Search Results

< Back Mens Night in the Mather Tavern Thurs., May 12, 7 pm, barn A night in the Mather Tavern will start with dining on traditional tavern food + old fashioned ales while listening to a short lecture presented by the Connecticut Historical Society, "Tavern Life in Early Connecticut." Then our tavern will feature tavern games! Think ring toss, cards, dice and more. Previous Next

New England, late 18th century. White pine; 16 ¼" h. x 44 ¼" w. x 15 ½" d. < Back Blanket Chest Second Floor - SE Bedroom Furniture and Hard Furnishings New England, late 18th century. White pine; 16 ¼" h. x 44 ¼" w. x 15 ½" d. The six-board blanket chest has dovetailed corners, a base molding, and iron strap hinges attaching to top with cleats at each end. Interior with a lidless till on right side. The iron handles are 20th c. replacements, as is the lock. Chest has been stripped of its original paint and refinished with a clear coating inside and out. Previous Next

< Back Colonial Breadmaking - a Homesteading 101 Workshop Thurs., March 10, 7 pm, Barn, $45 Leah Jones, pastry chef at Grace Farms and owner of Black Market Bread, will lead us in a colonial breadmaking workshop which will involve baking AND tasting! First, Leah will give us a little history on bread and some information which might help us understand the "gluten free" craze a little better. Then we'll taste various breads, baked by Leah, and drink wines chosen to pair with each bread. Finally, we'll make our own bread! Includes ingredients, instruction, plus two loaves of bread - one we will cook on site and one you will take home to bake. YUM. BYO large bowl and spatula! $45 per person $240/table for six. Will open up ticket sales soon Previous Next

St. Nicholas returned for a third visit to the Homestead. Ho ho ho! Click "read more" for photos by George Foster. < Back A Visit from St. Nicholas - December 10, 2022 St. Nicholas returned for a third visit to the Homestead. Ho ho ho! Click "read more" for photos by George Foster. Previous Next

< Back Plein Air Weeks 2022 May 29 to June 12 We invite all artists and aspiring artists to head over to the Mather Homestead in order to enjoy the grounds and paint, draw, photograph, etc during June, 2022! Previous Next

< Back Quilting with Denyse Schmidt, the "mother of modern quilting" Sat., Oct. 1, 11 am to 3 pm, Barn, $125 Denise Schmidt will lead a workshop on patchwork quilting by hand. No experience required! At the end of the workshop, you will leave with a finished .... or almost finished ... quilt! $125 includes instruction and materials. Stay tuned for sign up. Email with questions. About Denise: Denyse Schmidt is one of the leading quilters of the 21st century. Known as a “modern” quilter, she actually draws much of her creative vision from quilts of the past. In Denyse Schmidt: Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration, Schmidt pays homage to the quilters and quilts that came before her. Take a peek if you are interested in learning about Denyse ahead of the workshop! Previous Next

