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12/30/2015 06:00 AM

A Look Ahead: The Shoreline Arts Scene in 2016

Image courtesy of Claudia Van Nes

No matter what your tastes in the arts are, there is something for everyone along the Shoreline in store for the 2016 season. From opera to musicals; Shakespeare to Sleeping Beauty; exhibitions featuring clay pots to those featuring faerie houses; current films to old classics; and everything in between, the plethora of galleries, museums, arts organizations, theaters, and more have some traditional favorites and some new ideas planned for 2016.

Here are some of our picks from several organizations who already have their 2016 schedules set up. If you know of any events coming up in 2016 that we should know about, so we can let our readers know, be sure to send that information to news@shorepublishing.com.

There is no shortage of options to enjoy art along the shoreline with many galleries offering ongoing shows and exhibitions featuring a variety of artists from local high school students to world-renowned artists.The Guilford Arts Center (GAC)—a non-profit school, shop and gallery established to nurture and support excellence in the arts—hosts juried and invitational exhibitions throughout the year in a variety of mediums, including metal-smithing, photography, pottery, and more. The GAC is also expanding its annual Craft Expo, which draws more than 180 nationally recognized artists to the Guilford Green."Our mission remains unchanged in 2016—to provide opportunities for the public to participate in the arts, to experience their cultural and historical diversity, and to appreciate the process and product of creative work," said GAC's Lisa Ste. Marie. "As a celebration of the arts and a signature happening for the town of Guilford and the Connecticut shoreline, the Craft Expo remains a must-see summer event. [This year] we will offer an interactive family art tent where GAC instructors will lead art a variety of art projects that participants can bring home. We hope this allows families to spend more time at the expo and introduce our youngest visitors to our faculty and the fun process of making art."The Shoreline Arts Alliance also offers a variety of shows, competitions, and exhibitions held at various shoreline locations, including the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, Guilford Arts Center, and Connecticut Hospice. The Shoreline Arts Alliance also recognizes the shoreline's top talent with its 35th annual regional high school student scholarship showcase on Tuesday, April 26.The Spectrum Art Gallery in Centerbrook will host six shows in 2016 with a variety of special events for each show including family days, workshops, and member/donor evenings. In conjunction with the Arts Center Killingworth, there will be two outdoor arts festivals, including the annual Columbus Day weekend festival on the Madison Town Green plus a new event to be held on June 18 and 19 on the Essex Town Green."We are very excited about this new festival," said Barbara Nair. "Spectrum Gallery is in Centerbrook...so this new festival gives us an opportunity to become more involved with the villages of Essex, Ivoryton, and of course, Centerbrook. It also gives many of the artists we work with a new opportunity to show their work."Maple and Main Gallery of Fine Art in Chester will again have six new shows in 2016, as well as separate monthly shows in its Stone Gallery with opening receptions for the major shows and the Stone Gallery ones as well as for Chester town-wide events. This year will also see Maple and Main host its first-ever juried show."We're devoting the entire lower level to the show, which is open to all artists with prizes, receptions, and jurying by noted artist Bob Noreika," said Claudia Van Nes.Six Summit Gallery in Ivoryton is ready for 2016 with "several surprises" in store, according to Leo Feroleto. Six Summit Gallery will host its first solo show, which will feature Connecticut artist William Kent. Kent's work is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian, Yale, Princeton, Brooklyn, and more.The Florence Griswold Museum has a busy schedule for 2016 with some new exhibits, as well as traditional favorites such as Discovery Sundays beginning Sunday, April 10, Free Day on Saturday, May 3, GardenFest (June 3 to 12), Wee Faerie Village (Oct. 1 to 30), and Magic of Christmas (Dec. 1 to Jan. 8, 2017).Ten/Forty: Collecting American Art at the Florence Griswold Museum will be shown Feb. 13 to May 31 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Jeffrey Andersen's tenure as director of the Florence Griswold Museum and the 10th anniversary of Curator Amy Kurtz Lansing. Other exhibitions in 2016 include The Artist's Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887–1920 (June 3 to Sept. 18) and In Place: Contemporary Photographers Envision a Museum (Oct. 1 to Jan. 29, 2017)."We think people will find our 2016 exhibition schedule extremely interesting and hope that they will want to return to see each one," said Tammi Flynn. "We are very excited to present such a varied schedule to our community as well as to visitors to the area."As with anything we do, an exhibition must relate to our mission statement, 'to foster the understanding of American art, with emphasis on the art, history, and landscape of Connecticut'," Flynn added. "In the past visitors enjoyed abstract art, impressionism, and folk art in the same year. We create exhibitions that encourage visitors to be open to unfamiliar topics as well as see familiar topics in new ways."Branford Arts Center has an ongoing rotating gallery of more than 20 local artists in a variety of mediums, including paintings, pottery, jewelry, prints, cards, and more. Artist opening and receptions are held in the middle of each month.In addition, there are quarterly themed shows, including "Love" in February and March, "Liberty" in April and May, "Freedom" in July and August, and "Beauty" in October and November, along with other special shows such as the spring pottery and glass show, the July Artist Sidewalk Sale, the Shoreline Harvest Art Festival to be held in September on the Branford Green, and more.

