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W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G I N T H E H I L L S

EDUCATION ISSUE FA L L 2 0 2 6

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EDITOR’S LET TER

THE SEASONS TURN

T Mary Beth Lawlor PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

HIS ISSUE ARRIVES as the county turns—apples ripening, light going golden, and Litchfield County settling into the glorious season of autumn. It feels right, then, to visit with Todd Piker, who has spent more than 50 years at Cornwall Bridge Pottery coaxing beauty from clay, fire, and the patient acceptance of uncertainty. You can see his work and many others this October during the Clay Way Studio Tour. We also visit Topsmead in Litchfield, the Tudor cottage and 510-acre estate that Edith Chase generously left to the people of Connecticut. And in Cornwall, we meet Jed Gracey of Coltsfoot Cottage Farm, who is farming the same land his family has known for generations, this time with regenerative intention. There is art to see: Eric Forstmann’s new exhibition at Eckert Fine Art explores the interplay of night and day (and we are thrilled to feature his painting on our cover), and Nancy Lasar’s beautiful prints and collages are on view at Judy Black Park. Former fashion designer Jamie Delaney opens the doors of her impeccably restored 1795 Kent farmhouse, and Jennifer Bastiaanse’s Halloween spectacle on South Lake Street, as those who have driven past know, is in a category entirely its own. The education guide rounds out the issue with a look at the independent schools across the county shaping the next generation.

HAPPY FA L L !

2 • LITCHFIELD • SEP I OCT 2026

The Inside Scoop 1 Object & Thing Former Frieze artistic director Abby Bangser brings her acclaimed Object & Thing concept home to New Preston, where she has opened a new gallery focusing on object-based work.

2 Cornwall Music Bowl I haven’t been yet, but Cornwall Market’s new Music Bowl—free outdoor concerts and lawn games—sounds like the kind of low-key, high-quality outing that makes living here so good. Concerts continue through the fall.

3 Mayflower Spa Upgrades If you haven’t experienced the luxury of the Mayflower spa, you must. I’m thrilled to hear that they plan to add a padel court and eight-person sauna to the mix. They have a spa membership program which I recommend.

4 Annual Clay Way Studio Tour Peak fall leaf color is typically mid-October, which also happens to coincide with the annual pottery studio tour which is a lovely way to spend a weekend with friends or visiting guests. I promise everyone will enjoy it. Oct. 17-18.

5 Understory When Pergola in New Preston closed I was heartbroken but soon recovered once I heard that former employees Sarah and Chad had put their spin on it. Gratefully, it’s just as delightful as ever.

E L E I S H VA N B R E E M S H O M E WES TPORT • NANTUCKE T • NEW PRES TON • ROXBURY | @ELEISHVANBREEMS

CONTENTS

HALLOWEEN OBSESSED

NANCY LASAR Fifty years of line, energy, and intuition: artist Nancy Lasar finds her voice.

BY FRANCES CHAMBERLIN

SKIFF MOUNTAIN FARM Fashion designer Jamie Delaney’s meticulous renovation of a 1795 Kent farmhouse turns a cherished friendship into a permanent homecoming.

BY CHRISTOPHER STELLA

EDUCATION GUIDE Litchfield County’s independent schools offer distinctive approaches to learning, from early childhood through the pivotal years of secondary education.

very october, Jennifer Bastiaanse transforms her 1790 South Lake Street colonial into a Tim Burton–meets–Martha Stewart spectacle of skeletons, ghouls, and black cats. For this self-described Halloween obsessive, the macabre is a year-round calling—and her Litchfield house, complete with a friendly ghost, delivers.

4 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

COLTSFOOT COTTAGE FARM On three ancestral acres in Cornwall, Jed Gracey grows food, honors family, and proves that regenerative farming is a way of life. BY CLEMENTINA VERGE

ON THE COVER Painting by Eric Forstmann "South View, Learsy's", Sharon, CT 2020, oil on board.

PH OTO GR A PH O F J E N N I FE R BAS T I A A N S E BY R A N A FAU RE

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CONTENTS

2 EDITOR’S NOTE Publisher and editor-in-chief Mary Beth Lawlor welcomes fall

14 LOOKING BACK The Holley Manufacturing Company

BY ALEXANDRA MAZZA

19 ON OUR RADAR Katie Re Scheidt, Sebastian Tillinger, Salisbury Fall Fest, Belden House Award, Eleish Van Breems, Harry Moses, Nancy Lasar, Gravestone preservation, Litchfield artists show, Michael Jay, Object & Things

44 DELANEY’S SKIFF MOUNTAIN HOME Where friendship finally became home BY CHRISTOPHER STELLA

55 EDUCATION GUIDE The schools that shape our students

70 COLTSWOOD COTTAGE FARM Jed Gracey, rooted deep in Cornwall's soil BY CLEMENTINA VERGE

76 TOPSMEAD CHASE COTTAGE Edith Chase's gift to Connecticut BY CLEMENTINA VERGE

90 POTTER TODD PIKER Fire, clay, beautiful life BY CLEMENTINA VERGE

89 OUT & ABOUT NWCT Conservancy, Gunn Library Luminaries

96 EATS Good News Restaurant and Bar in Woodbury BY CHARLES DUBOW

104 ART NEWS Eric Forstmann's one-man exhibition, Night & Day

6 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

WHO WE ARE

Wendy Carlson WRITER

New Milford-based writer and photographer Wendy Carlson visits Jennifer Bastiaanse in Litchfield who goes all out decorating her historic home in a cool mashup of Tim Burton and Martha Stewart style, and reveals it has a ghost of its own.

Rana Faure PHOTOGRAPHER

Faure finds joy and inspiration while covering Litchfield’s special moments. Formerly with Getty Images and Seventeen, she captures the region’s fall magic—from Jamie Delaney and Michael Cullen’s art-filled home to Jennifer Bastiaanse’s fun horror Halloween decor, Jed Gracey’s generational Coltsfoot Cottage Farm, and the Angevine family tree farm’s activity-filled grounds and seasonal pizza truck.

Troy McMullen WRITER

McMullen is an executive editor at ABC News and a former staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal. For this issue, he turns his lens toward Litchfield–the historic 18th-century town—documenting the creative renaissance currently reshaping its idyllic countryside.

Christopher Stella WRITER

Stella is a writer, photographer, woodworker, and marketer. In this issue, he explores how Skiff Mountain Farm has proved fertile ground for cultivating friendships and new beginnings.

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Clementina Verge r

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r 8 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

WRITER

Verge teaches literature at Central Connecticut State University. In this issue, she writes about Edith Morton Chase’s gift of Topsmead State Forest, Todd Piker’s pottery legacy—from training in Cornwall, England, to his wood-burning kiln in Cornwall Bridge—and speaks with Jed Gracey about organic farming on family land.

Mary Beth Lawlor PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ken DeLago DESIGN DIRECTOR

Vanessa Hammond OPERATIONS MANAGER

Alicia Pascale PRODUCTION MANAGER

Steven Lombardi WEBSITE MANAGER

Zandria Oliver PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Alexandra Mazza EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Georgia LoPresti EVENTS DIRECTOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Wendy Carlson, Frances Chamberlin, Charles Dubow, Alexandra Mazza, Troy McMullen, Maria Mostajo Christopher Stella, Clementina Verge CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Anne Day, Rana Faure, Ryan Lavine, Lisa Nichols ADVERTISING SALES Jill Lawlor: 860-931-7787 jill@litchfieldmagazine.com DISTRIBUTION Man in Motion: 203-515-2288 We welcome input about this and future issues. Please address letters, queries, and ideas to info@litchfieldmagazine.com. TO ADVERTISE email: jill@litchfieldmagazine.com or call us at 860-931-7787 Go to www.litchfieldmagazine.com/subscribe for a one-year subscription or send $40 to: Happening in the Hills LLC PO Box 95, South Kent, CT 06785 860-931-7787 Litchfield Magazine is a publication of Happening in the Hills LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publisher. L ITC HFIE L D MAGA ZIN E.COM

SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 9

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L O O K I N G B AC K

BRENDA TATE PORTRAITS

CUTTING EDGE A Pocket-Sized Piece of Salisbury History B Y A L E X A N D R A M A Z Z A

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N SALISBURY’S Academy Building, a collection of pocketknives tells the story of one of Lakeville’s most important industries— and the Connecticut craftsmanship that once traveled far beyond the Northwest Corner.

14 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

The Holley Manufacturing Company began in 1844 as Holley & Merwin Company, founded by Alexander Hamilton Holley and George Merwin. In 1854, the company was incorporated as the Holley Manufacturing Company. It became a major employer in Lakeville for more than a century and was one of the country’s earliest producers of pocket cutlery. Among the Salisbury Association Historical Society’s collections is a remarkable display originally created for the 1876 International Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, where American industry and innovation were showcased. The hand-crafted black walnut case once held a much larger array of Holley knives, demonstrating the range of cutlery produced by the company. Today, 130 of those knives form the restored display at the Academy Building. The collection recently underwent an extensive conservation project after years of deterioration had affected the knife handles, blades, and case. Each of the 130 knives was individually assessed and treated, while the case was repaired and its lettering regilded. A new arrangement was created for the display, which returned to the Academy Building after a two-year absence. The knives offer more than a glimpse at 19th-century manufacturing. They preserve a tangible connection to Lakeville’s industrial past— and to the moment when a small Connecticut community presented its craftsmanship to the world. ■

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ARTIST’S STATEMENT

PORTRAITS is a series of expressive paintings unified by a limited palette, honoring my friends and colleagues from investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, lost on the 88th and 89th floors of 2 World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Most of the reference photos used to create these portraits are from The New York Times “Portraits of Grief” series and the Voices Center for Resilience, supplemented by KBW communitysourced memorial imagery. This series is my offering to them. Each painting is 16 x 12 inches—all 67 the same size and format. They are distilled interpretations that simplify form, remove backgrounds, and present each person within the same visual language, with the intention of honoring them as individuals while also conveying the sense of a community lost together. The paintings are rendered in a limited palette of warm taupe, dusty rose, and pale blue—reminiscent of the clear blue sky that morning—so that when hung together, they appear bathed in a warm light. We were such a young firm. Beautiful people in the middle of their lives, with families and friends who loved them, and colleagues who will never forget their faces or laughs. I thought if I could paint them, I could show the enormity of what was lost. These portraits are an attempt to make those lives visible again— so that they are seen, and never forgotten. It is my intention that the 67 paintings remain together: a unified field of remembrance. Katie Ré Scheidt Roxbury, Connecticut, 2026

PHOTOGRAPH BY ADAM LERNER

SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 19

HOW A FERRIS WHEEL STAYED BROKEN Painter Sebastian Tillinger’s Debut Memoir, Finally on Shelves

You wrote How the Ferris Wheel Was Broken in 1999, when you were 25, but waited more than two decades to release it. What made this the right moment to share it with readers? I’m interested in art that will stay relevant for all time. I’m biased to my own story, but I found this work entertaining after all these years—so maybe other people will, too.

PAINTER SEBASTIAN Tillinger—son of Broadway director John Tillinger and actress Dorothy Lyman, brother of Scorsese producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff—has released How the Ferris Wheel Was Broken: A Love Letter to Los Angeles from Regalo Press. He wrote the memoir at 25 and held it for two decades.

20 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

You grew up around your father, Broadway director John Tillinger, and your mother, actress, director, and writer Dorothy Lyman, surrounded by some of the most brilliant minds in theater and film. How did that upbringing shape who you were at 25, and who you are now? My parents are part of a generation of artists who created art for its own sake. Monetary gain was an afterthought, and I am imbued with that sensibility. The artists I have known are intense personalities open to possibilities. Art is communicating something innovative about the human condition.

The title came to him at a bar. A cocktail on the menu was called “How the Ferris Wheel Was Broken” and he knew instantly it was the one.

Your sister, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, has had an extraordinary career as a film producer, working with Martin Scorsese for 20 years and producing The Joker and The Bride . Would you share a bit about her accomplishments and what it was like to work alongside her on The Bride ? My sister is a facilitator of dreams. The morale on her projects is always high, as everyone is focused on delivering the director’s vision.