PLEIN AIR ARTISTS Thank you to the many artists who spent time on the Mather Homestead Property during June, 2020-23. Artwork below is currently on display in the Elizabeth W. Chilton Education Center, a.k.a., the Barn. Ginny Awn "I have a lifelong experience in art and design, including sculpture, drawing and interior design. I began painting about three years ago when I realized how much I missed color. And plein air painting is my favorite when the weather cooperates. Although it can be challenging, I love being out in nature as much as possible, and painting outdoors can be very meditative as well." Elizabeth Agresta Elizabeth is a third generation artist, carrying on a family legacy in the creative arts, which includes: kimono design, Japanese ceramics, culinary arts, photography, writing, and poetry.  Elizabeth studied painting, print-making, and exploratory mixed media at Silvermine Art. She currently works out of her studio in Cos Cob and is the leading member of the Fairfield County Plein Air Painters, an active member of the New York Society of Women Artists, the Federation of Canadian Artists, and has served on the board of the Loft Artists Association. Donna Atkins "I have been painting for more than 30 years, working mainly in watercolor and photography, but have become increasingly fond of pastels, pencils and acrylics for their flexibility and diversity. My time is spent in and around Wilton, CT in the summer, painting with the Fairfield County Plein Air painters, but live in Venice, FL in the winter where I paint and spent time with my husband at the beaches and playing golf. Donna atkins playhouse Donna atkins well Donna atkins playhouse 1/2 Nancy Cannon A long-time interest in sketch and drawing has lead me to pick up painting in recent years. I am fascinated with all aspects of color, light, and 2-dimensional art. My goal is to represent and re-create a beautiful and memorable scene. I experiment with paint, including oil, acrylic and watercolor. Having worked with talented artists/instructors in Fairfield County area, I am grateful and hope to further develop my own skill and style. Painting with Fairfield County Plein Air Painters has given me added inspiration and opportunity to paint from life and nature. Nancy Cannon3 Nancy Cannon2 Nancy Cannon1 Nancy Cannon3 1/3 Diana Mikkidou Galik Darien resident. Architect/Interior Designer. Enjoys gardening and taking classes at Silvermine Arts Center. Diana Galik front of houes and barn oil. Diana Galik house barn and tree oil Diana Galik well oil Diana Galik front of houes and barn oil. 1/3 Betsy Higgins Elizabeth Higgins was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1960. As a Helena Rubenstein Award recipient, Higgins earned her MFA from Parsons School of Design, where she studied with Leland Bell, Paul Resika, Albert Kresch and Robert deNiro,Sr. Prior to coming to New York in 1983, Higgins received her BFA from Queen’s University, Canada, where she studied painting and printmaking with JC Heywood, Ralph Allen and David Andrew. Higgins’ solo shows include the Prince Street Gallery, New York, The Argazzi Gallery, Lakeville, CT and the Nancy Poole Studio, Toronto, Canada. She has also exhibited in group shows at the Ingber Gallery, New York, the Mangel Gallery, Philadelphia, the Addison/Ripley Fine Art gallery, Washington, DC, the ART/PLACE gallery, Fairfield CT, and the Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan, CT. MORE IMG_1066 IMG_1063 IMG_1064 IMG_1066 1/3 Peter Kinseley coming soon Trudie Larrabee Trudie graduated from Williams College with a degree in Art History, preparing her for a lifetime appreciation of the artistic experience. As the muse, wife and business partner of the acclaimed photographer Ben Larrabee for over 30 years, she’s honed her creative abilities and developed a point of view that she expresses thru the iPhone. Werner Liepolt My career as a painter is short. So is my statement. I respond to what’s happening and how it affects me. Both of my submissions reflect my mood and my relationship to Long Island Sound. My interests are grow from travel and staying put… the soil, trees, the sea and our relation to them… so whether I, painting a still life or a plein air landscape, whether I’m working oil water color, pastels, or oil, my goal is to capture fleeting beauty and communicate it. In addition to a life devoted to teaching, I have written several Off-Broadway play and scripts for movies, developed computer software, rescued numerous dogs, and enjoyed to exploits of the members of my family. Rob Lokody ARTIST STATEMENT: “I prefer discovery over manipulation. To me, this way-of-seeing is especially expressive in Photography. While