Sharon’s Voice of Art festival brings fine arts experience to town Green

SHARON – White tents dotted the town Green this past weekend, signifying the return of the Voice of Arts’ Fine Art Festival.

Thirty artists from all mediums in fine and functional art displayed their works as visitors strolled along, stopping to admire what they saw, talk to the exhibitors and make some purchases. Giving people the opportunity to see the works up close and converse individually with the artists, said founding director Hannah Jung, is the purpose of the event.

The Voice of Art is an artist and culture nonprofit organization that began in Cheshire eight years ago, moved to Litchfield and is now based in Sharon. This was its third exhibit on the Sharon Green; the first last fall and the second in the spring. Holding the show on the Green gives a natural environment, which is very pleasant, Jung said.

She noted many people don’t have the opportunity to visit art galleries, so venues such as this allow them a new experience and perhaps see art they’ve never witnessed before.

Such shows also provide a chance for artists to learn from each other. They are able to discuss such issues as how to market their work and other aspects of their profession that are needed for success.

The show is juried and included painters, potters, photographers, woodworkers, fiber artists, jewelry makers and candle makers, among others.

Jung said they seek to encourage participants from a wide geographic area.

Jung is a painter who concentrates on atmospheric abstract landscapes. She works with oil on canvas. Her passion for art is clear: “It speaks, it influences, it heals.”

Cornwall Days events this weekend

CORNWALL – Cornwall Days will be held Friday, Sept. 26, to Sunday, Sept. 28. On Friday, singer/songwriter Bruce T. Carroll will perform and there will be tasting at Cornwall Package Store from 4 to 6 p.m.

A band will be at Cornwall Market from 6 to 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, there will be a jazz brunch at the Pink House in West Cornwall from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Crown Back Funk Trio will be on the Wish House lawn from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and a singer will be performing from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the Pink House patio.

On Sunday, Grumbling Gryphons Children’s Theater will give a pre-performance workshop for kids from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on the Wish House lawn with a performance from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There will be a cabaret medley from 1 to 2 p.m. on the Wish House lawn.

Highland Games return to Lime Rock

SALISBURY – The Berkshire Highlands will come alive with the sights and sounds of Scotland on Sunday, Sept. 28, when the Litchfield Hills Highland Games return to Lime Rock Park as part of the Community Event series. The games transform the racetrack into a stage of Scottish culture, featuring heavy athletics, clan and society gatherings, pipe bands, Scottish food and drink, the faux haggis toss, children’s games and crafts, Scottish-inspired craft beer, sheep herding demonstrations, artisan spirit-samplings and the spirited kilted mile for adults and kids. Additional activities include Highland Coo petting, a birds-of-prey exhibition and a British cars and motorbikes display.

Live entertainment will include performances from Coreyanne Armstrong, the Rogues, Charlie Zahm, the Talcott Mountain Highlanders, Pyramid Shriners Pipes and Drums, plus others.

Advanced tickets are $20, or $25 at the gate. Seniors 65 and older may purchase discounted tickets for $15 at the gate. Children 12 and under, veterans and active military, with valid military ID, are free. For more information and to save on advanced tickets, visit: https://limerock.com/community-events/litchfield-hills-highland-games/.

Land use history program at Great Mountain Forest

FALLS VILLAGE – Great Mountain Forest will present “Reading the Landscape,” a one-day land use history program beginning at Yale Camp on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Yale Camp. Mike Gaige will set the stage with a short indoor session on the cultural and ecological forces that have shaped this landscape over time.

From there, the group will explore the Mansfield/Chattleton farm that stood on the site of Yale Camp and after lunch they will travel to the historic Dorman Farmstead Site for a guided field exploration. Register at info@greatmountainforest.ccsend.com.

Democrats to host meet and greet

SALISBURY –  The Salisbury Democratic Town Committee will hold a “Meet & Greet” for its candidates in the upcoming municipal election on Nov. 4 on Sunday, Sept. 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Town Grove. All voters are welcome. A free family barbecue will be served.

Artists’ studio open for tour

SALISBURY – Scoville Library will host a “Studio Visit with Marilla Palmer” on Sunday, Oct. 5, from 3 to 4 p.m. Participants will visit her studio and garden where she will talk about her work, her inspirations and her process.

Palmer’s works combine watercolor, delicate dried petals, pressed foliage, bits of elegant fabric, embroidery, sequins and gold leaf. Register at scovillelibrary.org.

Medicare enrollment will be explained

FALLS VILLAGE – David M. Hunt Library will host “How to Prepare for Medicare Open Enrollment” with the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 1:30 p.m.

Topics to be covered include: changes that can be made, reviewing current plans and avoiding late enrollment penalties and scams. Trained CHOICES counselors will conduct a question-and-answer session. This is a free event; light refreshments will be offered.

History of the CCC to be focus of author’s talk

SHARON –  The Sharon Historical Society & Museum will present a talk by author and historian Marty Podskoch on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. He will discuss “The 91st Anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps: Its History & Work in CT.”

The Civilian Conservation Corps began on March 31, 1933, under President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” to relieve the poverty and unemployment of the Depression. It disbanded in 1942 due to the need for men to serve in World War II.

In Connecticut there were 21 CCC camps. In the first year, 13 camps were set up around the state, including those in West Cornwall and Housatonic Meadows. In the following years, other local camps were added, including those in Kent and Macedonia Brook.

Podskoch is a retired teacher and the author of 11 books.

This is a weekly look at happenings throughout the Region 1 towns of Canaan, Cornwall, Falls Village, Kent, Salisbury and Sharon. Send items of interest about residents and events from our Northwest Corner to kcsruthe@aol.com.