At 25, you described your life as “dull and pointless.” Do you think most young people feel that way? How does your memoir capture the experience of going through an existential crisis? I have been searching for meaning my entire life. I think all people question the nature of reality and existence, but most move on without any answers. I’m lucky to live with the question. At 25, you were wrestling with the tension between making art and making a living. Looking back from where you sit today, have you reconciled those two pulls, and what would you tell your younger self about that struggle? Art is not commerce. Your belief is powerful—be careful where you place it. After 20 years in Los Angeles, you returned to Connecticut, where you now live with your wife, Pilar, and your daughter. What drew you back, and how has settling here shaped your life and your work as a painter? I wanted my daughter to grow up slowly in the protective bubble of a small town instead of the city. It’s Calder country, so it suits me just fine as an artist. What do you most hope readers take away from How the Ferris Wheel Was Broken, and where can they order the book? I hope people find the book entertaining. You are the star of your own movie. You don’t have to be rich and famous to lead an extraordinary life. The book is available wherever books are sold. ■

PHOTOGRAPH BY E THAN ASH

WHERE EVERY PIECE HAS A PAST Eleish Van Breems In Roxbury Showcases Antiques Of Rare Distinction

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19th-Century Salesman’s Cello Sampler Rare salesman’s travel case displaying a range of string instrument options. $7,800

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↘ Swedish Dalarna Kurbits Painted Cupboard Rare Swedish folk art cupboard from the Dalarna region, retaining original kurbits decoration. Dated 1831. $18,000

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← Painted Swedish Corner Cabinet Early 19th-century Swedish corner cabinet in two parts, retaining original painted surface in white, grey, and pale blue. Gustavian tradition. $17,000

SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 21

SCARECROWS, CIDER, AND 69 YEARS RUNNING B Y W E N DY C A R L S O N

F YOU LOVE scarecrows, cider, pumpkins, hayrides, and all things autumnal, head to the Northwest Corner on Columbus Day weekend for Salisbury’s 69th Annual Fall Festival, held October 9–11. One of the oldest autumn festivals in the region, the event has grown from its humble beginnings as an antique show into a townwide celebration, says Jeanette Weber, who first got involved in 2011. Last year, more than 70 local organizations, artisans, schools, churches and businesses participated, with hundreds of volunteers running booths, overseeing activities, preparing food and keeping the weekend moving. Weber estimates more than 2,500 people attended on Saturday alone—a number that keeps climbing. The draw is the range: there’s something here for every age, and visitors come from far and wide to find it. The festival kicks off Friday with a “Sip and Stroll,” where visitors fuel up with cocktails and appetizers at local stores before the weekend gets underway. Through the heart of town, bargain hunters sift through attic treasures, 22 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

Salisbury’s annual fall festival attracts thousands each year to the idyllic New England town.

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y A N N E D AY

browse the book sale, admire the quilt show and historical displays, and sample local cuisine. Artisans sell handmade jewelry, pottery, textiles, leather goods and baked goods. On Saturday, catch performances by the Joint Chiefs, the Salisbury Band and other musicians, or try your hand at karaoke. Families gravitate to Library Street for hayrides, face painting, magic shows, pumpkin painting, games, antique car rides, and dance performances. Lining the street: homemade scarecrows competing for awards across several categories. What makes a winner? Not necessarily the most elaborate— or the scariest. “One year the winner was a very tiny ghost,” Weber says. After 69 years, Salisbury’s Fall Festival still has a few surprises up its sleeve. salisburyfallfestival.org

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CONTROLLED CHAOS N Signature of Artist’s Work B Y F R A N C E S C H A M B E R L A I N

ANCY LASAR’S Washington Depot studio is an explosion of lines and color as she prepares for her next show at Judy Black Park. The space brims with large splashes of color, some abstract, others colorful vases of flowers arranged on tables, yet there is order in everything. The abstract paintings have form within the chaos, drawn in part from a connection to Chinese calligraphy and nature. The flower paintings, too, are rooted in drawing, arranged on tables set slightly askew, requiring the viewer to look carefully.

“Drawing is the most important thing,” Lasar says. She was later inspired by Paul Klee, who said art was “taking a line for a walk.” “Drawing is finding your own language, energy, and technique,” Lasar says. “It’s a long process to recognize your own voice, but it is the most important job of the artist.” “My work starts as an abstraction, begins with lines, building with lines until it connects and comes together,” she adds. “Energy, that’s part of it. I’m attracted to the power of it. Everything is interconnected, like mushrooms with all the tendrils connecting.” After an early bicycling trip through China, Lasar was struck by the clear delineation of space, what was in front of you, the middle ground, and the mountains in the distance. The influence of that trip continues in her work. Lasar’s practice spans engraving, graphite and mixed media on digital prints, chine-collé, and monotypes. “The collage work came in earnest when I started doing monotypes,” she says. “I tend to save everything, that’s the Yankee in me.” She saves select monotypes and repurposes them in collages alongside

24 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

other print materials, graphite, and acrylic paints. Lasar graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and went on to study at Columbia and Yale. She has worked as an artist for 50 years, while also spending 15 years running West Wind

Artist Nancy Lasar in her studio surrounded by her beautiful paintings.

Studio, a frame shop. “I saw collections of artists I had studied, and all of this recycled into my life,” she says. “I look back now and see how something expanded in me.” Lasar’s husband, Stephen Lasar, now uses the frame shop for his architecture practice, and the two share studios in their home. They moved from New York to New Haven before settling in Washington Depot, where he built his business. Over the past 20 years, Lasar has devoted herself full time to painting. She has exhibited in New England, New York, Minnesota, Sweden, China, and Japan, and is an exhibiting artist at A.I.R. Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. She has been published by VanDeb Editions. Lasar has had two solo shows at the Mattatuck Museum, group shows at other Connecticut museums and the Center for Contemporary Printmaking, and exhibitions at galleries throughout New York. Her work is held in numerous public and private collections. The show at Judy Black Park runs from September 21 through October 18, alongside outdoor sculpture by John Casey of New Milford. ■

P H O T O G R A P H B Y R YA N L AV I N E

OLD BONES, NEW LIFE, ONE AWARD Belden House & Mews Earns Statewide Preservation Recognition for Historic Revival

The 1888 Victorian mansion has been restored and honored with an Award of Merit

ELDEN HOUSE & Mews is proud to have received an Award of Merit from Connecticut Preservation, recognizing the property for its exceptional efforts to preserve and revitalize two historic structures: a c. 1888 Victorian mansion and c. 1959 modernist estate. The result is a contemporary assemblage that carefully preserves every detail of the historic structures for the modern traveler, including select original fireplaces, curved bay windows, stained glass, and more. Working with local artisans and businesses, the hotel was designed in collaboration with Champalimaud Design, PBDW Architects, and Reed+Hilderbrand landscape architects, with whom the hotel is proud to share this recognition.

from Connecticut Preservation.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY READ MCKENDREE

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PLEIN AIR LITCHFIELD

ach fall, Litchfield County becomes a canvas. Plein Air Litchfield returns September 12–20, 2026, bringing nationally acclaimed painters to work outdoors across the county’s fields, farms, villages, and waterways, capturing the landscape in real time as autumn begins its turn. Now in its third year, the juried competition draws artists from New England and beyond, culminating in a collectors’ show and sale where the week’s work is exhibited and offered for purchase. This year’s event features $8,500 in awards across multiple categories, with paintings created entirely on location. The Oliver Wolcott Library and libraries throughout the county will host rotating displays of books on plein air painting in the weeks ahead. The Quick Paint in Litchfield’s Historic District on September 13 is open to all. Among the 30 selected artists is Kent-based painter Deborah Chabrian, whose luminous watercolors have earned her a national reputation, including honors from the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society, and the Art Renewal Center. Also representing Litchfield County are Jim Laurino of Litchfield, Mickey Cunningham of Woodbury, and Zufar Bikbov of Watertown. The PAL Collector’s Show will be held Saturday, September 19 at 5 Points Center for the Visual Arts in Torrington.—pleinairlitchfield.com

Nicole Alger Painting COMMISSIONS AND SALES

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PA I NT I N G C O U RT E SY O F J O N AT H A N M C P H I L L I P S. O I L , M A R K E T P L AC E TAV E R N R E D U M B R E L L AS.

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HISTORY WRITTEN IN STONE IN KENT B Y T R OY M C M U L L E N

AS CURATOR AND ARCHIVIST at the Kent Historical Society, Marge Smith spends her days uncovering the rich history of a community that dates back nearly three centuries. ¶ Yet she says some of the most important historical facts about this scenic town nestled in the Litchfield Hills aren’t told by the living. They are etched into the crumbling schist and weathered marble of Good Hill Cemetery, a roughly fiveacre burial ground tucked alongside Route 7 North. ¶ “It sounds a little strange, but Kent’s history really comes alive in that cemetery,” Smith says of the hallowed grounds that serve as the final resting place of early colonial settlers and Revolutionary War veterans. Established in 1747, the burial site is the town’s oldest graveyard. “Each gravesite tells a story, and we want to make sure those stories are unearthed and shared.”»

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y R YA N L AV I N E

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» Unearthing those tales requires the

painstaking work of cataloging all the grave listings and spending hours in the Town Hall vault tracking down ancient deeds to confirm lineage and establishment dates. And then there’s the meticulous work of cleaning and restoring the gravestones. Kent’s Cemetery Committee is working to restore as many gravesites as possible in the hope of discovering long-buried parts of the town’s history. But the restoration process is complicated and arduous. The gravestones—some dating back to the 1750s—range from very fragile sandstone to hard slate and marble. The sandstones are sensitive to harsh cleaning chemicals and crumble very easily. “It is damaged by all but the lightest brushing,” adds Smith. Some headstones simply require spraying on specialty products and letting them sit before cleaning. Others take time to moisten with water before applying a very soft brush. Gravestones damaged

by colonies of lichen—bizarre organisms that are a mix of fungus and an alga that actively grow into and across the markers—require a plastic or wooden baker’s scraper or shish kebab sticks to remove stains. Workers avoid using damaging harsh metal brushes or bleach. Volunteers are occasionally enlisted, but they must be trained in the delicate cleaning methods and the rules that strictly govern the

Volunteers work to preserve the centuries old gravestones in local cemeteries.

process, including not touching any gravestone without the permission of a direct descendant or town sexton. The rewards of this meticulous labor are profound. The committee recently brought two local legends back into the light by uncovering the gravesite of Dr. Oliver Fuller, who was laid to rest in 1817. A trained physician who provided medical care to soldiers during the Revolutionary War, he was also a founder of the “First Medical Society in the Thirteen United States of America,” a group formed to regulate medical practices. Also discovered was the gravesite of Capt. Jireh Swift, a young soldier who fought and died for the Continental Army in 1776 alongside then-loyal Benedict Arnold in Quebec. “Good Hill Cemetery is an important historical resource offering genealogical information for researchers and a tangible connection to Kent’s community of the past,” explains Christine Adams, director of the Kent Historical Society. “It’s important that they’re lovingly preserved.” ■

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HE MADE 60 MINUTES TICK

Y THE TIME he left CBS News in the 1970s, Harry Moses had already amassed the kind of career in broadcast news that most journalists spend a lifetime chasing. Working alongside luminaries such as 60 Minutes executive producer Don Hewitt and correspondents like Mike Wallace and Dan Rather, Moses contributed nearly 100 stories to the venerable news show on his way to receiving Emmy and Peabody awards for his work. While his departure from CBS after more than 20 years marked the end of one era, it launched the beginning of a new one. Utilizing a skill for deep investigative reporting that he honed at CBS, Moses transitioned into the independent area, producing a formidable slate of documentaries, television programs, and feature films. His awardwinning documentary work examined some of the most important political and cultural issues of our times, including social justice and racial issues. Moses is now reflecting on that legacy with a new memoir. Mad as Hell: How 60 Minutes Took on the Powerful and Made Television History, pulls back the curtain on one of the most influential news programs in American history. The book untangles the raw mechanics behind the investigative pieces Moses helped orchestrate while also exploring how those foundational investigative stories he helped produce came together for a news broadcast that reshaped television journalism. “That kind of journalism had a real impact on me and how I approached telling important stories,” says Moses, whose sweeping body of work–including prime-time specials for all major networks and cable channels–earned him a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. “The show proved time and again the critical role journalism could play in our society and it continues to do that to this day. The memoir itself reads much like a well-produced segment on 60 Minutes. Authoritative and rich with granular, insider details that industry veterans crave, yet lively and accessible enough to hook the casual reader. Spanning everything from deeply investigative reports with marquee anchors like Diane Sawyer to directing docudramas like The Trial of Bernhard Goetz, Moses uses an eye for vivid detail to map his storied career. The book’s most revealing pages chronicle his work with Mike Wallace - the mercurial, notoriously irascible broadcasting giant. “Dealing with Mike was like navigating one of those obstacle courses where impediments keep popping up,” Moses writes. ■ PH OTO GR A PH BY D E WE Y N I C KS

A Veteran Producer Opens His Vault B Y T R OY M C M U L L E N

Harry Moses, whose Emmy and Peabodywinning career at 60 Minutes shaped television journalism, writes a memoir.

