History & Architecture

Friday, November 6 – January 1, 2020

Celebrate the scenic history and architecture of Ridgefield! Use your imagination and ingenuity to build a LEGO® sculpture representing one of the town’s historic sites. Win prizes! Kids under 18 are FREE. Register and upload images by January 1, 2021. For complete information go to: https://ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org/events/lego

Overview

The Ridgefield Historical Society is hosting a creative LEGO^® Sculpture contest to celebrate our town’s history and architecture. As contestants you will be tasked with unleashing your imagination to build a historic Ridgefield structure from our list of 12 landmarks. Upload images of your finished project (including one with you in the photo) in the form below. All entries will be judged by a local panel for PRIZES!

Participants

To start, all participants must register using the form below. The LEGO^® Sculpture contest is FREE for Ridgefielders between the ages of 4 and 18. Adults and families may also participate for a small entry fee of $10 per sculpture. (Rules for the contest appear below the form.)

Rules

The FINAL DATE for PHOTO SUBMISSIONS is January 1, 2021.

Upload up to three photos of each sculpture entry. If you like, please include the artist in at least one of your photos.

All entries should have a maximum dimension of 18″ wide x 18″ deep x 24″ high.

Your sculpture will be based on one of the following buildings/structures in town:

• Ballard Park Gazebo
• BassamFellows Headquarters – Philip Johnson Building
• Cass Gilbert Fountain
• Keeler Tavern
• Lounsbury House
• Old Hundred (Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum)
• Peter Parley Schoolhouse
• Ridgefield Library
• Ridgefield Post Office
• Scott House
• St. Stephen’s Church
• Town Hall
• Train Depot (at Ridgefield Supply)

We’ve always said, “Art makes a great gift!” And this year is no different. Giving the gift of art is a way to express your love with originality and creativity. The holidays always enhance our feelings for family and friends, our love for fine food and spirits, and a real hope for the future.

This year the Guild presents this exhibition of works inspired by the gift of art theme, with pieces you feel could make a great gift. Submit up to two works in any medium and format for the Art of Giving in-gallery and online exhibition.

For further information and to apply online, please visit our website.

Get in the holiday spirit in Ridgefield by strolling through downtown and participating in our dining and shopping opportunities.

Stay tuned, more information to come!

A festive fundraiser for Lounsbury House with the Ridgefield Guild of Artists.

It’s the most wonderful time of year to visit Lounsbury House and Gingerbread Homes for the Holidays. Tour Ridgefield’s historic downtown with family & friends for holiday shopping & dining — then walk this way for a joyful look at locally-made gingerbread homes, uniquely displayed inside our ballroom windows for responsible outdoor viewing. See something you love? Email info@lounsburyhouse.org. And vote for your favorites by visiting here and make a small donation to support House preservation efforts. Thank you.

Check out our Glittering Garden Holiday Tree and Tina Sturges’ replica of Lounsbury House too!

Twenty Twenty will be be changing throughout the exhibition’s run with the artists creating new work and adding to, or modifying, their installations in the galleries. The second installation will open on December 6, 2020 and the third installation will open on February 7, 2021.

Twenty Twenty is an exhibition of works on paper rolled out sequentially over the course of five months that presents the work of seven artists who primarily utilize photographic imagery. This exhibition was conceived of in 2019 to document and respond to the 2020 election season and was originally scheduled to open in June 2020. With the Museum’s temporary closure from early March to the end of June due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition opening was pushed back to October.

2020 has been historic year and the work being created by the artists now reflects their lived experience through a landmark election year, a global pandemic, and a national reckoning with systemic racial injustice and police brutality. The exhibition asks the question can a ‘slow’ museum exhibition actively participate in democracy amidst the cacophony of Tweets and abbreviated news app headlines via a medium that moves no faster that the speed of a human hand pushing a pencil?

Artists participating in the exhibition include Marti Cormand (Brooklyn, NY), Oasa DuVerney (Brooklyn, NY), Judith Eisler (Vienna, Austria and Warren, CT), Andy Mister (Beacon, NY), William Powhida (Brooklyn, NY), Gil Scullion (Middletown, CT), and Diana Shpungin (Brooklyn, NY).

The artists will be adding works to the exhibition in early December and early February creating a platform for response throughout the exhibition. Following key moments in the election cycle, the final installation of the exhibition will reflect the proceeding years’ political and social experiences through the lens of these artists’ lived experiences. The Aldrich has commissioned the seven artists to create the work for this exhibition. The exhibition will be accompanied by a newspaper, published in two editions, that will bookend the exhibition.

