FC Buzz Weekend March 24-26

HamletHub is proud to partner with the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County and FCBuzz to Elevate Arts and Culture in Fairfield County! Each week, look for a listing of weekend events and activities. The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County celebrates the vibrancy and diversity of the arts and culture across the 15 towns in our region of coastal Fairfield County and each Wednesday issues our free eBuzz newsletter with a selection of the hundreds of events posted to our website.

Acoustic Alchemy

FTC StageOne, Fairfield

Friday, Marcy 24, 7:45 pm

This Grammy-nominated band is known for playing a distinctive blend of jazz, classical, flamenco, and new age. Top Ten Billboard jazz albums include The Beautiful Game, Grammy-nominated AArt, and Roseland, the latter of which marked the group's 30th anniversary. If you are into sophisticated instrumentals, this one’s for you.

“Pinky Patel: New Crown, Who Dhis Tour”

The Ridgefield Playhouse

Friday, March 24, 8:00 - 9:30 pm 

Get ready for hilarious commentary from the PTA mom turned creator, comedian and personality with a TikTok fan base of over 5 million. Pinky is best known for her viral videos from her glam cave. Don’t miss this fresh new comedian as she makes her Playhouse debut!

Cold “Year of the Spider” 20th Anniversary Tour

Wall Street Theater, Norwalk

Friday, March 24, 8:00 - 10:00 pm

Who’s ready to rock? These hard rockers  and nu-metal champions are featured on a dynamic 4-band bill that includes Divide the Fall, Awake for Days, Sygnal to Noise and Death Valley Dreams. It’s a live peek of the new album that hit No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200, on its way to Gold.

The Garden Shed

The MAC – Milford Arts Council

Saturday, March 25, 6:30 - 9:30 pm

Be the first to witness Connecticut's best up and coming bands, artists, and fashion presented by MC Doozy. This multi-genre show includes acts ranging from punk, to RnB, Indie and rock. Featuring: Pond View, Amar, Esmer, Brooke Dougan, SB Khi, with guest performer Edwin Camille. 

Bushwhacked! and Other Short Plays by Rosemary Foley

Greenwich Theatre Company

Saturday, March 25, 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 26, 2:00 pm

Celebrate Women’s History Month by entering the unique world of legendary local comedic playwright Rosemary Foley - featuring six absurd, satirical and darkly-funny short plays, along with three intimate monologues about Rosemary's life. Rosemary is a decades-long member of Connecticut's Theatre Artists Workshop, where she workshopped many of the plays in this production. 

Family Time at the Museum

The Norwalk Art Space 

Sunday, March 26, 12:00 - 2:00 pm

Calling all families! Experience a deeper understanding about how museums and art can be fun and meaningful through observation, drawing and sharing. This free event is open to students ages 11 and up | 16 spots per class | Registration required.

“In Light Of” Art Exhibit

Metro Art Studios, Bridgeport

Sunday, March 26, 12:00 - 4:00 pm

Don’t miss this stunning exhibit playing on light and dark, textures, and materials - dealing with themes of perception, environment, connection, and separation; many serene on the surface with depth and undercurrents for the viewer to explore. Participating artists include Tamara Dimitri, Nadia Martinez, and Debbie Smith. On view through May 6th in the ground floor Crown Gallery, Thursdays through Saturdays, 12-4 pm.

“Camera Works” Walk and Talk

Ridgefield Guild of Artists

Sunday, March 26, 2:00 - 4:00  pm

It’s the final view of this popular exhibit with a Walk and Talk featuring four of the participating artists in this year's show: Ralph Baskin, Debra Burger, Andrew Graham, and Phillip Stark. Come and hear them speak about their methods and inspirations.

“Norwalk Symphony Meets Beethoven”

Norwalk Concert Hall

Sunday, March 26, 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Members of the Norwalk Symphony will sit side-by-side with members of the Norwalk Youth Symphony's Principal Orchestra for this performance. Featuring the 2021 Concerto Competition Winner, Sadie Goodman, with Georges Hues' Fantasie for Flute and Orchestra and Beatrice Low performing the 1st movement of Wieniawski's Violin Concerto #2. Also on the program: Beethoven's Egmont Overture and Symphony No. 6. 

See these and discover hundreds more events on the FCBUZZ EVENTS page at https://culturalalliancefc.org Sign up for the Cultural Alliance eBuzz to receive top picks and spotlights each week in your inbox.