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GOSHEN GIRL AT HEART

itchfield County holds a special place in the heart of author and producer Julie LaPlaca, who was born and raised in Goshen. She credits her curious and creative spirit to the countless hours she spent exploring the woods behind her childhood home, where mosscovered rocks transformed into castles and imaginary worlds. That imagination eventually brought LaPlaca to Los Angeles, where she built a successful career in the entertainment industry, most notably as a supervising producer for “The Bachelor” franchise. Her debut memoir, The Love Producer: My Unscripted Journey from a Reality TV Career to My Own Happily Ever After (released July 7), offers a behindthe-scenes look at the emotional reality of producing television’s most iconic love stories while quietly losing sight of her own. After tabloids linked her romantically to the “Bachelor” she was producing, LaPlaca experienced a personal reckoning that led her to leave reality television and embark on her own journey for love. She went on to study a number of healing modalities, including hypnotherapy, and is now the founder of The Love Producer™, where she guides women to break free from old narratives and step into the leading role of their lives. She resides in Topanga, California, surrounded by nature once again, and enjoys extended stays in Goshen, appreciating the serene quiet and connection to home that continue to inspire her creativity. —theloveproducer.com

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DON’T GET SCAMMED A Local Tech Expert on the Habits, Passwords, and Online Traps Putting You Most at Risk

ICHAEL JAY spent more than 30 years working with technology professionally, first as an Emmy Award-winning editor and engineer in Hollywood and New York, then as a tech educator at NYU, Rutgers, Stevens Institute, and more than a dozen Connecticut institutions. A certified Apple Teacher and the longtime tech tutor at Kent Memorial Library, he now runs Personal Tech Support LLC, helping adults navigate their Apple devices and, more recently, helping his customers avoid scams and recover from malware. What everyday habits put us most at risk online? Using your device with a password of 1234, or your birthday—or no passcode at all; using online accounts without two-factor authentication enabled; getting hundreds of emails and texts a day, which makes it tougher to spot phishing messages. And if you don’t have an aptitude for tech, admit that you’re at risk from online banking: leave only minimal funds in any online account, and keep the bulk of your liquid funds in accounts that are completely offline. What does a truly secure password look like? It’s long; it’s unique—completely different from any of your other passwords; it’s not kept in some unsecured area, such as your contact list—but it is stored in a password manager, which, unlike you, can’t get tricked by a fake website.

never downloading attachments (especially PDF files), and never clicking on links or buttons from unconfirmed senders—including the “Unsubscribe” button. As mentioned above, unsubscribe from your hundreds of daily email

How do you know if your computer has been hacked? You’re not “hacked” unless you’re a highlevel official or activist targeted by a nation-state. For the most part, what does happen to the average person is this: they let themselves get scammed. How dangerous is public Wi-Fi, really? There are contradictory opinions about this, and I can’t address it with expertise, but it’s prudent to avoid doing sensitive activity, such as banking, when

“For the most part, what does happen to the average person is this: they let themselves get scammed.” senders, so the rare phishing message stands out. Also, as stated, enable two-factor for all accounts, and use a password manager. And be very wary of searching the web, even with Google–search results routinely include scams.

on a public network. The more likely threat is that you connect to a fake public network, which tricks you into entering your login credentials. When out and about, it’s better to access data with your own cell phone signal. What’s the best thing a non-techie can do right now to stay safer online? Reduce their surfing: stick to a limited number of trusted sites, and don’t click on any ads. Avoid getting scammed with phishing emails or texts by raising your level of suspicion,

P H O T O G R A P H B Y J O N AT H A N B E C K E R M A N

Michael Jay brings expert tech support directly to your door.

What is the most popular reason people seek your services? I’ve become known from my decade of teaching tech at the Kent Memorial Library and lecturing throughout western Connecticut on everything from iCloud to scams. But many customers appreciate getting solutions from a certified Apple Teacher in their own home, without having to make a trip to the Apple Store. My longstanding clients know I usually respond to calls immediately, go to extraordinary lengths to solve problems, and offer real-world advice, including addressing Apple’s faults. Above all, I’ve learned that people often overthink a problem simply because it involves tech, and my repeat customers know I try to teach them to use their devices on their own. PersonalTechSupport.com 833 411 TECH (833-411-8324) SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 31

THE BANTAM CINEMA & ARTS CENTER

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he Bantam Cinema & Arts Center has a new executive director, and his connection to the beloved nonprofit runs deeper than his résumé. Larry Milburn, an award-winning filmmaker and entrepreneur who grew up in Litchfield County, spent his formative years as a regular moviegoer at the Bantam Cinema, where independent films first sparked his passion for storytelling. Decades later, after building a career spanning Los Angeles and Litchfield County, he returns to lead the institution that helped shape his creative life. Milburn brings more than 35 years of experience in filmmaking, arts programming, strategic communications, and event production. His documentary credits include Seed & Faith: Covid-19 and the Farmers of Litchfield County and Sweet Blues: A Film About Michael Bloomfield, and he has collaborated with partners including FOX, Columbia Pictures, BMW, and BBDO. In recent years he has been a familiar face at BCAC as moderator of its Storytellers Series, hosting sold-out conversations with Rob Zombie, Campbell Scott, and Steph Paynes. “This organization already has an extraordinary foundation,” Milburn says. “My goal is to build upon that legacy by expanding community partnerships, broadening programming, strengthening fundraising, and creating new opportunities for people of all ages to experience the power of film and the arts.” Milburn envisions BCAC as a dynamic year-round destination where independent film, music, education, visual arts, and community conversation converge to enrich the cultural life of Litchfield County.—bantamcinema.org

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LOCAL VISION Litchfield Artists are Shaping the Connecticut Landscape B Y M A R I A M O S TA J O

INCE 1981, when it deaccessioned its permanent collection to focus solely on contemporary work, the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield has championed emerging artists. The museum’s three-acre campus was recently expanded, featuring a pollinator-plant walkway, an amphitheater, and green space for sculpture and events. The Aldrich has introduced a new recurring survey of Connecticutbased artists. The inaugural exhibition, The Aldrich Decennial: I am what is around me, is on view through January 10, 2027. Chief curator Amy Smith-Stewart and curatorial manager Caitlin Monachino visited more than 100 studios statewide to assemble 40 living artists, none of whom have had a solo museum show in

P H O T O G R A P H B Y O LY M P I A S H A N N O N

Connecticut, with all work made within the last decade. Ten of those artists live and work right here in Litchfield County, and their practice reveals a group as varied in material as in conceptual depth. Ellen Altfest collapses the space between landscape and still life in microscopic focus, while Carl D’Alvia’s yellow aluminum sculpture “HotRod” brings popsurrealist whimsy to the garden. Inside, Chris Domenick’s wood, paint, steel, and collaged lamps blur sculpture with functional design. Domestic life becomes cultural critique elsewhere in the show. Lizzie Gill transforms a tablescape of porcelain vases into a surreal landscape in “Pair of Crimson Vases,” and Dan Gunn morphs urban and rural imagery in carved birch and poplar in “Middle Scenery.” Philip Taaffe and Edward Henderson turn to nature’s surface and weight, Taaffe through paint,

A survey of 40 Connecticut artists, ten of them rooted in Litchfield County, is on view at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.

mixed media, and printmaking in “Syncopated Ferns,” Henderson through a massive reclaimed steel pipe and a tiny white gold-leaf dragonfly in “Snakeskin.” Danica Lundy, Em Rooney, and Julia Wachtel close the survey with work that unpacks the modern image-world, including Lundy’s Cubist-inflected “Labyrinth,” Rooney’s sculpture of rice paper held by silk and steel thread, and Wachtel’s screen-printed and painted critique of consumer power, “Zuck.” Together, the Litchfield County contingent proves that a museum built on looking forward still finds its clearest voice close to home. The Aldrich Decennial remains on view through January 10, 2027, offering Connecticut audiences a rare, unhurried look at the artists shaping the state’s contemporary landscape. aldrichart.org SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 33

CLAY WAY STUDIO TOUR

PAT R I C K M U L B E R R Y A R C H I T E C T patrick mulberr y.com (860) 672-0392

34 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

RYA N L AV I N E

ach October, nine studio doors swing open across western Connecticut and the annual Clay Way Studio Tour transforms a weekend into an immersive encounter with one of the oldest art forms in human history. This year’s tour takes place October 17 and 18 from 10 am to 5 pm, bringing together 25 artists working in clay across studios that range from intimate home workshops to expansive professional spaces. The 2026 roster reads like a who’s who of the region’s ceramic community. Host studios include those of Joy Brown, Todd Piker, Jane Herold, Ann Heywood, Will Talbot, Alison Palmer, Christine Owen, Amy Brenner, and Drew Montgomery—each welcoming guests to see their work firsthand and, in many cases, their creative process up close. Joining them are 16 guest artists, making this one of the most expansive editions of the tour to date. What makes Clay Way singular is its intimacy. This is not a gallery show or a craft fair it is an invitation into the spaces where the work is actually made. Visitors can move at their own pace between studios, speak directly with the artists, and purchase work that might otherwise only be seen in museum collections. A printable map and brochure are available on the website to help plan your route. Mark the weekend. It sells itself once you go.—clayway.net

Ariel Dearie, Poppy Bed Ornament (2025–26)

ARIEL DEARIE Brass Sculptures at Object & Thing

“FOR THIS NEW BODY OF WORK, I strived to create permanence in the ephemeral. The sculptures exist between observation and transformation, nature and invention. Poppy Bed Ornament captures the different stages of poppies as they slowly lose their petals, but remain just as beautiful through each fleeting phase.” —Ariel Dearie

GUTTER CREDIT GOESHERE

Founded by Abby Bangser, Object & Thing presents object-based works existing at the intersection between art and design. Exhibited from August 1–September 13. 11 East Shore Rd., New Preston object-thing.com PHOTOGRAPH BY W N AI LM LE I AG MOK EA SN HE ER RE

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LITCHFIELD MAGAZINE X SPRINGROOT

ADDRESSING THE BIGGER PICTURE SpringRoot’s Targeted Whole-Body Approach Changes Back Pain

SpringRoot uses a multidisciplinary approach that addresses the whole picture of how pain presents in the body. Anyone who has been in chronic or acute pain knows that the picture is so much bigger than a compartmentalized “it hurts here.” By the time someone is walking in our door, their sleep has been disrupted or they are exhausted from the pain itself. Maybe they are experiencing side effects from a medication they have been taking for the pain and inflammation. Anxiety, irritability, muscle tension, or pain in compensating areas are common because being in pain switches one’s nervous system into fight or flight impacting the whole body. They might be experiencing fear, grief, or sadness because activities they love have been limited—or even worse, necessary daily activities like driving, walking, or sitting have been affected. When the nervous system shifts out of fight or flight into a rest and repair state, when patients feel heard and the pain is addressed, healing can happen.