my other artistic pursuits often require measured constructs and conceits, the spontaneity of Photography lightens and liberates.” BIOGRAPHY: ReBeL remembers rambling around Mather Homestead as a boy, when Four Seasons Farm grew crops in the surrounding fields and horses grazed in the tall grass. ReBeL received his first photographic assignment in 1982, when an architectural firm hired him to capture iconic buildings such as New York’s Chrysler Building, World Trade Center, Morgan Library and Boston’s Prudential Center. As an international Creative Director, ReBeL produced work for such global icons as British Airways, Canon Cameras, Nokia, De Beers, Toyota and Dove Chocolates, among many others. ReBeL also directed several noteworthy commercials in Europe. As a Photographer, ReBeL has exhibited in both regional and national exhibitions. A one-man-show (postponed due to the pandemic) will be rescheduled in Budapest at the former Moroccan Embassy. Beyond Photography, ReBeL is an Author, Traveler (two dozen countries on six continents) and ardent nature lover. ReBeL rebels by respectfully serving the community and peacefully cultivating God’s garden. Catherine Leitao I have always loved art. The beautiful and the sublime captured my interest at a young age and still motivate me. Over the past fifteen years, I have been immersed in art both as a studio art student and as a museum educator. I struggle to balance these two interests but am grateful to have that challenge. As an independent museum educator, I have developed and led a wide-range of programs working with fine art in museum galleries and classrooms. I have especially enjoyed the opportunity to interact with underserved museum audiences. I am looking for opportunities to continue working in museum galleries and classrooms in the Mountain West. In the studio, I have focused primarily on the human figure. I have enjoyed learning to draw and paint in classical realist tradition in programs in Florence and New York. I am expecting to work more on landscapes now that I live in the foothills of Utah’s Wasatch Front. Working in university museums, I have also had the opportunity to incorporate art history into my museum education and studio art work. My interest in art history and my travels to many of the finest museums, churches and cities in the history of Western art have also led me to study how Christian art reflects the theology and traditions of the Catholic Church. I have enjoyed developing and presenting a series of lectures on Encountering Mary in Art. Domenick Maldari Domenick Maldari was born in Giovinazzo, Province of Bari, Italy in1948. He emigrated to Buenos Aires, Argentina and then lived in New York City from 1961 until until 2017 when he moved to Norwalk, Connecticut. Maldari is mostly self taught. He works predominantly in the medium of painting, however, he has also created works in ceramics, and enjoys carving bone, wood and low relief on slate. While he focuses principally on watercolor, he also enjoys painting in oil, as well as drawing in pencil and pen/ink. Maldari is foremost a craftsman interested in the uniquely human ability to use one's physical and intellectual capacity for artistic expression using inspiration from nature and our surroundings. He learned how to draw and paint at an early age under the direction and guidance of his father. He graduated from the High School of Art and Design in New York City, and later matriculated to Bronx Community College. MORE Domenick Maldari playhouse Domenick Maldari neighbors Domenick Maldari playhouse 1/2 Dave Miller Dave Miller has enjoyed photography as a means to connect with, and chronicle, our community and our heritage. Ginger Morgan Ginger Morgan has lived in Darien for over a quarter of a century and enjoyed the many beautiful gardens and parks in town. She finds photography enables her to take a deep look into the flowers and fauna around Darien. Additionally Ginger enjoys expressing her art in floral design and gardening. Ginger Morgan IMG_8048 Ginger Morgan IMG_8007 Ginger Morgan IMG_8044 Ginger Morgan IMG_8048 1/5 Jan Raymond Jan Raymond is a Connecticut artist who’s primary interest is in how color can be used to delineate objects. She has exhibited in various juried shows including; Art of the Northeast, Washington & Jefferson University’s American Artists Show, New Haven Paint and Clay and The Faber Birren Color show where she won the color award. She has exhibited in group shows at the Stamford Museum, The State University of New York, Purchase, and The Connecticut Gallery. She has had solo shows at the Pindar Gallery (NYC), Portfolio Gallery (Stamford, CT) and Merkin Hall (NYC). She