BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Westport  Journal - ECPv6.16.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Westport  Journal
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://westportjournal.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Westport  Journal
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20240310T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20241103T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251018T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251018T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250926T135336Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T135336Z
UID:10000133-1760781600-1760806800@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:StoryFest Saturday 2025: Panel Discussions\, Book Signings\, Author Talks\, and More!
DESCRIPTION:StoryFest’s busiest day features a full slate of panel discussions\, book signings\, and more\, featuring more than 30 authors across genres! \nClick here to see the full list of events\, authors\, and more for StoryFest 2025! \nHere’s a full breakdown of StoryFest’s biggest day: \nSpooky Stories in the Cobblestone Barn (for kids)\n10 am – 12 pm: At the Westport Museum for History & Culture \nStoryFest is everywhere on Saturday morning\, starting at the Westport Museum for History & Culture! \nStory Fest Saturday morning kicks off with spooky storytelling for the whole family at the Westport Museum for History & Culture! Get in the Halloween spirit with award-winning and best-selling authors Lorien Lawrence\, Cody Daigle-Orians\, and more\, plus a special appearance by Washington Irving himself! \n10 am: Lorien Lawrence\n10:30 am: Cody Daigle-Orians\n11 am: TBA\n11:30 am: Step into the shadows of legend as the ghost of Washington Irving himself rises to recount his chilling tale\, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Gather in the museum’s historic barn\, where flickering lantern light set the perfect stage for the Headless Horseman to ride again. This special performance features an abbreviated\, family-friendly reading of Irving’s classic ghost story: brought to life in a way that will thrill audiences of all ages! \nPanel Discussions and Author Signings\n11 am – 5 pm: In the Library’s Trefz Forum \n11 am: Writing the Self and Others: Turning Lived Experience into Art\nHow do writers transform personal history\, their own and others\, into compelling stories? Explore how writers mine the truth and histories of their own lives and the lives of others to create stories as bold as life itself. With Nabil Ayers\, Cody Daigle-Orians\, Mariah Fredericks\, Koren Shadmi\, and Bonnie Tsui. Moderator: Sonya Huber. \n12 pm: Nevertheless\, She Persisted: Writing Strong Women\nFrom trailblazers to everyday heroines\, literature has long offered a space to reimagine women’s roles and voices. In this discussion\, authors explore the craft of writing complex female characters who reflect resilience\, vulnerability\, and the full range of human experience. With Sharbari Ahmed\, Christina Baker Kline\, Anne Burt\, Kirsten Miller\, and Sarah Stewart Taylor. Moderator: Brigitte Dale. \n1 pm: Coming of Age: Writing Youth\, Identity\, and the Search for Belonging\nStories of youth are stories of transformation. Hear how children’s and YA writers explore the heartbreak\, hopes\, hilarities\, and horrors of growing up. With Charlie Jane Anders\, Derrick Barnes\, Lorien Lawrence\, and Hailey Piper. Moderator: Charnaie Gordon. \n2 pm: Fiction Without Borders: Storytelling Beyond Limits\nWhat happens when writers cross boundaries — cultural\, structural\, or imaginative. This panel explores fiction that resists categorization\, expands perspectives\, and reminds us of the limitless power of storytelling. With Martin Cahill\, Jordan Castro\, Gabi Coatsworth\, Nalini Jones\, Joan Silber\, and Cadwell Turnbull. Moderator: Heather Frimmer. \n3 pm: Becky Spratford Presents: ‘Why I Love Horror’\nLibrarian and horror expert and critic Becky Siegel Spratford gathers some of the most celebrated contemporary horror writers to discuss why they love the genre. With Clay Chapman\, Hailey Piper\, and EC Hanson. \n4 pm: Ellen Datlow Presents: Night and Day\nHorror’s preeminent editor and StoryFest favorite Ellen Datlow sits down with writers from her new anthology\, Night and Day\, with one side featuring stories about what haunts the night while the other side showcases the terrors that can exist in the light of day. With Brian Evenson\, Rachel Harrison\, and Josh Malerman. \nWorking on Both Sides of the Page: Live Minorities in Publishing Podcast Recording\n2-3 pm: In Brooks Place at The Westport Library \nWelcome to another live MiP recording at StoryFest with The Westport Library! Publishing professionals and dynamic authors Lauren Morrow (Little Movements) and Amber Oliver (When the Music Hits) join host Jennifer Baker for a fun and engaging conversation about their electrifying debut novels — both of which reflect characters experiencing the darker side of ambition — as well as the realities of balancing a writing life while working full-time in the publishing industry. Can having a front-row seat to how the proverbial sausage is made impact the process or better prepare one for publication? How does the work we do inform our artistry and vice versa? How do we make time for our art amidst demanding full-time jobs? And what advice has helped to navigate the terrain?
