Category: Arts & Leisure - Page 298

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Young Actors in the Making

Children attending today’s Westport Country Playhouse Family Festivities series production of “Curious George” were entertained in a preshow acting workshop conducted by Norwalk resident Jennifer Katona, director of the graduate program on educational theater at The City College of New York. They await the rise of an imaginary stage curtain before acting out their roles. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Saturday, March 28th, 2015

Staples Orphenians Burst Into Song in San Francisco

The Staples Orphenians are in San Francisco for the National Youth Choral Festival and traveled to the Twin Peaks overlooking the city and burst into “Dominus Vobiscum” by Sydney Guillaume, a young Haitian-American composer of contemporary classical music and film music. The Grammy award-winning choir Chanticleer chose the Orphenians to be part of the festival based on a performance a year ago. The Orphenians, who also serenaded their Jet Blue crew on arrival (see video here) are the only East Coast group to be invited. More than 200 student singers in 10 high school choirs from across the country are participating. The four-day choral immersion will place the visiting choirs in close, intensive interaction with the members of Chanticleer, who will coach them in all areas critical to the choral art. The final event of the trip is a concert on Monday at Davies Symphony Hall conducted by Ragnar Bohlin, the music director of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, in which the Orphenians will perform. Martin Gitlin/YouTube.com

NY Times Columnist Takes on College Admission Mania

There was a standing room only crowd at the Westport Library today for a talk by bestselling author and New York Times columnist Frank Bruni. He challenges the importance many place on attending elite colleges in his new book “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania.” Bruni, who noted the crowd contained more parents and grandparents than college-bound youngsters, said that students today are working to get into the best schools and not focusing on what they are hoping to achieve in their education. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

Friday, March 27th, 2015

Miggs Burroughs Birdhouse Goes for $7,200

A lantern birdhouse by Westport artist Miggs Burroughs called “Inside Out” with lenticular pieces built into the window frames went to a top bidder for $7,200 at tonight’s Project Return Birdhouse auction in Wilton. Burroughs, who won the lantern at last year’s Birdhouse Auction raffle, said each of the four window panes depicts images of North American birds. They all turn into one image of a young girl’s face peering out of her “prison” of despair. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

‘Time to Fly’

Bobbie Herman of Fairfield shows off her “Time to Fly” artwork contribution to tonight’s 20th annual Project Return Birdhouse Auction in Wilton. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Self Portrait

Audrey Seo, 17, a junior at Westport’s Staples High School, poses tonight in front of a self-portrait on display at the Westport Arts Center in its Project Space. She was selected as the winner of the first Tracy Sugarman Award to a promising young local artist. The award is sponsored by Westporter Alan H. Nevas, retired senior U.S. District Court judge, and Janet Nevas in honor of the Westport artist who died in January 2013 at age 91. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com

‘Happy Father’s Day’

Katie Craymer of Westport poses tonight in front of her painting “Happy Father’s Day ” at the Westport Arts Center. She is a junior at Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Mich. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com

A Thank You From Leonard Everett Fisher

Westport artist Leonard Everett Fisher, 90, thanks friends and supporters for attending the opening reception tonight of the Westport’s Arts Center’s “Leonard Everett Fisher: A Retrospective” exhibit. The collection of 38 works reflects Fisher’s ability to blur the lines between design, illustration and art, and reveals the long-lasting impact that he has made in his lifetime, according to Helen Klisser During (l), WAC’s artistic director who curated the exhibit. “I don’t even remember painting some of them,” Fisher quipped. The show runs through April 25. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com

Arts Center Honors Leonard Everett Fisher and Students

Scenes from tonight’s Westport Arts Center opening reception for “Leonard Everett Fisher: A Retrospective” and an exhibit of student artists’ works submitted for the first Tracy Sugarman Award to honor the Westport illustrator, writer and civil rights activist who died in 2013 at age 91. Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com and contributed photos

In Fashion

Tonight’s 18th annual Staples Varsity Cheerleading Fashion Show and Auction Fundraiser drew a large crowd to the Westport Inn. Among senior cheerleaders, football and basketball players showing off the latest fashions from Westport’s South Moon Under were Sarah Ellman and Jack Marsilio. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo