Special Events

Each year, Essex Meadows hosts a series of events for residents, their friends and family members, and those who have expressed interest in our community and have become part of our extensive mailing list.

Past events have included lectures, art show openings, golf tournaments, garden parties, a wine tasting, and numerous concerts. Sky divers landed at Essex Meadows in 2007, which could only be topped by a visit from American writer, investigative journalist and Hollywood producer Dominick Dunne.

2010 Art & Exploration Lecture Series

Please join us for the 2010 Art and Exploration Lecture Series:

Getting back to our roots

In this time of change, we celebrate some of the elemental forces that have made us who we are.

FAMILY

Tad Friend's forebears signed the Declaration of Independence, commanded the Union army, and were captains of industry with vast fortunes and sprawling estates. More recent relatives include eccentrics, drunks, and depressives as their fortunes and real estate holdings have dwindled. What does this downward mobility say about Mr. Friend's lineage and, perhaps more importantly, about the social and cultural history of this country? Mr. Friend, a writer for The New Yorker, will read from his celebrated new book, Cheerful Money: Me, My Family, and the Last Days of Wasp Splendor. Both The Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle named Cheerful Money one of the top books of 2009. April 1, 2 p.m.

"Who would I be if my father had been someone else?" Join editor and writer Jess Maghan, photographer Sam Lindberg, and other assorted authors and performers for a reading from the stirring new book, 40 Fathers: The Search for Father in Oneself. Described by Malachy McCourt as a "work of loving humanity" that is also "a work of art," 40 Fathers presents poignant recollections from 40 sons and daughters as they explore the ways in which their male parent shaped the person they became. Accompanied by photographs, this thought-provoking book is a keepsake and just in time for Father's Day. May 13, 10 a.m.

ENVIRONMENT

We may not realize it, but the ocean is another repository of endless information about our human history. No one knows that better than Dr. Robert Ballard, the world-renowned explorer recently featured on 60 Minutes. As Dr. Ballard says, "I really have two passions: As a geologist, naturally I am interested in the natural history of the great mountain ranges beneath the sea, but since finding the Titanic I developed a passion for the human history beneath the sea. In fact, I am now convinced that there is more history in the deep sea than all the museums in the world combined." Learn more about this riveting topic from this even more riveting speaker. March 5, 2 p.m.

What can a rock formation in the middle of a Connecticut field tell us about ourselves? Join geoscientist Jelle Zeilinga de Boer for a fascinating lecture about our state's geology and the secrets embedded in the natural landscape all around us. Dr. de Boer, a professor emeritus at Wesleyan University, is the author of Stories in Stone: How Geology Influenced Connecticut History and Culture. April 20, 10 a.m.

The manmade landscape, and in particular the modern cityscape, is a direct reflection of who we are as a society and what, collectively, we hold dear. Join Fred Kent, founder and president of the Project for Public Spaces, for a look at the state of our nation's cities. How are the designers of our public spaces adapting to modern conditions, such as the threat of global climate change? What can we expect the city of tomorrow to look like? July 19, 10 a.m.

ART

Humans have been creating art since Prehistoric times. What does American art say about U.S. history, its culture, and economy? Amanda Burdan, the George B. Tatum Curatorial Fellow at the Florence Griswold Museum, looks at the ways in which our country has created a national identity in visual terms. In her lecture, A Colony of Another Kind: Comparing Black Mountain College and the Lyme Art Colony, Dr. Burdan will draw on her recent experience at the Florence Griswold Museum curating Sewell Sillman: Pushing Limits, an exhibition about a former Black Mountain College Student who lived and worked in Lyme. June 24, 10 a.m.

LANGUAGE & CULTURE

Something always gets lost in translation. Or does it? Join author, educator, editor, pianist, music historian, and award-winning translator John Hargraves for an inspiring lecture about his work. In a speech he calls "The Translator's Trade: An American in Berlin," this Renaissance man will regale us with an account of his recent experiences in Berlin after winning the Goethe Institute's prize for translation. September 16, 2 p.m.

Essex Meadows, where we believe life should be anything but retiring.

Please consider joining our mailing list for further details and reminders about the 2010 Art and Exploration Lecture Series, the fifth year of our popular series. If you wish to make a reservation for one or more of the events, please contact Susan Carpenter at (860) 767-7201.

Additional Programs

Additional programs as well as exact dates and times to be determined. If you or someone you know would like to receive personal invitations to any or all of the wonderful concerts and lectures offered at Essex Meadows, please use the
Contact Us option to join our growing mailing list of active adults looking for the lifestyle of choice!

* Please note that program subjects and speakers may change based upon speaker availability.