Wilton Arts Council

PO Box 7161

Wilton, CT 06897

Message from the Retiring President

First and most importantly, I want to thank all the officers and committees over my two terms. I won’t name everyone here because I am afraid I would forget someone. But from the bottom of my heart, I sincerely thank you for all your work, initiative and perseverance. It has been a lot of work for everyone but look how far we have come. I think that the Town of Wilton now realizes that there is an active Wilton Arts Council and that we do some pretty amazing things. We have made quite an impact on the community and there is more to come.

This October will be our fifth annual photo show. Each year it has been a real success. People look forward to the show and are out shooting photos right now. I know this year will be no exception. It will be incredible.

We are very fortunate to have the backing of the Board of Education with our use of the new Zellner Gallery at the Wilton High School. It is a remarkable facility for our art shows and we will be using it again this fall from the beginning of November through December 18th. Why these dates you ask??

Well, let me tell you the most exciting thing to happen to the Wilton Arts Council yet!!!

We will be the proud hosts for the New Haven Symphony Orchestra to perform on November 16th right here in Wilton at the new Performing Arts Center at the high school. This will be the first time that Wilton has had the opportunity to hear a full fledged professional orchestra ever in the new auditorium. Excitement reigns!!

Tickets for this wonderful orchestra are on sale at the Wilton Bank NOW. For preferred seating tickets are $60. They can be ordered by mail by sending a SASE to the Wilton Arts Council, PO Box 7161, Wilton, CT 06897. Invite friends, neighbors and all of your relatives to come to hear this terrific concert. See you at the show.

Special points of interest:

* Installation of New Officers 9/10/02

* Focus ‘02 in October

* Halloween Window Painting 10/12

* Wilton Woman’s Club Art and Crafts Show

* New Haven Symphony Orchestra Concert 11/16

Installation of new officers

September 10th will be the installation of new officers at the Wilton Library at 7:30. Please come to meet the new officers and see them being installed in a most unusual manner. Anne Richards will be the installing officer so if you are being installed please come to the meeting to make it all official.

Those officers being installed are:

Donna DiAcri—President

Rosalina Tipton—Vice President

Secretary—Sarah Koster

Treasurer—Beth Schneider

Community Liaison—Pam Pooley

Membership—Shirley Lewis

Finance—John Koster

Visual Arts—Lenwood Freas

Performing Arts—Steve Roane

PR—Anne Richards

Newsletter—Karen Curtin

Immediate Past President—Anne Richards

Each of these people will add to much to the quality and growth of the Wilton Arts Council. Many are new members and there is plenty of support from others. We would like to have more members be more involved in some of the activities that happen. We are really going to need help with the concert that is coming up in November, with the photo show in late September and the art exhibit at Zeller Gallery in November and December. If you would like to help in any capacity and help these new officers to serve the Wilton Arts Council, please feel free to contact them.

Len Freas is heading up the Photo Show and the Art Show in November and would like some help. Contact him at len@wiltonarts.org or Phil Richards is heading up the New Haven Symphony concert and he can be reached at phil@wiltonarts.org.

Hope you can be a part of either one of these events. We need your help and your support.

Best of luck to all the new officers and committee chairs.

2002-03 will be the best yet because of you.

Ambler Farm, October 6, 2002

The second annual open house at Ambler Farm is on October 6th. Various activities and events are planned from 1 to 4 PM. Many Wilton organizations will be participating and we are too. We are hoping to have at least 10 artists strategically located around the grounds painting what they see. So bring your easel, paints and brushes or whatever your medium is and enjoy an afternoon of casual painting at a beautiful setting, There will be animals, lots of people, hayrides, pumpkins, apple tosses with an oversized sling shot, cider and doughnts and much, much more.

We also hope to have art in the white barn hanging. If your painting or photograph sells, 20% will be donated to the Ambler Farm Renovation Fund. Please let me know if you can participate. It should be fun. 762-0033

Bits and Pieces of interesting news of WAC members

· On Saturday, August 3, five of our members were judges at the annual SONO Festival. Len Freas, our upcoming leader for visual arts in WAC, was in charge of getting judges and letting us know what to do. Those judging at the festival were Pam Pooley, Florence Price, Anne Richards and Donna DiAcri. It was an extremely hot, humid day but we all survived and had a good time.

• Recently two of our members were recognized by their employer Wilton Villager. Alex von Klyedorff and Jon Wason each had a short story written about them in the newspaper with many glowing remarks from their editor. Congratulations to both members for a fine job at work.