Organized by Richard Klein, Exhibitions Director, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.

January means the post-holiday stress has settled, and you can finally open and enjoy the board game that your neighbor gave you. It is a strange game that you haven’t heard of before, but you are eager to try it with family and friends for a low-key Game Night. Upon opening the game, you discover a bonus reward code! Neat! Expecting a video or maybe a freebie, you log onto the computer and enter the code, but…this bonus content was not what you were expecting.

Join your friends and family for the Game Night Escape Room by the Ridgefield Library beginning January 15, 2021. Combining the best aspects of a physical room with the flexibility of technology, this year’s Escape Room will be a unique experience with flexible scheduling.

Sessions for Ridgefield Library’s Annual Escape Room Fundraiser are available to purchase for $50 a session for 4-5 players/Zoom log-ins. Recommended for adults, teens and families with children ages 10 and up, this unique interactive puzzle game requires a computer with internet access and Zoom capabilities. Escape Room ticket sale donations help support the Library’s Annual Operating Fund.

Once you purchase tickets, you will be contacted to schedule your one hour, online game session with one of our Escape Room monitors and a time to pick-up a physical box of take-home materials that you will need to solve the clues and puzzles. Players are encouraged to pick up materials at the Library but can opt to have their Game Night Box mailed for the cost of shipping.

To purchase tickets for the Game Night Escape Room, or for more information visit ridgefieldlibrary.org.

Wednesday Class Series: November 4, 11, 18, December 2 and 9; 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is thrilled to announce the return of the popular series “Getting” Contemporary Art this fall exploring a new roster of exhibitions and artist ideas. This 5-session virtual course provides a roadmap to central themes and ideas that have influenced artistic practice since the 1960s. Designed to be intimate, dynamic, and thought-provoking, participants will build skills to analyze, interpret, and discuss contemporary art while looking closely at the Museum’s current exhibitions. This course includes a unique behind the scenes opportunity to meet with exhibiting artist Judith Eisler virtually and explore her studio and practice on December 2. “Getting” Contemporary Art is led by Danielle Ogden, M.A., Ed.M., Adjunct Professor at Fairfield University and Museum Specialist, Adult Learning at The Aldrich.

All sessions will be recorded with lecture materials emailed after each class.

November 4: Re-writing the Rules: Learn new approaches to art history and looking at contemporary art. In this class we will survey a diverse range of issues that motivate artists and uncover the various ways they consider and comment on the world we live in.

November 11: “We are All Made of Stars”: This class will explore contemporary art as an interdisciplinary practice and dive into the star motif exhibited in Frank Stella’s Stars, A Survey and art inspired by the sky, astronomy, geometry, and more.

November 18: The Art of Reflection: What is the relationship between art and healing? Can works of art be transcendent? In this class we will investigate how artists such as Mark Rothko, James Turrell, and exhibiting artist Rudy Shepherd have used art as a vehicle for deep reflection, healing, and transformation.

December 2: Virtual Studio Visit: Join us for a behind-the-scenes visit with Twenty Twenty artist Judith Eisler in her studio in Vienna, Austria and a discussion on her work on view at the Museum, including portraits of women captured by media in profound public appearances such as Nancy Pelosi captured during President Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address and an essential health care worker wearing a double layer of mask and visor during the pandemic.

December 9: Absurdity, Surrealism and Pop Art: This class will use the themes, techniques, and processes in Dada and Surrealism as a lens to explore Genesis Belanger’s exhibition, Through the Eye of a Needle.

Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra board, staff and fundraising committee is excited to present All Hearts Holiday Auction–an online auction to benefit RSO musicians who have been unable to perform with the orchestra since the global pandemic struck last spring.

The auction, which will be online from December 3rd-7th, will feature a unique selection of gifts from local merchants and service providers that are sure to delight an array of family and friends. From a night out on the town, to baubles, books, and toys, the auction will bring gift shopping right to your living room! 

An important part of the All Hearts fundraiser is promoting shopping local by highlighting the merchants, service providers and other non-profits who are supporting the event. “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity from those who have offered an item, service or experience for the auction. We currently have about 50 participating partners, with more added every day.” says Amanda Dranow, RSO Director of Development. “We hope everyone has started to see the All Hearts logo on windows around town!”

