Officials at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy established the Center for Arctic Study and Policy (CASP) in a ceremony Sept. 19, attended by Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger, Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The establishment of the Center is part of the Coast Guard’s strategic objectives for the Arctic which include improving awareness, modernizing governance, and broadening partnerships in the region.

The Center will serve as an operational think tank to focus on emerging Arctic issues and collaborate with the DHS Science and Technology Directorate’s network of Centers of Expertise and others for the advancement of safe, secure, and environmentally responsible maritime activity in the Arctic.

Dr. Kurt Colella, Dean of Academics at U.S. Coast Guard Academy states, “The CASP is a natural extension of USCGA’s Mission as an intellectual resource for our Coast Guard and beyond.  The faculty and cadets are a huge force multiplier in advancing organizational strategy, inspiring critical thought, and addressing the challenges that face the future leaders of our great Service.”

The Center is housed within the existing Center for Maritime Policy and Strategy in the Humanities Department at the Coast Guard Academy. It is directed by Mr. Andrew Wood.  For further information, contact the Center at 860-701-6484.

Play is Children’s Work

The Community Coalition for Children…helping children thrive® will present Darell Hammond in two upcoming programs that are free and open to the public.  On Monday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. at The Garde Arts Center in New London, his topic will be “Unplugged – Play Matters: giving kids the childhood they need.”  His focus will be on what play is, why it is critical, and how parents, educators, and community leaders can foster play.  To get in the spirit, come early at 6:30 p.m. to play in the Garde lobby and recapture your childhood delight in unstructured play.

Simultaneous translation in Spanish and sign language will be provided.  To register for free child care on site, please call 860-444-4790.

His second program, “Get Up, Get Out, Get Moving!” will focus on middle and high school students from the region, plus interested adults, Tuesday, October 21, from 9: 30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., at the Crozier-Williams Center at Connecticut College. This workshop is structured for small group activity.  Building on his introduction to what students need for their physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development, participants will explore how they can incorporate unplugged play into their lives.  The CCC plans to build a playground in the region in the spring and hopes the students will return to make community dreams a reality.

Darell Hammond is the founder and chief executive officer of KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to the bold goal of bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all children, particularly those growing up in poverty in America.  His New York Times best selling book, KaBOOM! A Movement to Save Play traces his own childhood experiences at Mooseheart, Illinois, the boarding school run by Moose International for children who have been orphaned or have faced major family challenges.  Hammond and his seven siblings were joined by his mother in this supportive environment where play was an integral part of his growing up.

As a young adult working with Youth Service America to build a playground in Washington, DC, he was shocked to learn of the suffocation of a young brother and sister who climbed into a car “on a hot, humid day to play and got locked inside.”  The newspaper article noted that there was no playground close by.  He knew then that his life’s work had to be building playgrounds and strengthening communities where there were no safe options for children.

Since 1996, KaBOOM! has worked with partners to build, open or improve nearly 16,000 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers, and served 7.4 million children. Their partners have been the  families in the neighborhoods, plus local and national businesses (such as Ben & Jerry’s, Home Depot, Chrysler, Kraft Foods, players in the NBA, Kimberly-Clark, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Target, and Disney).  Luminaries such as Marian Wright Edelman, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Colin and Alma Powell, Al and Tipper Gore, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama have participated in KaBOOM! playground builds.

Hammond has been named an Ashoka Fellow and was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Hammond has also earned recognition for his leadership in social entrepreneurship, including the American Express NGEN Leadership Award, the Satter Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Forbes Magazine recognition as one of the Top 30 Social Entrepreneurs.

KaBOOM! not only creates and catalyzes great places to play but also works to empower play advocates and elevate the societal conversation around the importance of why play matters for all kids.  Hammond’s motto is that play is children’s work.  They design and build their brains and bodies as they explore their world and master its challenges.  Adults with play in their lives continue to reap the benefits of recreation, creativity, and wellbeing.  So, get up, get out, and get moving!

