The unseasonal warm weather may not have you in the Christmas sprit, but this New England holiday can always be special with the many events. The Lantern Light Tours at Mystic Seaport is one of those unique holiday attractions that can make your Christmas both entertaining and even educational. It’s a one hour walking performance tour (or play if you wish) that takes place Christmas Eve 1876. Here is description from their website followed by a video clip; “The Gardner family has struggled each Christmas since the War Between the States, when their beloved Captain Gardner was lost. No proof exists of his death, and for eleven years the family has wondered what happened to their father and husband. Join us on a journey through Greenmanville, a town hurt by war and healed by the hope and love of family.”
The cost is $26 for Adults and $19 for kids with a member discount of $2. If you haven’t been to the Mystic Seaport that too a step back in time of 1800’s New England whaling town.
Hay Cart - Photography by Allen, Frances and Mary (c. 1899)
One of the greatest treasures in Memorial Hall Museum and Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in Old Deerfield, Massachusetts is the vast collection of Allen sisters’ prints and glass plate negatives. Frances Allen and Mary Allen are renowned for idealized photographs of country scenes, figure and child studies, and landscapes dating from 1885-1920. This excerpt from their photography journal in 1894 is a bit of insight to their work:
We use the camera simply as a quick way of sketching, and regard all the technical part, which comes after the exposure is made, as a necessary evil…. In pictures, artistic excellence is usually entirely at variance with what is called a perfect photograph. The eye cannot focus itself on every object in its field of vision at the same time. If a photograph does this, the effect is hard and unnatural. But there must be method in this madness. A picture is not necessarily beautiful because it is blurred, and there’s need of all one’s technical skill, even after a good negative is made, in adapting the print to its peculiar individual qualities.
The Memorial Hall Museum is open seasonally (May 1 – November 1) from 11 am – 5 pm, 7 days a week. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for youth and students aged 6 – 21. Only a few blocks away is the Deerfield Inn, a traditional country inn located in the center of this 350-year old landmark village. Right now they are running a special package to get a free third night at the Deerfield Inn!When you book a two-night weekend stay and extend your getaway into a Thursday or Sunday, that third night will be free! Also included is a twenty-five dollar credit towards food and beverage on your free room night. This offer is only for a limited time (June 18-July 25, August 14-September 6) so book soon and enjoy your stay in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
Vermont Crafts Council hosts the Open Studio Weekend 2009
May 23 & 24, 2009
Back in September, the Vermont Crafts Council organizes directions and maps to all the sites of the Vermont craftspeople whom work in studios located in or close to their residences. Throughout the Winter, they continue accepting applications of sites and develop directions. Around the first week of April, it all comes together to make The Open Studio Weekend, named one of the Top Ten Summer Events in a Vermont Chamber of Commerce competition in 1997. On this event, you will be able to see for yourself the production of many finished works of art, the atmosphere of their workplace, and even talk with the artist them self all in the place of the artists’ workplace. You’ll see the swatches that have not been chosen for the quilt or the work that is experimental or not serious enough for the gallery. As you can see on the map below, it will be almost impossible to run out of places to visit on this exciting weekend. Thinking about attending both days of the Open Studio Weekend? The Distinctive Inns of New England can help you find the right place to stay in Vermont to make your weekend just a bit better with luxurious accommodations.
Going from idea to reality: Placing studios on the map.
Columbus Day Weekend – Scituate, Rhode Island – (Oct. 11-13 from 10am-5pm)
More than three hundred exhibitors from the US and Canada will meet this year in the small and quaint town of Situate, Rhode island. The panoramic of the finest foliage and exquisite art is what attracts all. Featured this year are dozens of antique dealers, all sorts of art for sale and display, a raffle for 30 different items witch proceeds going to Scituate town, live music, good food, friendly people. You can’t beat that!
In 1999, the 13-acre campus in North Adams, Massachusetts renovated into today’s largest contemporary art museum in the country. MASS MoCA has succeeded to adduce the most recent, empowering, and inspiring material. Beside their such competent art, at least 75 outstanding performances are enacted per year. Shows could be popular music, contemporary dance, alternative cabaret, outdoor silent films with live music, documentaries, world music dance parties or avant-garde theater. MASS MoCA, the Clark Art Institute, and the Williams College Museum of Art combined to provide a place for children to study and create art. Named Kidspace, kids also have the opportunity to experience world-class music, theater, and dance. Eight major sections of the campus bring something so diverse from the other and in November of 2008 MASS MoCA will present the ninth segment.