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How does SpringRoot actually relieve pain—what’s happening in the body? Instead of masking symptoms, SpringRoot works to address the root cause using a whole-body approach, helping the body regulate, repair, and restore balance naturally. By combining acupuncture and other classical modalities with modern medical solutions like ATP Resonance BioTherapy® or O3 ReBoot Therapy®, we can improve circulation, decrease inflammation, and mitigate pain and imbalance—all gently, painlessly, and without side effects. Our bodies have an incredible ability to heal, especially when they have the right support. Acupuncture is a timetested system of healing practiced for thousands of years in which the body is viewed as an interconnected system where balance is essential for health. When that system becomes

blocked or disrupted, it can lead to pain, illness, and dysfunction. By restoring balance and supporting the body’s natural healing processes, both structure and function improve. Because we’re simultaneously addressing the nervous system, patients report feeling a deeper sense of calm, improved sleep and mood, and even better digestion and immune system function. What types of back pain have responded well to treatment at SpringRoot? I have worked with so many different presentations of acute and chronic back pain: sprains and strains, stenosis, bulging disks, bone spurs, spondylolisthesis, pinched nerves, sciatica, and

arthritis. We are often the last resort after patients have tried everything and been everywhere else. With frequency and consistency of treatment, we can decrease pain naturally by stimulating the release of the body’s natural painkillers, endorphins. We can reduce nerve overstimulation that causes neuralgic pain, improve circulation, and decrease inflammation. By balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, we can reduce tension and improve rest so that repair can take place. Our end goal is to restore structure and function as best we can, giving our patients back more ease and mobility. I have seen amazing things happen in 25 years of practice, and I believe our body’s ability to heal far surpasses what we have been led to believe. springrootacupuncture.com

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GUTTER CREDIT GOESHERE

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LITCHFIELD MAGAZINE X PIL AR BEAUT Y

GOOD BONES, GREAT SKIN In Washington Depot, Beauty Lives Just Upstairs

ilar DeMann and Emily Haggett have been friends for years, bonded by a shared devotion to the idea that beauty should feel effortless. Now they’re neighbors in Washington Depot, where Pilar runs her brow and makeup studio downstairs and Emily practices esthetics just above her. Two disciplines, one building, one philosophy. What drew you both to Washington Depot, and what does it mean to be neighbors? Pilar: My husband grew up here. We would come to visit, fall more in love each time, and eventually found a property we couldn’t resist. We made the move 14 years ago and have never looked back. I have not slept a bad night since. Emily: I came to work at the Mayflower nearly 20 years ago and fell in love with the Depot and its quaint charm immediately. When the space above Pilar opened up, I didn’t hesitate. Pilar: Having Emily near me is a dream. When the space opened, she said she wanted it, and I said, do it.

GUTTER CREDIT GOESHERE

You both work with clients who feel overwhelmed, whether by products, by their skin, or by not knowing where to start. How do you approach that? Pilar: Most clients want things simpler, easier, and faster. Beauty is everywhere, from airports to supermarkets to magazines, and it can feel like a lot. I help people find a routine and the right products that elevate their look in fewer steps. PHOTOGRAPH BY NA EY MSEAGDOEEM SA HN EN RE

Emily: I use Pietro Simone’s boutique skincare line and I love the term he coined “pro aging,” that is exactly the philosophy I work from. My clients come in stressed and leave feeling like their most beautiful selves. That transformation is what drives me. Pilar, brows are your signature. Bring us inside your approach. Very gently. For a first tinting, I go much lighter, which means it fades faster, but it eases you in. I want you to love your brows when you leave and want to come back again and again.

Emily, tell us about the sculptural lymphatic facial massage.

What do you want a client to feel when she leaves your chair?

It’s like going to the gym for your face. I’ve been refining it for 25 years. It works in a lymphatic direction to sculpt and reduce puffiness, and every facial I do includes a version of it.

Pilar: Her best. That is what I want for every client. Beauty is self-care and self-love, and everyone deserves to feel it. Emily: A first appointment with me includes a consult, double cleanse, gentle exfoliation, extractions, mask, the sculptural massage, and we finish with the scalp. You leave completely transformed. That is what I want for every client, every time.

How do you both think about building long-term habits with clients? Emily: I use the dental care analogy. Your dermatologist is your “dentist”, I’m your “hygienist”, and your daily skincare routine is compared to brushing your teeth. All three work together for optimal skin health. Professional care plus a consistent home routine is the foundation. Pilar: I’ve spent more than 30 years helping people do less and look better for it. The goal is always fewer steps, not more products, not more coverage. Simplicity is its own kind of expertise.

8-½ Titus Road Washington Depot emilyhaggett.glossgenius.com Pilar.Beauty.com (310-985-2005)

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Our store & display gardens in Morris are open Thursday–Sunday and our annual Dahlia display is coming on strong. You’ll find more information, including a schedule of upcoming events, at WhiteFlowerFarm.com/visit.

The thought of moving makes me want to stay put! I’m excited to move into my new place. But I am NOT looking forward to all the work it will take. I’m already feeling overwhelmed with the real estate and financial decisions, as well as the physical move. The good news is, East Hill will actually help me out with all those things. So, maybe a move doesn’t have to be so stressful.

It’s your move. Let’s talk about it. Call us at 475-242-0425 or scan to learn more.

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GROWING FORWARD: A Skiff Mountain History Provides Ground for New Beginnings BY CHRISTOPHER STELL A

THE VIEW from the Skiff Mountain farm master bedroom is cinematic: an expanse of blue sky and billowy clouds above a distant treeline. South-facing windows capture the view with a master framer’s intention. “This is as close to being in nature as you can get while inside,” says Jamie Delaney, the steward of the farm. “It gives you space to breathe.”

44 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

PH OTO GR A PH S BY R A N A FAU RE

Cullen (left) and Delaney (right) adjacent to the main house’s covered porch.

elaney’s journey to Skiff Mountain Farm was decades in the making, guided by a 50-year friendship. It began in Georgia, where, fresh out of the Art Institute of Atlanta, Delaney met

Tom Sebring, a fashion buyer, and his partner Steve Vaughn. The trio eventually landed in New York City, where their friendship flourished and Delaney built a career as a fashion designer. In time, she met her husband Michael, and with him co-founded Ralsey Group, a private label apparel business. They raised three children between homes in Stamford and Manhattan, and made regular visits to Sebring and Vaughn at their weekend home—Skiff Mountain Farm.

46 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

The windows throughout the home were placed to bring the outside in.

The kitchen was designed to be the home’s gathering place, an area to take in morning light.

S E P | O C T 20 2 6 • L I TC H F I E L D • 47

“Every object has a story...Recognizing heritage gives you a sense of connection.” JAM I E DEL AN EY

48 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

henever I left, I thought ‘this is someplace special,’” recalls Delaney. When her husband, Michael, passed away in 2014, Delaney spent more time in NYC. Then COVID arrived, and with it, a craving for open space. She reached out to Vaughn and Sebring, who were ready to put the home on the market. “I think I found you a buyer,” Delaney texted them. “Me.” The property is centuries old—the main house constructed in 1795, two barns of the same vintage, a 1960s guest house, and a garage apartment, set on 13 acres with a pool, tennis courts, and an orchard of more than 40 fruit trees. Delaney initiated her renovation at the height of the pandemic, conducting much of it over Zoom—a challenge for someone accustomed to trusting her hands and eyes. She entrusted architect James Dixon and contractors H&Y Construction, Inc. with the job. The main living area (an addition built in the 1990s) was opened into a spacious kitchen; the master bedroom segmented into sleeping, study, and sitting areas; bathrooms throughout were reimagined. A covered porch and pergola were added, wrapping the corner of the house in dappled light, and new windows were installed throughout—all in service of bringing the outside view in. “Our dilemma was how to make the exterior cohesive without resorting to historical pastiche,” notes Dixon. “We opted to use traditional materials—clapboard siding, double-hung windows— updated to accommodate modern living.”

Southern light streams into the home’s upstairs bedroom and en-suite bathroom.

Wood adds warmth to the mudroom, with original wood beams and Cullen’s handcrafted trunk seats. Cullen’s workshop is on the property, in a soaring 18th Century barn.

et the home’s historical character was carefully maintained. Original ceiling beams and wooden doors from the 18th century were preserved and highlighted. The guest house evokes a quiet northern California brightness, enhanced by the sound of falling water from a nearby courtyard fountain. The barn, a soaring structure of aged wood, serves as a workshop for Delaney’s partner, Michael Cullen, whose hand-carved pieces punctuate the home with texture and warmth. The home’s many rooms hold objects of sentiment—Cullen’s art and furniture, family heirlooms, objects from travel, and a champagne bottle saved from one of Sebring and Vaughn’s anniversaries. “Every object has a story,” Delaney notes. “Recognizing heritage gives you a sense of connection.” Skiff Mountain Farm, in turn, has become a place to connect with people and nature. Delaney’s daughter was married in the orchard; Vaughn and Sebring recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary there. “They told me they felt like the proud grandparents of this house,” Delaney muses. “With the workshop for Michael, the guest house, pool and tennis courts, it’s the perfect family camp and place to create a life.” Skiff Mountain Farm is evidence that history and memory aren’t things to look back on—they’re things you build on. ■

The property is centuries old and set on 13 acres with a pool, tennis courts, and an orchard of more than 40 fruit trees.

SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 51

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L I T C H F I E L D M A G A Z I N E X E D U C AT I O N S P O T L I G H T

GUTTER CREDIT GOESHERE

OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE REGION

Litchfield County is known for its landscape, its culture, its unhurried pace. But for families who look closely, it is also one of the most remarkable educational corridors in New England—home to historic institutions, schools built for students who learn differently, and boarding programs that draw students from around the world. The opportunities here are quiet but profound, and for many students, life-changing.

↑ The Kent School is situated along the Housatonic River.

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Indian Mountain School Pre-K-9. Inspires students to be the change they wish to see. 211 Indian Mountain Rd. 860-435-0871 ☞ indianmountain.org Salisbury School Embraces the belief that a boys school must address every aspect of a person’s development. 251 Canaan Rd. 860-435-5700 ☞ salisburyschool.org

LITCHFIELD Forman School Specializing in ADHD and dyslexia. Tailored curriculum prepares students for college and the world. 12 Norfolk Rd. 860-567-8712 ☞ formanschool.org

BETHLEHEM The Woodhall School Boys grades 9-12 of above-average intellectual ability who’ve had difficulties in traditional schools. 58 Harrison Ln. 203-266-7788 ☞ woodhallschool.org The Arch Bridge School Private therapeutic day and boarding school for grades 7-12. 21 Arch Bridge Rd. 203-266-8000 ☞ wellspring.org/programsservices/arch-bridge-school

KENT Kent School College preparatory boarding school, grades 9-12. Educates students to contribute to the common good. 1 Macedonia Rd. 860-927-6000 ☞ kent-school.edu 56 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

Marvelwood School College preparatory boarding school that supports and engages all types of learners. 476 Skiff Mountain Rd. 860-927-0047 ☞ marvelwood.org South Kent School Boarding school that prepares young men for college and to thrive as thoughtful citizens. 40 Bulls Bridge Rd. 860-927-3539 southkentschool.org

LAKEVILLE AND SALISBURY The Hotchkiss School Inspiring a diverse range of students to the highest standards of excellence. 11 Interlaken Rd. 860-435-2591 ☞ hotchkiss.org

↑ Taft

↓ Hotchkiss

Litchfield Montessori School 15 months-12 years. Nurtures love of learning, sense of wonder, independence. 5 Knife Shop Rd. 860-283-5920 ☞ litchfieldmontessori.org →

L I T C H F I E L D M A G A Z I N E X E D U C AT I O N S P O T L I G H T

ON SKIFF MOUNTAIN, MARVELWOOD TURNS POTENTIAL INTO PURPOSE The School That Sees Every Student

hen Marvelwood School was founded nearly 70 years ago, it was built on a simple but radical idea: that the students most worth reaching were the ones most likely to be overlooked. Not the top of the class, not those needing the most remediation, but the curious, the capable, and the not-yetconfident. Young people who, as the founders put it, had "not yet discovered how to make the most of themselves." That student still walks through the doors at Marvelwood's campus on Skiff Mountain in Kent. They ask questions that lead to more questions. They're unafraid to make mistakes or show themselves to others. They care about doing good. What's changed is the world around them. Schools once operating on the assumption that academic rigor and personal support were mutually exclusive have been forced to reckon with anxiety, learning differences, social media, and an uncertain future. Marvelwood has long known what others are catching up to: that students who feel truly known are the ones most willing to take on hard things. It's easier to take the leap when you have believers in your corner.

That belief shapes everything, including the requirement that every student perform community service every Wednesday, all year. The tradition began before the school's 1995 move from Cornwall to Kent, when Marvelwood made a point of being a good neighbor in its small village. What started as raking leaves and shoveling driveways has grown into meaningful regional partnerships and a genuine understanding of what it means to show up for others. The move itself has become part of the school's mythology. When Marvelwood relocated to Kent in a matter of weeks, the whole community pitching in, the move captured something essential about the place. If something is worth pursuing, they pursue it. Nowhere is that spirit more visible than in the ornithology program, one of only a handful of its kind in the country. After the move to Skiff Mountain, neighboring

conservation organizations learned the school had a licensed master bird bander on staff and asked for help documenting bird species on land slated for development. The data students collected, including a Golden-winged Warbler then being considered for the Federal Endangered Species List, helped pause the project long enough for a full environmental assessment. That land is now permanently protected by the Kent and Sharon Land Trusts. The ornithology class grew from there, and with it a deep understanding that academic work can have real consequences in the world.

