Your guide to the heart of Litchfield County:
Discover local stories, hidden gems, and must-know events.

The David M. Hunt Library will host Native Landscaping in Practice on Saturday, March 29th at 1 pm with Beth Romaker, project manager and landscape designer for Meadowscapes. Beth will share photos and details of a few unique native landscaping projects that showcase what can be done with native plants and ecologically beneficial landscape design, from household-sized projects to multi-acre meadows.

Beth holds a B.S. in Forest Ecology and has worked with Meadowscapes for 4 years. She continues to learn through a variety of classes and certification programs, like Audubon’s Habitat and Ecosystems Land Pro certification course.

David M. Hunt Library
63 Main Street
Falls Village, CT 06031

Native Landscaping in Practice with Beth Romaker

Celebrate Spring at the MATT with games, activities, and crafts for the whole family. Hop in line for a scavenger hunt, egg toss, wooden egg decorating, colorful suncatchers, and much more!

1-5 PM
Free for All

Sponsored by the Art Bridges Foundation

We will also be celebrating the opening of two new exhibitions: The Art of Leisure & The Art of Elizabeth Catlett: From the Collection of Samella Lewis, organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA and supported by Post University.

Mattatuck Museum
144 West Main Street
Waterbury, CT 06702

Free parking behind the museum in the lots on Park Place.
https://www.mattmuseum.org/calendar/family-fun-day-spring-time-fun/

Looking for a fun, active, and creative summer experience for your child? Pilobolus Kids Camp is back!

Pilobolus is an internationally acclaimed dance company that has delighted audiences for over 50 years. Using skills honed over decades of performance, our education initiatives—including summer camp— provide fundamental lessons about creativity, collaboration, and community through the joy of movement.

Kids ages 6 to 12 will explore movement, storytelling, and improvisation while building confidence, creativity, and collaboration skills—all through Pilobolus’s signature approach to learning through play!

Two Sessions Available:
Week 1: July 21 – 25, 2025
Week 2: July 28 – Aug 1, 2025

Location: Shepaug Valley High School, Washington, CT

Time: 9 AM – 3 PM daily

Sign up for one or both weeks! Each session $350.

Register here: pilobolus.org/camp

Shepaug Valley High School, Washington, CT
https://pilobolus.org/camp

Looking for a fun, active, and creative summer experience for your child? Pilobolus Kids Camp is back!

Pilobolus is an internationally acclaimed dance company that has delighted audiences for over 50 years. Using skills honed over decades of performance, our education initiatives—including summer camp— provide fundamental lessons about creativity, collaboration, and community through the joy of movement.

Kids ages 6 to 12 will explore movement, storytelling, and improvisation while building confidence, creativity, and collaboration skills—all through Pilobolus’s signature approach to learning through play!

Two Sessions Available:
Week 1: July 21 – 25, 2025
Week 2: July 28 – Aug 1, 2025

Location: Shepaug Valley High School, Washington, CT

Time: 9 AM – 3 PM daily

Sign up for one or both weeks! Each session $350.

Register here: pilobolus.org/camp

Shepaug Valley High School, Washington, CT
http://pilobolus.org/camp

I Know Myself As Thief: Creativity and Self-Discovery,” with Sister Jo-Ann Iannotti

The Gunn Memorial Library is thrilled to host Litchfield poet and photographer Jo-Ann Iannotti for an inspiring program that celebrates creativity and artistic expression. Join us as Jo-Ann shares how poetry and photography have served as powerful pathways to engaging with life to its fullest.

Through heartfelt stories, evocative poetry, and striking imagery, Jo-Ann invites attendees to explore the transformative potential of art. Seasoned artists will find encouragement in her experiences, while budding creatives will be inspired to respond to her call to embrace their most authentic selves.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be moved, motivated, and empowered to see the world—and yourself—through new, creative lenses.
Jo-Ann will have copies of her new book to sign at the end of her program!

BIO:
Jo-Ann Iannotti, OP, is a Dominican Sister of Hope and former Art and Spirituality Coordinator at Wisdom House Retreat and Conference Center in Litchfield, CT.
Her ministries have included teaching in elementary and secondary schools in New York and New Jersey, being Associate Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Hartford, being a scriptwriter for the Office of Radio and Television of the Archdiocese of Hartford, and being a reporter and photographer for The Catholic Transcript newspaper
in that archdiocese.
Jo-Ann is a poet and photographer. Her poetry has appeared in national and international magazines. She has had solo shows of her photography in New York and Connecticut. She is a member of the Dominican Institute for the Arts. A native of Paterson, New Jersey, she holds a B.A. in Education from Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY, and an M.A. in Theology from Fordham University, Bronx, NY.
Jo-Ann frequently lectures on the 14th-century English mystic Julian of Norwich and the interrelationship between art and spirituality. She is the author of Remember, Return, Rejoice: Journeying from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. She has also been a Supply Preacher for numerous churches in Northwest Connecticut.

April 26, 2025
11:00-12:00 PM
Free

Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Road
Washington, CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/i-know-myself-as-thief-creativity-and-self-discovery-with-sister-jo-ann-iannotti/

The Gunn Memorial Library presents to you author Tal Fagin who will speak about her new book, “Sometimes I Think I Suck.”
Do you live with a negative inner voice that demeans and undermines you, insisting you’re not smart enough, successful enough, fit enough, productive enough, or just not good enough?