                                                                For further information, visit the coalition website:

                                                     www.communitycoalitionforchildren.org

Dinner Theater “A Face On The Barroom Floor” by special arrangement of Samuel French, directed by Mary Norris at The Preston Congregational Church, Rt 164 in Preston at 6pm on Fri, Oct 10 and on Sat, Oct 11 and Sun, Oct 19 at 2 pm.  For ticket and dinner information call the church at 860-887-4249.

Then at Christ Episcopal Church, 78 Washington St., Norwich at 6 pm on Fri, Oct 17 and Sat, Oct 18 and Sun, Oct 19 at 2pm.  Ticket $20pp.  For more info call church at 860-887-4249.

HARTFORD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO OPEN 2014-2015 SEASON WITH PORGY AND BESS, OCTOBER 16-19

Music Director Carolyn Kuan will lead program featuring the Harford Chorale, the First Cathedral Praises of Zion Choir, and soloists

HARTFORD, September 22, 2014 –The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will begin its 71^st performance season with the Masterworks Opening Nights concerts on Thursday, October 16 through Sunday, October 19 in Belding Theater at The Bushnell in Hartford.  The season opener includes Porgy and Bess – “arguably the most important piece of American music written in the 20^th century,” – The New York Times.

“The theme of the new HSO season is ‘Music Brings Us Together’ and in these opening concerts we will take our audiences on a monumental journey commemorating struggle, bravery and hope,” says HSO Music Director and Conductor Carolyn Kuan.  “Together, we will explore passionate anthems of independence – from the Star Spangled Banner and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture – to Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess featuring a massive chorus of Greater Hartford voices.  Plus, we’ll present a concerto for koto, which is a traditional Japanese stringed instrument.”

Porgy and Bess: A Concert of Songs was composed as an opera by George Gershwin in 1934-35 and arranged by Robert Russell Bennett in 1956 to include soloists and a chorus performing many of the scores’ most memorable selections.  The HSO’s performance will feature soprano Jonita Lattimore and bass-baritone Kevin Deas, along with the Hartford Chorale and the First Cathedral Praises of Zion Choir of Bloomfield.

Tori No Yoni (“Flying like a Bird”) for Koto and Orchestra was composed by Tadao Sawai in 1985, and this will be the HSO’s premiere performance of this work.  The traditional Japanese koto is a long, slender wooden instrument with 13 strings. Sawai’s compositions often take their inspiration from the natural world of flora, fauna, wind and water.  Koto soloist Masayo Ishigure performed on the Grammy Award-Winning soundtrack from the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha” by John Williams, alongside Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and others.  She currently teaches at Columbia University.
Calendar Listing:
Masterworks Series

OPENING NIGHTS: PORGY AND BESS

Thursday – Sunday, October 16-19, 2014

Belding Theater at The Bushnell

Thursday 7:30pm│Friday & Saturday 8pm│Sunday 3pm

Carolyn Kuan conductor

Masayo Ishigure koto

Jonita Lattimore soprano

Kevin Deas bass-baritone

Hartford Chorale

Richard Coffey, music director

First Cathedral Praises of Zion Choir

James “J.J.” Hairston director of music ministry

Smith Star Spangled Banner

Tchaikovsky 1812, Overture Solennelle, Op. 49

Sawai Tori No Yoni (Flying Like a Bird)

Gershwin arr. Bennett Porgy and Bess: A Concert of Songs

Ticket Information: Tickets to this concert range in price from $35.50-$67.50. Student tickets are $10. On Saturday, October 18, $25 tickets are available for patrons age 40 and under. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860) 987-5900 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.

