UNDAUNTED!
These two intrepid windsurfers tried their best to overcome the challenges of staying upright off Compo's South Beach on Sunday. High winds made for some fast action on the water, but they also made for some rough chop which combined with intermittent driving rain.
These two refused to let the challenging conditions stop them from enjoying the benefits the wind velocity provided and they got back up on their boards repeatedly after being dumped in the frigid water.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Dazzling Longshore Cherry Blossoms
The resplendent blossoms of these Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees offer a beautiful location for a tranquil moment at the ladies tee at the Longshore Golf Course on Sunday.
Photo By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
Morning Weather Report
Today
A 30 percent chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Southwest wind around 15 mph.
Tonight
A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. South wind 8 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow
A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Southwest wind 10 to 13 mph.
Tomorrow Night
A 20 percent chance of showers after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. West wind 6 to 9 mph.
Westport Schools: Public Library Kicks off Common Ground Series
The Westport Library, in conjunction with our community partners, is striving to bring civility back to civic discourse with its new Common Ground Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to host positive, productive conversations on how we work together to move forward as an engaged and respectful society, encourage constructive dialogue, and build capacity to tackle challenging and controversial issues.
The kickoff event in the Common Ground series will be held in the Library at 7 pm on Tuesday, May 2, featuring former U.S. Representative and Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri (facebook.com/RoyForMissouri), who earned a reputation for working across the aisle during his 30 years in Congress. He will be joined by noted attorney Steve Parrish, the founder of Steve Parrish Consulting Group, LLC, which specializes in corporate social responsibility, public affairs, and communications.
A more perfect union starts with us. Don’t miss this inaugural common ground conversation!
Event details: https://westportlibrary.org/event/common-ground-initiative-senator-roy-blunt-on-civil-discourse/
Morning Weather Report
Today
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. East wind 7 to 11 mph.
Tonight
Showers likely, mainly after 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 46. East wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tomorrow
Showers. High near 54. Breezy, with an east wind 16 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tomorrow Night
Showers likely, mainly before 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 48. Northeast wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Staples Jazz Takes 2nd Place Nationally; Lindau Named Outstanding Musician
contributed photoPress ReleaseThe Staples High School's Music Department is proud to announce that its Jazz Ensemble, directed by Mr. Phil Giampietro, took second place in the top division at the National Jazz Festival held in Philadelphia on Saturday, April 22nd. The ensemble's drummer, Witt Lindau, was also recognized with one of three Outstanding Musician medals.
The impressive showing at the festival is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the students and their instructors, including Bedford Middle School Band Director and Staples' Assistant Jazz Band Director, Gregg Winters, who played a critical part in the ensemble's development.
The Staples High School Jazz Ensemble's performance at the festival included a repertoire of outstanding pieces including "Cubauza" by Michael Philip Mossman, "Movin’ Uptown" by Benny Carter, edited by David Berger, "Groove Merchant" by Jerome Richardson, arr. Thad Jones, and "Shades On, Roof Down" by Eric Richards.
This marks the second time that the jazz program at Staples has been recognized nationally in recent years. The Staples High School Jazz Combo received first place in Small Ensemble Division 1 Live Performance at the 2021 National Jazz Festival.
Director Giampietro stated, "the Staples music faculty and I are so proud of our students and their hard work. This incredible achievement is a testament to their perseverance during the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. I am inspired by their continued commitment to making great music.”
For more information about the Staples High School Music Department and its programs, please visit the department website www.staplesmusic.org.
Morning Weather Report
Today
A 20 percent chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
Tonight
A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. South wind 5 to 7 mph.
Tomorrow
A 30 percent chance of showers before 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 60. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Tomorrow Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.
Evening Pastels, Spring Blossoms from the Library Steps
Tree blossoms and the pastels of sunset lit the way for Westport Library patrons as they alighted the stairs towards the Saugatuck this evening. WestportLocal.com photo
Center for Contemporary Printmaking Presents artist Ann Chernow for Gallery Talk
Ann Chernow, Eight Silhouettes, Lithograph, 2004The Center for Contemporary Printmaking (CCP) announces an Artist Talk with Ann Chernow in support of CCP’s current exhibition, Collaboration 2020 Encore: Ann Chernow and James Reed. Join us for a talk in our Grace Ross Shanley Gallery on May 16, 2023 from 12:30 - 1:30 to hear Ann discuss her experience in the creation of these prints. This event is free & open to the public.
The prints in this exhibition address the alchemy of printmaking as they relate to the prints of Pablo Picasso. The selection of prints in the show are excerpts from an astounding body of work with an unusual origin story. Ann Chernow and James Reed, an artist and a printmaker respectively, combined their knowledge and experience to produce a complex series of lithographs replicating Picasso’s imagery after having conducted an exhaustive technical exploration to duplicate his undocumented printmaking techniques.
The resulting series of prints are the culmination of this years-long and incredibly unique exploration undertaken by an artist and a printer in close collaboration. Chernow and Reed’s efforts in this project resulted in fifty-three prints that sit squarely within Chernow’s oeuvre using Picasso’s ingenious approach to printmaking, only possible as a result of Reed’s extensive knowledge and skill. “We have worked on this project for five demanding, educational, fun and very satisfying years.” Chernow said. Twenty-five of these prints will be on view at CCP from April 16 through May 21, 2023.
Ann Chernow is an American figurative artist known for her images of women evocative of 1930’s and 1940’s film noir femme fatales, longtime artist collaborator with Reed for various lithography print projects.
James Reed is a highly respected Tamarind Master Printer, artist, collector, and founder of Milestone Graphics, having collaborated with many of the most coveted artists of the 20th century.
Learn more about the exhibition here: https://contemprints.org/exhibition/collaboration-2020-encore-ann-chernow-and-james-reed/
View the online exhibition catalog here: https://issuu.com/ccpminiprintcatalog13/docs/annchernowonlineex
Read about the exhibition in Journal of the Print World
https://contemprints.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Journal-of-Print-World-April-Digital-8-meg-3.pdf
Free Tree Seedling Give-away Friday at Town Hall Ball Fields
Press Release
The Westport Tree Board will celebrate Arbor Day with a Tree Seedling Give-Away on Friday, April 28 from 3-5 pm at the Town Hall, 110 Myrtle Avenue. There will be a table set up near the ball fields at the rear of the Town Hall.
The seedlings will come with planting instructions for school-age children and residents of Westport on a first-come, first-serve basis. The tree seedling give-away has been made possible through the generous donation of Eversource Energy in recognition of National Arbor Day.