The next week is supposed to be mild and love is in the air as we look to Valentine’s Day. There are lots of opportunities for learning something new and trying something different. This week we present a new Eagle feature. We are calling it “Our Restaurant of the Week.”
Restaurant of the Week: G‑Zen
Vegetarians and vegans – and those into delicious and nutritious foods – have been flocking to G‑Zen, at the foot of East Main Street. According to its website (www.g‑zen.com) the restaurant as become a refuge for many seeking sustainable, organic and vegetarian friendly food along the Connecticut coastline. Oh, and you’re requested to turn off your smart phone at the door!
Tuesday, Feb. 2
3D Printing Intro: Design & Create 3D Printed Files
Learn how to design and create your own 3D files for printing. Join instructor Jim Davis from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Blackstone Library, 785 Main St., for an introduction to 3D file creation. Jim will walk you through the free 3D modeling software 123Design, from the makers of AutoCAD. Once you learn this software, you’ll be able to design and 3D print your very own creations. For all ages.
Space is limited – register at http://www.blackstone.lioninc.org/summer-maker-camps-for-teens-new-grant-program/#more-22418.
Branford Garden Club Evening Group
This new group is an offshoot of the regular Branford Garden Club for people who work during the day. The first meeting will take place 6:30 p.m. at the Branford Community House. Judy Stone, coordinator for the Dudley Farm (pictured) Community Garden in Guilford, will speak on Organic Gardening: What, Why and How? She has been an organic gardener for 35 years and is a member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut. She will talk about the benefits of organic gardening to the environment as well as to the community and the gardener.
Friday, Feb. 5
Local Color: Connecticut Stories’ Quilt Exhibit
The juried, traveling exhibition of fiber art created by members of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) in the Connecticut Region will be on view Feb. 5 to 21, at Guilford Art Center. The opening reception is Friday, Feb. 5, 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is free. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday noon to 4 p.m.
The exhibit celebrates the concept of narrative as construed by Connecticut artists. Its theme can be broadly interpreted from personal stories to Connecticut history, from text messages to literary references and beyond. A wide variety of styles and interpretations feature historical points of interest, personal journey stories, along with natural and architectural works associated with Connecticut.
For more information contact the Guilford Art Center at 203 – 453-5947 or www.guilfordartcenter.org.
The Martian
The Martian will be shown in the Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library theater, 146 Thimble Islands Road, Stony Creek, at 7 p.m. The movie stars Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain and runs for 144 minutes.
Friday, Feb. 5, to Sunday, Feb. 7
BACA Short Beach Winter Art Show
The Branford Arts & Cultural Alliance (BACA) will celebrate the historic spirit of the arts in Short Beach through the sponsorship of the Short Beach Winter Art Show. The show will take place at the Orchard House Adult Center, 421 Shore Drive, featuring the work of the village artists from the Short Beach neighborhood as well as members of the Orchard House community. This will be a multimedia exhibit with paintings, photographs, paper sculpture, and glass objects. The exhibit is being co-chaired by Short Beach residents Ann Coffey and Gaile Ramey.
An artists’ reception will be held on Friday evening, from 5 p.m.to 7 p.m.
The artist entry application deadline is Jan. 25 for residents of Short Beach only. For information, or Entry Forms, email Richard Blacher, [email protected].
Beginning Feb. 6
Learning Labs for Young Adults
The Blackstone Library is offering its spring series of free Learning Labs, which are maker camps for young adults, ages 12 and up. For the second series of Learning Labs, there are three different sessions. The first session begins Feb. 6.
The goal of each session is for teens to learn new skills and get exposure to new technologies, meet other makers, gain confidence in themselves and their abilities, and, most importantly, to have fun. Teens who participate in the Learning Labs and who wish to help teach will be given the opportunity to sign up to be volunteer Learning Labs Leaders in the future.