Additional HSO concerts in October 2014

Pops! Series

BRUBECK BROTHERS QUARTET

Saturday, October 25, 2014 at 7:30pm

Mortensen Hall at The Bushnell

Tickets starting at $20.00; $10.00 for students with ID

860-987-5900 or www.hartfordsymphony.org

Experience the legacy of jazz giant Dave Brubeck.  His sons – Dan on drums and Chris on bass and trombone – will join forces with guitarist Mike DeMicco, pianist Chuck Lamb and the HSO for a dynamic performance of “melody, rhythm, culture and the spontaneous spirit of jazz.” – Philadelphia Inquirer.

Sunday Serenades Series

MOZART & MATRIX

Sunday, October 26, 2014 at 2pm

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Tickets $30 each; $25 for HSO subscribers and Atheneum members

860-987-5900 or www.hartfordsymphony.org

The visual narrative of MATRIX 170 artist Frohawk Two Feathers imagines an historical union of France and England merged as a huge colonial empire. Frengland’s complex international saga of exploration, colonization, and world domination is documented by Two Feathers in an ongoing project that begins in 1658 and will one day conclude in 1880. The soundscape for this concert includes Henry Purcell’s “golden Sonata,” François Couperin’s Les Nations: “L’Impériale,” and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Quintet, K. 452.

Warner Theatre Center for Arts Education presents Master Class with SFX Makeup Artist TYLER GREEN October 25, 2014 Nancy Marine Studio Theatre Torrington, CT – The Warner Theatre Center for Arts Education will present a Master Class with SFX Makeup Artist TYLER GREEN, in the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre on Saturday, October 25 from 2-5 pm. Join us as SFX Makeup Artist and Litchfield native, TYLER GREEN, takes students of this master class on a fascinating journey through the magical art form of special effect makeup and prosthetics. In addition to a lively discussion about the nature of this intricate art form as well as his own experiences as a special effects artist and finalist on the smash hit TV series FACE OFF, Tyler will also transform a regular human being into a realistic ghoulish creature LIVE ON STAGE! Just in time for Halloween, this is one experience that is not to be missed! Program proudly sponsored by KRYOLAN Professional Make-Up. Tickets are $30 for ages 13-adult and $15 for ages 12 and under and can be purchased by calling the Warner Box Office at (860) 489-7180 or online at warnertheatre.org. Limited spaces available.

Paradise City Arts Festival Celebrates 20 Years of Remarkable Art

and Stylish Crafts, Northampton, MA

New England’s most exciting and comprehensive arts festival, Paradise City has won many national awards for the quality and diversity of its fine crafts, paintings and sculpture. Founded by two working artists, this event is a unique opportunity to experience an entire festival designed from an artist’s perspective.

Josh Simpson is one of America’s foremost glass artists. His blown glass platters, vessels, and sculptures are celebrated internationally.   View Larger Image

Northampton, Massachusetts, September 22, 2014  – The 20th Annual Paradise City Arts Festival opens to the public at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton, MA on Columbus Day Weekend, October 11, 12 & 13. The Fairgrounds are located at 54 Old Ferry Road (off Route 9).

New England’s most exciting and comprehensive arts festival, Paradise City has won many national awards for the quality and diversity of its fine crafts, paintings and sculpture. Founded by two working artists, this event is a unique opportunity to experience an entire festival designed from an artist’s perspective. Held in four buildings and under tents, Paradise City is an experience like no other — beautiful, unique, festive and fun.

This milestone event is the chance to meet face to face with 275 extraordinary artists traveling from every corner of the country, enjoy sensational cuisine by Northampton’s best chefs and catch live performances by nationally and regionally acclaimed musicians. Stroll through a lush sculpture garden filled with artful delights and visit special exhibits, demonstrations and activities… all compelling reasons to visit Paradise City during the peak of New England’s fall foliage season.

American Craft Week
Join Paradise City Arts Festival during American Craft Week, when the nation recognizes the countless ways handmade objects enrich our daily lives and contribute to our national aesthetic and economy. Paradise City is proud to be a sponsor of American Craft Week. Founding Director Linda Post says, “In this digital age, dominated by the production of objects without the touch of human hands, American craft makers have actually formed the cutting edge of a new movement. The younger generation, jaded by cookie-cutter products, has embraced the handmade like no other generation since the 1960s!”

