Joshua Bell and Frederic Chiu, longtime friends, acknowledge the audience applause tonight at a Saugatuck Congregational Church concert marking the fifth anniversary of Chiu’s Beechwood Arts & Innovation. The Westport-based nonprofit fosters innovation and collaboration across all of the arts and across generations. Also in performance tonight was soprano Larisa Martinez. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Prior to their Saugatuck Congregational Church concert tonight, Beechwood Arts co-founder Frederic Chiu presented his friend, violinist Joshua Bell, with a fingerprint artwork of his fingerprint by artist Sandy Garnett. Over the past 25 years, Garnett has collected thousands of fingerprints from which he creates art objects in a continuing series that explores contemporary identity. Chiu obtained Bell’s fingerprint some time ago on a pretext and Garnett incorporated it into Chiu’s gift. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Before tonight’s Saugatuck Congregational Church concert featuring world renown violinist Joshua Bell and Westport’s celebrated pianist Frederic Chiu, they discussed their life of music with well known broadcaster and producer Elliott Forrest, a Peabody Award Winner heard on WQXR and WNYC in New York. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow photo

Young guests tonight enjoy Lucienne Buckner’s work, “Popsicle Igloo” at the Westport Artists Collective Pop Up exhibit at the Westport Arts Center. Guests were encouraged to take a Popsicle home. The exhibit is free and open to the public and will be on view through Saturday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Leslie LaSala for WestportNow.com

A featured student artist at the Westport Artists Collective Pop Up exhibit tonight at the Westport Arts Center was Sebastian Avila. He posed with his work, “Challenge Yourself,” mixed media on paper. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Leslie LaSala for WestportNow.com

Featured artist Karen Kent poses next to her works “Courage” (l) (acrylic) and “Jack” (mixed media) at the Pop Up art exhibit tonight at the Westport Arts Center. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Leslie LaSala for WestportNow.com

Local artist, author and illustrator Elaine Clayton today mentored a group of about 40 aspiring and accomplished artists in the sixth annual Sketching on the Saugatuck event. The class, along the banks of the Saugatuck River adjacent to the Westport Library, is in honor of the late Westport Illustrator Tracy Sugarman. Paper, easels and drawing materials were provided. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westport artist Elaine Clayton explains the groundrules for today’s Sketching on the Saugatuck event outside the Westport Library. The annual event now honors the memory of the late Westport artist and author Tracy Sugarman, who died in Jnuary 2013.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Among those participating in today’s Westport Library Sketching on the Saugatuck event were Westporter Linda Gramatky Smith (l) with friend April Aubrey of Prospect. Gramatky Smith is the daughter of the late Hardie Gramatky, painter, author, illustrator of “Little Toot” fame. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com