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/storyfest-saturday-2025-panel-discussions-book-signings-author-talks-and-more/
LOCATION:The Westport Library\, 20 Jesup Road\, Westport\, CT\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/StoryFest25_2160x1320-1-jnZdI5.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251017T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251017T220000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250926T135334Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T135334Z
UID:10000132-1760725800-1760738400@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:StoryFest 2025 Presents: Special Screening of Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues\, Followed by a Performance by the James Montgomery Blues Band
DESCRIPTION:Event Details\nStoryFest has always been about celebrating storytelling in all its forms\, dating back to its inception in 2018. And this year it’s adding something new: A special screening of the renowned documentary\, Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues\, followed by a concert featuring songs from the film. \nLegendary bluesman James Montgomery produced the film alongside Judy Laster\, Jacklyn Hairston Cotton\, and Bestor Cram\, and his band\, the James Montgomery Blues Band\, will be performing the after-film concert\, joined by SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman\, celebrated saxophonist Crispin Cioe of the Uptown Horns (Rolling Stones\, J Geils Band)\, and other special guests. \nDoors open at 6 pm. The film will start at 6:30 pm and run approximately 90 minutes\, followed by the live concert performance. \nWhy You Should Come\nBonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues is an emotionally evocative documentary film that portrays the untold story of James Cotton\, a legend whose musical influence shaped the Chicago Blues style having been mentored with the originators of the Delta blues tradition. (See below for more about the documentary.) \nThe film will be followed by a can’t-miss concert featuring the acclaimed James Montgomery Blues Band. Montgomery has played with some of the biggest names in music\, including Johnny Winter\, Mick Jagger\, Bruce Springsteen\, Steven Tyler\, and B.B. King. He will be joined on stage by SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman and Westport’s own celebrated saxophonist Crispin Cioe of the Uptown Horns (Rolling Stones\, J. Geils Band). \nAbout StoryFest & StoryFest 2025\nStoryFest 2025 runs October 13 to October 20\, featuring the debut of Oscar-nominated Julian Brave Noisecat’s memoir\, We Survived the Night\, on Monday\, October 13; followed by the screening and concert on Friday\, October 17; a full day of panel discussions\, author signings\, book talks\, and podcast recordings on Saturday\, October 18; and the 10th anniversary celebration of Shonda Rhimes’ memoir\, Year of Yes\, on Monday\, October 20. \nNow in its eighth year\, StoryFest is the largest annual literary festival in Connecticut and one of the biggest in the Northeast. It is a celebration of the story in all its forms and storytellers from across all media\, each year drawing scores of authors and hundreds of readers\, writers\, and fans. \nPast participants include National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds; Goosebumps author R.L. Stine; acclaimed essayist and memoirist Roxane Gay\, New York Times best-selling authors Michael Lewis\, Mitch Albom\, Claire Messud\, Angie Kim\, Stephen Graham Jones\, and Caroline Kepnes; young adult superstars Nic Stone\, Tiffany Jackson\, and L.L. McKinney; Emmy Award winner Sheila Nevins; best-selling memoirist Isaac Fitzgerald; Kirkus Prize recipient Saeed Jones; and Pinkalicious author/illustrator Victoria Kann. \nAbout the Film\nBonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues depicts the untold story of James Cotton\, a legend whose musical influence shaped the Chicago Blues style. Cotton’s life tracks a swath of America’s history — from the post-depression cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta to tough Chicagoland’s era of brilliant artistic reinvention to today’s live music scene in Austin\, Texas. In between are tours with Janis Joplin\, Paul Butterfield\, and sessions with the Rolling Stones\, Grateful Dead\, Led Zeppelin\, Santana\, Steve Miller\, B.B. King\, and many more. This new film capture’s America’s soul as the blues becomes interpreted in jazz\, big band\, rock and roll\, punk\, hip-hop\, and rap. \nBonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues combines original footage with archival footage\, including never-before-seen concerts with Cotton and many blues legends recorded in 2004 at the House of Blues in Boston\, as well as other concert footage filmed in 2012 with Cotton and his band recorded in Connecticut. Numerous interviews create a narrative that begins in the cotton fields of Mississippi and travels throughout America reflecting social change and upheaval within a nation that is often defined by its cultural embrace of music. \nAbout James Montgomery\nMontgomery is an American blues musician\, best known as the lead singer\, blues harp player\, frontman\, and bandleader of The James Montgomery Blues Band. Throughout his remarkable career\, Montgomery has collaborated with a host of star performers and recording artists\, including Johnny Winter\, Mick Jagger\, Bruce Springsteen\, Steven Tyler\, and B.B. King. In addition\, Montgomery has toured with the Allman Brothers Band\, Aerosmith\, Bonnie Raiit\, the J. Geils Band\, the Steve Miller Band\, and more. \nMontgomery founded the James Montgomery Blues band in 1970. Together\, the band has recorded 12 albums\, with Montgomery recording three more solo records and accompanying on a number more. Past and current band members include Billy Squier\, Wayne Kramer\, Jeff Golub\, Jim McCarty\, Nunzio Signore\, Steve Strout\, Jeff Pevar\, Bobby Chouinard\, Ted Nugent\, Jeff Levine\, Tom Gambel\, George McCann\, and David Hull. \nAbout Christine Ohlman\nOhlman\, nicknamed the Beehive Queen for her towering blond hairdo\, has been a featured vocalist with the SNL Band for 31 years\, appearing on both the 25th and 40th Anniversary SNL telecasts. She has also been a regular guest and host at the Library’s annual VersoFest music and media celebration\, including serving as host for this year’s oral history podcast with Paul Shaffer. \nDedication to preserving the soul in rock n’ roll has been the hallmark of Ohlman’s work. In total\, her band\, Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez\, has released six albums to date: The Hard Way (1996)\, Radio Queen (1997)\, Wicked Time (2000)\, Strip (2003)\, Re-Hive (2008)\, and The Deep End (2010).
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/storyfest-2025-presents-special-screening-of-bonnie-blue-james-cottons-life-in-the-blues-followed-by-a-performance-by-the-james-montgomery-blues-band/
LOCATION:The Trefz Forum\, The Westport Library\, 20 Jesup Road\, Westport\, CT\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonnie-Blue-Band-2160x1320-1-NyoPtA.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T200000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251014T175332Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251014T175332Z
UID:10002038-1760641200-1760644800@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Darkness: Experience CT's Witch Panic
DESCRIPTION:Darkness\, Inside the Mind of Connecticut’s Witches is a unique Halloween experience. Enter 1647 and witness the witch trials that European colonists experienced through their own words\, in the darkness that pervaded their everyday lives. Sit with us in the dark and hear about superstitions of witchcraft and the belief that danger—both physical and supernatural—was all around. \nThis event will discuss mature themes in complete darkness for extended periods. Our program is held inside our newly renovated historic 19th century barn. Darkness is not a haunted house\, though traditionally “scary” topics will be examined. Phones and light sources are not permitted. This event is not recommended for children under 10\, adult supervision is mandatory. \nTickets $10 for members\, $15 for non-members. Reservations are required\, register online below. Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel\, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.   \nJoin us for more Spooktober programs\, exploring the darker side of history.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/darkness-experience-cts-witch-panic/
LOCATION:Westport Museum for History and Culture\, 25 Avery Place\, Wesport\, Connecticut\, 06880\, United States
CATEGORIES:Community,History,New
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/What-darkness-lurked-in-the-hearts-of.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Westport Museum for History and Culture":MAILTO:info@westporthistory.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T200000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251009T183845Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251009T183845Z
