The Generator to be held October 24 at Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center

The Ridgefield Arts Council invites local artists and creative professionals to the next installment of “The Generator.” The networking event will feature three speakers discussing their respective artistic endeavors, and will be held at 7:30pm, Thursday, October 24^th at Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center.

During the event, artists, writers and performers gather with the goal of learning, sharing, and networking with others to enhance both their creative process and their careers. The events are managed via the website Meetup.com and feature innovative speakers, arts demonstrations and presentations geared toward the creative community.  

Catherine Prescott is the Assistant Museum Director of Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center and lead curator for their annual #HandsOnHistory special exhibition. Prescott has an MA in Archaeology and Museum Studies and has worked with material culture objects from 6000 BC to the 20^th century. The 2019 #HandsOnHistory exhibition, Living Off the Land, showcases Ridgefield’s heritage as a farming community through KTM&HC’s collection of historic tools. Through #HandsOnHistory, KTM&HC not only brings history to life by allowing visitors to interact with the historic collection, but also shows how closely history and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) are interwoven by illustrating how farmers in the past used an understanding of mechanics and harnessed the power of simple machines to innovate tools to save time and labor and increase yields.

Kristin Crump, owner of Foxtrot Home in Ridgefield, comes from a creative marketing and product development background with over 15 years of experience in NYC. In 2012, Crump began curating antiques and vintage furniture for her client’s homes and events. After finding lovely, but dark wood vintage and antique furniture in bad shape she decided to study the history of painted furniture. Crump trained and eventually became an official Stockist for Autentico Paints and Products made in the Netherlands, which is a superior, professional and authentic chalk based paint line. She currently manages two locations of Foxtrot Home, which specializes in vintage and antique furnishings and decor, decorating and furniture refinishing, and also has a curated gift selection for the home. Crump will share a brief history of painted furniture and demonstrate how to achieve an antiqued finish

Claire Simard is the Head of Music and Theater at the Wooster School in Danbury, where she teaches chorus and acting for grades 3-12. She made her Richter debut last summer as Grace Farrell in ANNIE.  Favorite roles and shows include Mamma Mia! at ACT (Donna, Tanya, Rosie u/s), Jesus Christ Superstar (ACT - Ridgefield Playhouse), Noel Coward's Bittersweet at Bard Summerscape, Young Heidi in Follies (Signature Theater, dir. Eric Schaeffer), Happy End (Arena Stage), and War Brides (Spirit of Broadway Theatre). Simard has a B.M. in Vocal Performance from the Catholic University of America and did post-graduate studies at Brooklyn College Conservatory, the Conservatoire de Paris and the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Chiari, Italy. Opera roles include Musetta in La Boheme, Pamina and 1st Lady in Magic Flute, and Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte. She will be speaking and sharing her journey as a performer to a music educator. Be prepared to sing!

Following the brief presentations, members of The Generator will be encouraged to mix and mingle with presenters and each other. Creative types who live in and around Ridgefield are welcome to attend. Cost of attending The Generator is $5 for pre-registration (via meetup.com/The-Generator-Ridgefield-CT) or $10 at the door, which covers the cost of wine and light snacks.

Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center is located at 132 Main Street in Ridgefield. For more information about the Ridgefield Arts Council, visit their Facebook page.