On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish! Have you cooked your corned beef and cabbage yet? (We have.) Or made plans to meet friends at your favorite pub? You can probably count on Tommy Sullivan’s for a good time, Irish brews and whiskey, and corned beef and cabbage, if you haven’t cooked your own. Erin go Bragh!
Friday, March 17
Welcoming Branford
The deadline is Friday, March 17, at 5 p.m. for submissions to “Welcoming Branford,” an opportunity for residents to share information about themselves and learn about the different people who make up the community. The event is held in partnership with East Shore Region Adult & Continuing Education (ERACE).
Responding to a prompt, participants can share something that has meaning – hopes and dreams, a story about a family member (or pet!), something that makes them special. They may also submit a photo that illustrates their story – a portrait, object, or landscape. Big and small, our stories are what make us who we are. This is a chance to share, and connect, with the people in your hometown. Stories and photos will be displayed anonymously in the Blackstone Library rotunda throughout the month of April.
Writing prompts and program details are available at www.blackstonelibrary.org or at any service desk in the library. Welcoming Branford submissions are due no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, March 17. Email entries to [email protected], and include a photo (portrait, object, landscape) to accompany and illustrate your story.
For information about the project call Carly Lemire, 203 – 488-1441, extension 323, or email [email protected].
Saturday, March 18
Instant Presentations Workshop
Tom Laurenson’s workshop on Instant Presentations will outline a simple way to set up an effective presentation, and give participants the opportunity to put it into practice. It will take place at the Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., on Saturday, March 18, from 2 to 3 p.m.
If you’ve ever had to make a presentation as part of a job or college application, challenge a decision at work, in your condo, or church, support a suggestion for change to a zoning board, a political interest group, or service club, this class will help outline a simple way to set up an effective presentation and give participants to put it into practice. Later workshops will go into more detail on the design and delivery of presentations.
Registration required. To register, call 203 – 488-144, extension 318.
Through March 19
Winter Wildlife, Bald Eagles
If you prefer to view Bald Eagles from the river, Connecticut River Expeditions of Haddam will offer cruises to view winter wildlife and nesting Bald Eagles, your last chance is Sunday, March 19.
Departures on Sunday at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., leaving from the Connecticut River Museum dock in Essex.
RiverQuest has a heated cabin, but participates are urged to dress in warm layers since the best views will be from the open decks. Bring cameras and binoculars, which will also be available on board. Cost is $40 per person.
For more information visit www.ctriverquest.com or www.ctrivermuseum.org.
Tuesday, March 21
Literature of the American South Continues
“Literature of the American South: Four Novels by Women” presented by Mark Schenker, senior associate dean of Yale College and dean of Academic Affairs, Spring 2017, continues at the Willoughby Wallace Library, 146 Thimble Island Road, with “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston.
On Tuesday, April 18, “The Optimist’s Daughter” by Eudora Welty will be discussed, and “Salvage the Bones” by Jesmyn Ward will be discussed on Tuesday, May 16.
The discussions are free and open to all. Copies of the books are available at the Circulation Desk.
Wednesday, March 22
Long Island Sound’s Lobster: Not Peasants’ Food, Not Fine Art, and Not Endangered
Other than that it tastes delicious with butter, what do you know about the knobbily armored, scarlet creature staring back at you from your fancy dinner plate? From ocean to stock pot, there are two sides to every animal story, including the lobster.
Learn more from former fishmonger and commercial lobsterman Richard J. King (pictured) at the Branford Land Trust’s March lecture on Wednesday, March 22, 7 p.m. at the Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main St. King is an author, illustrator, and research associate with the Williams College at Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program. He will have books for sale and signing.
Visit www.branfordlandtrust.org for details on additional dates and speakers in the Winter/Spring Lecture Series presented by the Branford Land Trust. All are free to the public.
Wednesday, March 22 to Saturday, March 25, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 26, 2 p.m.
Titanic at Branford High School
Branford High School Performing Arts will present Titanic at the high school, 185 E. Main St. from Wednesday, March 22, to Saturday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, March 26, at 2 p.m. Titanic is a musical with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone that opened on Broadway in 1997. It won five Tony Awards including the award for Best Musical.