The Guilford Poets Guild gives those who enjoy poetry a chance to not only attend a poetry reading, which are held on the second Thursday of the month through the spring and fall, but offers an opportunity to share as well as each evening begins with an open mic.The full slate of poets for 2016 has been announced and includes Bessy Reyna, Anne Woodworth, Barbara Crooker, Ben Grossberg, Carol Altier, and Karen Johnson. The Guilford Poets Guild also sponsors the Guilford High School Poetry Contest and the winners will be featured at the May meeting."Since our readings are attracting larger audiences from all over the state, our success has made the Greene Art Gallery too small," said Evelyn Atreya of the Guilford Poets Guild. "All our readings with the exception of the Holiday Round Table will move from the Greene Art Gallery to the Guilford Free Library in 2016."R.J. Julia continues to expand its services. The bookstore heads into the new year with a newly designed website with improved menus, archived newsletters, and a blog. The company is also expanding its R.J. Living name, offering a personalized service in which we create collections of specially selected books tailored to our customer's specific needs."Though we've always offered personal libraries for home and business, we've started promoting it more extensively under the "R.J. Living" name and plan on continuing this effort into 2016," said R.J. Julia's Barbara Plotkin. "Whether a customer is a new grandparent excited to gift a newborn with a library of classic favorites, or an architect looking to install a luxury high-rise lobby library, R.J. Living can make our customers' vision a reality.The store launched A Festival of Children's Books: Bringing Authors and Children Together in 2015, a free community event celebrating literacy at the Davis Street Arts and Academics School in New Haven. The event brings authors and children together for book talks, author signings, photo opportunities as well as activities throughout the event. In 2015 the authors included 2013 Newberry Medal winner Katherine Applegate and local favorite Bob Shea. The store is working on plans for the 2016 festival, with the goal of growing it into the premiere festival for children's books in Connecticut.Other plans for the beloved local bookstore that draws visitors from all over Connecticut, and further afield?"In 2015 we celebrated our 25th anniversary and we look forward to 25 more years!" Plotkin said.The Shoreline Arts Alliance hosts the Tassy Walden Awards on Wednesday, June 1 at the Blackstone Library in Branford. The Tassy Walden Awards honor new voices in children's literature.Branford Arts Center will host poetry slams where local poets can read their poetry and prose. There will also be book talks and signings with local authors.

Whether you want to catch the latest box office film or enjoy a blast from the past, you can find it in 2016 along the shoreline.The Clinton Family Film Festival is bringing six classics to Clinton's the old timey Andrews Memorial Town Hall Auditorium on select Saturdays at 5 p.m. on a new, large, rear-projection screen. Films to be screened include The Adventures of Robin Hood (Jan. 9), Merry Andrew (Feb. 20), It Happens Every Spring (April 9), The Trouble with Harry (Sept. 10), The Prince and the Pauper (Oct. 8), and The African Queen (Nov. 12)."Almost every movie screened will have premiered at least 20 to 70 years ago and all will be suitable for kids, as well as adults," said Peggy Adler, director of the series.FoodWorks Natural Market will sponsor a monthly food documentary screening at Madison Art Cinemas. Movie selections for 2016 include Food Inc., Forks Over Knives, Foodmatters, Fed Up, That Sugar Film, Hungry for Change, Dirt!, Vegucated, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. FoodWorks will also sponsor several classic movies throughout the year.The Madison Art Cinemas will continue to present unique arthouse movies, as well as resuming the Sunday Cinema Club with a new season at the end of January."[Our goal is] to continue to seek ways to improve and serve our clientele and the shoreline community better," said Arnold Gorlick, the theater's owner. "Our mission to present the finest movies based on writing, plot, and character development and all with utterly state-of-the-art digital projection and sound equipment will remain steadfast and unchanged."

Opera Theater of Connecticut launches its 31st season in 2016 with a variety of lectures on composers and operas, vocal competitions, and concerts, including two performances at the Sanibel Music Festival in Florida. Building on its success as the oldest opera company in Connecticut, the company plans to continue strengthening its base as well as expanding programming into other areas and venues.New this season are concerts sponsored by the Clinton Chamber of Commerce on Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21 at the Andrews Memorial Theater featuring Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway hits such as Carousel, Oklahoma, The King and I, and South Pacific."It is thanks to our generous and enthusiastic supporters that we have sustained the growth of Opera Theater of Connecticut," said Kate A. Ford, director. "Our goal—to keep our ticket prices reasonable and provide high quality operas—depends heavily on support from our many opera lovers."Fire in the Kitchen, which performs out of North Madison Congregational Church, plans to continue to host concerts that "educate, inspire, and entertain."A Midsummer Festival free concert will be held at the Florence Griswold Museum on Friday, July 29. The concert precedes Old Lyme's Midsummer Festival on July 30, which marks its 30th anniversary in 2016."[The concert] is always a favorite and makes for a perfect summer evening on the banks of the Lieutenant River," said Tammi Flynn. "A highly anticipated summer event, [the Midsummer Festival] is a town-wide celebration of the arts. Since the early 20th century, Old Lyme has been known to artists and art lovers alike as a haven for the arts."

The Shoreline Arts Alliance hosts the 15th annual Summer Theatre Under the Stars with Shakespeare on the Shoreline. The 2016 production—Two Gentlemen of Verona—will be performed nightly at 7:30 p.m. on the Guilford Green from Wednesday, Aug. 3 to Sunday, Aug. 7. The production, which is free, also offers increased accessibility with American Sign Interpreter, large print and Braille programs, and assisted listening devices available.In the weeks preceding the play, there will be Frenemies round table forums at various locations along the shoreline. There will also be a pre-show discussion at 6:30 p.m., as well as a post-show discussion following the final curtain.The Legacy Theater will host a variety of shows in 2016, beginning with A Cocoa Cabaret featuring dinner, drinks, and a performance by Legacy's resident company of performers at Woodwinds in Branford on Saturday, Jan. 23. Legacy Theater will also host a debut of The Tongue That Tells Me So by local playwrights Mariah Sage and Bruce Seymour at the Branford Arts Center in Branford on Feb. 12 and 13. Legacy brings theater to the Leitner Family Observatory at Yale's Planetarium in New Haven on March 3, 4, and 5.Legacy Theater also will host four resident artists in its George Victor Artist Cottage in 2016."2016 will welcome four new residencies to the cottage for selected artists to create new works in the reprieve of charming Stony Creek," said Keely Baisden Knudsen, who noted updates on artists and their work will be posted on Facebook.Yale Repertory Theatre, the internationally celebrated professional theatre in residence at Yale School of Drama, will host a world premiere production, along with several classics. First up is the world premiere of Jen Silverman's The Moors, directed by Jackson Gay.From March 25 to April 16, OBIE Award-winning Resident Director Evan Yionoulis stages a new production of William Shakespeare's Cymbeline. Two-time Academy Award winner Dianne Wiest returns in Samuel Beckett's Happy Days, which will be held April 29 to May 21, staged by Artistic Director James Bundy."I am thrilled by the voices of the writers—and the vision of the directors—whose work will be seen at Yale Rep in the coming year, as well as by the opportunity to welcome one of the world's great actors, Dianne Wiest, back to our stage in a majestic play of iconic wit and soulfulness," said Artistic Director James Bundy. "These artists and their ambitions represent the highest aspirations of our theater: All of us at Yale Rep will be honored to share their adventuresome work with our audiences throughout the season."The events for Yale Rep's annual No Boundaries performance series will be announced at a later date.Kidz Konnection will have its first-ever full-length musical Mary Poppins, which will run Friday, March 11 to Sunday, March 13 with a live pit band. Cinderella Jr. will be performed on Saturday, June 4. It will also again be a part of Summer Shakespeare with Merchant of Venice on Aug. 13 and 14 at Old Brick, the Clinton Historical Society."We will maintain our annual free Shakespeare Event in the town of Clinton as well as a free summer play for the public provided in July," said Laura Attanasio. "Kidz Konnection will also collaborate again with the Clinton Historical Society in October for their annual Ghost Tour Walk and Christmas in Clinton as well as pursuing any other community event that can be enhanced by our living historic actors of Connecticut's past. We are excited by the high demand for more productions and to meet this growing enthusiasm, it now offers several musical options."

