Norfolk will bring the past into the future this week when it rededicates one of its most iconic structures. The richly ornamented Battell Fountain at the south end of Village Green, commissioned in 1889 by Mary Eldridge, has been lovingly restored after 133 years of exposure to Norfolk's harsh elements. It will be rededicated Sunday afternoon in a gala celebration. (The Eldridge family showed great benevolence to Norfolk in the closing years of the 19th century, also building the Norfolk Library and the Eldridge Gymnasium, now Town Hall). As a further touchstone to this era of past splendor, wander across the Green to the Norfolk Historical Society to look back at Norfolk's Main Street 100 years ago. But that is not all that is going on this week. There will be music at Infinity Hall, free art classes and lectures, birdwatching and a program on the damage done by the wooly adelgid, sponsored by Great Mountain Forest. Municipal meetings include the Conservation Commission, two Planning and Zoning Commission meetings (one special, the other regular); and the Board of Finance. So read on for the lowdown on everything to do.
For more about what’s happening, visit norfolkct.org's calendar section, your daily directory to Norfolk living. Be sure to forward this newsletter to a friend so they can sign up for a free subscription.

Historical Society Opens Summer Exhibit  

The Norfolk Historical Society opens its 62nd season with a look back to the days when every small town or big city boasted an active Main Street. All are invited to visit the Society's headquarters at 13 Village Green to explore how commerce evolved as Norfolk transformed from a sleepy manufacturing and farming village in the 1850s to a robust summer resort colony. The museum is open Fridays, 2:00 through 5:00 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 1:00 through 4:00 p.m. For more information, click here.

McKenzie Art Lecture Saturday 

The Shape of Empathy is the Yale School of Art's 2022 theme, both for students to investigate and as the subject of a lecture series by scholars and artists. Speakers will address diverse attitudes toward empathy and multiple perspectives to unpack the ways in which we might better understand each other and the world. Dave McKenzie, whose work explores how public space and the private self interact, will deliver the June 10 lecture at 7:00 p.m. in the Art Barn on the Stoeckle Estate. Others take place on June 16 and 23. Masks and proof of vaccination are required.

Yale School of Art Offers Free Drawing Lessons  

Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Tuesdays from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m., the Yale Norfolk School of Art is offering free drawing classes to the Norfolk community. Held in the Art Barn on the Stoeckel estate, sessions will continue through Aug. 13. Live models, drawing materials and paper are available. The drawing session is self directed; models follow instructions of the community drawing monitors and suggestions from the participating artists. After July 2, co-director Lisa Sigal will take over organizing the classes. Participants must have mask and proof of vaccination. Sessions are also held on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Sponsored by the Battell Arts Foundation.

Hendrix of Sahara Coming to Infinity Hall 

Vieux Farka Touré, often referred to as “the Hendrix of the Sahara,” will perform at Infinity Hall Friday, June 10, at 8:00 p.m. He was born in Niafunké, Mali, in 1981, son of legendary Malian guitar player Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006. His father disapproved of Vieux following him into the music business, but he persevered as a drummer, while secretly playing guitar. Ali recorded a couple of tracks with his son before his death, and these recordings, which can be heard on Vieux’s debut CD, were amongst Ali's final ones. For information and tickets, click here.

Great Mountain Forest Plans Forest Health Lecture 

Great Mountain Forest will continue its forest health lecture series Saturday, June 11, at 4:00 p.m. when it presents "Collaborations in HWA Biological Control" at the Norfolk Downs Shelter, 90 Golf Drive. Advanced registration is required by clicking here. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Forest Entomologist, Dr. Carole Cheah, will focus on the threat that Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is for hemlock trees and forests as a whole. She will discuss past treatment measures, research on biocontrols from other parts of the country and her own work with Sasajiscymnus tsugae (Japanese lady beetle) as a biocontrol.

Guitarist Andy McKee Coming to Infinity Hall 

Internationally acclaimed guitarist Andy McKee will perform at Infinity Hall Saturday, June 11, at 8:00 p.m. Listed among the world’s finest acoustic guitarists, McKee’s crossover success has helped him to achieve millions of YouTube views. He has been featured as a cover story in both Acoustic Guitar Magazine in the U.S. and Acoustic Magazine in the UK, and is also the figurehead of the Guitar Masters tours. McKee’s tour dates have taken him through Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. For tickets and information, click here.

Click Here To View Town Of Norfolk - Past Glory of Fountain Restored