 Colorful and diverse works of women artists to be featured throughout the library

Wilton Library is pleased to present two art exhibitions for the month of April. The exhibition "Nancy Moore: Women and Other Animals" features the colorful and fanciful works of painter Nancy Moore from Ridgefield. 

The paintings will be on display in the library's gallery and in the Circulation and Reference Departments. The exhibit "Peeling the Onion," a special collaboration between painter Colleen Hains, photographer Heidi Mangels, and poet Jane Wenk, all from Norwalk, will be featured in the Reference Department Computer Room. The opening reception on Friday, April 14 from 6 to 7:30pm is free and open to the public.

“We are excited because this is the first time the library will present two art exhibitions simultaneously, featuring the diverse work of four women,” said Ed MacEwen, Art Chairman of Wilton Library. “Nancy Moore’s paintings are fantastic and incredibly imaginative. And we have never hosted an exhibit like “Peeling the Onion” before, a unique collaboration weaving together the three creative perspectives of Colleen Hains, Heidi Mangels, and Jane Wenk. This is actually the first time the library has showcased the creative efforts of only women artists, and we plan to follow up with a companion exhibition of paintings by men in the fall.”

The artists come from a range of backgrounds:

Nancy Moore is self-taught and proud of that, reveling in the distortion of body proportions and perspective in her work. Her goal is to create narratives from emotion and instinct, hoping to translate what bubbles up in her mind, through her hand, and onto the paper. She paints predominantly on large slices of beautiful archival paper, choosing to work with watercolor, graphite, gouache, metallic paint, colored pencil, wax crayon, and wood burner. Her themes include transformation, ethnography, design, shape-shifting, gender identity, evolution, fashion, and creation myth. In 2005, Moore was invited to exhibit her paintings of the animal world at the opening of the Environmental Sciences Center at Yale University’s Peabody Museum. What was supposed to be a 3-week-long exhibition ended up running for one year. Her scope has continued to expand, with work widely exhibited in galleries, museums, and other public institutions. Her paintings also hang in many private homes, from Vermont to California. To see more of Nancy Moore’s work, visit www.nancymooreart.com.

Colleen Rose Hains has been painting for 40 years, and her mentor was Rayma Spaulding, a Hudson River Valley painter. Colleen paints to capture the true meaning and feeling of her subjects. She enjoys painting animals because “their eyes make [her] melt” and she thrives on capturing people on canvas because the different faces fascinate her. She enjoys creating landscapes because there is “so much color to play around with” and she enjoys the understanding of the places. Colleen studied art at the University of Connecticut and she owns and operates Art Masters of Silvermine, which is a creative venture that focuses on teaching children and Alzheimer/dementia/seniors the joy of art. She is currently running an oil painting portrait project called “Women Over 50 in their Natural Beauty.” This show will be introduced in May 2024.

Heidi Mangels has loved photography as far back as she can remember. As a child her love of being behind a camera was born with a Kodak Instamatic taking photos of her family and pets. Over time she transitioned to a Konica TC Autoreflex and shot scores of photos - landscapes, seascapes, still life, animals, and events. With the advent of mobile phones, the convenience of having a camera available to capture a moment in time became much easier. To Mangels, there’s something about a photograph that can transport a viewer. As with a painting, everyone who views a photograph has their own perspective, with the image conveying a different meaning or feeling to each person. All of her photos in “Peeling the Onion” are as they were shot with her Android LG G6 phone. None are retouched. Mangels holds degrees from Norwalk Community Technical College and University of Connecticut. Some of her photos are included in the 2023 Norwalk and Darien Town Planner Calendars.

For decades, Jane Wenk has enjoyed penning and presenting celebratory tributes to family and friends, and some strangers, on their special occasions. She is also adept at composing gift poems for others to celebrate their loved ones, and happy to do so. In limerick style, with singsong rhymes and humor, she has celebrated and sent accolades pointing out the accomplishments, character, styles, and idiosyncrasies of the recipients. She says it is nice to have something to offer at an event and that it has been a great way to stay connected in a positive and useful way. As a lifelong outdoor enthusiast, one of her favorite parts of the “Peeling the Onion” exhibit is its focus on nature. Grace Farms Library, New Canaan was her go to spot to write the selections for the exhibit - a “lovely place to be inspired.” Jane Wenk is presently the Program Manager and Meals on Wheels Coordinator at the Norwalk Senior Center and has a B.A. from Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY.

The exhibitions run through Saturday, April 29. A majority of the works are available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the library. Wilton Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. The library will be closed on Sunday, April 9 for the Easter holiday.

