J.C. Martin J.C. Martin

Congressman Jim Himes at MoCA Westport Celebrating Congressional Art Competition Winners

Congressman Himes recognized the winners and participants of the annual Congressional Arts Competition. Students from across the district and their families joined the Congressman for a reception to celebrate and display their excellent work. “This is a great way to connect and showcase the talent that’s in our district.” said Himes.

Winning entries from the 2022 Congressional Art Competition, work by (L. to R.), "Hope" by Sarah Li, "Time Tell of Trauma and Triumph" by Celine Fong and "Comfort Food" by Helen Zhou.

There were 22 entries in this year's competition from residents of  the CT-4th district which includes Westport. Entries were judged by a panel of local artists and representatives of arts organizations in Southwest Connecticut.Congressman HImes had previously announced the winner of the competition, Sarah Li from Greenwich Academy who's piece is titled "Hope". Ms. Li will have her winning work displayed for one year at the United States Capitol alongside artwork from every congressional district across the country. Joining Congressman Himes is State Senator from Westport Will Haskell along with Congressman HImes’ aide Shindler Aguste. Haskell is finishing out his term and will be attending law school later this year and is not running for re-election.

OTHER WINNERS: Celine Fong of Rye Country Day School placed 2nd with her work titled "Time Tell of Trauma and Triumph". Third place was awarded to Helen Zhou from the Hopkins School for her piece titled "Comfort Food".

Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com  Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.

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J.C. Martin J.C. Martin

MoCA Westport “Women Pulling Threads of Social Discourse” Opens Today

MoCA Westport announces the opening of Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse in collaboration with The Contemporary Art Modern Project (The CAMP Gallery) and the Fiber Artists Miami Association (FAMA). The exhibition explores how female artists, utilizing textiles as their medium, subvert the social expectation of crafting by lambasting this soft medium with political and social awareness.

Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse will be on view at MoCA Westport from June 30 – September 4, 2022. An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Thursday, June 30, 2022 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Museum. The reception is free and open to the public.

Photos from some of the artists are pictured here.

The exhibition was curated by Melanie Prapopoulos, Maria Gabriela Di Giammarco, and Mario Andres Rodriguez of The CAMP Gallery, with locations in both Miami, Florida and Westport, Connecticut.

Portions of this exhibition were originally shown at The CAMP Gallery Miami in partnership with Fiber Artists Miami Association (FAMA) in 2020. This inaugural collaboration featured predominantly female artists exploring their relationship with themselves and their communities at the intersections of femininity, race, history, and feminist socio-politics. The 2020 exhibition coincided with the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women in the United States the right to vote, the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and a Presidential election year.

The original exhibition has now expanded to include fiber works from artists in the Northeastern United States in an effort to reflect on action in the context of time, while exploring the feminine experience and identity across space.

Check out upcoming free Cocktails & Conversations events featuring speakers related to exhibition at:   mocawestport.org

Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com  Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery

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Good News Only, Community James Bairaktaris Good News Only, Community James Bairaktaris

Ghost Beach: Hundreds of Chairs with Nobody to Fill Them ahead of Fireworks

Hundreds of community members headed to Compo Beach this morning - some before sunrise - to stake their claim on the sand ahead of Westport’s fireworks spectacular. The beach appears busier than ever for a Thursday morning, but was silent as the chairs waited idly by for their families to return. A Westport tradition every year: the sight was one for sore eyes after two years without the Independence Day celebration. WestportLocal.com photo

“Yes, even the wall.” 
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James Bairaktaris James Bairaktaris

Morning Weather Report: Beautiful Night for Compo Fireworks

Today:

Sunny, with a high near 87. West wind around 7 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Light southwest wind.

Tomorrow

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind 5 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tomorrow Night

A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

High Tides

12:31 AM / 1:01 PM

Low Tides

7:00 AM / 7:06 PM

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COVID-19 James Bairaktaris COVID-19 James Bairaktaris

Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 3; State Positivity Rate, Hospitalizations Up

The State Department of Public Health reported 3 more cases in Westport over the past day. The State’s daily test positivity rate was up to 8.69% while State hospitalizations were up 9 at 254 patients.

  • Westport total positive or probable cases: 5,268 cases.

  • Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 37 deaths

  • State Daily Test Positivity: 8.69% [up from 8.67%]

  • State COVID-19 Hospitalizations: 254 patients

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