See ‘Abigail Adams’ at Oliver Wolcott Library

LITCHFIELD — Abigail Adams: Live Multi-Media Performance With Sheryl Faye, will be presented Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Oliver Wolcott Library, 160 South St., Litchfield.

Guests can explore the life of Abigail Adams in this live, multi-media, theatrical performance and presentation. Abigail Adams is considered by many to have been a founder of the United States and is now designated as the first Second Lady and second First Lady of The United States.

Adams’ life is one of the most documented of the first ladies: she is remembered for the many letters she wrote to her husband while he stayed in Philadelphia during the Continental Congresses. John sought the advice of Abigail on many matters, and their letters are filled with intellectual discussions on government and politics. Her letters also serve as eyewitness accounts of the American Revolutionary War home front.

Faye started taking acting lessons when she was 7 years old at the Harwich Jr. Theater on Cape Cod. She attended Emerson College, in Boston, where she received a BFA in acting. She travels throughout the country performing her one-woman shows in schools, libraries and others venues. She also writes and performs with StageCoach Improv. She has been the voice of several characters for Sony Play Station games and was recently in a national print ad for Vicks cold/flu. Visit her website at sherylfaye.com.

Space is limited. Registration is required and can be done by calling 860-567-8030 or visiting owlibrary.org and clicking on Events/Adult Events

Artists called for Open Your Eyes Studio Tour

TORRINGTON — The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council is calling artists and artisans in the towns of Goshen, Cornwall and Warren, CT to participate in its ninth annual Open Your Eyes Studio Tour weekend, being held June 30 and July 1. Registrations are being accepted through April 1 or until the artists roster is filled, and are available online at the Artist Registration Page at OpenYourEyesTour.org or by contacting the Arts Council.

The 2018 tour will feature more than 25 artists and artisans who have their studios in the municipalities of Cornwall, Goshen and Warren (including townships/villages). Participating artists and artisans will open their creative spaces and show their processes to the public during the days of the tour.

Each year the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council selects groups of towns within its 25town service area for the tour. Over the past eight years, the event has drawn audiences from 14 states, with many visitors returning annually. The aim of Open Your Eyes Studio Tour is to shine a light on the many artists who live and work in the region, to give the community a greater understanding and appreciation for the arts and the creative process, and to draw attention to the towns in which these artists live and work. This is the second cycle of this annual event to the towns in the Arts Council’s service area. As a result of the growing audience for this event and enthusiasm from artists throughout the region, the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council decided to continue presenting the event.

“Each year, we receive an overwhelming number of comments from visitors who are enthusiastic and appreciative of this first-hand view into how and where the artists do their work,” said Amy Wynn, Northwest Connecticut Arts Council’s executive director, in a written statement. “We asked last year’s artists what advice they would have for artists considering being part of this event, and so many responded, simply ‘Do it!’ The next most common comment was ‘Be prepared for a busy day and many curious visitors.’ We saw record attendance in 2017 with over 1,200 visitors to the studios, so we always suggest that the artists eat their Wheaties, so to speak.”

Alexis Crowley, Program Coordinator for the Arts Council, said, “Visitors and residents alike often have no idea how many creative and productive artists are working throughout the region. On top of that enthralling experience, people going on this tour discover parts of our region that they might not otherwise find. The Open Your Eyes Studio Tour recognizes that when the public learns in-person from the artist about what is involved with the making of a work and the story behind it, a deeper connection and involvement with the art work happens, and this is what the Tour is all about,”

The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting the arts and cultural resources of northwestern Connecticut. The 25-town region served by the Arts Council includes Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Burlington, Colebrook, Cornwall, Falls Village, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, New Milford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Plymouth, Salisbury/Lakeville, Sharon, Roxbury, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Washington, and Winchester/Winsted.

To register and for information about Open Your Eyes Studio Tour go to OpenYourEyesTour.org or contact the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council at 860-618-0075 or alexis@artsnwct.org