UID:10002036-1760637600-1760644800@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Westport First Selectman Debate
DESCRIPTION:Westport Journal will sponsor a debate between the three candidates seeking election to the office of First Selectman for the Town of Westport in November. \nKevin Christie\, endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee\nDon O’Day\, endorsed by the Republican Town Committee\nDavid Rosenwaks\, endorsed by the Independent Party of Connecticut \nThe debate will be moderated by Jeff Weiser. Weiser is also the moderator of the Westport Representative Town Meeting.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/westport-first-selectman-debate/
LOCATION:Greens Farms Academy\, 35 Beachside Ave.\, westport\, CT\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/David-Rosenwaks-Don-ODay-and-Kevin-Christie.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T200000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251002T131323Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T131325Z
UID:10002006-1760637600-1760644800@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Ceramic Artisan Multi-Bowl Class with Leah Corbett
DESCRIPTION:Register here: $85.00\nAdult workshop \nSpend a creative evening handcrafting your own artisan multi-bowl centerpiece with Fairfield-based ceramicist Leah Corbett. “Multi-bowls” are one of Leah’s most popular forms\, and can be used as snack boards\, jewelry catchers\, air plant displays\, or general organizers for keys & miscellaneous items. In this two-hour workshop\, Leah will guide you through steps to pinch & smooth multiple bowl forms out of clay\, attach them\, and manipulate their shapes to fit your own creative style. We provide the clay\, tools & glaze options. You get your hands a little dirty\, choose your glaze\, and then\, once fired\, come and pick up beautiful and unique gift a friend or yourself! This is a great intro to hand-building class that will take you far in the world of pottery.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/ceramic-artisan-multi-bowl-class-with-leah-corbett/
LOCATION:MoCACT\, 19 Newtown Turnpike\, Westport\, 06880\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T193000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250925T160018Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250925T160133Z
UID:10000014-1760635800-1760643000@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Workshop: Community Quilting Project
DESCRIPTION:Artist Lizzy Rockwell leads a drop-in workshop in which participants will design and create a quilt square on the theme of “Justice”!\n\n\nArtist Lizzy Rockwell leads a drop-in workshop in which participants will design and create a quilt square on the theme of “Justice” for a community quilt\, created in conjunction with the Fairfield University Art Museum exhibition Stitching Time: The Social Justice Quilts Collaboration Project (on view in the Walsh Gallery in the Quick Center September 12-December 13\, 2026). All supplies will be provided! \nFor more information about the exhibition\, click here. \nImage: A Peace By Piece quilting event at Norwalk Library.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/workshop-community-quilting-project/
LOCATION:Quick Center for the Arts Lobby\, 200 Barlow Road\, Fairfield\, CT\, 06824\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/a39d006b1bcf7b4398bad3b6cd7f7a4e.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T190000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251001T144648Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251001T144648Z
UID:10001983-1760635800-1760641200@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Collecting 501: Buying\, Selling\, Loaning Art + Tax Planning
DESCRIPTION:You won’t want to miss the next session of On the Art of Collecting\, our free\, expert-led series. Session 501 explores buying\, selling\, loaning art\, and tax planning. Enjoy refreshments while gaining insider knowledge from a distinguished panel — practical insights every collector\, seasoned or new\, will want to know.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/collecting-501-buying-selling-loaning-art-tax-planning/
LOCATION:MoCA CT\, 19 Newtown Turnpike\, Westport\, Connecticut\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MoCA-CT-Social-Media-Collecting-501-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="MoCA CT":MAILTO:info@mocawestport.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T200000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250926T135314Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T135314Z
UID:10000120-1760551200-1760558400@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Artist Reception: ‘Every Picture Tells a Story': Photographs from the Westport Public Art Collections
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Wednesday\, October 15\, for our artist conversation with curator Arthur Nager\, whose exhibit\, Every Picture Tells a Story\, will be on display in the Sheffer Gallery from October 8 through December 15. There will be a reception from 6 to 7 pm\, followed by an artist talk with Nager from 7 to 8 pm. \nArtist Statement\nEvery Picture tells a Story includes photographs from The Westport Public Art Collections selected to coordinate with StoryFest 2025 and to highlight the work of the many creative photographers represented in the collection. Curator and photographer Arthur Nager worked with Carole Erger-Fass\, exhibit curator of The Westport Library\, and members of the Westport Public Art Collections to identify photographs that demonstrated diverse creative and technological approaches to the medium. The work on display includes portraits\, landscape studies\, historical\, documentary\, and abstract imagery in black and white and color. \nThe exhibit features internationally renowned photographers Philippe Halsman\, Alfred Eisenstaedt\, Eliot Porter\, and Lucia Nebel White; along with wonderful creative imagery from Westport photographers including Larry Silver and David Kalman\, who focused on the town and region; photojournalists Spencer Platt and Lynsey Addario\, among others. \nNager will also be leading a three-part Verso University workshop\, Visual Storytelling: Develop Your Photographic Vision\, in conjunction with his exhibit and with StoryFest 2025. \n*** \nFor more about the Library art exhibits\, visit the Art at the Library page. \n  \nMiggs Burroughs Healing Power of Art
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/artist-reception-every-picture-tells-a-story-photographs-from-the-westport-public-art-collections/
LOCATION:The Westport Library\, 20 Jesup Road\, Westport\, CT\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WestPAC-Forum-Screen-copy-2MNwmd.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T200000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250926T135249Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T135254Z
UID:10000109-1760468400-1760472000@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:From Division to Unity: Lessons in Bridging Divides (a Star-Studded Common Ground Panel Discussion)
DESCRIPTION:Event Details\nJoin us for an extraordinary evening of insight and inspiration as a panel of nationally recognized innovators from the fields of business\, sports\, and the military share how they’ve navigated complex divisions to lead diverse teams toward common goals. \nFeatured panelists include: \n\nBonnie Hammer\, Retired Vice-Chair\, NBC Universal\nMel Raines\, CEO\, the Indiana Pacers (NBA)\nSteve Parrish\, Retired Senior Vice President\, Altria Group\, Inc.\nTony La Russa\, Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Manager\nLindsay Czarniak\, Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster\nGeneral William Welch\, U.S. Air Force General (retired)\n\nThe conversation will be facilitated by Dr. Allen Hilton\, executive director of the House United Movement and Consulting Theologian at Greens Farms Church\, who brings decades of experience in fostering dialogue across lines of difference. \nWhy You Should Come\nBecause\, at a time when the United States is marked by deep political\, racial\, and cultural divides\, the voices we need most are those who have successfully built unity across difference — not in theory\, but in practice. And the remarkable panelists taking part in this panel discussion have done just that. \nAbout the Common Ground Initiative\nThe Common Ground Initiative is The Westport Library’s forum for public discourse on topical issues of importance to the community. The aim of the initiative is to host a positive\, productive conversation on how we work together to move forward as a civil society; encourage respectful\, constructive dialogue; and build capacity to tackle challenging and/or controversial issues.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/from-division-to-unity-lessons-in-bridging-divides-a-star-studded-common-ground-panel-discussion/