is an exhibiting member of The Rowayton Art Center. Her work is in numerous corporate and private collections. Jan studied and Syracuse University, Parsons Institute and was a student of the late Abstract Expressionist Theodore Stamos. Eunice Roy Born and educated in Scotland, Eunice Roy found her way to Rowayton some thirty-eight years ago after many years of residence in Europe. A lifelong interest in the arts has taken her to galleries and museums throughout Europe, North America and the Middle East. A long break from the easel to focus on writing and handicrafts, not to mention family and business commitments, followed early training with the Scottish painter, William B Taylor. Over fifteen years ago with the encouragement of noted pastelist, Margaret Dyer, and the support of many friends in the arts community, Eunice returned to painting and drawing. In search of new opportunities for learning, she spent many years and many happy hours in the studio of the Pastel Society of America in New York under the guidance of former PSA President, Barbara Fishman, and more recently, PSA Education Director, Maceo Mitchell. MORE Eunice Roy 8x10 bench Eunice Roy 10x12 playhouse Eunice Roy 8x10 well Eunice Roy 8x10 bench 1/3 Patricia Shean Many moons ago Patricia worked as the student photographer for her undergraduate college. Following several career changes, Patricia moved to Darien with her husband, David, and two wonderful daughters. She returned to the visual arts to study digital photography, then pursued drawing, watercolor and oil painting at The Silvermine School of Art, the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts and The Florence Academy of Art. She is grateful for the opportunities to have studied with many talented instructor artists, especially Justin Weist, Dean Fisher, Josephine Robinson, Jesus Villarreal and Igor Naskalov. A524742F-5FCA-4A42-B27A-A31D4BBA7E99_1_105_c C4356A44-E7B0-4AAB-BDF6-6B55321DBDD1_1_105_c Patricia Shean 5 A524742F-5FCA-4A42-B27A-A31D4BBA7E99_1_105_c 1/16 Lisa Thoren Lisa Thorén is an award-winning mixed-media artist. She began her career studying printmaking in Florence, Italy, and earned her BFA from Parsons School of Design. Lisa was an art director at Travel + Leisure Magazine, a creative director in advertising, and board president of the Darien Arts Center in Darien, Connecticut. Lisa was accepted into the Silvermine Guild after being juried into the 65th Annual Art of the Northeast Show at Silvermine Arts Center in 2015. She has participated in the Parsons School of Design alumni shows and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Fabir Birren Color Award. Lisa has exhibited as a solo artist in galleries in Connecticut. Her art hangs in the permanent collections of the Greenwich Library, the Darien Nature Center, and the Stanford University Medical Center in California. Lisa Thorén's work has been featured in Darien/New Canaan Magazine, Brooks Brothers stores, and historical societies in Greenwich and Darien. She resides in Darien, CT with her husband Peter. AF6C58FE-4CCA-488C-9A50-6F9DFB4628DA_1_105_c 91305028-5EB3-4401-A7BE-5571917839E2_1_105_c 34D5255F-7E26-4876-AF16-55EC7CEE3B52_1_201_a AF6C58FE-4CCA-488C-9A50-6F9DFB4628DA_1_105_c 1/3 Christina Tugeau Artist Statement: I love to paint - the delightful surprise each time as ‘something’ comes from nothing - pushing and pulling paint on paper, panel, or canvas - an image that has never existed before! I paint scenes, large and small, that capture my attention with their subject, shapes, light play, color, or story. I have an intention for the piece when I start but I am an intuitive painter and ‘listen’ to the moment and the paint itself once I begin. Often it has other intentions for me… thus the surprise! Christina Tugeau_edited A524742F-5FCA-4A42-B27A-A31D4BBA7E99_1_105_c Patricia Shean 5 Christina Tugeau_edited 1/17 Mary Wade Mary Wade offers family and landscape photography based in Darien, CT, and Nantucket, MA. While her versatile photography skills range from headshots to beachscapes. One of her favorite subjects to capture is the family unit and she loves working with children. Mary Wade Aeriel 2 Mary Wade Aeriel 1 Mary Wade Aeriel 2 1/2 Kathleen Weinstock Kathleen came to painting after a career in finance and retail management in New York City. She rediscovered her creative passion as she raised her three children in Darien. While working in decorating, she squeezes in time for painting. Kathleen’s award-winning oil painting depict subjects ranging from landscapes, still life, portraits and abstractions. Kathleen Weinstock 1 Kathleen Weinstock 2 Kathleen Weinstock 1 1/2 IMG_3404 IMG_3434 IMG_3403 IMG_3404 1/5