For more information and to register for all three sessions by calling Youth Services, 203 – 488-1441, extension 323 or visit www.blackstonelibrary.org
Saturday, Feb. 6
‘Alice in Wonderland’
Tabor School for the Arts is planning a spring production of “Alice in Wonderland.” Classes will begin Feb. 22 and meet every Monday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. until June 6. The performance is scheduled for June 11. This program is for children in grades 1 to 6. The staff of Tabor School for the Arts includes Program Director Nicole Vaughn, an actress of the stage and screen, and Choreographer/Music Director Kaia Monroe Rarick, associate professor of theater at SCSU.
To register go to www.taborschoolforthearts.com or call 203 – 488-2541. Space is limited.
Dudley Farm Winter Markets
The Dudley Farm Museum and Winter Farmers’ Market will take place on the first Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Feb. 6, March 5, April 2 and May 7, in the Munger Barn. Features baked goods, eggs, handmade crafts, jams and jellies, naturally raised meats, pickles, winter vegetables and more. The market may be cancelled due to bad weather. With the coming of spring, with running sap, the Museum will be demonstrating the old craft of making maple syrup in their sugar house. Activity is weather dependent. Watch for news about other wintertime activities. The museum is located at 2351 Durham Road in North Guilford. For more information call 203 – 457-0770.
TaborFest Celebration
The annual TaborFest Celebration will take place at Tabor Lutheran Church, 45 Tabor Drive, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event includes the TCCP Fun Fair, white elephant tag sale, raffle baskets, bake sale, and food. Snow date is Sunday, Feb. 7.
For more information, call 203 – 488-2541.
Sunday, Feb. 7
People, Places, and Things
A reception for an exhibit of paintings by Ellen Ryerson will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library, 146 Thimble Islands Road, Stony Creek, The exhibit will run through March 2.
Tuesday, Feb. 9
Hoola Hoops to High Fashion
A presentation from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Blackstone Library, 785 Main St., by Joe Waxman, a volunteer at the Connecticut Historical Society, will bring you back in time to the G.Fox & Co. Department Store in Hartford. The store will be explored from floor to floor and explore departments ranging from accessories on the “street” floor, to designer dresses on 6, and ending at Toyland on 11. You’ll also learn about Beatrice Fox Auerbach, the remarkable woman who made every visit to Fox’s so enjoyable and set the standard for customer service.
Wednesday, Feb. 10
Menunkatuck Audubon: Nature Show & Share
Feb. 10 is Menunkatuck Audubon’s Nature Show and Share Night at the Blackstone Library from 7 to 8 p.m. You are invited to bring your favorite nature photos on CD or thumb drive to share during an informal evening celebrating our mutual love of beautiful places and all creatures great and small. Have something else, like a skull or snakeskin? Bring it along! Or if you prefer to sit, watch, and listen, that’s fine too!
Legacy Theatre Play Reading at Branford Art Center
Legacy Theatre local playwrights, Mariah Sage and Bruce Seymour, will be reading from their new play, “The Tongue that Tells Me So” on Friday, Feb. 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 13, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Branford Art Center, 1229 Main St., Branford. There will be a reception before the reading and a Q&A with the actors and playwrights afterwards. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-tongue-that-tells-me-so-friday-february-12-2016-tickets-19804863881, or at the door.
Friday, Feb. 12
A Celebration of Love: Words & Music Straight from the Heart
Wendy Tarry and Alison Moncrief Bromage will read classic and original love poems at the Willoughby Wallace Memorial library at 7 p.m. Featuring friends and music! And a highly anticipated Hot Chocolate Bar, care of the Friends of WWML!
Alison D. Moncrief Bromage is a local poet, teacher, and mother of two. She is a writing tutor at Yale University and her poems have appeared in the Paris Review, Denver Quarterly, Barrow Street and elsewhere. Wendy Tarry is a local educator who dabbles in music and has been writing poetry for over 20 years. She is the author of With A Whisper: The Poetry of Wendy Tarry, available in the WWML collection.