Do you ever feel like your own worst enemy?

Maybe you beat yourself up, put yourself down, or push yourself too hard.

Perhaps you doubt your abilities or denigrate your accomplishments.

Do you have a cruel inner critic constantly saying, “You suck.”

Can you relate? If so, you’re not alone.

In Sometimes I Think I Suck, Tal Fagin shares her journey from an ambitious, hard-driving lawyer to a contented, easy-going life coach, showing how she shed the perfectionism that once caused her so much pain. Drawing from years of experience coaching high achievers and other intensely self-critical clients, she offers practical tools and exercises to help you silence your inner critic, develop greater self-compassion, and find more profound satisfaction.

Through relatable stories and actionable advice, this book guides you in clarifying and confronting the thoughts and beliefs that keep you mired in self-doubt. It teaches you how to live a more confident and joyful life by transforming that nagging, niggling voice into a source of strength. Whether you want to advance in your career, elevate your relationships, or improve self-esteem, Sometimes I Think I Suck will empower you to break free from self-defeating patterns so you can fully inhabit the rich, rewarding life that is waiting for you.
Get ready to stop criticizing and start thriving—because you definitely do not suck.
Registration is required at www.gunnlibrary.org/adults/
April 5, 2025
1:00-2:30 PM
Free

Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Road
Washington, CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/author-talk-with-tal-fagin-sometimes-i-think-i-suck/

Lecture on James Joyce’s “Finnegan’s Wake,” by John O’Connor

Join us for an educational and entertaining exploration of one of the most complex literary works of all time, James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. In this engaging presentation, we will delve into a fascinating section of the text, from page 300 to the top of page 302 (Book II chapter II of the volume), within the chapter titled “The Study Hour.”
The scene unfolds in the inn of the main character, HCE, where he drinks with his customers while his children—twins Shem and Sean and daughter Issy—study upstairs. Their lessons, brimming with humor and wit, touch upon the great scholarly pursuits of humanity: astronomy, mathematics, reincarnation, political progress, the philosopher’s stone, and more. Through Shem’s playful storytelling, these lessons are delivered with a quintessentially Irish blend of intellect and humor.

The discussion will highlight how Shem and Sean transform into planets while their audience becomes fixed stars, creating a cosmic metaphor that intertwines humor with historical and philosophical insight. We will also explore Sean’s mathematical endeavors, his use of trigonometry and quaternions, and his application of historical figures such as the Earl of Godolphin to navigate the complex legacy of Cromwell and its impact on Ireland.

This presentation promises to entertain, educate, and inspire participants to embrace the light of Joyce’s genius. Attendees will perhaps see Finnegans Wake in a new and illuminating way.

Open your mind to the brilliance of James Joyce and join us for this thought-provoking journey through Finnegans Wake.
John O’Connor has lectured on this book for about twenty-five years and finds it edifying, inspiring, profound, and sometimes frustrating. John has a B.A. from Bucknell University in English literature. He explains, “Some say philosophy is discovering what isn’t in the Wake. But as Joyce liked to say in risu veritas – in laughter there is truth. The Wake is world history in the abstract written in puns and at least sixty-six languages. I have deciphered some of it, and I like to share what I’ve found with others.”
Registration is required: www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/category/adultlib/

April 12, 2025
11:00-12:30 PM
free

Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Road
Washington, CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/category/adultlib/2025-04/

Date
Home Away from Homeschool Art Classes: Art Movements!
Printmaking

Each week, homeschoolers will focus on a different art practice, including photography and Surrealism, by taking a tour of the galleries and then creating original artwork. Students of all ages will enjoy being artistic, social, and learning new skills!

Cost: $15 per participant

Mattatuck Museum
144 West Main Street
Waterbury, CT 06702

FREE Parking is available behind the museum in the lots on Park Place.
https://www.mattmuseum.org/calendar/home-away-from-homeschool-art-classes-art-movements/

Gunn Memorial Library Makerspace
Creative Family Fun: For the Love of Pets
April 26, 2025
1:00-2:00 PM
Free

National Pet Week (May 4 –May 10) celebrates the pets that enrich our lives and encourages responsible pet care every day of the year. The week’s goals are to promote pet adoption, share why we love pets, and honor the hard work of animal doctors (veterinarians). It’s a great time to show extra appreciation for our furry, scaly, or feathered friends. Everyone should be extra kind to pets during National Pet Week! Do you have a dog, cat, or another animal at home? Come to the library and make a special treat for your pet to celebrate National Pet Week.

Ages 5+ with a caregiver
Registration Required

Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Road
Washington, CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/creative-family-fun-for-the-love-of-pets/

Adult Makerspace Workshop: Monogram It!
April 5, 2025
10:00-11:00 AM
Free

This Earth Month, learn to breathe new life into old clothing and accessories with machine embroidery! In this workshop, you’ll discover how to use the Makerspace’s embroidery machines to design and stitch a custom monogram onto a tote bag, t-shirt, blanket, or towel you’ve brought from home.

Please get in touch with us at create@gunnlibrary.org with any questions about choosing items to embroider.

Ages 18+
Registration Required

Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Rd
Washington, CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/adult-workshop-monogram-it/