Award-winning watercolor artist Pam Morgan will lead a new five-week watercolor class for beginners to experienced artists on Wednesdays, March 29 to April 26, at Branford Art Center, 1229 Main St. The fee is $120. The materials list will be provided upon registering with Morgan at [email protected] or calling 203 – 453-4295. Morgan will demonstrate the techniques of watercolor painting and provide individual instruction to each student. Concentration on the elements and principles of art: color, line, form, dominance, texture, shapes, composition, and value.
Titanic is set on the ocean liner RMS Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912. It is a completely different take on this moment in history and the music is different as well.
Tickets are $15 for students (through high school) and seniors and $18 for adults. For tickets, call 203 – 315-7972.
Friday, March 24
The Nasty Performance Salon
The Nasty Performance Salon in conjunction with Nasty Women New Haven will take place at The Institute Library, 845 Chapel St., New Haven, on Friday, March 24, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with a reception from 8:30 to 9 p.m.
The event is a performance night throughout the Institute Library and amid the backdrop of Nasty Women Connecticut, an exhibition of more than 300 works on display through April 8.
New Haven is one of 50 cities to join the nationwide movement to organize a Nasty Women exhibition in the first days of Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s term in office. The organizers invited artists, activists, scholars, creative thinkers and anyone who identifies as a “nasty woman” or a “nasty woman ally” to submit a visual or performative work to the show. The Nasty Women Organizing team is Valerie Garlick, Institute Library; Lucy McClure, artist and educator; and Sarah Fritchey, Artspace.
For more information, go to [email protected],
Watercolor Classes
Award-winning watercolor artist Pam Morgan will lead a new five-week watercolor class for beginners to experienced artists on Wednesdays, March 29 to April 26, at Branford Art Center, 1229 Main St. The fee is $120. The materials list will be provided upon registering with Morgan at [email protected] or calling 203 – 453-4295. Morgan will demonstrate the techniques of watercolor painting and provide individual instruction to each student. Concentration on the elements and principles of art: color, line, form, dominance, texture, shapes, composition, and value.
Through March 28
Andrew Buck – Quarries
Andrew Buck’s Quarries will be on exhibit at Willoughby Wallace Library, 146 Thimble Islands Road, through March 28.
All of the rock faces Buck has photographed were created by blasting through hills for construction or for quarrying. The images are abstract, but they are also concerned with how our impact on the natural landscape creates an entirely new landscape.
According to the photographer, the series Quarry Panorama bridges both documentary and abstract approaches. It is an outgrowth of the Rockface series. After first photographing road cuts and then quarries in that series, the spatial aspect of quarries struck me as being perfect for capture in panoramic images. While they are documentary in nature, they abstract the environment via the extreme approach, i.e. presenting a 360-degree (some images are 180 – 200 degrees) views of the quarries.
Wednesday, March 29
Books ‘n’ Brews
A new book club will meet at Thimble Island Brewery, 16 Business Park Drive, from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29. At this kick-off meeting in the tasting room, participants will talk books and vote on the first book club title. Potential reads include The Hike by Drew Magary, A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, The Noble Hustle by Colson Whitehead, or a different title can be suggested.
Snacks can be brought to the meeting. Thimble Islands offers a selection of craft beers (must be over 21 to drink alcoholic beverages), wine, soda, and water. No purchase is necessary to take part in the book club. To register, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-n-brews-book-club-tickets-31458318678.
Saturday, April 8
Annual Chili Challenge for a Cause
The fifth Annual Chili Challenge for a Cause is returning to the Branford Green, scheduled for Saturday, April 8, from noon to 3 p.m. The event is a competition between local Branford restaurants – each of the restaurant chefs will be cooking for a charity of their choice. Each restaurant chef will be setup in an indoor location around the Branford Green. This setup encourages the attendees to stop by local merchants and businesses that they may never have visited in the past.
Attendees of the event will pay $10 to stroll Main Street, sample each chili and vote for their favorite. Some attendees will vote for their favorite tasting chili while others might vote for the chef that is cooking for their favorite charity.
When the votes are counted, the winning chef will be awarded a trophy “Branford Best Chili 2017” and a donation will be made to the winning chef’s charity of choice. This event is a community coming together to promote local restaurants, local merchants, and local charities.
To register, go to http://bit.ly/2jR3bep.
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