“Face to Face:” From Portraits to Selfies, the Art and Craft of Making Faces 
Through the ages, portrait styles have ranged from realism to cubism to today’s selfie, and manifest themselves in every media. At the Paradise City Art Festival this October, there will be faces in paintings, sculptures and photographs, on clocks and chairs, embedded in jewelry and vases. Funny faces, stoic faces and tranquil faces will peer out at you in the special “Face to Face” exhibit. These faces engage, confront, entertain and provoke, all filtered through each artist’s style and perspective. “Who sees the human face correctly: the photographer, the mirror, or the painter?” – Pablo Picasso

Silent Art Auction Benefit for WGBY Public Television for Western New England
PBS provides multi-media ABC’s for kids, exciting entertainment for grown-ups such as Masterpiece Mystery and Downton Abbey, and fascinating scientific, political and cultural programming for all. WGBY Public Television for Western New England will receive 100% of the proceeds from the Festival’s Silent Art Auction, featuring hundreds of beautiful and valuable pieces donated by the Festival Artists.

Fabulous Food and Cool Jazz under the Festival Dining Tent
“The food soars beyond expectations,” writes Boston Magazine. The Festival Dining Tent is a microcosm of Northampton’s vibrant restaurant scene, with recipes that span the globe. Expect lots of tasty surprises from the region’s restaurants at this fall’s show, using locally grown foods straight from the Valley’s farms. Sample exotic curries, pad thai, wood-fired pizza, fresh lobster rolls, pulled pork sliders, dim sum, locavore burgers, overstuffed burritos, mango lassi, warm apple crisp and homemade ice cream.

Restaurants include Local Burger, Sierra Grille, Spoleto, Amber Waves, India House, Pizzeria Paradiso, Bart’s Homemade Ice Cream, Mama Iguana’s and the Great Wall.

While dining, enjoy live music on the Festival Soundstage every afternoon:

Saturday: The O-Tones swing with soulful jazz ballads and punch out fiery Motown and R&B. The six-piece band’s powerful vocal harmonies, driving rhythm section, hot tenor sax, blazing guitar solos and funky keyboards brought them the title “Best Swing Band in the Valley”.

Sunday: Roger Salloom brings down the house with his award-winning original music, down-home blues and country rock. He’s played with the likes of The Band, Steve Forbert, Doc Watson and John Prine. Salloom returns to the show with a seven-piece band including some of the region’s most prominent musicians.

Columbus Day: The Art Steele Blues Band is a fixture in the New England blues scene, and Art himself is a poet, raconteur and philosopher. “When we play,” says Steele, “we want to sweep people into our framework, paint a picture in their heads and a feeling in their hearts.” Cap off the holiday weekend with the passion of the blues.

Admission: Adults: $13.00, Seniors: $11.00, Students: $8.00, Three-Day Pass: $16.00, 12 and under: free.
Free Parking. Free full color program with admission. Discount admission coupons at www.paradisecityarts.com

For more information: Call 800.511.9725 or visit: www.paradisecityarts.com
About Paradise City:

Paradise City produces award-winning festivals of contemporary craft and fine art, showcasing the works of some of America’s most prominent independent craft makers, painters and sculptors. Paradise City’s shows provide artists with a sophisticated marketplace for cutting-edge work, and are an important resource for serious collectors, homeowners, galleries and decorators. Among the many art media included are works in studio furniture, art glass, large-scale sculpture, ceramics, jewelry and painting. The company produces a glossy color biannual magazine which is direct-mailed to 70,000 subscriber households and distributed at all events. www.paradisecityarts.com serves as an extensive visual preview for all Paradise City shows, as well as providing an interactive educational resource for both the public and the press. Visitors access product and contact information for participating artists before, during, and after the shows. In addition, registered media regularly access camera-ready images to use in national and local coverage.