In the coming weeks, the RSO looks forward to publishing short features on our auction donors, as well as continuing our social media posts on Instagram and Facebook @ridgefieldsymphony.

The auction will be available on the RSO website at www.ridgefieldsymphony.org/auction. Look for item previews coming soon!

Wednesday Class Series: November 4, 11, 18, December 2 and 9; 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is thrilled to announce the return of the popular series “Getting” Contemporary Art this fall exploring a new roster of exhibitions and artist ideas. This 5-session virtual course provides a roadmap to central themes and ideas that have influenced artistic practice since the 1960s. Designed to be intimate, dynamic, and thought-provoking, participants will build skills to analyze, interpret, and discuss contemporary art while looking closely at the Museum’s current exhibitions. This course includes a unique behind the scenes opportunity to meet with exhibiting artist Judith Eisler virtually and explore her studio and practice on December 2. “Getting” Contemporary Art is led by Danielle Ogden, M.A., Ed.M., Adjunct Professor at Fairfield University and Museum Specialist, Adult Learning at The Aldrich.

All sessions will be recorded with lecture materials emailed after each class.

November 4: Re-writing the Rules: Learn new approaches to art history and looking at contemporary art. In this class we will survey a diverse range of issues that motivate artists and uncover the various ways they consider and comment on the world we live in.

November 11: “We are All Made of Stars”: This class will explore contemporary art as an interdisciplinary practice and dive into the star motif exhibited in Frank Stella’s Stars, A Survey and art inspired by the sky, astronomy, geometry, and more.

November 18: The Art of Reflection: What is the relationship between art and healing? Can works of art be transcendent? In this class we will investigate how artists such as Mark Rothko, James Turrell, and exhibiting artist Rudy Shepherd have used art as a vehicle for deep reflection, healing, and transformation.

December 2: Virtual Studio Visit: Join us for a behind-the-scenes visit with Twenty Twenty artist Judith Eisler in her studio in Vienna, Austria and a discussion on her work on view at the Museum, including portraits of women captured by media in profound public appearances such as Nancy Pelosi captured during President Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address and an essential health care worker wearing a double layer of mask and visor during the pandemic.

December 9: Absurdity, Surrealism and Pop Art: This class will use the themes, techniques, and processes in Dada and Surrealism as a lens to explore Genesis Belanger’s exhibition, Through the Eye of a Needle.

The Founders Hall-iday Light Fight is a new event. Ridgefield homeowners and businesses will sign up to decorate the exterior of their home or commercial location with holiday lights.

The public is invited to view the lights between December 10^th to 20^th, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, and vote for their favorite(s) by making a monetary donation to Founders Hall. The location that raises the most money will be the winner, to be announced on December 22^nd.

There has been a great deal of interest in the Light Fight. Here are answers to some commonly asked questions. Also, visit founders-hall.org/light-fight to read additional FAQ’s.

Will my name and address be given out if I sign up?
Residential addresses will be published, not homeowners’ names. For businesses, we will publish both the business name and the address. The winner’s name and address will be published on December 22, even if it is a residence.

Is there a limit to how many homes or businesses can sign up for the Light Fight?
No. Everyone who wants to sign up can. But there is a deadline – see below.

How do I sign up?
Visit founders-hall.org/light-fight to read the Contest Rules, FAQ and Entry Form (which includes the waiver.) You can sign up online or print, fill out and mail in the Entry Form.

Is there a deadline to sign up for the Light Fight?
Yes! Registrations must be received on or before Sunday, November 1.

Will the biggest, fanciest light display win?
Not necessarily. The address that raises the most money in donations to Founders Hall will be the winner. Competitors can encourage friends, family and neighbors to vote for them via a donation to Founders Hall. (Hint: there is no requirement that donors live in Ridgefield.)

Do I have to have a holiday theme? What if I want a religious theme?
Light displays and corresponding decorations can have any theme or no theme at all. There are no limits put on the decorations.

I want to sign up to decorate my house, and I live on a private accessway. Is that allowed?
All houses participating must be easily viewed from the road. We do not want to encourage the public to drive on private property. So, if your house can’t be seen from the road, you can participate by viewing the light displays between December 10 and 20 and voting for your favorite(s).

I would like to talk to someone before signing up.
Cindy Nesbitt, the director of development at Founders Hall, is happy to answer all your questions. She can be reached at 203-431-7000 or cindy@founders-hall.org.

Many thanks to lead sponsor Fairfield County Bank for making this event possible.