The same purposeful engagement drives the school's membership in Round Square, a global network of more than 200 schools across 50 countries. Students have traveled to Kenya, Colombia, Dubai, Thailand, and Morocco, and welcomed peers from Peru, Australia, India, and Germany. The goal is graduating students who see themselves as active participants in a larger world. Marvelwood also extends its expertise beyond campus, offering Orton-Gillingham training to outside educators every summer. Watching a struggling student gain skill, confidence, and belief in themselves is one of the great rewards of the profession. The more teachers who can offer that, the better. The transformations from arrival to graduation are remarkable. Students come in uncertain. They leave knowing who they are. marvelwood.org SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 57

L I T C H F I E L D M A G A Z I N E X E D U C AT I O N S P O T L I G H T

WHAT A SCHOOL CAN BE AT RUMSEY HALL Inside Rumsey Hall’s Pre-K–9 Approach to Educating the Whole Child

Why do traditions matter so much at Rumsey?

Rumsey Hall was founded in 1900. How has the school changed while holding onto its founding mission?

With a 6:1 student-teacher ratio, what does that mean in the classroom?

Rumsey has grown from a small boys’ boarding school into a coeducational community serving day students from Pre-K through ninth grade and boarders in grades six through nine. Our programs, facilities, and teaching have evolved, but our core belief has not: a school can be both highly rigorous and deeply human. Children learn best when they are challenged, known, and cared for.

In a class of 12, it is difficult for a student to disappear, and that is a good thing. Teachers learn how each child thinks, where they need encouragement, and how best to challenge them—whether that means extra support, inviting a quieter student into the conversation, or giving another room to pursue a subject more deeply.

Why is middle school treated as such a defining stage at Rumsey? Middle school can be one of the most challenging stages of childhood. Young people seek greater independence but still need structure, reassurance, and guidance. Students take on responsibility gradually, surrounded by adults who understand this age and know them well.

58 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

What role does Rumsey's 331-acre campus in the Litchfield Hills play in daily school life? Many classrooms open directly outdoors, so students step outside as they move through the day. The rivers, trails, fields, and changing seasons become natural extensions of the classroom, whether students are conducting a science investigation, sketching outdoors, or riding mountain bikes. Children learn and grow best when they have room to move, explore, play, and connect with the world around them.

Rumsey graduates go on to selective secondary schools across the country. How do you prepare them for that transition? Preparation is about more than academics. Students learn how they work best, when to ask for help, when to advocate for themselves, and how to manage greater independence. Our secondary school counseling process then helps each family find the school where that student will thrive. With 42 athletic offerings—from crew to ice hockey to mountain biking—what's the philosophy behind such a wide range? At Rumsey, being a three-season athlete means participating in an athletic or recreational activity in the fall, winter, and spring. The breadth of choices allows experienced competitors and beginners alike to find their place while building teamwork, resilience, and confidence.

Traditions connect generations of students and help them understand that they are part of something larger than themselves. Red vs. Blue, the Blue Dog Parade, holiday dinners, the annual ski trip to Bromley, and other events bring different ages together and create lasting memories, and give the school a shared history that students become part of. How does Rumsey develop leadership from Pre-K through ninth grade? Leadership begins with small, age-appropriate responsibilities and grows as students do. Younger students take on classroom jobs and lead assemblies, while older students serve as team captains, student government representatives, club leaders, and mentors. What distinguishes Rumsey? Rumsey educates the whole child within one connected community. A student can move from a small class to extra help, orchestra, art, theater, or athletics, all on the same campus. Teachers, coaches, and advisors know students in different settings and work together to support their growth. rumseyhall.org

We Grow the Legacy of Your Trees ↑ Washington Montessori School

→ School on the Green A preschool where parents actively participate in their child’s early education journey. 25 South St. 860-567-0695 ☞ schoolonthegreen.org

NEW MILFORD Canterbury School Boarding and day school for grades 9-12 and postgraduates. Believes in students’ extraordinary potential. 101 Aspetuck Ave. 860-210-3800 ☞ cbury.org Faith Preparatory School K-12 Christ-centered education that focuses on academic excellence and Biblical discipline. 600 Danbury Rd. 860-210-3677 ☞ faithprep.cc

NEW PRESTON Washington Montessori School Encourages independent thinking, favors discipline and focus, and nurtures innate curiosity. 240 Litchfield Tpke. 860-868-0551 ☞ washingtonmontessori.org

WASHINGTON Glenholme School Co-ed boarding school, grades 5-12, for students who struggle emotionally, socially, or academically. 81 Sabbaday Ln. 860-868-7377 ☞ theglenholmeschool.org Frederick Gunn School Co-ed boarding and day school with multiple early opportunities for leadership and discovery. 99 Green Hill Rd. 860-868-7334 ☞ frederickgunn.org Rumsey Hall School Grades K-8. Teaching academics and teaching an attitude of mind are of equal importance. 201 Romford Rd. 860-868-0535 ☞ rumseyhall.org

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WATERTOWN Taft School A co-ed preparatory school that offers high-level academics and athletics. 110 Woodbury Rd. 860-945-7777 ☞ taftschool.org

TORRINGTON Torrington Christian Academy A Christian private school that educates students from pre-K to 12th grade. 387 New Harwinton Rd. 860-482-7464 ☞ tcact.org

Holy Disciples Catholic School Elementary school for students of all faiths, teaching how to think, question, and become lifelong learners. 140 Buckingham St. 860-945-0621 ☞ holydisciplesschool.org ■

203-263-5666• www.woodburyrug.com

L I T C H F I E L D M A G A Z I N E X E D U C AT I O N S P O T L I G H T

A SCHOOL BUILT FOR THE WAY THEY LEARN At Forman School, the Model Bends to the Student

ong before learning differences had a name, Forman School had a philosophy. Founded in 1930 as America's first college preparatory school specializing in ADHD and dyslexia, Forman has spent nearly a century refining a simple but radical idea: that education should be designed around the student, not the other way around. "Since 1930, Forman has continually evolved to meet the needs of students who learn differently," says the school. With a centennial approaching in 2030, that evolution is accelerating, and the results speak for themselves.

At the heart of it is intentional scale. While Forman’s 125-acre campus, 15 dorms, state-of-theart learning facilities, and new turf athletic field provide room to learn, compete, and explore, the educational experience remains deeply personal. Students who have spent years feeling invisible in larger classrooms are truly known here. Teachers understand each student's strengths, challenges, and learning style, adjusting instruction in real time. Asking questions, making mistakes, and trying again aren't discouraged here–they’re an essential part of the learning process.

The Cognition and Learning Center serves as the school's intellectual hub, connecting classroom instruction, psychoeducational assessment, and executive function coaching into a seamless, individualized support system. Students can take courses like Metacognition and the Brain, where they explore how learning actually happens and how they, specifically, learn best. That self-knowledge follows them everywhere, from the classroom to the dorm room to the playing field. Then there's the Promethean Lab, where students design golf putters on CNC machines, prototype

inventions on 3D printers, and collaborate on projects that solve real problems. "We often see students who never thought they were good at school discover they are incredible designers, builders, or inventors," the school explains. For students whose strengths were never visible in a traditional setting, the lab can be revelatory. The academic rigor is matched by an equally intentional approach to college counseling. Post-secondary planning is a graduation requirement. Students learn to analyze colleges, track admissions likelihood, and work one-on-one with counselors who take what the school calls a "hyper-individualized approach," matching each student not just to a college, but to the right environment for their learning profile and their life. The outcome is a 100 percent college acceptance rate, year after year. But the finish line, as Forman sees it, isn't college acceptance. It's the student who leaves knowing how they learn, believing in their strengths, and feeling confident enough to advocate for themselves wherever life takes them. That practice of self-advocacy is woven into every part of the Forman experience, because a student who understands themselves as a learner carries that skill long after graduation. For families whose children have had discouraging experiences elsewhere, the school's message is direct: Forman doesn't ask students to fit into a traditional model. It builds the model around them. As one guiding principle puts it, the goal is for graduates to look back and see their learning difference not as a limitation, but as a strength. formanschool.org

60 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

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In Litchfield, A Tim Burton— Martha Stewart Mashup B Y W E N DY C A R L S O N

64 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

PH OTO GR A PH S BY R A N A FAU RE

HEN I FIRST met Jennifer Bastiaanse at her 1790 colonial house in Litchfield last June, she was wearing a cotton floral dress and a pink work apron. Her front lawn was an explosion of pastel flowers and lacy ferns. So it was hard to imagine her a few months later dressed all in black, her yard transformed into a mashup of Tim Burton and Martha Stewart styles. Martha Stewart. Then they added gravestones, ghouls, ghosts, giant spiders, witches’ hats, black cats, and dozens of grinning Tim Burtonlike skeletons. Those bony guys stumbled over from St. Anthony’s Cemetery next door, she tells me, jokingly. The decorating process takes place several days before Halloween, although planning begins months ahead. Just installing the large black stripes (scaffolding from Paul’s

“HALLOWEEN IS SO PLAYFUL AND EXCITING. IT’S A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS… BUT SCARIER.”

Previous pages: Jennifer Bastiaanse transforms her 1790 Colonial home into a Halloween haven in celebration of the season.

66 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

“I’m obsessed, I mean super obsessed with Halloween,” says Bastiaanse. When she and her husband, Paul, first moved to Litchfield six years ago, they decided to go all out decorating their South Lake Street house and barn. They installed tasteful lighting, arranged pumpkins and gourds along the walkway, and draped dried corn stalks and vines over the garden arbor, all in a nod to

historic restoration business) that ran down the house last year was an eight-hour ordeal. “I’m classic Halloween,” says Bastiaanse. She picks her costumes from her slew of vintage Victorian dresses, and her props are sourced from antique shops and retail stores. In the hay loft, a vintage chandelier illuminates a dangling skeleton. An old ladder holds old glass bottles and Mason jars filled with slimy ping-pong balls (eyeballs). Over the years, decorations on the house facade have changed from a plethora of witch hats to giant spiders to black cats to broad black stripes.

“Halloween is so playful and exciting. It’s a lot like Christmas… but scarier,” she says. The joy it brings to people of all ages inspired her in 2024 to collect donations of Halloween decorations, toys, costumes, and activities and send them to flood victims of Hurricane Helene. This fascination with the macabre is more than an annual obsession for Bastiaanse. On vacations, she seeks out haunted tours, and on weekends she watches horror movies, just not the gruesome ones. Think Beetlejuice and House on Haunted Hill. And her house, the former homestead of Tapping Reeve, has its own ghost—that of a previous owner. “He is lighthearted and kind,” says Bastiaanse. She recalled the time she and her husband were cutting up potatoes and the heavy bag of potatoes rolled on its own to the end of the kitchen table. “My husband and I just looked at each other and went back to cutting potatoes,” she says with a shrug. Come October 31, up to 100 trick-or-treaters may visit her house. It has also become a drive-by destination and a favorite view for children riding on the school bus. Aside from skeletons, spiders, ghouls, ghosts, and all those pumpkins and gourds, the place comes to life with Halloween music, creepy sounds, and a smoke machine that will send shivers down your spine. ■

SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 67

LITCHFIELD MAGAZINE X NORTHWELL

RAISING HEALTH FOR ALL Nuvance Health is now Northwell

hile you may see a new name on the door of your trusted providers, this change represents a meaningful evolution of health care for communities across New York and Connecticut. With Northwell, the most awarded health system in the tristate, you now have access to more. More resources. More clinical expertise. And a greater investment in the future of health care. It’s the strength of a larger, more connected system—brought to the place you call home. Listening to each community’s needs, Northwell brings in the programs and specialists that matter most locally. That also means investing in the latest technology and in new, modernized facilities. All of these enhancements are being done alongside broader efforts to make it easier to access support, medical records, virtual and inperson appointments and more. And it’s all based on a simple, but powerful belief: where you live should never determine the quality of care you receive. Whether you’re in a city, small town, suburb, or rural community, every person deserves access to an excellent standard of care, no matter your zip code. Because there shouldn’t be a city standard of care and a rural standard of care. Or one expectation for New York and another for Connecticut. There should be one state of care— and it should be nothing short of excellent. Nuvance Health is now Northwell. And we’re here to raise health for all. NO RTHW E LL . E D U / CA R EF O R A LL

0 0 6• 8L I•T C L IHTFCI E HLFDI E• LJDU LY • S/ EAPU |GO UC ST T 220 02266

PHOTOGRAPH BY NAME GOESHERE

GUTTER CREDIT GOESHERE

Stewarding The Land A Cornwall Farm Rooted in Family and Regeneration

BY CLEMENTINA VERGE

FOR JED GRACEY, farming is more than growing vegetables; it is stewardship. On land once owned by his great-grandparents and worked by a father who died too young, every decision honors the ground that sustains the farm and the community that shaped him. ¶ Coltsfoot Cottage Farm sits on three acres in Cornwall—small by commercial standards, but highly productive. With a narrow growing window, beds stay productive and succession planting keeps carrots, beets, radishes, garlic, potatoes, and greens in rotation. Even mushrooms have found a place here, with shiitake logs soaking near wetlands before inoculation. After studying agricultural sustainability in college, Gracey returned home determined to build a regenerative organic farm rooted in the belief that caring for land is just as important as harvesting from it. 70 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

PH OTO GR A PH S BY R A N A FAU RE

Flowers and veggies are stocked at the farmstand right in center of town.