Back by popular demand, the Con Fuoco String Quartet returned to the Homestead. These accomplished young musicians, Ari Matsushita, Kay McIlhenny, Josh Bustamente and Ami Matsushita will perform an hour long program including Mendelssohn's Quartet Op. 81, Prokofiev's String Quartet No. 2, and Vivaldi's Spring. < Back Con Fuoco String Quartet - May 23, 2021 Back by popular demand, the Con Fuoco String Quartet returned to the Homestead. These accomplished young musicians, Ari Matsushita, Kay McIlhenny, Josh Bustamente and Ami Matsushita will perform an hour long program including Mendelssohn's Quartet Op. 81, Prokofiev's String Quartet No. 2, and Vivaldi's Spring. Previous Next

Annual gifts provide for the ongoing preservation and maintenance of The Mather Homestead and property, educational programming, tours and administrative expenses. Your gifts are much appreciated! See more information on the Challenge Grant and joining the Mather Homestead Society here. GIVE Celebrating our Past We celebrate our storied and unique history ... a home enjoyed by seven generations of Mathers, raided by Tories during the Revolutionary War, and later owned by Stephen Tyng Mather, the first Director of the National Park Service. Enriching our Present We enrich our community by "B ringing History to Life" for all ages through lectures, tours, book clubs, reenactments, family fun events, field trips, workshops, and more! Securing Our Future We are securing the future of Darien’s only Registered National Historic Landmark. As responsible stewards of the Mather Homestead, we are midway through a two-phase 1778 house restoration and preservation project. We need your help complete this work! The Mather Homestead Foundation relies on contributions from our Mather friends who recognize the importance of the Mather Homestead in our local and national history and are dedicated to the preservation of the 1778 home and surrounding seven acres of property as a place for historical education. We hope you will remain a dedicated supporter for years to come and appreciate all gifts. Donations support the following: Preservation, maintenance & restoration of the 1778 house, grounds and other buildings. Master planning projects to enhance our historic property and create a more visitor-friendly experience. Educational programming which "brings history to life" including lectures, tours, kids events and more. Continual research of artifacts in our collection to develop new exhibitions and programs. Oversight of the Mather Homestead Foundation. * Donors contributing $150 or more will automatically become members of the Mather Homestead. BENEFITS Please consider joining the Mather Homestead 1778 Society of donors giving $5,000 and above to the annual fund! The 1778 Society is a community of our most dedicated supporters who value the significance of preserving this R egistered National Historic Landmark and supporting our educational programs. In appreciation for their commitment and philanthropy, 1778 Society donors will be invited to special events and programs throughout the year. Please use form to make your gift via credit card. Alternatively, checks, made out to "The Mather Homestead Foundation" (please remember "Foundation"!) may be mailed to: The Mather Homestead Foundation PO Box 1054 Darien, Connecticut 06820 THANK YOU! The Mather Homestead Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Tax ID number 47-5555968. Your gift to the Mather Homestead is considered tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Planned Giving We encourage donors to consider the Mather Homestead in their estate plans in order to help secure the future of the Mather Homestead. We welcome planned gifts large and small and appreciate your consideration of this treasured historic landmark. For questions, please reach out to Heather Raker at 203-202-7602 or heatherraker@matherhomestead.org . Thank you to our 2024 Annual Fund Donors!

Covid shut down halloween in most places, but not at the Mather Homestead!! < Back Halloween - drive-thru! Covid shut down halloween in most places, but not at the Mather Homestead!! Previous Next

Darien's Bicentennial Celebration included a reenactment of the 1781 Tory raid of the Mather Homestead and a skirmish between Patriots and Loyalists, plus a cannon demonstration! < Back Heritage Day - October 23, 2021 Darien's Bicentennial Celebration included a reenactment of the 1781 Tory raid of the Mather Homestead and a skirmish between Patriots and Loyalists, plus a cannon demonstration! Previous Next

Docent Donn Smith has been busy in the attic and has many stories to tell about the Homestead and its inhabitants < Back Donn's Blogs Docent Donn Smith has been busy in the attic and has many stories to tell about the Homestead and its inhabitants Previous Next