Wilton Woman’s Club adds ART to its Autumn Craft Festival

The Wilton Woman’s Club had invited the Wilton Arts Council to be a part of their annual Festival. The show is in the Wilton High School Field House and Cafeteria. We are in the Cafeteria in a space that is 33’ long x 11’ wide. The space is free to the Wilton Arts Council and its members. We are really honored to have this invitation. Sarah Koster is chairman for the event and would welcome all artists and craftspeople to participate. To contact Sarah, just email her at sarah@wiltonarts.org. The only things are 20% of sales goes to WWC which in turn is passed along to WAC. We are looking for small pieces of art that can be hung on the wire standards that we used in Zellner Gallery last spring. The art must be for sale and each artist should spend at least two hours booth sitting. We will have a very good representation from the Connecticut Clay Artists and some craftspeople. We hope you will be able to be a part of this great opportunity. Oh, maybe it would be a good idea to tell when this is. The show is on Saturday and Sunday, October 19th and 20th. We will set up on Friday, the 18th around 6 to 8 PM.

We hope this will be a real success and that they will ask us back next year too. Help by supporting this event.

Come on and be a part of the Wilton Arts Council

Don’t be caught out in the cold. Sign up early for the Wilton Woman’s Club show .

Focus ‘02, Our fifth annual photo show at the Wilton Library

Focus ‘02 promises to be a great show. Len Freas, our new visual arts coordinator, is hard at work designing a new prospectus. A pre-registration form is already on the website that can be used to reserve your spots for two photos. Website is www.wiltonarts.org. Mail in form & check.

Drop off of photos is on September 28 and 29th from 1 to 4 PM at the Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Road in Wilton. Please be sure that your photos are framed and wired and ready to hang. Those not prepared properly will be rejected. Size restrictions are very important because we cannot hang very large photos since we get so many. Try to pick your best smaller ones. The size must be between 8” x 10” to 16” x 20”.

Prizes and ribbons will be awarded to first, second and third place winners. The theme surrounds People, Places, Things, 2002 and Nature.

Odds and Ends

Lakeside Pottery has many classes for all ages. Check them out on their website www.lakesidepottery.com or call them at 203-323-2222. They are at 543 Newfield Avenue in Stamford.

Amberjacks Restaurant in Norwalk in the SONO area is interested in having artists display their work in the restaurant. Art must be for sale and they will throw an opening party with local press and tv coverage. If you are interested, contact Paul Smith at Amberjacks. They are fully insured but there is smoking

Len Freas with his band called “Spirit Rhythm” were on TV on the Miggs B on TV show. Other members of his band were Diane, Irena and Jay. Len played the harmonica.

Donna DiAcri is having an exhibition of her art at the Aroma Therapy Spa in Old Post Office Square. The reception will be on Saturday, September 14th from 6:30 to 8. You are all invited to come and enjoy the show.

Work is progressing on putting together a directory of all members in the Arts Council. If you have not filled out a form lately, telling us of the art form that you do, be it singing, dancing, acting, painting, crafts, photography writing, sculpture, music or literature, please contact shirley@wiltonarts.org and let her know that you need a form. She is our new membership coordinator. Ridgefield Arts Council promotes the arts there by producing an ARTS calendar 4 times a year listing all the events that are happening in Ridgefield and surrounding towns. It is made available to residents at various restaurants, the library, real estate offices and the Welcome Wagon. This could be a new project that several people can take on and coordinate all the cultural events that are happening in Wilton and surrounding towns. This would include activities in the various churches, synagogues, schools, the library, Candlelight Concerts, etc. If anyone would like to take on this project, there are many who would be resources and willing to help.

New members that have joined during the summer are: Carrin Ackerman, Stephanie Brauer, Ann Larned, Elizabeth Lauer, Deborah Nall and Mary Nichols.

Calendar of Upcoming Events:

September

3—Reception for Susan Lowry at Tom E Toes 6 to 8 PM

10– Monthly meeting at Wilton Library at 7:30. Installation of Officers

28-29 Drop-off for Photo Show at Wilton Library from 1 to 4.

October

1—Tom E Toes show reception 6 to 8

4—Reception for Photo Show, 6 to 8 at Wilton Library

8—WAC meeting at the Library 7:30

12—Halloween Window Painting 9:30 to 12. Wilton Center

17, 18, 19—WWC Art and Crafts Fair

Phone:203-762-0033

Fax: 203-762-2079

Email:anneqr@optonline..net

Editor for this publication

The Arts in our Community

Every month at Tom E Toes

The Latest News for Wilton Arts Council

* Jo Pratt, who has lived in Wilton for about 30 years and is a member of the Wilton Arts Council, was recently featured on the front page of the People Section of the Wilton Bulletin. She works in clay and creates figurative sculptures of dancers. Her love for this art form began in Florida after she visited a porcelain doll shop. She bought the clay and a video to learn by and began this new challenge. The sculptures can be found all over her home. Jo, be a part of our show in Oct.

Joann Loparca, president of Tom E Toes is looking for someone to design and make two signs of wood, one for inside 8” x 12 or 14” and one for the outside 11” x 16”. The inscription for the sign for outside should read Tom E Toes and the Wilton Arts Council sponsor an artist exhibit each month. An open house is held the first Tuesday of each month to meet the artist from 6 to 8. The sign inside just says Artist of the Month and space for their name, description of the art. Contact Anne@wiltonarts.org.

Website address

www.wiltonarts.org