Category: Past Events

Ashford Area Arts Council (AAAC) and Westford Hill Distillers (WHD) are eagerly planning for another successful A Summer’s Palette!  Join us in showcasing our talented artisans on the Saturday, June 24th RAIN OR SHINE from 10:00am – 4:00pm.

The Quiet Corner of CT is home to many talented, and nationally recognized, artisans and authors. 
The idyllic setting of Westford Hill Distillers is rich in colors, views and history and provides for a picture-perfect day for all.  It’s a day to relax and breathe in the natural beauty of the Chatey’s property while supporting 30+ local artists.  In addition, the day will offer:

• – Plein air painting – bring your own chair & easel & capture this beautiful setting on canvas! 
• – A Summer’s Palette signature cocktail created by Westford Hill Distillers, plus other craft spirit beverages.
• – Meet the distiller, Louis Chatey, and learn about 25 years of Westford Hill Distillers and this historic property.
• – Sweet Lil Details baked goods https://www.sweetlildetailsllc.com/
• – Live music
• – Poetry readings by local poets  
• – Kids activities (incl. a plein air table w/supplies)
• – Pollinator Pathways and Garden Club table

Here’s the PDF of the artists, schedule and event layout:

Come for the art, the setting, the spirits, the food, the music, the camaraderie & fun… Whatever your inspiration, we welcome you!  

Although we adore pets, we ask that you do not bring them to this event. Thank you!

More than 25 artists will be exhibiting and selling their artwork, plus enjoy live music, observe or participate in plein air painting. Woodturning and woodcarving, pottery, authors, fiber art, fairy houses, hand-made soaps, basketry, mosaics, musical instruments, photography, weaving, and more.

Desserts by Sweet “Lil Details, plus craft cocktails available for purchase.  All this fun is taking place on the grounds at Westford Hill Distillers, New England’s first craft distiller.  Westford Hill Distillers is located on a 200-acre property that has been under the stewardship of the Chatey family since 1919. Enjoy the mature gardens, learn about craft distillation. Live music includes performances by Ashford’s Babcock Cornet Band, the longest-performing cornet band in the country. This is what a day in June should be–bring along your friends, enjoy art, hear great music and drink in an authentic New England experience in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner.  

Tony Paticchio, Ashford’s Poet Laureate, will be hosting a Fall 2022 Poetry Reading and Writing Workshop for up to ten participants via Zoom on the following six Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:40 PM:  October 5, 19, November 2, 16, 30, and December 14.

Sessions will begin with close readings and discussions of several selected poems, focusing for the most part (though not exclusively) on free verse by 20^th and 21^st Century poets, followed by readings and discussion of poems and short prose pieces composed by workshop participants.  We will generally have a theme for each session’s readings, and will consider and discuss not just the sense and meaning of the selected poems, but also how the poems are constructed, including, among other things, how word choice, meter, sound, tone, repetition, metaphor, line length, and speaker voice contribute to our experience of reading the poems. 

Writing participants may choose to follow the session theme, but are free to submit one to two pages of any new or revised work at each session. No prior experience reading or writing poetry is required. I will provide to all workshop participants a selected reading list of resources, as well as a glossary of terms we will want to be familiar with and use as we consider and discuss poems.

Participants:  This workshop is open to writing participants who are willing to share and workshop their own poems, as well as to those who are interested in reading and discussing poetry, but don’t now have work of their own to share.  Please indicate your preference when you contact me. 

PLEASE CONTACT TONY AT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORKSHOP AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, SPECIFYING WHETHER YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE AS A WRITER AND READER, OR SOLELY AS A READER.    

October 22, 2 to 4 P.M. Ashford Senior Center

Kathy Lepak is a calligrapher, graphic designer and illustrator. For over forty years her calligraphy has graced wedding invitations and envelopes, certificates, proclamations, and her own illustrated artwork, along with a wide variety of different calligraphic projects. Kathy has taught classes at Arts Center East, Vernon; the Coventry Arts Guild and the studios at Cheney Homestead Arts in Manchester.

Come join Kathy for a two hour excursion into the art of the calligrapher. She will be teaching the use of the broad-edged nib in the formation of each of the letters of the Italic hand. Exemplars will be provided, along with samples and guidelines. Also included in the student package is her booklet “Notes on Calligraphy”, basic materials used and a listing of online or local sources for materials.  A $5.00 fee for nibs and pen holders will be requested plus $5 class fee for non-members (members class fee $0.

Please make certain to indicate when you register if you are right or left handed, as it makes a difference in the pen nibs that she will supply to each student.

Sign-up for this workshop must be received by October 13 so that nibs and holders may be ordered.

During a short, mid-class break, tea and scones will be served.