LOCATION:The Trefz Forum\, The Westport Library\, 20 Jesup Road\, Westport\, CT\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/From-Division-to-Unity-Lessons-in-Bridging-Divides-A-Common-Ground-Panel-Discussion-mD1RxB.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251013T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251013T203000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250926T135234Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T135239Z
UID:10000100-1760382000-1760387400@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:StoryFest 2025 Presents: Debut Book Launch for 'We Survived the Night' by Critically Acclaimed Writer and Filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat
DESCRIPTION:Event Details\nStoryFest\, The Westport Library’s annual literary festival\, is kicking off its eighth year by celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day with an exclusive book launch for We Survived the Night\, the highly anticipated debut memoir by author and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat — one day in advance of the book’s official nationwide release. \nNoiseCat will be joined by Ramin Ganeshram\, executive director of the Westport Museum for History and Culture\, for a keynote conversation in the Library’s Trefz Forum. \nTickets are $30 and include a copy of We Survived the Night. It is the same price for one seat and a copy of the book or two seats and a book. Books will also be available for purchase at the event and a signing will follow the talk. \nThis kickoff event for StoryFest 2025 is sponsored by the Lance Lundberg Family Foundation. \nAbout StoryFest & StoryFest 2025\nNow in its eighth year\, StoryFest is the largest annual literary festival in Connecticut and one of the biggest in the Northeast. It is a celebration of the story in all its forms and storytellers from across all media\, each year drawing scores of authors and hundreds of readers\, writers\, and fans. \nThe 2025 edition runs October 13 to October 20\, starting with NoiseCat’s book launch and ending with a 10th anniversary celebration of Shonda Rhimes’ New York Times best-selling memoir\, Year of Yes. \nThe festival rings in its hallmark weekend on Friday\, October 17\, by showcasing storytelling through film and music with a screening of the documentary Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues\, followed by a concert event with James Montgomery’s Blues Band featuring SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman. \nSaturday\, October 18\, will feature a series of events starting at 10 am and going until 6 pm — including panel discussions\, author talks\, book readings\, signings\, and more. \nPast participants include National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds; Goosebumps author R.L. Stine; acclaimed essayist and memoirist Roxane Gay\, New York Times best-selling authors Michael Lewis\, Mitch Albom\, Claire Messud\, Angie Kim\, Stephen Graham Jones\, and Caroline Kepnes; young adult superstars Nic Stone\, Tiffany Jackson\, and L.L. McKinney; Emmy Award winner Sheila Nevins; best-selling memoirist Isaac Fitzgerald; Kirkus Prize recipient Saeed Jones; and Pinkalicious author/illustrator Victoria Kann. \nAbout We Survived the Night\nWe Survived the Night is a stunning narrative that interweaves oral history with hard-hitting journalism and a deeply personal father-son journey into a searing portrait of Indigenous survival\, love\, and resurgence. Told in the style of a “Coyote Story\,” a legend about the trickster forefather of NoiseCat’s people who was revered for his wit and mocked for his tendency to self-destruct\, We Survived the Night brings a traditional art form nearly annihilated by colonization back to life on the page. Through a dazzling blend of history and mythology\, memoir and reportage\, NoiseCat unravels old stories and braids together new ones. \nPenguin Random House\, NoiseCat’s publisher\, describes him as “one of the most powerful young writers at work today.” And his debut has been praised as “invigorating and soul-stirring” (Megha Majumdar\, author of A Guardian and a Thief) and “a powerful archive of Indigenous pain and resistance” (Publishers Weekly). \n“This is a love letter to Oakland\, to the Canim Lake Band Tsq’secen of the Secwepemc Nation\, to a father from his son\, to the act of being a Native person in the 21st century finding ways to love even through all that wounds have opened and wrought\,” said Tommy Orange\, New York Times best-selling author of Wandering Stars. “With this\, Julian Brave NoiseCat has written a book I’ve been waiting my whole life to read.” \nAbout Julian Brave NoiseCat\nNoiseCat’s journalism has appeared in dozens of publications including The New York Times\, The Washington Post\, and The New Yorker\, and has been recognized with many awards including the 2022 American Mosaic Journalism Prize. In 2021\, NoiseCat was named to the TIME100 Next list of emerging leaders. \nHe also is a critically acclaimed filmmaker who was nominated for an Academy Award for Sugarcane\, directed alongside Emily Kassie\, which follows an investigation into abuse and missing children at the Indian residential school NoiseCat’s family was sent to near Williams Lake\, British Columbia. \nSugarcane premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival\, where NoiseCat and Kassie won the Directing Award in the U.S. Documentary Competition. Additionally\, the film has been recognized with dozens of awards\, including Best Documentary from the National Board of Review and\, of course\, the Oscar nod. \nBefore turning full-time to writing and filmmaking\, NoiseCat was a political strategist\, policy analyst\, and cultural organizer. In 2019\, he helped lead a grassroots effort to bring an Indigenous canoe journey to San Francisco Bay to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Alcatraz Occupation. Eighteen canoes representing communities from as far north as Canada and as far west as Hawaii participated in the journey\, which was covered by dozens of local and national media outlets\, including The New York Times. \nIn addition\, NoiseCat is a champion powwow dancer and student of Salish art and history. His expansive repertoire pays homage to his cultural roots as a proud member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq’escen and a descendant of the Lil’Wat Nation of Mount Currie. \nAbout Ramin Ganeshram\nGaneshram has served as the executive director of the Westport Museum since 2018. In recognition for her work as curator of the Museum’s 2018-19 exhibit\, Remembered: The History of African Americans in Westport\, Ganeshram received the prestigious award for Leadership in the Museum Field from the New England Museum Association. In 2019\, Ganeshram was also awarded the Paul Cuffee Memorial Fellowship for the For the Study of Minorities in American Maritime History. And in 2022\, she was named a fellow at the Fred W. Smith Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon. \nUnder Ganeshram’s leadership\, the Museum has partnered closely with organizations focused on BIPOC cultural movements. With her at its helm\, the Museum has been recognized by museum-industry leaders and by Connecticut Humanities as a standard-bearer for how small to midrange museums can truthfully and faithfully address American history around race and identity — particularly relating to slavery and civil rights. \n\nIndigenous American Mythologies\nREAD Like A Librarian
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/storyfest-2025-presents-debut-book-launch-for-we-survived-the-night-by-critically-acclaimed-writer-and-filmmaker-julian-brave-noisecat/
LOCATION:The Trefz Forum\, The Westport Library\, 20 Jesup Road\, Westport\, CT\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/StoryFest25_2160x1080_JBNC25-zWLZH9.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T210000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251002T131321Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T162810Z
UID:10002004-1760209200-1760216400@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Sessions at MoCACT: Latinx Musical Identities
DESCRIPTION:Get ready for a night that will leave you breathless. Pianist Priscila Navarro and the powerhouse Arx Duo percussionists light up the stage with the explosive sounds of Latin America. \nFeel the fire of Afro-Peruvian dance.\nSway to the elegance of Mexico’s Danzón.\nGet swept away by the passion of South America’s greatest melodies. \nThe evening builds to the Westport premiere of Jimmy López’s Perú Negro — a jaw-dropping\, high-voltage finale with two pianos and two percussionists. \nThis concert is a full-body\, heart-pounding experience you’ll talk about long after the final note. \nSeats are limited and going fast — buy your tickets now before they’re gone!