Take part in the 8^th Annual Run Walk for the Penguins at Mystic Aquarium and support initiatives that work to save penguin populations in the wild.     

The African penguin population continues to decline. In 2010 researchers reported that the wild population was estimated to be 21,000 pairs and today are only 19,000 pairs. The population has declined by 70% in the last 10 years alone.

What can you do to help?   Lace up your sneakers and get ready to run, walk or waddle for the good of our feathered friends. Mystic Aquarium will hold its 8^th Annual Penguin Run/Walk, a 5k run andtwo-mile walk, at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 18 to benefit the endangered African penguin. All participants receive free admission to Mystic Aquarium on race day; dogs and strollers are welcome in the two-mile walk; door prizes,free food and drinks are available after the race; and the penguins themselves will be racing in the aquarium’s Foxwoods Marine Theater after the awards ceremony.

5K Run
The 5k run is on a trail, field androad course and prizes will be awarded in eight age divisions for males andfemales. The run includes a middle school cross-country team competition. The winning team will receive medals and an engraved trophy. Prizes will go to the second and third place teams.

2 Mile Walk
Dogs and strollers are welcome during the two-mile walk.

1/4 Mile Kids’ Race
The kids’ race will take place after the walk ends and before the awards ceremony.

Top Fundraisers
The top individual fundraiser will be awarded an original piece of art created by the penguins, and the runner-up will receive a one-of-a-kind paintingmade by Mystic Aquarium’s very own penguins. The top fundraising team (consisting of up to 10 runners and/or walkers) will receive a penguin meet-and-greet.

Free Aquarium Admission
To show our gratitude, all participants receive FREE Mystic Aquarium admission on race day, where they can visit the 31 African penguins in the Roger Tory Peterson Penguin Exhibit and enjoy the Aquarium.

Participation Helps Save the Endangered African Penguin

The African penguin was listed as an endangered species in 2010 and money raised from this event will help penguins at the aquarium and in South Africa. The penguins at the aquarium play an integral role in the African Penguin Species Survival Plan, and the aquarium staff’s work with them is helping researchers better understand penguins in the wild. In fact, Mystic Aquarium is a leader in a collaborative, nationwide effort to assist researchers in South Africa and sends staff to SANCCOB, a leader in seabird rescue and rehabilitation. Staff from the aquarium’s animal care, education and research departments examine all factors possibly affecting the penguins and develop plans for the aquarium to lead and assist with education, research and the conservation efforts of this species.

Registration
Visit MysticAquarium.org to register for the 8th Annual Penguin Run/Walk. If you are unable to participate but would like to make a donation, please email development@mysticaquarium.org or call 860.572.5955 ext. 476. For more information, visit MysticAquarium.org.

WHAT:                        8^th Annual Penguin 5k run or two-mile walk, followed by a penguin race

WHEN:                        Saturday, October 18 at 9 a.m.

WHERE:                      Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, CT 06355

COST:

Individuals:                        $25 entry fee by October 1
Children ages 3 to 13:          $15 by October 1

One Adult, 2 Children:          $53 by October 1

2 Adults, 2 Kids:                  $68 by October 1
Middle school teams:            $58 (up to 10 people) with additional children $13*