You may register by emailing Kathy

Website:  www.kathleenlepak.com

Instagram:  instagram.com/kathleenlepak

September

*AAC Annual Member appreciation meeting is at Knowlton Memorial Hall September 21st at 7:00 in place of our usual second Wednesday meeting. Please mark your calendar! The Babcock Band will perform and Pulitzer Prize winner (Political Cartoonist for Insider), Josh Adams will be our keynote speaker. There will be a short business meeting to talk about new positions for 2023.

October

*If you became a member before June of 2022, it will  be time to renew your membership in October. As it becomes closer we will be sending out registration forms.

*Our workshop program is returning beginning in October. We’ll keep you posted.

 *New event: AAC Members Show at the Vanilla Bean Gallery. We already have a list of 13 members who have responded. We will be hanging the show at the end of September. Date and time to follow. Let me know if you want your art to be included on the walls there.

November:

*Deb will reach out to former vendors of the annual Holiday Artists Market early in August before opening spaces to others. It will be held two days (Nov. 19 and 20 from 10 – 4:00 at Knowlton Memorial Hall) which is designed for social separation with half the vendors each day as we did last year. Like last year, each artist will enjoy extra space for their displays. You might need to renew your membership in October. The spaces will be $30

Writer’s Crawl, June 18, 2022, 10:30-1:30.
Meet at Storrs Center with Marian
Matthews, leader of the expedition.

Feel like being inspired through sharing your writing done in-the-moment and to the location with others? Then come to the Writer’s Crawl. We will be writing to art, nature, food, or whatever moves you. You do not have to be a writer to participate; just bring something to write with and something to write on. No pressure, no critique, just writing about whatever you want to write. Find the writer within you.
AAC members – Free, $5.00 for non-members.
matthewsmariank@gmail.com and
860-420-8544.

So far, these wonderfully creative people are registered to show:

Debora Aldo, mosaics
Lance Arnold, Glassware and Fairy houses
John Boiano, Pottery
Judy Doyle, original art
Debra Gag, paintings
Gretchen Geromin with Lauren Merlo, woodwork
Freitha Lawrence, artwork and her book
Dan Merlo, woodturner

Dana Monaco, fabric covered containers
Charles McCaughtry, paintings
Mike Metsak, HyHope soaps and lotions,
Dan Rackliffe, pottery
Jane Rackliffe, fused glassware
Mike South, luthier
Suzy Staubach, pottery, author
Kathy Weigold, weavings

The Ashford Arts Council is sponsoring A Summer’s Palette at Westford Hill Distillers from 10:00 – 4:00 on July 9th (Rain date 7/10). Artists will be drawing painting en plein air and others, including you, may stop by to join in. There will be a paint and paper table for those who wish to try their hand at en plein air. The location is incredibly inspiring, with an over 100-year-old home and a lovely pond. The lilies and other flowers will be in bloom. There will be live music, and drinks and snacks will be available. Several artists will be displaying their work and offering some for sale. We appreciate the collaboration with Margy and Lou Chatey who operate the distillery and are kind enough to share their beautiful location. The Chatey’s will be creating a signature beverage for the event. Lou will be talking about the history of the local area and a little about the distillery.

Spring (starting in April 25th, 2022) Zoom Poetry Workshop With Tony Paticchio

Dates: Workshops will be held the 2ND & 4TH Monday each month from 6:30-8:00 PM, starting April 25th.  I’d like to keep this workshop open for as long as there is interest in continuing with it.  If and as writing slots open, I’ll look for new writing participants.

Participants:  Up to 6 writing participants who are willing to share and workshop their own poems.  I will also hold up to 4 additional reading only slots for those who are interested in reading and discussing poetry, but don’t now have work of their own to share.  Please indicate your preference when you contact me.    

We’ll read and discuss our own work, as well as poems by some of our finest contemporary and near contemporary poets, including favorite poets of the participants.   Our goal is to become more accomplished readers and writers of poetry.

PLEASE CONTACT TONY IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, SPECIFYING WHETHER YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE AS A WRITER OR SOLELY AS A READER.    

Chair Caning Footstool Workshop 4/27 & 5/4

Have you ever wanted to learn to cane chairs? This workshop offers you the entire 7-Step chair caning process by completing a 10” x 14” solid oak footstool during the workshop.
No caning or limited caning experience needed, just the desire to learn. After completing this class, participants will be able to cane chairs on their own and be the envy of friends and relatives.

1. Register with Bob Johnson, an experienced and passionate chair caner and seat weaver at or 860-455-6503.
2. Materials: Participants will purchase online a “Chair Caning Footstool Kit” .
   Kit cost $44.95 and contains all of the materials you will need for the class. Order as soon as possible.
3. Class fee: free for AAC members; $5 for non-Members. (exact cash or check made out to Windham Arts Organization, In Memo line: AAC Workshop
   

Two-Session Workshop
Wed., April 27 and May 4, 6:30-8:30pm
Ashford Senior Center