Nico Savini of New Canaan's "Cathedral Rock at Sunset," on display at Taylor Luggage through May 20 as part of Art in the Windows.
Dozens of New Canaan shops will stay open late Thursday, as live music, artist receptions, wine tastings and other special events are held throughout the business district to mark the launch of Art in the Windows.
Residents are invited to stroll the streets of New Canaan from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for the 10th annual Art in the Windows. A record-70 stores are participating in this year’s event, featuring photos, paintings, sculpture and mixed media pieces from as many artists, 31 of them New Canaanites (see gallery above), according to Hilary Witmann, executive director of the Carriage Barn Arts Center. The Waveny-based nonprofit organized the event, which is sponsored by Bankwell, New Canaan Board of Realtors and Hutchinson Tree Care Specialists, in partnership with the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s great that we have more stores than ever and a lot of New Canaan artists, which is one of the things I really wanted to bring in this year, in addition to the great artists who are members of the Carriage Barn and exhibit in a lot of shows,” Witmann told NewCanaanite.com. “We added a youth category, so we have 15 kids ages 8 to high school age who are going to have their art in the windows.”
Many of those kids’ pieces also will be on display in a “youth art gallery” inside Garelick & Herbs on Main Street, where cookies and lemonade will be served.
Stewart’s Spirits, Franco’s Wine Merchants and Red Grape will host wine tastings for the event, artist receptions will be held at Nantucket Monogram, Morganthal Frederics and Wave, and live music, food and drinks will be held in the “Elm Street alley” that runs from Chef Luis to New Canaan Music.
“Grateful Alive” by Norwalk artist Mark Schiff is on display through May 20 at New Canaan Music as part of this year’s Art in the Windows downtown.
“Chef Luis is going to provide some appetizers, we’ll have some tables and Graham Lampen’s band Mind the Gap will be playing during the stroll, so come on back—it’s going to be a nice evening, no rain expected,” said Phil Williams, owner of New Canaan Music. The popular store and music lessons provider is featuring a watercolor by a local artist of Jerry Garcia.
Tucker Murphy, executive director of the Chamber, said the return of the stroll to kick off Art in the Windows is “just another reason that people should come on downtown.”
“Thursday is the new Friday, after all,” she said.
