If you would like to work with others pursuing action and solutions to close the skills gap in Connecticut, join us! The event will be held in the Hartford History Center, 10:00am – 12:30pm. Refreshments and lunch will be provided, and all are welcome. If you have any questions, please email us (hartfordlistens@hplct.org).

Come unleash the power of age with Louise E. Loomis, Ed.D. of ThinkWell Center.

Louise E. Loomis, Ed.D.

Yes, we have power! We possess a vast storehouse of wisdom that can enhance the lives of others, influence decision makers, and add to our own self-esteem. Our brains are in charge of this power and will be the focus of this presentation. We begin with information from research about the brain and then look at how the brain likes to operate. Our final focus will be on our natural skills for problem solving and creative thinking: that’s how we unleash the power!

Come to the first floor of the Downtown Library between 3:30 and 4:30 to meet the students and browse their poster displays. Learn about Hartford through the eyes of our students.

Visit Capital’s website to learn more about the Hartford Heritage Program.

]]> http://hhc.hplct.org/?feed=rss2&p=1165 0 http://hhc.hplct.org/?p=1156 http://hhc.hplct.org/?p=1156#comments Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:45:16 +0000 Jennifer S. http://hhc.hplct.org/?p=1156 For everyone who has ever been interested in the vast and varied traditions in lace and lace-making, a new exhibition opens on May 9 in the third-floor glass cases of the Hartford History Center, and the new show underscores the idea that everything old is new again.

Study in Lace will showcase the contemporary work of approximately 30 artisans from the Hartford Artisans Weaving Center, and though all the examples are based on historical styles, only two are direct copies of old lace.

Weaving center director Fran Curran says that there are two, precise reproductions of lace made by Shakers, but the rest are interpretations of old designs. “A lot of [the pieces] will be taking those old laces and refining [them] in a way to be modern,” Curran said.

Modern fibers such as soy silk and bamboo are part of that modern interpretation, as are some of the colors that the artisans will use. Most of the artisans at the weaving center are over 55 and many of them have limited vision or no vision. Curran explains that the highly textural nature of lace “structure” has proven to be very appropriate because the weavers are able to feel the tactile patterns  of the object they create.

The weaving center  had an earlier exhibition of artisans’ weavings at the Hartford History Center last spring, and recently received a grant from the Greater Hartford Arts Council to study and create woven lace textiles.

“Our earlier exhibition with the weaving center was very popular, so we are delighted to be able to showcase their work again,” said Brenda J. Miller, Chief Officer for Cultural Affairs and Public Programming at Hartford Public Library. “It’s remarkable to see these wonderful re-interpretations of old designs.”

The exhibition will open with a reception on May 9 at 6 p.m. in the Hartford History Center; the artisans’ table linens, scarves, shawls, blankets and clothing will be on display until August 3. After the exhibition closes in early August, the weavers’ creations will be for sale.

For more information about the Hartford Artisans Weaving Center, please visit www.weavingcenter.org

Antonia Pantoja ¡Presente! (2009) tells the compelling story of visionary social worker, educator, activist, and community organizer Dr. Antonia Pantoja (1922 – 2002), founder of ASPIRA, the New York-based advocacy organization.  ASIPRA is the first Puerto Rican-governed organization in the United States dedicated to providing education and leadership training for Puerto Rican youth. A passionate, indomitable leader and 1996 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Pantoja worked with the Puerto Rican community to combat social and class issues.

Following the film there will be a discussion facilitated by Raquel Santiago-Martinez, director of Strategic Initiatives for Hartford’s Community Renewal Team. Ms. Santiago-Martinez worked with Pantoja and will share her personal stories from the mentor who continues to inspire her to this day.

This screening is the second in the new series of Library programs called Women on the Move. To be held every fourth Wednesday of each month, this series is designed to illuminate the lives and history of women through film, discussions, books and author talks.

