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James Bairaktaris 2/4/21 James Bairaktaris 2/4/21

MoCA Celebrates Season with Winter Lights Festival February 27

Press Release

MoCA Westport and the Up | Next Teens organization invite the community to attend an experiential Winter Lights Festival at MoCA Westport (19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport) on Saturday, February 27th from 12 - 6 p.m.

The Festival will feature a Maker and Crafts space in a large airy outdoor tent including supplies and step-by-step instructions for families to work together to create winter-themed decorations. These decorations will be incorporated into a walk-through Light Path, which will be lit at sun down. The public is invited to view the experience through the following weekend.

Attendees will also experience live performances by local high school musicians, can purchase delicious food offerings from The Melt on-site truck, and enjoy complimentary hot cocoa from Sheila Barton Events.

The Festival also includes complimentary access to MoCA Westport’s exhibition, Hindsight is 2020, featuring close to 200 high school student artists from across the region.

Members of MoCA Westport’s Teen Council will be on site to share their artwork and unique goods available for purchase during the entirety of the afternoon.

Tickets for the event are now available for purchase on mocawestport.org for two-hour blocks of time. Tickets for MoCA Westport Members are $25/family or $10/individual; Non-Members can purchase tickets for $30 family/$15 individual.

MoCA Westport Executive Director Ruth Mannes stated, “We are so thrilled to work with the Up | Next Teens organization to share this event with our members and friends. We invite all new and familiar faces to MoCA Westport to enjoy this immersive experience combining the arts, music, food, and community.”

Addison Moore, the Up | Next founder added, “Everyone says that we are the future. But there is no future without a vision for success. Up | Next is excited to partner with MoCA Westport as we work hard to help local teens flex their muscles of new ideas, imagination and creativity. When it comes to innovative leadership, we’re up next.”

Up | Next is a student run organization designed to address three major goals, 1) Supporting a cause: that of helping feed those in need, 2) Educating teens: teaching youth how to invest in business, manage business, and be leaders in business, and 3) Providing support to youth to bring their project’s vision to fruition. To learn more about Up | Next, please contact the organization at UpNextMail1@gmail.com.

The event is also in partnership with the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce.

All State of Connecticut safety protocols will be explicitly followed, including wearing of face masks, social distancing, and timed visits.

In case of inclement weather, the rain date for the event will be Saturday, March 6th.

For more information on the Winter Lights Festival, please visit mocawestport.org or contact MoCA Westport at info@mocawestport.org or 203/222-7070.

James Bairaktaris 1/24/21 James Bairaktaris 1/24/21

Westport Arts Advisory Committee Culture Corner: January & February

Welcome to the Westport Local Press’ first of what we hope to be many installments of the Westport Arts Advisory Committee’s “Culture Corner.”

Prepared by Diane Lowman, Westport Poet Laureate, WAAC Member

**Felted hearts by Dolores Santoliquido.**

The WAAC, established in 1994, supports and showcases our town’s rich artistic fabric. We will scour our 33.45 square miles for each column, and highlight one of the many artists – visual, written, performance, and other – who call Westport home. The spectrum of color that they create shines over town like the rainbows often seen over the Saugatuck, so for this first year, that’s our theme. Each month we will pick a color and profile an artist that connects (however tightly or tenuously) to that color.

Of course, for February, Red rules. Cupid’s arrow engenders love, and so, too, does Janine Brown. The award-winning, Iowa-born multimedia artist is a member of The Artists Collective of Westport, and curator of this month’s Valentine-inspired, pandemic-friendly heart/art show at 24/7@ 47 Main Street downtown. Eighteen artists exhibit love, red, pink, and heart-inspired artwork in many media in the window at that address, for safe, contactless, distanced viewing.

**Janine Brown, Elizabethe Devoll, and Nina Bentley installing this month’s art exhibit at 47 Main Street.**

You can see, for example, Dolores Santoliquido’s felted hearts, originally designed as compassionate condolences to those who lost someone to Covid-19. Barbara Ringer imagines Barbie entangled romantically with Ken, and Gumby! Elizabeth DeVoll reimagines hearts in 3D with wings and with real pipes representing anatomical valves. Ginny Waters takes the vow “til death to us part” with whimsical skeletons in love on ceramic mugs.

There are paintings, prints, collages, and creations of all types that defy one material or medium. They are as varied and nuanced as love itself, that comes in so many different sizes, shapes, and colors.

This exhibit, which runs until February 15, gives Westporters, and art aficionados from near and far, to get out into the brisk air, stroll our downtown streets, and take in some inspiring works – safely. The exhibit will change monthly, giving us all a good reason to return frequently, as we hope you will to the WAAC Culture Corner to learn more about our talented artistic community.

James Bairaktaris 1/19/21 James Bairaktaris 1/19/21

Haiku Moment from Westport’s Poet Laureate

From Westport’s Poet Laureate: Diane Meyer LowmanDry January Was only half a successLast til the ides — *From Westport’s Poet Laureate:* **Diane Meyer Lowman**
Dry January
Was only half a success
Last til the ides

James Bairaktaris 1/12/21 James Bairaktaris 1/12/21

Haiku Moment from Westport’s Poet Laureate

From Westport’s Poet Laureate: Diane Meyer LowmanThe Morning AfterDid we win or did we loseOnly time will tell — From Westport’s Poet Laureate: **Diane Meyer Lowman**
**The Morning After**
**Did we win or did we lose**
**Only time will tell**

James Bairaktaris 1/12/21 James Bairaktaris 1/12/21

Virtual Book Launch Tonight for Westport Author

The Westport Library will host a virtual book launch tonight at 7:00 PM for Westport author Elizabeth Chatsworth, and her new book “The Brass Queen.”

Chatsworth, who also works for the Library, said during a Connecticut Post interview that “The Brass Queen is a funny, fantastical adventure in a steam-powered world” and would serve as an antidote to the winter blues. Registration is required, and can be found at the Westport Library website.