Upcoming Events: Crafts classes in Saxtons River; new VTica exhibit; ‘Little Lit’ program at Rock Library; bee talk at NewsBank; tracking animals; theater classes for youths and adults; and FOLA Follies 2014

For more upcoming events, click here for The Chester Telegraph calendar. To be included in our Upcoming events briefs, email Susan Lampe-Wilson at calendar@www.chestertelegraph.org. Photos welcome. No PDFs, please.

Jan. 26: Winter crafts classes at River Artisans

The River Artisans Cooperative in Saxtons River will hold a series of Sunday afternoon workshops beginning the last week of January. All workshops will be held in the River Artisans Cooperative class area in the back of the shop at 26 B Main St. in Saxtons River.

• Jan. 26 from 2–4 p.m. two veterans of Etsy.com, Joan Lester and Debbi Wetzel, will share their knowledge of how to sell on Etsy, the internet marketplace. Class fee $20.

• Feb. 2 from 1:30–3:30 p.m., Kathleen Meeks will lead a needle felting workshop in which participants will sculpt figures and animals out of fleece. A bag of necessary tools and materials will be available for $10 and includes enough colored roving to make several projects. Class fee $20.

• Feb. 9 from noon–4 p.m., Joan Lester will lead a round robin crochet class with four separate 45-minute projects. Students may sign up for any or all of these projects, which build upon each other: 1) single, double, and half double stitches; 2) changing color; 3) how to read a pattern and 4) an exploration of combined stitches. Class fee is $12 per class or $40 for all four.

• Feb. 23,  2–4 p.m., a class in blue denim projects will be part of the Blue Lights for Winter Nights celebration in Saxtons River village. Class fee $20.

• March 2, from noon-4 p.m., acrylic artist Debbi Wetzel will lead a class in painting the four seasons on mini canvases. Class fee $20.

Because space is limited, pre-registration is required. To register, call 802-869-2099 or emali riverartisans@gmail.com. The shop is open on weekdays from noon–5 p.m. and weekends from 10–3 p.m.

Feb. 1: Vtica presents ‘Founders Collection’

The Vermont Institute of Contemporary Art is holding a special exhibition to celebrate and thank the many supportive artists who have exhibited at  VTica,15 Depot St., Chester over the past 3 years.

The exhibit will run Feb. 1 through March 2. The group of 50-plus artworks has been hand-selected by the institute’s founders, and represents some of the most talented artists in the region.

There will be an opening reception from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31 with complimentary wine and desserts. 

Feb. 1: Rock Library hosts Little Lit program, community conversation

Rockingham Free Public Library will host a community conversation and joins with WNESU in an early literacy program. Both events are free and open to the public.

• At 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, the library and the WNESU Early Education Center team up to present Little Lit, a free evening with books, toys and early literacy at the WNESU building, 25 Cherry Hill St., in Bellows Falls. Families with children newborn through 5 are welcome to take part in this free program. Each family will receive four free books, a toy and activities to help their children develop early literacy skills. Free dinner and childcare will also be available during the program; families that need childcare, should call in advance.

For more information and to arrange childcare, please call the library at 802-463-4270, email sam@rockinghamlibrary.org or go online to rockinghamlibrary.org/littlelit.html.

• Books and More: What Does Your Local Library Do? is the topic of conversation 6 to 7:30 p.m Thursday, Feb. 6 at the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls.

Library consultant Amy Howlett and RFPL librarians Emily Zervas and Sam Maskell and others will be on hand to talk about the role of the library in the community and about the library’s programs and services. Library trustee Elayne Clift will moderate a dialogue with the audience.

This program is free and open to the public. For more information call the library or go online to rockinghamlibrary.org.

Feb. 6: Free bee talk with beekeeper Ross Conrad

The Nature Museum at Grafton presents Ross Conrad, noted Vermont beekeeper and author who will speak on Honey Bee Health: How You Can Help beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6 at NewsBank Conference Center, 352 Main St. in Chester, across from the main NewsBank campus.

Discussion topics will include organic beekeeping, managing farms and yards to provide bee forage and habitat, and ways that homeowners can help our pollinators.

This talk is part of The Nature Museum at Grafton’s 2014 community program series The Birds and The Bees. The Nature Museum is offering a full year of avian and apian programs, including an organic beekeeping workshop with Conrad for hobby and small-scale professional beekeepers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 15.

Located at 186 Townshend Road in Grafton, the Nature Museum at Grafton offers nature programs for adults and children, as well as for schools and libraries. More information can be found at www.nature-museum.org, on the Nature Museum at Grafton’s Facebook page, or by calling 802-843-2111.

Feb. 8: Nature Museum “Snow Secrets: Exploring Mammal Tracks”

The Nature Museum at Grafton offers Snow Secrets: Exploring Mammal Tracks, an animal tracking snowshoe hike with Lynn Levine, author, tracking expert and licensed forester. The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8. The group will carpool to Nature Conservancy Land in Dummerston. Registrants will receive directions to our meeting place.

Following the animal tracking, participants will reconvene at Levine’s home for a presentation and Q&A session.

The hike will be easy to moderate. This is open to adults and children over 10 accompanied by an adult. For those who register before Wednesday, Jan. 29, the cost is $20 per person; after Jan. 29, the cost is $25. Preregistration is required. To register, visit www.nature-museum.org or call 802-843-2111.

March 17: Weston Theatre Company offers classes

Actor Susan Haefner, seated right, observes students performing during a class. Photo provided.

The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company is offering two performance classes beginning in March at Ludlow’s Town Hall auditorium on Depot Street, Ludlow. On a series of Mondays, beginning March 17, students in grades 6 to 12 are invited to participate in Make A Scene; and adults are encouraged to sign up for Strike Three Cabaret. Broadway and Weston performer Susan Haefner will teach the classes, which are sponsored by Friends of Ludlow Auditorium.

Make a Scene will introduce students to acting through ensemble-building exercises, theater games and improvisation. The class will be held Mondays March 17 through April 28 with an evening presentation on April 28. Children in grades 6 through 8 will meet 3:15-4:30 p.m.; grades 9 through 12 will meet 4:45-6 p.m. Class fee is $125. Full and partial scholarships are available thanks to FOLA, Okemo Mountain Resort and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.

Strike Three Cabaret is designed for adults. Haefner will lead class participants as they choose material, learn songs, develop skits and dig up props. Kent Baker will accompany the group on keyboards. The class is open to those 18 and older. The class will be held from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Mondays March 17 through April 21, ending with an April 21 performance. Class fee is $150.

Class size is limited. The deadline for registration is Feb. 24. A registration form can be downloaded at the Weston website www.westonplayhouse.org/classes. For information, contact Jacki Brown, Weston’s director of education and outreach, at 802-297-7364 or jbrown@westonplayhouse.org

From left, Linda Thomson and George Thomson, with Kasia Karazim on piano, as they rehearse  ‘Sunrise Sunset’ for the 2014 follies. Photo provided.

March 29: FOLA in rehearsals for 2014 follies production

Friends of Ludlow Auditorium are rehearsing for its FOLA Follies of 2014 at the Ludlow Town Hall Auditorium on Depot Street in Ludlow. The follies will be presented on Saturday, March 29. Tesha Buss directs a cast of local and regional artists using music primarily from Hollywood movies. There are still openings for those interested in joining the cast. For information, call 802-228-7239 or info@fola.us.

– Compiled by Susan Lampe-Wilson