Screening of the 1973 European Premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass”
As part of the Yale Symphony Orchestra’s 50th Anniversary Alumni Weekend, there will be a screening of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” at 9:30 p.m. at Woolsey Hall, 500 College St.
In the spring of 1973, Maestro John Mauceri and the Yale Symphony Orchestra went to Vienna, Austria to give the European Premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass,” with the blessing and under the guidance of Leonard Bernstein himself. The resulting concert film became a public television staple throughout the 1970s, but was lost to time for the past few decades. Maestro Mauceri will act as host, for the first time at Yale in decades.
Saturday, Feb. 13
Anatomy of a Romance
Join romance writers from Branford and surrounding towns at the Blackstone Library, at 2 p.m. as they take you from first meeting to “I do” in a fun and informative panel for aspiring authors and readers alike. Presented by local authors local author Regina Kyle, Jamie Schmidt, Sugar Jamison, Sparrow Beckett and Gail Chianese. Book signing to follow. Registration required.
To register, call 203 – 488-1441 x 318 or visit www.blackstonelibrary.org.
Opening Reception Branford Art Center
New Haven artist and Paier College of Art graduate, Ed Magnotti, will be featured at the February Love art opening and reception from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Branford Art Center at 1229 Main St.. There will be live acoustic music with Sal Annunziato and free refreshments. Event is free and open to the public.
Feb. 15 – March 27
Seeking artists, crafters
The Branford Art Center will hold an art show Feb. 13 through March 27 featuring artists and artisan crafters from Branford and the region. The opening will be on Feb. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. To participate in the show, contact the Branford Art Center for an information and registration form by emailing [email protected]. A completed form and non-refundable payment should be sent to Branford Art Center, 1229 Main St., Branford, CT 06405; Attention, Yvonne Gordon.
Thursday, Feb. 18
Email Basics
Learn the basics of what email is and how it works at the Blackstone Library at 2 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to create a personal email address, and practice the basics of sending and receiving email. Bring your own laptop or use one at the library. Previous experience with keyboards and mice is necessary.
To register, please call 203 – 488-1441 x 318.
Saturday, Feb. 27
Branford Preschool Fair
The Branford Preschool Fair will take place from 10 a.m. to noon in the Parish Hall at Trinity Church, 1109 Main St. The fair is an opportunity to lean about preschools and early care centers in the area and activities for children. For more information, call Jennifer Kelly at 203 – 415-4237 or email [email protected].
Saturday, Feb. 27
Nature Explorer Program: Animal Tracking Classes
Learn to recognize animal footprints and other signs of their passage through the woods during the upcoming Animal Tracking Class sponsored by the Branford Land Trust’s Nature Explorer Program, which runs from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Lake Saltonstall Preserve. The classes will be led by Tom Cleveland and Chris Woerner.
Expect moderate terrain, some sloping trails and inclines, rocky underfooting. Parents should be prepared to carry younger children if they get tired. Please wear appropriate dress and comfortable, supportive walking shoes. Bring water. Walking sticks welcome.
Meet at the Regional Water Authority parking lot on the north side of Hosely Avenue, down Hosely Avenue 0.3 miles from Brushy Plain Road. Bad weather date: Feb. 28.
For questions, contact Tom at 203 – 981-9040 or [email protected], or visit www.branfordlandtrust.org.
Through Feb. 28
Paintings by Robert Dietz at Friends & Company
An exhibit of paintings by Robert H. Dietz will be on display at Friends & Company, 11 Boston Post Road, Madison, through the end February. After a 35-year hiatus and careers in the electronics industry, and as a home builder and home inspector, Dietz returned to his roots as an artist after working in pastels 35 years ago. More recently, he created pencil sketches of his grandchildren and investigated watercolors, painting landscapes and seascapes. Now he has dusted off his pastel set and is producing artwork non-stop, working from his own photographs of shoreline locations.
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