown, 203-313-7161).

Newtown Toastmasters, Town Hall South Parks & Recreation Conference Room, 3 Main St, Newtown; 203-313-5507.

Local chapter of international organization meets 1st & 3rd Wed/month, guests & newcomers welcome.

Newtown VNA Thrift Shop, Edmond Town Hall (lower level, use rear parking lot), 45 Main Street, Newtown; 203-270-4377.

Shop is open every Wed 12-3 pm & Sat 9 am-noon, access is from town hall’s back parking lot, shop carries discounted items from local businesses & private donors incl clothing, sm home accessories & more.

Shepaug Eagle Observation Area, Shepaug Housatonic Hydroelectric Station, River Rd, Southbury; 800-368-8954.

Observation area open to March 14 for 2011-12 season, Wed, Sat-Sun 9 am-1 pm, free adm but reservations absolutely required.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-6224 (ask for Betty) or 203-264-3728 (ask for Krista).

Non-profit weight loss support group meets every Mon 6:30-7:30 pm (weigh-ins 5:45-6:15, meetings 6:30-7:30), meetings $2/week, membership $24/year.

Treehouse Comedy Productions; 203-268-5857.

The Director’s Cut at Ramada Inn/Stratford Inn, 225 Lordship Blvd, Stratford: Jan 28, Treehouse Comedy Showcase, 9 pm, $10, 8-10 professional comics, hosted by Howie Mason.

Theatre _________________________

Center Stage Theater, 54 Grove St (former Lafayette School), Shelton; 203-225-6079, www.CenterStageShelton.com.

Through Feb 11: Guys and Dolls, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun 2 pm, $25, $10 students.

Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr, New Haven; 203-787-4282, www.LongWharf.org.

Mainstage: Through Feb 12: Macbeth 1969, curtain Thurs-Sat 8 pm, Tues-Wed 7 pm, mat Sat 3 pm, Sun & Wed 2 pm, $40-$70.

Ridgefield Theater Barn, 37 Halpin La, Ridgefield; 203-431-9850, www.RidgefieldTheaterBarn.

Play readings, new works read by area actors, free, reservations not needed: Jan 29, The Fable of The Man and The Lion, 2 pm.

TheaterWorks Hartford, 233 Pearl St, Hartford; 860-527-7838, www.TheaterWorksHartford.org.

Through Feb 26: The Sty of the Blind Pig, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, Tues-Thurs 7:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2:30 pm, tickets $50, $17 student rush.

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Events that appear by date have Newtown items listed first, with additional events listed by their start time.

 

EXPANDED CALENDAR ONLINE

Want to know about more regional events? Find an expanded edition of this calendar online at www.NewtownBee.com. Click on the Features tab and look for Enjoy/Regional Calendar of Events.

 

Shannon Hicks is the calendar editor for The Newtown Bee. To submit an item for the Enjoy Calendar, send her an email at shannon@thebee.com no later than Tuesday at 5 pm for each week’s calendar. For the Community Calendar (Newtown events, which can be found on page A-2 each week), emails must be received no later than 5 pm Wednesday. For additional information contact Miss Hicks at The Newtown Bee, 203-426-3141.