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/sessions-at-mocact-latinx-musical-identities-2/
LOCATION:MoCACT\, 19 Newtown Turnpike\, Westport\, 06880\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T143000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251002T131320Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T131320Z
UID:10002003-1760187600-1760193000@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Docent-Led Exhibition Tour
DESCRIPTION:Learn more about the current exhibition from an expert docent. No advance registration required; all tours included in Museum admission. Remember\, gallery admission is FREE for MoCA Members.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/docent-led-exhibition-tour-4/
LOCATION:MoCACT\, 19 Newtown Turnpike\, Westport\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Docent-Tour-xC3gfy.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T173000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250926T135217Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T135218Z
UID:10000093-1760184000-1760203800@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Verso University Presents: AI & Us: A Civic Symposium
DESCRIPTION:AI & Us is a community-centered symposium exploring the implications of artificial intelligence across legal\, civic\, creative\, business\, healthcare\, and technological spheres. Designed for broad public engagement\, the event will offer multiple perspectives — from policymakers and technologists to journalists and academics. \nEach session includes an audience Q&A\, fostering open dialogue and public insight. \nAbout Verso University \nVerso University is The Westport Library’s lifelong learning and education initiative. Verso U functions as a year-round series of high-level classes\, workshops\, and lectures designed to further education and learning — and above all\, learning for a lifetime. \nOfferings run the gamut of educational opportunities to take your learning to the next level\, ranging from one-time lectures to ongoing courses to classes that meet weekly or perhaps monthly. And they will cover a wide variety of topics\, with classes and courses to appeal to all ages and interests\, from our younger patrons to our most experienced. \nVerso University programs are made possible by the generous support of the Nancy J. Beard Lifelong Learning and Education Fund. \n12-1:30 pm: Opening Keynote Conversation with Yale Prof. Scott Shapiro on AI\, Law\, and Cybersecurity\nScott Shapiro\, Yale Law School professor and author of Fancy Bear Goes Phishing\, will discuss AI’s role in legal reasoning\, government ethics\, and cybersecurity\, drawing from his experience at Yale and the Department of Homeland Security. \n2-3:30 pm: Panel: AI and Its Impact in Connecticut\nA cross-sector conversation about how AI is shaping the state’s innovation landscape\, higher education\, healthcare\, workforce\, and legislation. \n4-5:30: Closing Reflections with Kate Crawford on the Politics of AI\nJoin one of AI’s leading scholars of artificial intelligence and its material impacts. Kate Crawford is a research professor at the University of Southern California\, senior principal researcher at Microsoft Research New York\, and author of Atlas of AI. TIME100 named her as one of the world’s most influential people in AI. \nAI Explained SeriesArtificial Intelligence
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/verso-university-presents-ai-us-a-civic-symposium/
LOCATION:The Trefz Forum\, The Westport Library\, 20 Jesup Road\, Westport\, CT\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AI-and-Us-MM6RvI.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T133000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251002T131316Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T131316Z
UID:10002012-1760184000-1760189400@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Art Adventures
DESCRIPTION:Join our children’s drop-in art class at the museum\, where young artists are encouraged to explore their creativity and express their unique ideas. Through fun\, hands-on activities\, children will build confidence\, develop new art skills\, and find inspiration in a supportive\, nurturing environment. \nClass Fee: $25 \nRegister. \n 
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/art-adventures-3/
LOCATION:MoCACT\, 19 Newtown Turnpike\, Westport\, 06880\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251010T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251010T210000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250929T183210Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T153739Z
UID:10000178-1760122800-1760130000@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Psycho
DESCRIPTION:Westport Country Playhouse’s classic film series will present “Psycho\,” directed by Alfred Hitchcock\, a landmark psychological horror film from 1960 that redefined the genre\, on Friday\, October 10\, at 7 p.m.\, hosted by Mark Shanahan\, Playhouse artistic director\, who will give pre- and post-film talks.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/psycho/
LOCATION:Westport Country Playhouse\, 25 Powers Court\, Westport\, Connecticut\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Psycho-600x600-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Westport Country Playhouse":MAILTO:boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T213000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250929T183216Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T153552Z
UID:10000177-1760040000-1760045400@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Colin Quinn
DESCRIPTION:Westport Country Playhouse will present standup comedian Colin Quinn\, from “Saturday Night Live\,” MTV’s “Remote Control\,” and Comedy Central’s “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn\,” on Thursday\, October 9\, at 8 p.m. The Brooklyn native\, smart\, sharp\, and unapologetically New York\, will bring the laughs live on the Playhouse stage.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/colin-quinn/
LOCATION:Westport Country Playhouse\, 25 Powers Court\, Westport\, Connecticut\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WCP_Colin-Quinn_10-9-25-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Westport Country Playhouse":MAILTO:boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T193000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250926T135159Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T135159Z
UID:10000084-1760032800-1760038200@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Verso University Presents: Visual Storytelling: Develop Your Photographic Vision
DESCRIPTION:Course Dates: Thursdays\, October 9\, 16\, & 23\, 6-7:30 pm \nLocation: Room 210 (The Board Room) \nRegistration Fee: $25 \nCourse Description\nLearn to tell visual stories with acclaimed photographer Arthur Nager. This three-part workshop helps photographers at all levels develop a cohesive body of work based on visual or conceptual themes. Participants will study past and contemporary photographers to understand visual and narrative strategies and apply these insights to their own projects. The course emphasizes presenting and critiquing work in digital or print formats\, with some discussion of technique and camera skills for both camera phones and traditional digital and film cameras. \nEnrollment Requirements\nEnrollees should submit a brief description of their photographic experience\, five low-res photographs (not to exceed five megabytes)\, and links to websites or social media featuring their work if applicable to jconnon@westportlibrary.org to help shape the course content. (Participants may submit five photographic prints in lieu of digital images\, but please bring these to the first class session and remember to send the email requested above.) \nAbout the Instructor\nArthur Nager is a photographer\, curator\, and educator whose work explores the American social landscape. He holds an MFA in photography from Visual Studies Workshop and a BA in history and psychology from the University of Rochester. He began his career at George Eastman House under Harold Jones and was influenced by Nathan Lyons and Syl Labrot. \nNager later taught in Colorado before becoming Director of the Photography Program at the University of Bridgeport\, where he built a nationally recognized curriculum and lecture series that brought some of photography’s most iconic figures to campus. \nHis work has been widely exhibited in the U.S. and abroad\, including recent shows in Rome\, New York City\, and the Mattatuck Museum in Connecticut. His photographs are held in the permanent collections of the George Eastman House\, South Street Seaport Museum\, and Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. \nHe has received numerous grants and fellowships\, including a National Endowment for the Humanities award for his research on photography’s influence on 19th-century impressionism. \nNager continues to photograph\, write\, and teach between Connecticut and New York City. His current projects focus on urban change\, public spaces\, and overlooked areas of the built environment. His photography exhibit Every Picture Tells a Story will be on display in the Library’s Sheffer Gallery October 8 through December 15. \nImportant Information About Verso University\n\nClasses are usually structured as a consecutive series.