*An additional $5 fee applies to registration received after October 1     

CASHETTA, “THE RARE MEDIUM – WELL DONE” on Friday, October 10 Spiritualism doesn’t have to be a drag, so get ready to laugh and help the kids from True Colors!   HARTFORD, Conn. – The Mark Twain House & Museum and True Colors present magician and comedian CASHETTA in an entertaining benefit performance for True Colors’s mission to support sexual and gender minority youth.   Spiritualism doesn’t have to be a drag, but it will be when drag superstar Cashetta unveils her side-splitting, magical and mysterious show featuring the tricks and trappings of mediums everywhere!  Will she conduct a silly séance?  Will she make spirits materialize and disappear (faster than the spirits in her cocktail glass)?   A thrilling evening of paranormal experiments!   This fun evening is on Friday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m. at the Mark Twain House Museum Center.   Please note that the evening may feature some adult language, so it is not recommended for children.   Tickets are $25 ($20 for Mark Twain members) which benefits True Colors’ programs to support LGBTQ youth.   For tickets, please call (860) 280-3130 or visit MarkTwainHouse.org and click on Events.   Reception Preceding this show at 5:30 p.m., and providing a nice lead in to it, will be the free opening reception for the Mark Twain House’s new fall exhibition Spiritualism, Séances & Sam. This exhibition will examine the Victorian era’s fascination with spiritualism and, in particular, the relevant beliefs and experiences of Mark Twain.  For more information about this exhibition, please visit MarkTwainHouse.org and click on The Museum tab and then Special Exhibits.   About Cashetta Cashetta has delighted audiences for over 18 years with her outrageous wit, charm and crossover appeal and remains one of America’s most beloved, unique and sought after female impersonators. Her production and cabaret shows have toured internationally and continue to play to packed houses. Venues include the Harmon Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino and the former Debbie Reynolds Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Caroline’s Comedy Club on Broadway, The Duplex in NYC and The Art House and Crown and Anchor in Provincetown, MA. She can also frequently be seen on cruise ships, in Vegas showrooms and at resorts worldwide for every type of audience imaginable! Her numerous television credits include The Today Show, Late with Conan O’Brien and the Outlaugh Festival – Wisecrack on Logo with Margaret Cho. Cashetta has had the honor of opening for Cyndi Lauper and has shared the stage with such legends as Chita Rivera, Charo, Betty Buckley, Jennifer Holiday, Eartha Kitt and Patti LuPone.   True Colors is a non-profit organization that works with other social service agencies, schools, organizations, and within communities to ensure that the needs of sexual and gender minority youth are both recognized and competently met. The organization trains more than 2400 people annually, organizes the largest LGBT youth conference in the country with more than 2000 attendees and manages the state’s only LGBT mentoring program. True Colors has been spotlighted by both national and local media for their expertise in LGBTI youth issues, including most recently on CNN.   The Mark Twain House & Museum (www.marktwainhouse.org ) has restored the author’s Hartford, Connecticut, home, where the author and his family lived from 1874 to 1891. Twain wrote his most important works during the years he lived there, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.   In addition to providing tours of Twain’s restored home, a National Historic Landmark, the institution offers activities and educational programs that illuminate Twain’s literary legacy and provide information about his life and times.   The house and museum at 351 Farmington Ave. are open Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Sunday, 11:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.  For more information, call 860-247-0998 or visit www.marktwainhouse.org.   Programs at The Mark Twain House & Museum are made possible in part by support from the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development, Office of the Arts, and the Greater Hartford Arts Council’s United Arts Campaign.

Please Help CTL by Taking This Survey! Connecticut Landmarks, in partnership with other museums across the country, is launching a study to find out about your perceptions and expectations of museums. In order for museums like us to do more to serve you and our communities – we need to better understand our role in the lives of those who visit museums.       Would you be willing to share 10 minutes of your time to help us with this survey? We’ll use the results to help us plan for a thriving future sharing Connecticut’s history with more individuals. In exchange, Reach Advisors | Museums R+D, the research organization administering the survey, will select some participants to win gifts ranging from museum memberships to gift certificates to Amazon.com. Your individual information will be kept confidential and will not be shared or used for any solicitations. To take the survey, click on (or copy URL and insert into browser):http://reachadvisors.2014-2015-Museums-R-D-National-Survey.sgizmo.com/s3/?MuseumID=CTL If you have any problems with the survey, please feel free to e-mail Susie Wilkening, of Museums R+D, at Susie@reachadvisors.com . Thank you!