The connection between the Gracey family and this landscape goes back generations. The land was purchased “four grandfathers ago” by John C. Calhoun; the barn has stood for more than 200 years. Gracey believes he was named for Jedediah Calhoun, a farmer who settled in Cornwall in 1804. His ancestors’ view of the valley beneath Coltsfoot Mountain represented home and possibility for generations. Gracey’s father, Dan, carried the connection forward. After meeting his wife in Rhode Island, they returned to Litchfield County in the 1990s to raise a family. Paralyzed following a logging accident, he continued working as a carpenter, and later raised cattle from his wheelchair, determined to recreate the Cornwall Valley 72 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

of his childhood. When he died unexpectedly in 2015, cows were on pasture. Today, the legacy lives on in the small herd grazing across seasons, including on leased acres in the valley. The cows fuel the farm’s rhythm— pasture, compost, garden, harvest—and its ability to follow organic principles. No synthetic fertilizers or chemical sprays, only compost built slowly from manure rich with microorganisms. “They are the privileged children of the vegetable world,” Gracey laughs, referring to the produce, before seriously discussing minerals and vitamins. “We set up a closed-loop, symbiotic composting system where we are aware of everything that happens on the farm and put nutrients into the ground we rely on.” That approach requires labor shared by a dedicated team. Jubilee Feist, co-manager and Gracey’s partner, left a career in distilling to fully devote herself to the farm, overseeing daily operations with meticulous care, from weeding by hand to plucking potato beetles one by one. His brother, Angus Gracey, arrives after long days on the job to help with everything from haying and harvesting to native

“It’s rewarding because it gives satisfaction and purpose in life.” planting. “The farm wouldn’t be the same without him,” Gracey says, crediting the ecological knowledge Angus brings from his work with the Kent Land Trust. Together, they’ve created “micropastures” of flowers— black-eyed Susans for the birds, coneflowers for pollinators– beautiful, yet serving a larger purpose. For Gracey, agriculture is as much about honoring the past as it is about striving for a regenerative future. The work is relentless, physically demanding, often unpredictable, and entirely absorbing. “It’s a deliberately chosen lifestyle,” Gracey says. “It’s rewarding because it gives satisfaction and purpose in life.”

Days begin early and end late, often marked by daily harvests of greens delivered to restaurants and markets, including Willa in Millerton, N.Y., Kent IGA, and the farm’s own stand on Pine St. For chefs and customers alike, the appeal is not only freshness but provenance—knowing that each bite comes from a carefully tended landscape. Coltsfoot Cottage may be growing “a little less tobacco than the original Jedediah did,” Gracey jokes, but the land is producing something even more valuable: a future where legacy and renewal grow side by side. INSTAGRAM @coltsfootcottagefarmstand

Gracey’s family pup, Ranger, finds a shady spot.

SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 73

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76 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

TOPSMEAD: A Promise Kept Forever

GUTTER CREDIT GOESHERE

Edith Chase’s Estate Remains Exactly as She Left It

BY CLEMENTINA VERGE

SET ATOP JEFFERSON HILL, the highest point in Litchfield, Topsmead State Forest invites visitors to step into history as they follow a gravel path that winds beneath cherry and crabapple trees and leads to an English Tudor cottage. The former country estate of Edith Morton Chase remains remarkably and purposefully unchanged since the day she left it “for the pleasure and enjoyment of the people of Connecticut.” Inside, each room also looks untouched. Hundreds of books line the shelves, her calling book rests beside the telephone, and a desk calendar is open to 1972, the final year of her life. ☞ PHOTOGRAPHS BY LISA NICHOLS

Such carefully preserved details reveal as much about Chase as any biography. Born into a prominent Waterbury, Connecticut, family in 1891, she spent summers on North Street in Litchfield. In 1917, her father, Henry Chase, president of Chase Brass & Copper Company, gifted her 16 acres where she built a rustic cabin. Her vision evolved through years of travel and was especially shaped by the Cotswolds. To bring it to life, she commissioned architect Richard Henry Dana Jr. to design a Tudor Revival residence that incorporated the original cabin’s fireplace and stonework. Crafted of 78 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

cypress, slate, copper, and oak, the house reflects her affection for English country living, and antiques from abroad blend seamlessly with American Arts and Crafts furnishings. Surrounding the home, formal gardens by pioneering landscape architect Ellen Shipman offer a graceful transition to woodlands, open fields, and carriage paths that reflect each season’s beauty. The setting is as compelling as the visionary who so thoughtfully shaped it. A widely traveled and fiercely independent philanthropist, Chase could find her way home from anywhere in Rome, and listened to opera and baseball

her vision evolved through years of travel and was especially shaped by the cotswolds. ↑ Stonework, a slate roof, and detailed gardens lend the cottage enduring English character.

↗ Honoring the social customs of the time, no male guests were allowed upstairs.

→ Though highly private, Ms. Chase enjoyed entertaining her family, friends, and invited guests.

← A reading alcove chaise and bay-window seating were Ms. Chase’s favorite reading spots.

SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 79

with equal enthusiasm. She also cherished evenings ending with daiquiris and friends, gathered on the western veranda overlooking the Litchfield Hills. Never married and childless, Chase made one final, extraordinary gesture: she entrusted Topsmead to the “people of Connecticut” with the stipulation that her beloved retreat remain forever protected “in a state of natural beauty.” More than 50 years later, that vision endures. Stewarded by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection along with the Friends of Topsmead State Forest, the estate remains intentionally uncommercialized, designated as a state forest rather than a park. Visitors experience the estate as Chase intended, with seasonal house tours 80 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

and year-round access to a landscape where wildlife thrives in established forests and birdsong silences everyday noise. “Topsmead is a 510-acre environmental oasis and cultural treasure steeped in the past. It offers the perfect portrait of Miss Edith’s idyllic life in Litchfield,” notes Colleen Stradtman, vice president of the Friends of Topsmead Board of Directors. “Because of her extraordinary generosity, it will remain here for the people of Connecticut to enjoy in every season, in perpetuity.” More than a historic house or scenic preserve, Topsmead is a portrait of a life shaped with intention, where history, architecture, ecology, and legacy merge to offer visitors the same tranquility that first captivated Chase more than a century ago. friendsoftopsmead.org

↑ The living room was a favorite space to read, listen to baseball and opera, and converse.

← Ms. Chase generously gifted her estate to Connecticut citizens for enjoyment and preservation.

EXQUISITE POOLS

. DISCERNING PROPERTIES

BRIAN & JULIE DOBSON 860.354.9227 dobsonpools.com

OUT+ABOUT M I D S U M M ER PA RTY F OR CONS ERVATION

ON JULY 25, Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy celebrated its 20th Annual Midsummer Party for Conservation at Maywood in Bridgewater, the home of Leni and Peter May. Some 250 guests gathered for cocktails amid the gardens, followed by dinner overlooking the surrounding countryside. The evening raised funds to help open four new public nature preserves in North Canaan, Litchfield, Sharon, and Sherman, and to support the protection of important lands across Northwest Connecticut.

Guests enjoy a perfect midsummer evening and fine dining under the tent as the sun sets behind the rolling hills of Bridgewater.

NCLC Board President Margery Feldberg welcomes guests.

Dixie De Luca and NCLC Board Vice President David De Luca.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIFL ANDER

Enid Fisher is welcomed by host Leni May and NCLC Board member Christine Flynn to the Midsummer cocktail hour.

Guests Linda Quella, Susan Lord-Peters, Craig Peters, and James Quella.

Guests celebrate land protection during the cocktail hour, surrounded by bountiful blooms.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal is greeted by Host Leni May in the beautiful gardens at Maywood.

NCLC Executive Director Catherine Rawson shares the vision of the organization.

Attending NCLC Board of Directors gather to capture the moment.

SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 85

Warren’s Best-Kept Six Generations of Pumpkins, Harvests, and Memories at Angevine Farm

ESTLED in the hills of Warren, Angevine Farm has been growing memories for over 150 years and six generations. Come autumn, the family owned farm transforms into one of Litchfield County’s most beloved fall destinations, with sprawling pick-your-own pumpkin patches spread across fields with views worth the walk alone. Visitors are invited to roam at their own pace, wagon in tow, selecting everything from classic jack-o’-lanterns to heirloom varieties priced at 65 cents a pound. When the picking is done, the Harvest Barn—a former poultry house that still shows its bones—beckons with local artwork, GoatBoy soaps, Wren House soy candles, maple syrup, handcrafted gifts, and more. Picnic areas near the pond and hillside make it easy to linger. Keep an eye on the events calendar for Pizza at the Farm nights. 40 Angevine Rd., Warren angevinefarm.com 86 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

Since 1868, the Angevine family has been running the farm in Warren.

Fall Secret Picking pumpkins and enjoying slice of delicious brick oven pizza.

PH OTO GR A PH S BY R A N A FAU RE

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LIBRARY LUMINARIES G U N N M EM O R IA L LI BR A RY & M U S EU M’S C ELEBR ATION MORE THAN 200 supporters gathered on June 20 for the Gunn Memorial Library & Museum’s annual Library Luminaries celebration, raising vital support for literacy, lifelong learning, and the preservation of local history and culture. The evening reflected the community’s enduring commitment to ensuring the library and museum remain vibrant resources for generations to come. gunnlibrary.org

Luminary Woody Campbell with his wife Maria Campbell.

Dinner Hosts Michael Del Nin & Sean Krebs (Event Chair).

Martin & Gloria Greenstein.

Dinner Host and Gunn Trustee Trena Keating with David & Stacy Lender, and Trena’s husband David Pitofsky.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ZANDRIA OLIVER

Kathryn Bassett, Luna Garcia, and Dinner Host Ledlie Pastor.

Dinner Host Maria Lombardi with Mink Farmer.

Luminary Barry Blitt with his wife Angie Silverstein.

Luminary Nat Pastor with Sophia Parsa.

Dinner Host and Gunn TrusteeMichelle Gorra, with Luminary Tal Fagin and Robert Copen, and Michelle’s husband, Michael Gorra.

SEP | OCT 2026 • LITCHFIELD • 89

90 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

THE ALCHEMY OF CLAY A Potter’s Lifelong Pursuit of Beauty and Legacy B Y C L E M E N T I N A V E R G E

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y R YA N L AV I N E

N THE STUDIO behind his West Cornwall home, Todd Piker spends most days as he has for more than half a century: preparing clay and throwing the functional pottery that has become his life’s work. At 74, he still believes beauty belongs in everyday rituals: a morning cup of coffee, a meal, fresh flowers in a vase.