Is learning a new skill one of your resolutions for 2016? The local arts scene offers an array of classes.Guilford Arts Center begins its next semester of classes and workshops in January with classes for adults, teens, and children with offerings in ceramics, jewelry, metalsmithing, weaving, glass, drawing, painting, blacksmithing, stone carving, digital photography, animation, technology classes, and more."Our educational offerings continue throughout the year, in addition to an expanded youth program during the summer," said Lisa Ste. Marie of GAC. "Our campus has been undergoing some pretty major upgrades, making it a much more accessible and attractive space. The work continues in 2016 as we move beyond new plantings and walkways to installing new signage, lighting, and finishing touches to landscaping."Both the Arts Center Killingworth and Spectrum will once again be offering classes and workshops for all ages and levels.Fire in the Kitchen, based out of North Madison Congregational Church, will offer an intensive workshop and instructional program with faculty members from Berklee in Boston traveling to Madison. Fire in the Kitchen will also host a series of workshops with world Scots fiddle champion Mari Black, who will lead an advanced graduated fiddle class, working on various styles—Irish, Scots, and old-time."It'll get pretty technical, but for players who are already experienced at classical or are fairly good fiddlers, it's a very unique program," said Charlie Shafer.Kidz Konnection in Clinton offers classes in acting and has added classes for Moms & Tots, preschools, hip-hop, and musical theater.Branford Arts Center offers classes for children and adults in acrylics, watercolor, photography, jewelry, process painting, and acting. Individual and family wellness art therapy groups are also forming and slated to begin in February."Art therapy is the process of creating and using various art materials to express feelings, thoughts, and emotions without being overwhelmed by them," said Yvonne Gordon. "Art therapy allows people to say with art what they can't say with words."

Several organizations will be hosting fundraisers to support their missions for 2016 and beyond.The Shoreline Arts Alliance hosts a Mardi Gras-themed fundraiser gala on Saturday, Feb. 6 featuring New Orleans cuisine, cocktails, a silent auction, a live auction, a Dixieland jazz band, parade, masks, beads, and more.The Legacy Theatre is reviewing plans for the restoration of the facility most recently known as The Puppet House. A capital campaign will be launched in 2016 to get the first phase of building underway. The new year also brings the opportunity for Governor Dannel Malloy to approve bond funding for the theater's renovations. To send a letter of support, write:Office of the GovernorState Capitol210 Capitol AvenueHartford, CT 06106"We are finishing up some exciting architectural plans to outfit the 1903 historic theater in Stony Creek, most recently known as the Stony Creek Puppet House, which was once home to Orson Welles' Mercury Players and many more iconic actors of the '20s and '30s," said Keely Baisden Knudsen. "We are so grateful for all of the community support to see the plans at the restored theater take shape. We look forward to continuing to be a shoreline cultural asset, bringing seasons of programming and events to our audiences meant to enlighten and entertain."In addition to the letters of support, Legacy Theatre will host a fundraiser of Les Miserables in Concert Saturday, Sept. 24 that also includes auctions, appetizers, drinks, and a pre-show reception."Our friends at the Goodspeed Opera House are supporting our efforts by gifting Legacy the Norma Terris Theater for the fundraiser," said Knudsen. "The production will star James Roday, of PSYCH and the currently playing major motion picture Christmas Eve, as Javert and a sprinkle of Broadway names, as well as Legacy's own."In December, Branford Arts Center will hold its Black Tie BAC Fundraiser with live jazz, a shrimp buffet, and champagne. Annual memberships to Branford Arts Center are also available for $25.

Tentatively scheduled for early August, the Shoreline Arts Alliance will host an autism- / sensory-friendly performance of Gulliver's Travels in conjunction with its Shakespeare on the Shoreline production.Children ages 8 to 15 have two opportunities to take part in the Shoreline Arts Alliance's Rising Stars Summer Theater Experience program, which is a part of the Shakespeare on the Shoreline program. Session 1 is Monday, July 18 to Friday, July 22 and Session 2 is Monday, July 25 to Friday, July 29. Both sessions are held under a tent on the Guilford Green.Legacy Theatre hosts its third annual Dive Into Drama Camp for ages 11 to 14 in Branford from Aug. 15 to 19."Last year, stage combat choreographer and stunt double Richard Squeri joined us from LA to enrich the experience, and we look forward to another unforgettable camp," said Keely Baisden Knudsen.Kidz Konnection in Clinton offers a variety of classes for children culminating with performances, including Sleeping Beauty (April 18 to 22), Twelve Dancing Princesses (July 11 to 22), and Shrek Jr. (July 25 to Aug. 5). There will also be a fall production that has yet to be decided."You can be sure it will be true to Kidz Konnection's mission, classically based and positively fun for all youth ages 5 to 18," said Laura Attanasio. "Kidz Konnection has hired a choreographer with vast musical theater experience and dance training to lead the dance training in all of our musical productions in 2016. It also will be unveiling a new stage/dance floor in our space to help us meet the demand to bring dance into our programming."

Image courtesy of the Florence Griswold Museum

Image from The Trouble with Harry courtesy of Clinton Family Film Festival

Photo courtesy of Fire in the Kitchen

Image courtesy of Shoreline Arts Alliance

Photo courtesy of Guilford Arts Center

Photo courtesy of Fire in the Kitchen