CONNECTICUT COAST
DESTINATION CONNECTICUT COAST
I
f you’ve ever taken the train between Boston and New York, you might have found yourself contemplating the coastal marshes, beaches and quaint train stations of the Connecticut shore, as it’s known by the locals. As cities, marshes, meadows and towns shuttered past the window, you may have wondered about life here. This stretch of the Atlantic seaboard boasts a wealth of creative energy—making the Connecticut shore the perfect destination for your next art-centric getaway. It’s impossible to go wrong when choosing a starting point. Greenwich, a cosmopolitan city less than an hour’s drive from Manhattan, is a great choice. Thanks to its status as one of the top-earning commuter cities nationwide, Greenwich is the place to shop. It offers everything from unique boutiques to designer labels. It’s also home to the prestigious Bruce Museum, known for combining art with science and hosting exhibitions of broad appeal. The current show, And Still We Rise: Race, Culture and Visual Conversations (through April 24), uses colorful African-American story quilts to celebrate heroes ranging from Phillis Wheatley to Frederick Douglass or the Tuskegee Airmen. On May 14, Electric Paris opens with an illuminating exploration of the 19th-century “City of Light,” and the varied ways in which artists of the Belle Époque responded to modern, urban night. If you enjoy history, head east toward Old Greenwich and explore the exhibits at the Greenwich Historical Society. The sea plays
Thimble Islands, Branford, CT. Photo courtesy of morguefile.com.
a significant role in Greenwich’s history. Since the town’s founding in 1640, commercial trade and passenger transport boats have plied Long Island Sound. With the rise of pleasure boating, new maritime pursuits appeared on the horizon, and yachting became both a sport and a pastime associated with the lifestyle of the tycoons who built their great estates in the area. The Greenwich Historical Society’s exhibition, Close to the Wind: Our Maritime History, opens March 30 with a collection of maps, photographs, maritime instruments and paintings that highlight coastal
Connecticut’s seafaring roots. If you’re looking for a gracious and luxurious stay, check in at the boutique hotel Delamar Greenwich or its sister property, the Delamar Southport. Both offer spa services and amenities that will make you feel like royalty. In Greenwich, you can enjoy harbor-front balcony views, or view the land from the water in a private cruise. Intimate excursions for two to six passengers are available in season on the Whisper, or, take up to 100 guests on board the Prudence, the oldest working steamboat in the nation. In Southport, original
EDWARD KOREN THE CAPRICIOUS LINE February 5 - April 8, 2016 bellarminewag.eventbrite.com
S P E C I A L
A D V E R T I S I N G
S E C T I O N
M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 6
Art New England 39