Over the summer you can watch over a dozen artists and drafts people collaborating on the art works for Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective. LeWitt, considered the founder of Minimal and Conceptual Movements, died shortly after he created the plans for this new addition to MASS MoCA. In dedication to him, twenty four LeWitt trained professionals and their associates will contribute to the 30,000 square foot production. Their own works outside of the LeWitt project will be showcased in an offsite exhibition called Primary Secondary: Volume 1 and 2 until August 29, 2008.
Tickets for MASS MoCA run at a great price and allow you to experience 110,000 square feet are purely popular and famed contemporary art. Check out some of the inns and bed & breakfasts in and around North Adams, Massachusetts and book your calendars.
Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective- Opening Nov. 16, 2008
If you have a laundry list of things to do on your next vacation, your destination is New Hampshire. The state truly justifies their motto, “Live Free or Die”, with tons of indoor and outdoor activities, plenty of shopping and antiquing, all season sport events, many art and entertainment scenes, and lots more. This year spice up the adrenaline with some white water sea-kayaking in the Saco River among the White Mountains. Slow down the pace instead on a panoramic hike with your family and children or follow a tour guide. Having 48 4,000 foot peaks, your bound to find a trail perfect for you. Try horseback riding at several of the state parks, play golf with some peers, visit historic sites on hundreds of different walking routes, or rent an ATV or snowmobile for some extreme action.
Stumped on where to stay? New Hampshire hosts warm hospitality with umpteen very unique inns and bed and breakfasts in just about every town you choose. For the nature type, boundless campgrounds lie from full-service RV sites to extremely rustic back country and remote spots. Now stumped on when to go? Because New Hampshire is so versatile, you can ultimately book your vacation depending on what you want to do. For the undecided, avenge in the maple sugaring time, that is mid-February to mid-April. During this time, the maple industries will produce more than 90,000 gallons of maple syrup so you know your pancakes will be smothered in the finest maple of the year. Plan and book your trip now stress-free today.
This August visit Jackson, New Hampshire for the annual White Mountain Arts Festival. This two day long festival is sponsored by the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce and is held in the Jackson Village Park on the 18th and 19th.
Artists both selling their work, as well as those there to be judged on their work, will be showing off their pieces to the public during the weekend. There will be musicians and an abundance of food vendors to attract visitors to the area as well. Jackson grew its popularity from artists traveling far and wide to paint there due to its outstanding view of the White Mountains.
If you want to spend a romantic weekend with your special someone at the Art Festival, be sure to visit the Inn at Thorn Hill. This full service inn has 25 rooms, a fine dining room as well as more casual lounge offerings. The Inn at Thorn Hill also offers a spa facility. This adult sanctuary was voted one of the ten most romantic inns in North America.
For more information on the White Mountains Arts Festival email info@jacksonnh.com .
Often times, Deerfield, Massachusetts is referred to as New England’s gem. Deerfield is home to thirteen beautifully restored, historic homes built in the 18th century, as well as the Flynt Center of Early New England Life Museum and two memorial libraries.
The Flynt Center of Early New England Life is a great place to visit if you are interested in learning about 18th and 19th century New England, with its constantly rotating exhibitions and knowledgeable staff. Currently, the Flynt Center is showing the following exhibits:
To top off a visit to Deerfield, be sure to relax at the Deerfield Inn. The Inn offers 23 guest rooms and an award winning dining room that serves both lunch and dinner.
Warm weather means being able to relax outdoors – and where better to take a stroll through the woods than beautiful New Hampshire. Holderness, NH, located in Grafton County, is home to the pristine Squam Lake and Rattlesnake Mountains. The area’s serene scenery was discovered in the 19th century by visitors to the area, and continues to bring guests each year.
The Rattlesnake Mountains are home to 173 acres of protected, public property with a network of trails waiting for your footprints. If you are adventurous, you can even climb Mount Webster, the highest point in Holderness, reaching an elevation of 2,076 feet.
After your tranquil hike, visit the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center to learn more about the wildlife in New Hampshire. Open for over forty years, the Science Center offers live animal exhibits, education programs and even lake cruises. Visit http://www.nhnature.org/for more information. To complete your stay in Holderness, enjoy a relaxing getaway at the Manor on Golden Pond where elegant surroundings, kind hospitality, and fine dining await.
Arts, Christmas, Events & Festivals, Music & Theater, Mystic | brustici | 
December 4, 2009 6:41 am | 
Comments (0) 
Subscribe