Wilton Library is located at 137 Old Ridgefield Road in the heart of Wilton Center. For more information, please visit www.wiltonlibrary.org or call (203) 762-3950. 

RVNAhealth proudly announces the opening of the RVNAhealth Parkinson’s Center, located at 27 Governor Street, Ridgefield.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease, affecting an estimated 10,000 people in CT, with the incidence of newly diagnosed cases rising. With the opening of its Center, RVNAhealth aims to become a premier and integral Parkinson’s resource to those diagnosed, their caregivers, and medical teams.

The Parkinson’s Resource Gap

Gigi Weiss, MSPT, CADDCT, LSVT BIG, AIB-VR, Parkinson’s Center Director, explained the importance of this new RVNAhealth community resource, “People with Parkinson’s and their and families are frustrated! We’ve heard numerous stories from patients who felt somewhat stranded and confused after their PD diagnosis. Truth of the matter is that a playbook for Parkinson’s doesn’t exist and there are very limited local resources available to help. At RVNAhealth, we realized we had the ability to fill this gap and make a difference in the lives of the PD community. Many do not realize that they can effectively slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease with the proper tools, resources, education, and support. We are here to provide that Parkinson’s support to the whole patient – mind, body, spiritual – with these needs met all in one place.”

About the RVNAhealth Parkinson’s Center

The RVNAhealth Parkinson’s Center is a multi-disciplinary team, certified through the Parkinson’s Foundation, that works together to help each center member from all angles of health. The rehabilitation team consists of physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, and speech and language pathologists – all LSVT BIG and LSVT LOUD certified. Additional resources of the Parkinson’s Center include a dedicated medical doctor, registered nurse, and registered dietitian; a team of mental health professionals, including social work and spiritual care; a resource library comprised of local and national resources; a video library of exercises and support tools; a monthly newsletter; and access to the RVNAhealth Continuum of Services.

Kate Campbell, DPT, SCS, Cert. MDT, CSCS, LSVT BIG, Parkinson’s Center Program Manager, provided more details, “The Parkinson’s Center aims to become a central resource to help develop, coordinate, and support the best possible proactive attack against Parkinson’s disease for our members. Here, people with Parkinson’s will take control of a difficult diagnosis with the help of trained specialists to support them, their caregiver and family. In addition to supporting our members and family, we look forward to partnering with the medical community to develop the most needed programs to support their Parkinson’s patients.”

The Center is comprised of three main components: exercise classes led by physical therapists; monthly programs, including support groups to address mental health, activities to promote social engagement, and education on disease awareness and management; and “PD Bootcamp”. Campbell described RVNAhealth’s unique PD Bootcamp, “PD Bootcamp is an eight-week intensive program that leads the person with Parkinson’s through bi-weekly exercise classes and one-on-one sessions with members of the Parkinson’s Center interdisciplinary clinical team to create an individualized care plan to help them continue living their best life with Parkinson's.”

RVNAhealth’s Parkinson’s Center Kickoff Starts in April!

April officially kicks off the opening of the Parkinson’s Center with a few key community events, including an exercise lecture on April 6th at the Ridgefield Library and a cooking class on April 12th at RVNAhealth--all focused on Parkinson’s disease. All event and registration details can be found online through the RVNAhealth calendar at rvnahealth.org/calendar.

On April 20th, RVNAhealth will host a “Welcome to the Parkinson’s Center” event at its offices in Ridgefield. Attendees will meet the entire team, experience short lecture discussions, and learn more about what the RVNAhealth Parkinson’s Center has planned. Vendors with Parkinson’s-related offerings and expertise will also be available. Details and registration can be found on our website calendar or by contacting us at 203.438.5555 x1082. You may also learn more about the Parkinson’s Center at rvnahealth.org/parkinsonscenter.

Theresa Santoro, MSN, RN, CHCA, President and CEO of RVNAhealth, “I am extremely proud of the work our team has put into creating this much-needed program for those affected by Parkinson’s. The Parkinson’s Center is an excellent example of how we continue to grow and evolve in our mission to serve the lifelong health and wellness needs of our communities. We look forward to sharing our Parkinson’s Center with those affected and giving each person and their family the tools and confidence to live their best life.”

RVNAhealth is a private, non-profit, mission-driven organization founded and focused on care and dedicated to serving the lifelong health and wellness needs of individuals in the 35+ communities we serve across Connecticut. While our name and services have evolved since our founding as a home health care agency in 1914, our guiding principles have remained steadfast: a mission to serve, exceptional patient care, and a commitment to excellence in quality and service.