\nClass size is often limited.\nEach series has a one-time fee registration fee covering all classes in the series.\nRegistration is mandatory.\nThe Westport Library wants to ensure that all interested students are able to participate in Verso University courses. If the registration fee is a barrier to entry for you\, please contact JConnon@westportlibrary.org.\n\nVerso University is the Library’s lifelong learning and education initiative\, serving up year-round offerings of classes\, workshops\, and lectures designed to further education and learning. Offerings run the gamut of educational opportunities\, ranging from one-time lectures to ongoing courses to classes that meet weekly or perhaps monthly. \nVerso University programs are made possible by the generous support of the Nancy J. Beard Lifelong Learning and Education Fund. \n \nPhotography\nVisual Arts Collection
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/verso-university-presents-visual-storytelling-develop-your-photographic-vision/
LOCATION:The Westport Library Board Room\, 20 Jesup Road\, Westport\, CT\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/visual-storytelling-KBdhOY.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T140000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250923T150207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250925T160130Z
UID:10000004-1760014800-1760018400@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Virtual Art in Focus: Johannes Adam Simon Oertel
DESCRIPTION:Join us as we kick our our Art in Focus series of fall 2025 with a piece from the exhibition “Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy”\n\n\nJoin Curator of Education Michelle DiMarzo for an informal discussion of this work from the exhibition Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy: Johannes Adam Simon Oertel\, Pulling Down the Statue of King George III\, New York City\, 1852-1853\, oil on canvas. The New York Historical\, Gift of Samuel V. Hoffman\, 1925.6. Courtesy of The New York Historical \nThis event will be livestreamed. Want to join us for the in-person event at 12 noon? Click here to register. \nAbout the Exhibition: Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy (organized by The New York Historical) explores monuments and their representations in public spaces as flashpoints of fierce debate over national identity\, politics\, and race that have raged for centuries. Offering a historical foundation for understanding today’s controversies\, the exhibition features fragments of a statue of King George III torn down by American Revolutionaries\, a souvenir replica of a bulldozed monument by Harlem Renaissance sculptor Augusta Savage\, and a maquette of New York City’s first public monument to a Black woman\, Harriet Tubman\, among other objects from The New York Historical’s collection. The exhibition reveals how monument-making and monument-breaking have long shaped American life as public statues have been celebrated\, attacked\, protested\, altered\, and removed. For more information\, click here.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/virtual-art-in-focus-johannes-adam-simon-oertel/
LOCATION:Connecticut
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/d7761bc14bfc67b9a8a1c5cab7f5b9a6.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251002T184805Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T184805Z
UID:10002031-1760011200-1760014800@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Art in Focus: Johannes Adam Simon Oertel
DESCRIPTION:Join us as we kick our our Art in Focus series of fall 2025 with a piece from the exhibition “Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy”\n\n\nJoin Curator of Education Michelle DiMarzo for an informal discussion of this work from the exhibition Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy: Johannes Adam Simon Oertel\, Pulling Down the Statue of King George III\, New York City\, 1852-1853\, oil on canvas. The New York Historical\, Gift of Samuel V. Hoffman\, 1925.6. Courtesy of The New York Historical \nThis event will also be livestreamed at 1 p.m. Click here to register for a reminder. \nAbout the Exhibition: Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy (organized by The New York Historical) explores monuments and their representations in public spaces as flashpoints of fierce debate over national identity\, politics\, and race that have raged for centuries. Offering a historical foundation for understanding today’s controversies\, the exhibition features fragments of a statue of King George III torn down by American Revolutionaries\, a souvenir replica of a bulldozed monument by Harlem Renaissance sculptor Augusta Savage\, and a maquette of New York City’s first public monument to a Black woman\, Harriet Tubman\, among other objects from The New York Historical’s collection. The exhibition reveals how monument-making and monument-breaking have long shaped American life as public statues have been celebrated\, attacked\, protested\, altered\, and removed. For more information\, click here.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/art-in-focus-johannes-adam-simon-oertel/
LOCATION:Fairfield University Art Museum\, Bellarmine Hall Galleries\, 200 Barlow Road\, Fairfield\, CT\, 06824\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/d7761bc14bfc67b9a8a1c5cab7f5b9a6.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T210000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250926T135145Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T135152Z
UID:10000077-1759946400-1759957200@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:StartUp Westport 2025 Innovator of the Year: Mark Shapiro & 2025 Community Impact Innovator Award: Sweet P Bakery
DESCRIPTION:Register Here \nEvery year\, Startup Westport gathers for one of its most meaningful traditions: the Innovator of the Year Awards. It’s our moment to honor Westport’s own — leaders who live and breathe the spirit of entrepreneurship — the risk-takers\, the builders\, the visionaries who transform industries and the changemakers who strengthen our community. \nOn October 8\, Startup Westport will honor two extraordinary Westport-based leaders who embody that spirit in very different ways: Mark Shapiro as its 2025 Innovator of the Year and Sweet P Bakery as the recipient of its 2025 Community Impact Innovator Award. \nAt the event\, Mark will sit down with CNBC anchor Sara Eisen for a fireside chat\, “Pivotal Moments: The Risks That Paid Off (and the Ones That Didn’t).” In this candid conversation\, Mark will share the decisions that shaped his career and the lessons that continue to guide him today. \nWhy You Should Come / What to Expect on October 8: \n\nThe official recognition of Startup Westport’s 2025 award honorees.\nBig ideas and never-before-told stories from the front lines of leadership.\nA spotlight on innovators shaping culture — on the global stage and right here at home.\nA room full of founders\, funders\, and community builders who believe in bold ideas.\nComplimentary treats from Sweet P Bakery\n\nCheck out the StartUp Westport website for the full event details and agenda. \nAbout Mark Shapiro \nSome leaders follow the playbook. Mark Shapiro rewrites it. If you’ve ever watched a UFC fight\, followed WWE\, or noticed how WME has become one of the most influential agencies in the world\, you’ve seen Shapiro’s fingerprints. \nAs president & COO of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and president & managing partner of WME Group\, Mark has had a hand in shaping some of the most influential names in sports and entertainment. His career has been defined by bold calls — bets that others might not have made — that changed the trajectory of companies\, industries\, and even culture itself. \nStartUp Westport selected Mark as this year’s Innovator of the Year because he represents the kind of leadership that defines entrepreneurship at its best: courageous\, inventive\, and unafraid to fail forward. \nAbout Sweet P Bakery  \nIf Mark’s story is about reshaping industries\, Sweet P Bakery is about reshaping community. Founded by Andrea and Bill Pecoriello\, Sweet P started with a simple but powerful idea: create a bakery that provides inclusive hiring opportunities. The result? A thriving business that proves you can lead with heart\, grow with purpose\, and still make amazing cookies in town (and at Yankee Stadium!). \nStartUp Westport is honoring Sweet P because they remind us that innovation isn’t only measured in scale — it’s also measured in impact. Their work shows that business can be a force for dignity\, inclusion\, and joy. \n\nEntrepreneurship\nIndustry Resources