92 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

The philosophy began when Piker was 18. After discovering pottery in high school, the Long Island native applied to apprentice with legendary British potter Michael Cardew, one of England’s most influential studio artists. Cardew accepted him, beginning a mentorship that shaped Piker’s craft and understanding of beauty and function in everyday life. “One of the most meaningful things Cardew said to me when I was learning how to make a mug was that drinking is a form of kissing,” Piker says. “I had to think hard about that spot, how it needs to be smooth and feel right.” The lesson extended far beyond a mug’s rim. For Piker, the curves and surfaces of every vessel should elevate ordinary moments. After leaving Cornwall, England, Piker found himself in Cornwall, Connecticut, where he established Cornwall Bridge Pottery in 1974. Today, he remains

“IT IS CLAY, A MAKER’S HANDS, TEMPERATURE, FIRE, AND ALCHEMY,”

committed to firing his work in a traditional wood-burning kiln, embracing a centuries-old process that blends technical precision with the unpredictability of flame. “It is clay, a maker’s hands, temperature, fire, and alchemy,” he says. Unlike electric or gas firing, a wood-fired kiln allows flame, ash, and mineral vapors to produce subtle, unrepeatable variations of color, texture, and pattern in every piece. “It’s like autumn leaves,” Piker says. “They may look alike from a distance, but no two leaves are identical. Each one reveals something different up close.” Now fired only once a year, the kiln reaches temperatures of nearly 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit and burns for days before cooling to reveal its contents. “In the beginning, it took about 100 firings and ten years to get things right,” he says. “Each firing was a huge mystery. Sometimes it ended with beautiful surprises. Other times, it meant shoveling broken pieces from the kiln and starting over.” That willingness to embrace uncertainty shaped his career. His creations found their way into retailers such as Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, private

Potter Todd Piker has been crafting pottery in his Cornwall studio for over 50 years.

collections, and the American Museum of Ceramic Art. For decades, his Cornwall store drew locals and travelers alike before he closed it and moved the gallery to his studio. Age has brought a different kind of freedom, the flexibility to work more for love of the craft than commerce, he reflects. Through every chapter, Piker credits his wife, Ivelisse, and the Cornwall community for the “immeasurable” support that has sustained his life’s work. Today, Cornwall Bridge Pottery is more than a working studio. It is a place where tradition continues, artists gather, and Piker shares with his apprentices the same philosophy Cardew entrusted to him decades ago. That legacy will be on display during the Clay Way Studio Tour, October 17–18, when nine studios across western Connecticut welcome visitors to meet 25 ceramic artists. The event celebrates the enduring connection between earth, fire, human hands, and objects that enrich everyday life. cbpots.com

EATS

W H E R E TO EAT N OW

The kitchen at Good News has never looked quite like this.

MORE GOOD NEWS

Carlos Perez Takes Over Woodbury’s Good News B Y C H A R L E S D U B O W

HAVE BEEN A FAN of chef Carlos Perez ever since reviewing Litchfield’s @The Corner in 2021. His use of surprising flavors that give his dishes an extra kick as well as his emphasis on locally sourced seasonal ingredients elevated @The Corner to more than a burger bar—even winning Restaurant of the Year in the West Region at the Connecticut Restaurant Association’s annual CRAzies Awards. That is why it is so exciting to see that Perez has now taken over the kitchen at Woodbury’s beloved Good News restaurant.

96 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

For years, under the guidance of founding chef and owner Carol Peck, Good News was one of Connecticut’s top dining destinations. When she retired in 2025, it was acquired by Michael Hayek of the Danburybased SavorLinks Hospitality group—whose properties include Brookfield Social and Bethel’s Bottega—but it didn’t really get its mojo working again until Perez assumed the helm last May. “It was time for me to move on,” he says. “When Michael approached me with the chance to not only be executive chef at Good News but culinary director of all the restaurants, it was too good an

opportunity to pass up.” Anyone familiar with the restaurant world knows that most chefs put in insane hours, but Perez, in addition to his other duties, also teaches cooking classes at The Silo in New Milford, and for the past six years he has hosted the annual Anthony Bourdain Suicide Prevention Dinner, featuring many of the state’s top chefs and raising more than $20,000 last year. The slim, heavily tattooed Perez, who grew up in Woodbury and is a graduate of the International Culinary Center, understands that it can be tricky to replace a chef like

Peck, but he is doing his best to honor her while forging a new path for himself. Longtime fans will be happy that he has retained such favorites as the decadent lobster mac and cheese, but he has already put his own stamp on the menu. For example, he serves fresh Blue Point oysters with a blueberry mignonette, a combination of salty and sweet that is as unexpected as it is delicious. Like so much of Perez’s food, it is all about textures and flavors that pop in your mouth. One of my favorite items on the menu is the heirloom focaccia with basil butter, which was rich and creamy and impossible (for me, at least) to not devour. Other highlights are the lobster potstickers, the ahi tuna nachos, and the elote Brussels sprouts with lardons. (Perez always does something magical with Brussels sprouts and these are no exception). Entrees not to be missed are the “crispy skin” salmon, street corn sea scallops, pan-seared Berkshire pork chop, burrata ravioli, and hanger steak with green onion chimichurri. “One of the reasons I am glad to be here is that I don’t have to make 10,000 burgers a day,” says Perez. “But if you are going to order a burger, I definitely recommend the truffle burger. It’s pretty good.” Good News Restaurant and Bar 694 Main Street S, Woodbury goodnewswoodbury.com PHOTOGRAPH BY LISA NICHOLS

I ☞ INE X P ENSI V E • M ☞ M O D ER AT E • E ☞ E X P ENSI V E

BANTAM

NORTH CANAAN

Arethusa a Mano

Blackberry River Bistro

I Baked goods, sandwiches (some made with Arethusa cheeses), espresso drinks. 833 Bantam Road 860-567-5722 arethusafarm.com

M Serving delicious made-from- scratch food. 99 Main Street 860-453-4067 blackberryriver.com

Arethusa a Tavolo E Exquisite cuisine andsuperior service. 828 Bantam Road 860-567-0043 arethusaaltavolo.com

I Tacos, wings, steaks, and more. Happy hour from 3-5 pm Wednesday to Friday. 14 Railroad Street 860-453-4317 industrykitchenbar.com

Jackie’s

Picante’s Canaan

I Casual Bantam staple serving breakfast and lunch. 920 Bantam Road 860-567-0770

I Mexican food prepared fresh every day. Outdoor dining. 499 Ashley Falls Road 860-453-4271 picantescanaan.com

JR’s Southwest Grill & BBQ M Bold Southwest flavors . 123 Bantam Lake Road 860-567-9869

La Catrina of Bantam M Traditional Mexican recipes, modern cooking techniques. 810 Bantam Road 860-361-6401 lacatrinabantam.com

Zini’s Restaurant M Presenting a modern twist on traditional favorites. 938 Bantam Road 860-567-1613 zinisrestaurant.com

BETHLEHEM Oliva On Main M-E Serving delicious Mediterranean specialties and wine. 15 Main Street South 203-266-5558 olivacafe.com

BRIDGEWATER Bridgewater Bistro M Seasonal, local, sustainable food in a charming space. 27 Main Street South 860-354-2863 bridgewatervillagestore andbistro.com

Industry Kitchen & Bar

Trackside Tacos I Mexican favorites served in a historical railroad car. 37 Main Street 959-227-9024 @tracksidetacos on FB

WEST CORNWALL The Pink House M Upscale cuisine in a lovely setting near the Covered Bridge. 34 Lower River Road 860-248-3207 thepinkhousect.com

FALLS VILLAGE The Falls Village Inn M Comfort fare served in a historical landmark. 33 Railroad Street 860-824-0033 thefallsvillageinn.com

Mountainside Cafe I Farm-to-table versions of classic American fare, served at breakfast and lunch. 251 Route 7 South 860-824-7876 mountainside.com/cafe

EATS Oﬀ The Trail Cafe

Cozzy’s on Main

Kingsley Tavern

Wilson’s by High Watch

I A popular stop for hikers, cyclists, and locals for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. 107 Main Street 860-206-7098 offthetrailcafe.com

I Serving up a fast-casual dining experience. Pizza and salads. 24 North Main Street 860-927-1551 cozzysonmain.com

M Wide variety of fresh and local food in a friendly, casual setting. 14 North Main Street 860-592-0261 kingsleytavern.com

I Popular breakfast and lunch spot, espresso drinks. 8 North Main Street 959-300-0080 wilsonsbyhighwatch.com

KENT

M-E Enjoy live music and great food at this Kent staple. 53 Main Street 860-927-3509 fifendrum.com

45 On Main Coﬀee & Creamery I Espresso drinks, candy galore, and more. Sweet tooth mecca. 45 North Main Street 860-592-0171 45onmain.square.site

109 Cheese and Wine M Gorgeous sandwiches on baguette, made with artisan cheeses and charcuterie. 6 Kent Green Boulevard 860-592-0366 109cheeseandwine.com

Fife ‘N Drum

The Kent Kitchen M Fresh sushi, burgers, sandwiches, ramen, and more. 12 North Main Street 860-592-0015 @thekentkitchen26

KPG Kitchen & Bar M Delicious pizza plus full menu, fun atmosphere, full bar. 17 Railroad Street 860-927-3733 kentpizzagarden.com

LAKEVILLE

Ore Hill E Fine dining. Intimate farm-focused tasting menu. 3 Maple Street 860-592-0404 orehillandswyft.com

Swyft M Small plates and woodfired pizzas in a modern tavern setting. 3 Maple Street 860-592-0404 orehillandswyft.com

The Villager Restaurant

Black Rabbit Bar & Grille M Gastropub cuisine, lobster rolls, Sunday brunch. Popular bar with sports on TV. 2 Ethan Allen Street 860-596-4227 blackrabbitbarandgrille.com

Fern M Chic spot with artisanal wood-fired pizzas, salads, pasta. 9 Sharon Road 860-596-1930 fernlakeville.com

I Breakfast and lunch at this popular spot. Outdoor patio. 28 North Main Street 860-927-1555 villagerkent.com

Meat is Ground Fresh Daily, On-Site

experience Greek cuisine experience Greca’s

CHEF’S TABLE

• FRESH TURKEYS • CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF • FULL-SERVICE MEAT CASE • SPECIALTY BURGERS • MILK-FED VEAL • AMERICAN LAMB CHOPS • LIUZZI’S LOCAL CHEESES • FRESH PRODUCE

• CROCKPOT MEALS • TAKE & BAKE MEALS • FRESH READY-TO-HEAT MEALS • FRESH-MADE SANDWICHES • CATERING

Locally Owned and Operated by Jessica & Carmine DiSapio Jr

CALL AHEAD ORDERING FOR MEAT AND DELI AVAILABLE!

485 Main Street, Watertown 860-945-6328 • WatertownMeatCenter.org

a customized feast of small plates and shareable platters for groups of four or more join chef dino on his next culinary tour to Greece for information visit grecamed.com

grecamed.com

chef owner constantine “dino” kolitsas host of WHAT’S DINO GOT COOKIN’? podcast

greca mediterranean kitchen + bar 1 Kent Rd, New Milford, CT

(860) 799-6586 98 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

I ☞ INE X P ENSI V E • M ☞ M O D ER AT E • E ☞ E X P ENSI V E

On The Run Coffee Shop

Belden House

I Popular coffee spot serving breakfast and lunch. 4 Ethan Allen Street 860-435-2007 ontheruncoffeeshop.com

E Seasonal products, often starring seafood. Beautiful space. 31 North Street 860-337-2099 beldenhouse.com

The Boathouse at Lakeville

Bohemian Pizza & Tacos

M Known for burgers, sushi, friendly service. Popular spot for dining at the bar. 349 Main Street, 860-435-2111 theboathouseatlakeville.com

M Pizza, tacos, and drinks. 342 Bantam Road 860-567-3980 bohemianpizzaandtacos.com

The Woodland

The Courtroom at The Abner

M Large selection of favorites and specials at iconic local eatery. Famous for fresh sushi. 192 Sharon Road 860-435-0578 thewoodlandrestaurant.com

M Elegant ambience with a diverse menu, great service. 15 West Street 860-898-8000 theabnerhotel.com

LITCHFIELD

M Italian food, casual atmosphere. 625 Torrington Road 860-482-6246 dacapolitchfield.com

@ The Corner M Comfort food and fine dining. 3 West Street 860-567-8882 athecorner.com

DaCa o of itch eld

Lost Fox Tavern & Restaurant M 1740s tavern transformed into a chic space. Seasonal menus with updated classics. 571 Torrington Road 860-222-0855 lostfoxinn.com

Market Place Tavern itch eld M Burgers, pasta, seafood. 7 North Street 860-361-9930 mptavern.com

Materia Ristorante M Fine Italian dining; excellent food, cocktails, and service. 637 Bantam Road 860-567-3326 materiaristo.com

Meraki M Delicious take-out; high-quality sandwiches and salads. Catering. 239 West Street 860-361-9777 merakifood.com

Patty’s Restaurant I Casual eatery whipping up classic diner specialties. 499 Bantam Road 860-567-3335 pattyslitchfield.com