Women on the Move celebrates its launch on March 27 with a screening of the documentary CHISHOLM ’72 – Unbought and Unbossed, a film by Shola Lynch about pathmaking politician Shirley Chisholm of New York, the first black woman elected to Congress and the first woman to seek the presidential nomination.  Click here for press release. The discussion will be led by Evelyn M. Simien, Ph.D.

On April 24^th, Women on the Move continues with a film called Antonia Pantoja: Presente!, a documentary by Lillian Jimenez about the life of visionary Puerto Rican educator and activist Antonia Pantoja.

Governor Ella T. Grasso at her inauguration. She is surrounded by State Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles S. House, Lt. Governor Robert K. Killian, Speaker of the House James J. Kennelly, and Secretary of the State Gloria Schaffer.

In 1974, Ella Tambussi Grasso was the first woman elected Governor of the State of Connecticut. She was also the first woman Governor in the United States to hold the office without following her husband to the position.

Ella Tambussi was born May 10, 1919 to Giacomo and Maria Olivia Grasso of Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Both Giacomo and Maria had immigrated from Italy. Neither had had much formal schooling, and Maria was devoted to her daughter’s education. After attending a Catholic school, Ella entered the Chaffee School as a member of the Class of 1936. Following graduation, she continued her education at Mount Holyoke College, earning both a Bachelor’s degree (1940) and a Master’s (1942).

Ella married Thomas A. Grasso in 1942. She began working for the State of Connecticut, where she stayed until 1946, when she chose to stay home with her children, James and Susane.

Ella’s political career began in 1952 when she was elected as a State Representative from Windsor Locks. She served as Secretary of the State from 1958 to 1970. For the next four years she represented the former sixth Congressional District. In 1974, Ella won her first term as Governor. Four years later, she was re-elected, though had to step down for health reasons in December 1980. Governor Ella T. Grasso died on February 7, 1981.

Among the materials about Ella Grasso held by the Hartford History Center are Ella: A Biography by Susan Bysiewicz, an article in the Hog River Journal (Vol. 2, No. 4), and Ella Tambussi Grasso: From Daughter of Emigrants to First Woman Governor of an American State, a biography written in Italian and later translated to English. We also have a number of images, and clippings from local newspapers.

Please visit and take a look!

Gwen Reed came to Hartford as the daughter of a migrant farm worker and grew up to become a beloved actress, storyteller and teacher. In June 1937, Reed debuted on stage in a small role as “1st lady” in “Trilogy in Black,” a production of the Connecticut Federal Theatre Project’s Negro Unit. She went on to act in “The Emperor Jones,” “The World We Live In,” “Mississippi Rainbow,” and “One Third of a Nation,” becoming a Federal Theatre favorite. Reed, who worked in the Windsor tobacco fields for 40 years, performed in or directed over 25 theatrical productions in the Greater Hartford area. She often appeared on the “Ranger Station,” a children’s program on Channel 3, and originated the Playtime for Tots program for pre-school children in Bellevue Square, Hartford. She toured the country from 1946-1964 portraying “Aunt Jemima” for the Quaker Oats Company. You can explore her story through the Gwen Reed Collection, archived in the library’s Hartford History Center.

As part of the Hartford History Center’s February programming of issues and literature key to African American life, Stan Simpson of Fox CT will lead an informal discussion of the immortal autobiography of black abolitionist and leader Frederick Douglass. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass was first published in 1845, and is a short, hard-hitting classic by a man who escaped enslavement to become a national and world leader in the fight for black emancipation. Simpson, who was a writer and columnist for The Hartford Courantfor 20 years, currently hosts “The Stan Simpson Show” on Fox CT, and was the founding

director of the Hartford Journalism & Media Academy at Weaver High School in Hartford. The Hartford History Center book discussion, which promises to be a lively and wide-ranging one, is free and open to everyone, but registration is required. To register go to www.hplct.org. Books are available on a first-come, first-served basis in the Hartford History Center (the Center is on the 3^rd floor of the downtown library and open 1-5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday). Books generously provided by Connecticut Humanities.