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/startup-westport-2025-innovator-of-the-year-mark-shapiro-2025-community-impact-innovator-award-sweet-p-bakery/
LOCATION:The Trefz Forum\, The Westport Library\, 20 Jesup Road\, Westport\, CT\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SUW-Innovator-of-the-Year-0820.25-Ucfb5z.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251006T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251006T200000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250926T135109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T135111Z
UID:10000063-1759777200-1759780800@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Common Ground Initiative: 'Somebody Should Do Something' With Michael Brownstein\, Alex Madva\, and Daniel Kelly
DESCRIPTION:Changing the world is difficult — but attainable through the choices we make every day. Join Michael Brownstein\, Alex Madva\, and Daniel Kelly\, the authors of Somebody Should Do Something\, as they paint a picture of how social change happens\, one choice at a time. Alongside moderator Sharon Suchotliff\, principal at ZS Consultants and a member of the Library’s Common Ground Initiative\, this panel will delve into a novel and scientific approach to creating transformative social change — and the surprising ways that each of us can help make a real difference. \nCopies of Somebody Should Do Something will be available for purchase at this event. \nCrucial issues like climate change\, racism\, and poverty\, are structural. They emerge from our collective practices: laws\, economies\, history\, culture\, norms\, and built environments. The dilemma is that there is no way to make structural change without individual people making different — more structure-facing — decisions. In Somebody Should Do Something\, Michael Brownstein\, Alex Madva\, and Daniel Kelly show us how we can connect our personal choices to structural change and why individual choices matter\, though not in the way people usually think. Taking inspiration from the writer Bill McKibben\, they stress how one “important thing an individual can do is be somewhat less of an individual.” \nOrganized into three main sections\, the book first diagnoses the problem of “either/or” thinking about social change\, which stems from the false choice of making better personal choices or changing the system. The narrative then offers a different way to think about social change\, anchored in a new picture of human nature emerging across the social sciences. Finally\, the authors explore ways of putting this picture into practice. Neither a how-to manual nor an activist’s guide\, Somebody Should Do Something pairs stories and science (plus some jokes) to help readers recognize their own power\, turning resignation about climate change and racial injustice into actions that transform the world. \nMichael Brownstein is professor and chair of philosophy at John Jay College and professor of philosophy at The Graduate Center\, CUNY. He is the author of The Implicit Mind. \nAlex Madva is professor of philosophy\, director of the California Center for Ethics and Policy\, and co-director of the Digital Humanities Consortium at Cal Poly Pomona. He is a co-editor of An Introduction to Implicit Bias and The Movement for Black Lives. \nDaniel Kelly is professor of philosophy at Purdue University. He is the author of Yuck! The Nature and Moral Significance of Disgust (MIT Press). \nThe Common Ground Initiative is The Westport Library’s forum for public discourse on topical issues of importance to the community.  The goals of the Initiative are to: host a positive\, productive conversation on how we work together to move forward as a civil society; encourage respectful\, constructive dialogue; and build capacity to tackle challenging and/or controversial issues. \n \nStop Racial Injustice \nClimate Change 
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/common-ground-initiative-somebody-should-do-something-with-michael-brownstein-alex-madva-and-daniel-kelly/
LOCATION:The Trefz Forum\, The Westport Library\, 20 Jesup Road\, Westport\, CT\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/somebody-should-do-something-c0hieM.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251006T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251006T180000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250925T160012Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250925T160128Z
UID:10000013-1759770000-1759773600@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Livestream Lecture: Latinx Monuments in the United States
DESCRIPTION:Join art historian Marisa Lerer\, PhD\, for a lecture on Latinx monuments!\n\n\nArt historian Marisa Lerer works on modern and contemporary art in Latin America and Latinx art\, with a specific focus on monuments as sites of public memory. Her talk will draw upon the themes introduced by the exhibition Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy and expand outward to consider the history of monuments dedicated to Latinx and Latin American figures in the United States and beyond. \nThis lecture forms part of the Edwin L. Weisl\, Jr. Lectureships in Art History\, funded by the Robert Lehman Foundation and is co-sponsored by the program in Latinx\, Latin American and Caribbean Studies. \nThis talk will be livestreamed. Want to join us for the in-person lecture? Click here to register. \nAbout the Exhibition: Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy (organized by The New York Historical) explores monuments and their representations in public spaces as flashpoints of fierce debate over national identity\, politics\, and race that have raged for centuries. Offering a historical foundation for understanding today’s controversies\, the exhibition features fragments of a statue of King George III torn down by American Revolutionaries\, a souvenir replica of a bulldozed monument by Harlem Renaissance sculptor Augusta Savage\, and a maquette of New York City’s first public monument to a Black woman\, Harriet Tubman\, among other objects from The New York Historical’s collection. The exhibition reveals how monument-making and monument-breaking have long shaped American life as public statues have been celebrated\, attacked\, protested\, altered\, and removed. For more information\, click here. \n* This event is a part of Fairfield University Explores 250 Years of the American Experiment: The Promise and Paradox * \nImage: Judith F. Baca\, Arch of Dignity\, Equality\, and Justice\, San José State University\, San José\, California\, 2005-2008.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/livestream-lecture-latinx-monuments-in-the-united-states/
LOCATION:Connecticut
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ccdfebac105f1a3d48f800d261f9f7aa.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251006T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251006T180000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250925T160009Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250925T160127Z
UID:10000012-1759770000-1759773600@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Lecture: Latinx Monuments in the United States