Petraroia Deli I Sandwiches, salads, prepared foods in this beautiful deli. 33 West Street 860-361-6006 petraroiadeli.com

Sage & Salt M New all-American menu at the former Saltwater Grille. 26 Commons Drive 860-567-4900 sageandsaltct.com

Toast & Co. I Avocado toast, sandwiches, egg dishes, specialty drinks. 18 Commons Drive 860-567-0301 toastandco.com

IN D W IEL ! O N HF T Y TC N LI O U C

NYC + LITCHFIELD COUNTY

20A Millerton Road Lakeville, CT GOTHAMWELLNESS.COM

EATS Verdict Roofto Bar

Maggie’s Tavern

M Local beers, cocktails, and a friendly rooftop setting. 15 West Street 860-567-4137 theabnerhotel.com

M Casual farm-to-table dining at the bar in this Relais & Chateaux inn. 155 Alain White Road 860-393-3004, winvian.com

The Village Restaurant

Penny Farthing Tea Room & Bakery

M Neighborhood haunt serving large portions of bar food. 25 West Street 860-567-8307 villagelitchfield.com

West Street Grill E This cozy, often star-studded mecca is home to great dining. 43 West Street 860-567-3885 weststreetgrill.com

MORRIS

I British-inspired meals, delicious teas. 11 Watertown Road 860-361-6109 britsbrand.com

Winvian E Fine dining, with fresh and seasonal foods. 155 Alain White Road 860-567-9600 winvian.com

West Shore Seafood

a G era Cantina I Traditional Mexican favorites, open for lunch and dinner. 5 Watertown Road 860-361-6438 lagueracantina.com

M Comfort foods, market fresh seafood, house made desserts, craft cocktails. 449 Bantam Lake Road 860-567-8000 westshoreseafood.com

NEW MILFORD Colosseo M Sharing the family’s Italian heritage, serving traditional dishes. Brick oven pizza. 38 Park Lane Road 860-350-9596 colosseoristorante.com

Cowboy Butter BB M Live fire cookery and “boujee barbecue” bistro. 59 Bank Street 860-717-4416 cowboybutterbbq.com

Grassroots ce Cream I Classics, plus flavors like blood orange chocolate chip, goat cheese blackberry, dark coffee. 12 Bank Street 860-799-0057 grassrootsicecream.com

Greca Mediterranean Kitchen Bar M Fresh grilled fish, grilled meats, and small plates in a Mediterranean style. 1 Kent Road 860-799-6586 grecamed.com

The ron Rail M Casual and modern steakhouse with classic menu. 10 Railroad Street 860-799-5606 theironrailct.com

a Piccolina M Northern Italian cuisine on the town Green. Locally grown ingredients prepared in modern combinations. 27 Main Street 860-210-9669 lapiccolinact.com

ucia Ristorante M This charming spot offers Northern Italian fare. Prosciutto di Parma rollatini,

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I ☞ INE X P ENSI V E • M ☞ M O D ER AT E • E ☞ E X P ENSI V E bucatini carbonara, and quattro stagioni pizza. 51 Bank Street 860-355-5100 luciaofnewmilford.com

River & Rail I Café menu served in a modern, pretty space. 21 Bank Street 860-799-7272 riverandrailcafe.com

Sparrow Bar + Restaurant M Tacos, duck fried rice, grilled pork loin banh mi. 31 Bank Street 860-799-7111 sparrowbyjb.com

Thai Charm Restaurant I-M Authentic Thai food including chicken satay, curries, noodles, and pad thai. 218 Kent Road 860-799-5271 thaicharmct.com

Vegas Mexican Kitchen & Bar I Street tacos and classic Mexican fare. Full bar. 24 Railroad Street 860-799-0873 vegasmexican.com

Yokohama M Classic and modern sushi, plus other Japanese cuisine. 131 Danbury Road 860-355-0556 yokohamasushict.com

Zaza’s on Main M Enjoy shareable appetizers, seasonal entrées, handcrafted cocktails, and brunch favorites that redefine comfort food with a modern twist. 7 Main Street 860-717-4122, zazasonmain.com

NEW PRESTON The Owl Wine & Food Bar M Kale salads, brick oven pizzas, amazing short rib sliders, bar in relaxed setting. 18 East Shore Road 860-619-0585 owlnewpreston.com

The Smithy Cafe @ 9 Main I-M A neighborhood hot spot serving breakfast and lunch. 9 Main Street 860-619-0699 cafeat9main.com

The Smithy Market M Specialty groceries from local farms and vendors. 10 Main Street 860-868-9003 thesmithymarket.com

White Horse Country Pub M English pub food in authentic pub atmosphere with large bar and patio. 258 New Milford Turnpike 860-868-1496 whitehorsecountrypub.com

SALISBURY Neo Restaurant & Bar M Woodfired pizza spot offering paninis, burgers, pasta, and more. 19 Main Street 860-596-4158 neorestarantbar.com

Sweet William’s Coﬀee Sho & Bakery I Featuring delicious scones, croissants, layer cakes, and coffee drinks. 17 Main Street 860-435-3005 sweet-williams.com

White Hart Inn I-M English-influenced menu and beautiful decor. Lunch and breakfast at Provisions, dinner on weekends. 15 Under Mountain Road 860-435-0030 whitehartinn.com

SHARON Le Gamin M Delicious French cuisine from restaurateur Robert Arbor. 10 Gay Street 860-397-5382 legamin.com/sharonmenu

EATS TORRINGTON Brinx Café & Wine Bar M A tapas menu featuring fresh cuisine in a stylish interior. 53 Main Street 860-201-4179 brinxct.com

Casa Valijo M Sophisticated Mexica menu, rooftop seating, brunch. 131 Water Street 860-618-2706 casavalijo.com

Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria M Quaglia ripiena, tagliatelle al ragú di vitello, pine nutcrusted rack of lamb. 24 East Main Street 860-618-0721 geppettoct.com

Pizzeria Marzano M Delicious brick oven pizzas in welcoming atmosphere. 1315 East Main Street 860-618-0875 pizzeriamarzano.com

Sasso’s Coal Fired Pizza M Pizza, seafood, beer, and wine served in a modern cafe. 52 Main Street 860-618-7162 sassoscoalfired.com

Taste of Thailand M Stir fry, curry, noodles, fried rice, and seafood. 19 McDermott Avenue 860-201-4684 tasteofthailandct.com

The Venetian M In business for more than 100 years, classic Italian fare in an elegant setting. 52 Main Street 860-489-8592 venetianrestaurantct.com

RESERVE your ad space now for our much anticipated DESIGN ISSUE, coming out this NOVEMBER. C O NTACT JILL@LITCHFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

102 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

I ☞ INE X P ENSI V E • M ☞ M O D ER AT E • E ☞ E X P ENSI V E

YiaYia’s Greek Kitchen

Marty’s

M Greek favorites served by a husband-and-wife team. 1057 East Main Street 860-618-3076, yiayias.net

I-M Neighborhood favorite. Breakfast and lunch treats. 4 Green Hill Road 860-868-1700 seeyouatmartys.com

Zach and Lou’s M Pulled pork, St. Louis ribs, brisket, and pork belly. 2936 Winsted Road 860-482-6573 zachandlous.com

May ower nn & S a

WARREN

E Elegant setting in the main dining room, or more casual seating in the tap room. 118 Woodbury Road 860-868-9466 aubergeresorts.com

The Hayloft Wine Bar

The Pantry

M Gourmet morsels and local wine served in a space overlooking Lake Waramaug. 25 Hopkins Road 860-868-7954 hopkinsvineyard.com

M Popular breakfast and lunch spot. Outdoor seating. 5 Titus Road, 860-868-0258 thepantryct.com

Hopkins Inn E Enjoy views of Lake Waramaug while dining on Austrian cuisine. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner. 22 Hopkins Road 860-868-7295 thehopkinsinn.com

Warren General Store I Sandwiches, coffee, breakfast foods, sandwiches. 10 Cornwall Road 860-868-3354 warrengeneral.com

WASHINGTON Community Table E Elevated farm-to-table cuisine in an elegant setting. 223 Route 202 860-868-9354 communitytablect.com

G.W. Tavern M Serving traditional and contemporary cuisine. 20 Bee Brook Road 860-868-6633 gwtavern.com

Vietiane Thai Cuisine

Hidden Valley Market

M Excellent traditional Thai food. Friendly service. 231 High Street 860-489-0758 torringtonthaicuisine.com

I Breakfasts and prepared foods. 88 Bee Brook Road 860-868-1551 hiddenvmkt.com

WATERTOWN cho Craft Kitchen M Fresh, high-quality dishes with excellent cocktails. 150 Echo Lake Road 860-274-8829 echocraftkitchen.com

Roma Ristorante M Authentic Italian dishes with generous portions. 179 Davis Street 860-274-2558 romaristorantect.com

Uncommon Grill M Serving comfort food with a twists. 777 Echo Lake Road, 860-417-3104 uncommongrillct.com

WOODBURY 1754 House M Small plates and traditional fare in a historical space. 506 Main Street South 203-405-3735 1754house.com

El Camion I Award-winning tacos and Mexican food—originally served in a truck, as the name implies. Taco truck parties are still available. 308 Sherman Hill Road 203-405-3008 el-camion.com

Good News M Farm-fresh ingredients. New owners, renovated interior. 694 Main Street South 203-266-4663 goodnewswoodbury.com

John’s Cafe M-E Pork Milanese, crispy rice arancini, steak and fries served in this cozy popular restaurant. 693 Main Street South 203-263-0188 johnscafe.com

Market Place Kitchen & Bar

M Large, bustling, rusticmodern restaurant with a wide range of menu items. 641 Main Street South 203-586-1215 marketplacekitchenbar.com

Mix Prime M Steakhouse also serving sushi and fresh fish. 757 Main Street South 203-586-1788 mixprimesteakhouse.com

New Morning Market M Organic produce with catering and juice bar. 129 Main Street North 203-263-4868 newmorningmarket.com

Rachel’s Kitchen M Beloved for breakfast, lunch, and brunch favorites like challah French toast, lobster Benedict, and more. 230 Main Street South 203-263-2235

West Street Cafe I Cute spot for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, with its own bakery. 20 Sherman Hill Road 203-586-1456 westeggcafect.com

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SERVING GUESTS FOR OVER 20 YEARS Weekend to Monthly Stays Family, Friends, Former Resident Returns School Visits, Vacations, Work-Stays Family Wedding & Reunion Guests Renovation, Relocation & Insurance Claim Temporary Housing

Woodbury Brewing M Casual dining at the Woodbury Brewing Company, featuring tacos, fried specialties, sandwiches. Live music. 738 Main Street South 203-405-3811 woodburybrewing.com

PoshPadsCT.com Exquisite Design, Art, Gardens, Heated Pools, Luxurious Down Featherbeds, Comforters, Pillows, Frette Cotton Sheets, Linens, Robes & Amenities

LUXURY VACATION HOMES

ARTnews E CKERT FINE ART will present Night and Day, Eric Forstmann’s 26th annual one-man exhibition, from October 10 through November 11. Forstmann is a realist painter known for his richly detailed still lifes, landscapes, and depictions of everyday objects. Working almost exclusively from life rather than photographs, he seeks to reveal the quiet beauty of ordinary, often overlooked subjects without imposing

104 • LITCHFIELD • SEP | OCT 2026

meaning upon them. His paintings encourage viewers to slow down, look more closely, and draw their own conclusions. Night and Day explores the contrasting yet complementary relationship between darkness and light, drawing on the artist’s experiences painting both outdoors and in the studio. “Night. Nightfall. A descent. Disappearing into. Something to come out of, to wake from,” Forstmann writes. “A scene less seen. Mystery and loneliness,

TH E QU I ET BEAU TY O F O RDI NARY

wonderment and home before.” He contrasts those ideas with the clarity of daylight: “Day. Daybreak and day’s end. Daylight the chosen half. Form making and questions answered. All revealed in the light of day. Full disclosure and clear sightedness.” Forstmann believes the balance between night and day presents equal and opposite challenges, both as a painter and as a person. While painting outdoors during the day often draws curious

onlookers, working on-site at night tends to provoke a very different reaction. Whether in the landscape or the studio, he views these opposing conditions as opportunities for growth, believing that “you learn to use opposition.” An opening reception with the artist will take place on Saturday, October 10, from 2–5 pm. Eckert Fine Art 10 Titus Rd., Washington janeeckertfineart.com

ART BY ERIC FORSTMANN

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