Category: Arts & Leisure - Page 161

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Faces in the Crowd

Among those at tonight’s opening reception for the Westport Arts Center (WAC) exhibit “As We Are!” were (l-r) Price Snedeker, artist Pamela Hovland, Laura Perese, WAC board member, and Amanda Innes, WAC executive director. Hovland led the art collaboration for the exhibit that resulted from 500 contributed postcards responding to the prompt “I AM MORE THAN ___” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Leslie LaSala for WestportNow.com

Thursday, January 26th, 2017

WHS Debuts ‘School Days’ on Sunday

The Westport Historical Society presents a new exhibit highlighting the evolution of education in Westport from 1703 to the present. The exhibit will bring back many school day memories as well as focus on Westport’s growth as an exceptional community for learning. The picture of the school on the banner was the Highway District School built in 1858. Members of the exhibits committees and (l-r) are Wally Woods, Barbara Peck, Katherine Ross, Susan Gold, Elizabeth Strick (in back) Nicole Carpenter and Bob Weingarten, the exhibit curator. The exhibit opens Sunday with a reception from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and runs through March 23. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com

‘In & Out’ Screening Set for Saturday

The Westport Cinema Initiative, dedicated to bringing a movie theater back to Westport, on Saturday presents the 1997 film “In & Out” as part of the Westport Library’s WestportREADS events this month.

The screening will take place at Westport Town Hall at 4 p.m. and will be followed by a discussion.

In the film, a high school drama teacher (Kevin Kline) questions his sexuality in the midst of preparing for his wedding, after a former student makes a comment about him at the Academy Awards.

The romantic comedy film became one of mainstream Hollywood’s few attempts at a comedic “gay movie” of its era. Directed by Frank Oz, it stars Kline, Tom Selleck, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Debbie Reynolds, and Wilford Brimley.

Jazz Night at 323 Restaurant

Westport’s Melissa Newman performs at tonigh’s jazz night at the 323 Restaurant, 323 Main St. With her is Michael Philip Mossman on trumpet. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Wednesday, January 25th, 2017

Granger at the Movies: ‘Gold,’ ‘A Monster Calls,’ ‘Live By Night’

By Susan Granger

Special to WestportNow

As a critic, I’m often asked, “Do you really stay ‘till the end of a movie, even if you know it’s not very good?”

The answer is “Yes,” because you never can tell what surprises may surface — and that certainly applies to “Gold,” a twisted tale, chronicling the effects of greed and friendship.

In 1988, paunchy, whiskey-guzzling Kenny Wells (almost unrecognizably balding Matthew McConaughey) inherited his family’s once-profitable Washoe Mining Corporation in Reno, Nevada.

But it’s failing, so Kenny works the telephones out of a local bar where his girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a waitress.

Tuesday, January 24th, 2017

Westport’s Justin Paul Gets Two Oscar Nominations

Westport’s Justin Paul (c), composer Justin Hurwitz (l) and fellow lyricist Benj Pasek won two Oscar nominations today for best original song award for “City of Stars” and “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” in the film “La La Land.” “La La Land” had a total of 14 nominations, including best original score—a tie with “Titanic” and “All About Eve” for the most in Academy Award history. Paul, a 2003 Staples High School graduate, also won a Golden Globe (above) last month for best original song for “City of Stars.” The Oscars will be broadcast on Sunday, Feb. 26. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo from NBC-TV

Sunday, January 22nd, 2017

Puppy Love

Joker, a 3-month-old puppy from the Westport branch of the Connecticut Humane Society, today gives kisses to one of the guests at the Westport Country Playhouse Story Explorers presentation of the new musical “Biscuit.” Part of the Playhouse’s Family Festivities Series, the ArtsPower play about a puppy is based on the book by Alyssa Satin Capucilli with over 17 million copies in print. The Playhouse is partnering with the Westport Library and Westport Young Woman’s League to promote childhood literacy while also enhancing children’s experiences of attending the Playhouse’s Family Festivities shows. On Jan. 14, there was a reading of “Biscuit” at the library. (See WestportNow Jan.14, 2017) (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

Bill Buckley, 88, Documentary Filmmaker

Scenes from the life of award-winning documentary filmmaker Bill Buckley, a longtime Westport resident. He died Jan. 20 at age 88. He most recently lived at Meadow Ridge in Redding with wife Judy Hamer, also a longtime Westporter. Many of his documentaries involved the civil and human rights movements. He worked closely with the late Westport author and illustrator Tracy Sugarman (his death coming four years to the day after Sugarman’s.) He helped to create campaign films for John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, and worked with Harry Truman on the award-winning television series, “Years of Decision.” Dave Matlow, Larry Untermeyer and Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com and contributed photos

Friday, January 20th, 2017

Installing ‘As We Are!’

Artist Tom Berntsen today installs large scale portraits as part of the “As We Are!” exhibition at the Westport Arts Center opening Friday, Jan. 27. On view through March 11, “As We Are!” features a full gallery installation by Pamela Hovland reflecting the local perspective on identity, stereotype, and the power of words. It includes portraits of students, community leaders, business professionals, artists, immigrants, religious figures, cultural influencers and elected officials who have contributed personal material to express their individual views and experiences with labels and the power of words. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Xenia Gross for WestportNow.com

Thursday, January 19th, 2017

WestportREADS Author Draws Large Crowd

George Hodgman, author of the 2017 WestportREADS selection &#82#8220;Bettyville,” addressed a large audience tonight in the WestportREADS keynote talk at the Saugatuck Congregational Church. The 2015 book tackles questions about the author’s identity as a gay man, as a writer and as a son. Though there were serious moments in the book and in the events that made up the memoir, Hodgman was able to fill the hall with witty humor as he shared many of his life’s events and the words his mother spoke. The event was sponsored by the church and the Westport Library. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com