Home Is Where The Art Is:

Ridgefield Home & Garden Event Will

Benefit Mattatuck Museum

WATERBURY — On Sunday, May 17, from 3 to 7 pm, art collectors Benjamin Ortiz and Victor Torchia, Jr will open their Ridgefield home for “Home is Where the Art Is,” an event to benefit the Mattatuck Museum Arts & History Center in Waterbury. The day will offer warm hospitality, tours of the galleries and garden, and conversations with Connecticut artists, all in a glorious setting.

“Home is Where the Art Is” will take place in the home, garden and gallery of Mr Torchi and Mr Ortiz. It is a unique opportunity to view, in an intimate setting, an extraordinary private collection that has taken 30 years to amass.

Passing through the gates guests step into the magical world of a Zen-inspired garden filled with Asian and classical sculpture, and upon entering the home every corner turned and every room entered reveals yet more art – amazing in its breadth and importance. Masters Renoir, Goya and Picasso appear next to emerging artists in breathtaking succession, and visitors will probably be surprised by such works as Milton Greene’s photograph of Marilyn Monroe taken in Westport.

The home is designed for comfortable, relaxed entertaining that showcases the collections. Mr Ortiz will conduct tours of the house, gallery and garden where visitors will view hundreds of works of art.

Benjamin Ortiz acquired his first piece of art at the age of 12 in a Connecticut consignment shop. His 75-cent purchase turned out to be the work of one of Puerto Rico’s most notable landscape artists, and marked the beginning of Mr Ortiz’s passion for the arts.

Since that time the collection of Mr Ortiz and Mr Torchia has grown to include work by Keith Haring and Diego Rivera, and encompass paintings, photographs, sculpture, drawings, ceramics, and furniture. The gallery, rehung especially for “Home is Where the Art Is,” features the work of Connecticut artists, many of whom will be in attendance.

Admission is $75 and all proceeds benefit the Mattatuck Museum. Advance registration is required.

To register, call the museum at 203-753-0381 extension 10.

The Mattatuck Museum Arts & History Center features regional history and the work of Connecticut-affiliated artists. It is operated with support from the Connecticut Commission on Cultural & Tourism, and is a member of the Connecticut Art Trail.