DESCRIPTION:Join art historian Marisa Lerer\, PhD\, for a lecture on Latinx monuments!\n\n\nArt historian Marisa Lerer works on modern and contemporary art in Latin America and Latinx art\, with a specific focus on monuments as sites of public memory. Her talk will draw upon the themes introduced by the exhibition Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy and expand outward to consider the history of monuments dedicated to Latinx and Latin American figures in the United States and beyond. \nThis lecture forms part of the Edwin L. Weisl\, Jr. Lectureships in Art History\, funded by the Robert Lehman Foundation and is co-sponsored by the program in Latinx\, Latin American and Caribbean Studies. \nThis talk will also be livestreamed. To register for a reminder\, click here. \nAbout the Exhibition: Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy (organized by The New York Historical) explores monuments and their representations in public spaces as flashpoints of fierce debate over national identity\, politics\, and race that have raged for centuries. Offering a historical foundation for understanding today’s controversies\, the exhibition features fragments of a statue of King George III torn down by American Revolutionaries\, a souvenir replica of a bulldozed monument by Harlem Renaissance sculptor Augusta Savage\, and a maquette of New York City’s first public monument to a Black woman\, Harriet Tubman\, among other objects from The New York Historical’s collection. The exhibition reveals how monument-making and monument-breaking have long shaped American life as public statues have been celebrated\, attacked\, protested\, altered\, and removed. For more information\, click here. \n* This event is a part of Fairfield University Explores 250 Years of the American Experiment: The Promise and Paradox * \nImage: Judith F. Baca\, Arch of Dignity\, Equality\, and Justice\, San José State University\, San José\, California\, 2005-2008.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/lecture-latinx-monuments-in-the-united-states/
LOCATION:Bellarmine Hall\, Diffley Board Room\, 200 Barlow Road\, Fairfield\, CT\, 06824\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/05432e0a826b7cfd739dddf6f6e214a9.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251005T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251005T190000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250930T191607Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T191607Z
UID:10001980-1759685400-1759690800@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Cosmic Jibaros - Free Concert
DESCRIPTION:Levitt Pavilion presents Cosmic Jibaros :: Free of charge \nLegendary for their high energy shows\, Cosmic Jibaros mix Rock with Puerto Rican Roots and Caribbean Rhythms for a fabulous dance party and magnetic global sound. The songs are infused with the pulse of congas\, timbales\, and effects-laden guitar work and layered with vocals by Rick Reyes. \nThe Cosmic Jibaros’ name reflects the blending flavors of the music they make.  In Puerto Rico\, ‘los jibaros’ would be something akin to the American ‘hillbillies’ or ‘mountain men’ – historically known for a more simple and honest connection to the earth and the hard work of living\, and with a musical tradition to reflect that.   The ‘cosmic’ part puts a modern twist on the old traditions\, taking cues from a cross-section of world music and creating an original\, Latin progressive sound. \nAs their bandleader Rick Reyes points out\, “Latinos today cross all cultural boundaries. They carry with them the history and the culture of where their parents came from but at the same time have an open mind to what is happening now\,” he says.  “You can’t be a part of this world without being influenced by it as you go.  Our music is very much a product of the evolution of Latinos in the United States.” The Cosmic Jibaros reflect that and their first album\, Yo Soy Del Mundo (I Am Of The World) tells that story.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/cosmic-jibaros-free-concert/
LOCATION:Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts\, 40 Jesup Road\, Westport\, Connecticut\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/cosmic-jibaros-1185.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts":MAILTO:TheLevittPavilion@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T213000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250929T183220Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T153651Z
UID:10000176-1759604400-1759613400@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:At This Stage – Fundraising Gala
DESCRIPTION:Tony Award-winning Broadway star Nathan Lane with be Artistic Honoree at Westport Country Playhouse’s one-night-only fundraiser\, “At This Stage\,” on Saturday\, October 4. Broadway talents who have appeared in shows with Lane\, including host Danny Burstein and performers Nikki Renée Daniels\, Santino Fontana\, Cady Huffman\, Christine Pedi\, and Krysta Rodriguez\, will celebrate the honoree’s career. They will also salute productions that have been staged at the Playhouse during its 95 seasons since its founding in 1931. Anne Keefe\, former Playhouse co-artistic director\, will receive the 2025 Playhouse Leadership Award.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/at-this-stage-fundraising-gala/
LOCATION:Westport Country Playhouse\, 25 Powers Court\, Westport\, Connecticut\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WCP_Nathan-Lane_by-Luke-Fontana-2-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Westport Country Playhouse":MAILTO:boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251002T131311Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T131311Z
UID:10002011-1759593600-1759597200@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Panel Discussion with Tod Papageorge + Yale MFA alums
DESCRIPTION:MoCA CT presents a panel discussion between exhibiting artist\, Tod Papageorge and a select few alumni such as John Pilson from the Yale School of Art to discuss the history\, present and future of education on photography. This conversation will be moderated by the exhibition organizer\, photographer and educator\, Lisa Kereszi.\n\n\nRegister.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/panel-discussion-with-tod-papageorge-yale-mfa-alums/
LOCATION:MoCACT\, 19 Newtown Turnpike\, Westport\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/tod-papageorge_yale-alum-qMeGqc.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251001T143709Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251001T143709Z
UID:10001981-1759593600-1759597200@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: Tod Papageorge + Yale MFA Alums
DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, Oct 4 4–5pm\nJoin us for the final in a series of discussions and panels surrounding current exhibition Tod Papageorge: At the Beach + In the Pool: On Influence\, photographer Tod Papageorge joins Yale MFA alumni and moderator Lisa Kereszi for a discussion on the past\, present\, and future of photography education.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/panel-discussion-tod-papageorge-yale-mfa-alums/
LOCATION:MoCA CT\, 19 Newtown Turnpike\, Westport\, Connecticut\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MG_0812-bw-1-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="MoCA CT":MAILTO:info@mocawestport.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T143000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251002T131307Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T131307Z
UID:10002000-1759582800-1759588200@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Docent-Led Exhibition Tour
DESCRIPTION:Learn more about the current exhibition from an expert docent. No advance registration required; all tours included in Museum admission. Remember\, gallery admission is FREE for MoCA Members.
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/docent-led-exhibition-tour/
LOCATION:MoCACT\, 19 Newtown Turnpike\, Westport\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Docent-Tour-xC3gfy.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T133000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20251002T131303Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T131303Z
UID:10001999-1759579200-1759584600@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Art Adventures
DESCRIPTION:Join our children’s drop-in art class at the museum\, where young artists are encouraged to explore their creativity and express their unique ideas. Through fun\, hands-on activities\, children will build confidence\, develop new art skills\, and find inspiration in a supportive\, nurturing environment. \nClass Fee: $25 \nRegister. \n 
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/art-adventures/
LOCATION:MoCACT\, 19 Newtown Turnpike\, Westport\, 06880\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T140000
DTSTAMP:20260517T084214
CREATED:20250926T135059Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T135110Z
UID:10000058-1759575600-1759586400@westportjournal.com
SUMMARY:Westport Volunteer Fair 2025
DESCRIPTION:Westport’s nonprofit organizations come to the Library’s Trefz Forum to promote volunteerism in our community. \nBring your enthusiasm to share your time and talent for many worthy community causes! There will be an opportunity to speak with key staff and to sign up for volunteer opportunities for teens and adults. \n\nHigh School Volunteering\nLocal Information
URL:https://westportjournal.com/events/westport-volunteer-fair-2025/
LOCATION:The Westport Library\, 20 Jesup Road\, Westport\, CT\, 06880\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Volunteer-Header-NvJMSY.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR