INK MAGAZINE - APRIL 2026

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Echoes of the Revolution

Celebrating the Birth of a Nation

Contact us to receive our media kit with detailed marketing information. How the Little Gift Shop on Main Grew

What is Greg Drinking? - 2023 Queen of the Sierra 16 The Cheesemonger - Creating the CRUNCH! 36

"Spring drew on...and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps."

— Charlotte Brontë

Well, this recent winter certainly reminded us all that we still live in the Northeast. To me, it did not seem that bad, but then again, I grew up in Wisconsin, where back in the day, winters were actually brutal.

Welcome to our humble spring edition of INK magazine. If you are reading this, I appreciate you.

Every month, while out dropping off our most recent installment, I come across some of the coolest people. Loyal readers whose faces light up in a sincere way when they see me carrying the magazine. That is not something that I take for granted. Even after all these years of producing this magazine, it still surprises me at the warm reception I get. “Oh, INK magazine,” they say. They snatch up a copy for themselves, and then politely ask if it’s okay to grab a second copy for a friend.

“We have a pact,” they say. “If one of us sees a stack of magazines, we grab one for each other.” To me, that is still the highest compliment. Two hundred and forty-three months into this project, there are still people who look forward to picking up a copy. They still call ahead to their favorite place to find a copy and ask if the new INK is there yet. Every issue we put out is gone when we show back up. In many locations, we refresh our stacks twice and sometimes three times per month, and they still disappear.

Again, If you’re reading this, thank you!

Deana Simmon - editorial

Susan Cornell - editorial

Rona Mann - editorial

Advertising Contributors

Jeffery Lilly - Founder/Publisher ads@inkct.com 860.581.0026

Stephanie Sittnick - Co-Founder steph@inkct.com 860.227.8199

Carolina Marquez-Sterling - design

Gregory Post - editorial Jan Tormay - editorial

Rona Mann - Greater Connecticut six07co@att.net - 401-539-7762

On the Cover: “Every Stone Here Sweating, Sighing” - Issac Dunne

t was 49 years ago. I wasn’t even born yet when my grandmother and father decided to open a little home décor and gift shop. They didn’t have much more in their inventory than a few window treatments, some doilies, and an assortment of small braided rugs. When they saw there was interest from the local people, they decided to add a couple of pieces of furniture to see how that

would do. So they bought one sofa, one dining room set, and one bedroom set. Each time they sold one, they bought two more. When they told two, they bought four. That’s how it all began and using that simple formula is exactly how we grew.”

The narrator of this unique and wonderful story is Keith A. Bolles, son of Keith, Sr., and Jane Bolles, and representative of the third generation of that “little shop on the corner of Main Street” which has morphed into a landmark fixture in the shoreline community of Old Saybrook, Connecticut.

“The original name of the store was Marlborough Country Barn of Old Saybrook, an homage to the part of the state that the family originally came from,” Keith continued. “As the little store grew from a confining 4000 square feet, and my grandmother and father decided to add on, the name was changed to The Saybrook Country Barn. In 2018, we changed it again, this time to Saybrook Home.” New owners? Not at all! But this third generation of the Bolles family, serving the community they so love and credit with much of their success, realized that the name Saybrook Home perfectly and succinctly encapsulated where they’d been, where they

were, and where they were going; so as they grew, they never stopped doing all they could for their cherished customer base.

Making customers happy has always been more important to Saybrook Home and the Bolles family than merely making a sale, because when you make customers happy, it means you’re doing something right. Now in its 49th year, Keith allows, “You don’t get to be in business 49 years if you’re not doing it right and if your customers aren’t happy.” While he realizes the allegiance many have to shopping and buying online, he doesn’t really understand it. “You can’t feel the fabric, you can’t smell it, sit in it, and get a sense of it if you ‘re buying online.” It’s one-dimensional. Smart customers who value the investment they’re making in their homes still want to come in to smell, feel, and eyeball what is being considered for a place in the home they value. We want you to love your home. It’s an intimate space that contains all your memories and emotions, and you should have exactly what you want that gives you that comfort.

As the calendar pages turned and one year became another throughout nearly half a century, Saybrook Home has turned pages as well, adding more space, increasing square footage, and now creating what many in town describe as their own small village on the corner of Main Street, drawing customers from virtually everywhere. But they never lost sight of why and for whom these additions were made. “Our customers always came along on our journey. We have actually delivered furniture nationwide to all of the Lower 48, just not Hawaii or Alaska...yet,” says Keith. “But we have delivered to both Canada and Puerto Rico.” Having seen the number of customers who were coming down Rt. 9 and Rt. 91 to the shoreline location, Saybrook Home has now added two more stores. In 2022, they opened right on Hebron Avenue in the heart of Glastonbury, and just four months ago, they opened wide the doors of a third location in Cheshire at The Shops at Stone Bridge.

While Saybrook Home still has window treatments and doilies as they did when they first opened the little gift store, they now have well more than “a few.” They now have individually curated departments throughout their space, which include: home accessories, window treatments, hostess gifts, silk floral, tabletop, seasonal home décor, rugs, and even an apparel shop in a separate building just off the parking area. Two years ago, a bedding department was added because, as Keith pointed out, “there really wasn’t another store in the area that sold quality bedding, sheets, pillows, duvet covers, and people were relegated to having to buy those items online.”

Working with new customers, repeat customers, decorators, designers, and the trade, Keith and his staff regularly go to the furniture market at High Point, North Carolina, to meet with the vendors of well-constructed, mostly American-made furniture (”that is our preference”) and to converse and keep up on the latest trends with others in their profession.

The term “destination” is often thrown around too freely in the retail sector to draw people to a location, but in the case of Saybrook Home, it applies and defines what the Bolles family has built. You cannot merely run into Saybrook Home and buy an item, not when the store is laid out and designed to showcase its high-quality, exquisite merchandise as though they were actual rooms in your home.

So customers make it a day trip, even if they live nearby. There is so much to see that customers often spend time “just looking” for a few hours, then break for a nearby lunch, returning to speak with a member of the onsite design team. “Our designers are so talented that they can work off blueprints before new homes have even been built,” Keith adds. For those with homes already occupied, one of their professional interior designers will come to you. They then take measurements, recreate the room on their iPad to create a blueprint, and assist the customer in selecting custom-made furniture, carpeting, window treatments, and accessories to fill and accessorize the room(s).

So, from those earliest days on Main Street as The Marlborough Country Barn of Old Saybrook, and throughout all their incarnations and name changes, very little has really changed. They have always been committed to the tenets of quality, customer-based, and customer-centered service,

and in step with market trends. They have always been Saybrook Home, a name everyone knows because it is synonymous with quality, meticulous craftsmanship, and a commitment to lasting construction.

In 2027, Saybook Home will celebrate its banner year. 50 years at the same location in Old Saybrook, two additional stores statewide, and thousands of customers who have grown up right along with the store itself. Asked if there would be a big blowout to mark the occasion, Keith answered without missing a beat, “Of course. When you celebrate 50 years in business, you’ve just got to celebrate. It’s written into the by-laws!” Just like success.

The Original Saybrook Home is located at 2 Main Street, Old Saybrook (860) 388-0891

Saybrook Home Glastonbury is at 400 Hebron Avenue (860) 968-8990

Saybrook Home Cheshire may be found in The Shops at Stone Bridge, 2061 Highland Avenue. (860) 651-8001

APRIL 17 - MAY 30, 2026

Opening Reception Friday, April 17, 5-8 pm

SUSAN

2023 Queen of the Sierra Cofermented-Forlorn Hope Wines

April is a pretty amazing month. Flowers begin to burst forth from soggy yards. Days are getting longer while the weather is starting to become less of a survival assessment and more of a consideration when making plans. In our home it marks the occasion that made us parents: our first born daughter, Maeve’s birthday. She is named after the former Irish Queen of Connacht (think present day area where Galway and Sligo are located) and embodies every bit of the warrior spirit in every aspect of her young life. In awe and appreciation of that sentiment, I am happy to have found a wine worth that tribute in 2023 Queen of the Sierra Cofermented from Forlorn Hope Wines.

This wine is a trip and one worth taking. At first look you would take it innocently as a rosé or a claret (the Bordeaux blended wines that are sometimes chilled and dark pink). Yet, with a little bit of multitasking and mystique this wine is not to be so easily labeled, pun intended! This wine is classified as a co-ferment and organic to boot. It is exactly as it sounds when you read that last line, they picked red and white grapes from their naturally sustained acres (in Calaveras County, California) and tossed them all into the fermentor together and let nature run its course. These particular vintages call the limestone and schist heavy soils of Heritage Vineyard their home. At an elevation of 2000 feet they are privy to quite the view and subsequent ideal growing conditions for a large selection of varieties hailing from all of the European powerhouses (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal etc.) Doing justice to the Jurassic Park quote that, “Life finds a way,” these various vines linked up and were ready for harvest in lockstep with others from their originating spaces: Albariño and Tempranillo, Barbera and Vermentino, Chenin blanc and Pineau d’Aunis, Trousseau and Chardonnay, and Zinfandel and Verdelho all hitting the Brix (sugar content) levels that were needed for them to hop into the tanks to tango. The process requires a significant upfront investment of time and patience but once the grapes end up in neutral steel containers together the rest kindly happens without the need for finement, filtering ,or much in the way of sulfur.

How is she sipping? Crisp and clean with enough lip smacking acidity to sing out its own praises. Hope you are ready for red berries because every swish over your tastebuds reveals and revels in this wine. The balance of black cherry and plum is pitched against ample cranberry. The sweet spot this wine resides over is a blessing for a month with a lot of big holiday meals. It should be served chilled thanks to a lighter tannin level than a normal red wine. It packs a little more punch and presence than a lot of rosé wines in large part because it has a lot more skin contact. For pairing possibilities you would be as satisfied sipping on this over sharp cheeses and charcuterie as you would be during any and all main courses. It needs only to be given a chance, and this is a time in history where advocating for not judging based on looks seems more important than ever.

Those of you who have read this column over the last couple of years may have caught references to a local group of amazing young people with whom I share some Irish lineage and namesakes: the Ferguson family of Stonington. When it comes to vino, Kelsey may be the most plugged in of the bunch. She happened to be down the street helping Jess Spivey of Meryl & Masa in the Velvet Mill. Invited to stop by, I was soon sipping wares they were considering for some upcoming culinary events they are developing. All of this is a culmination of a professional and romantic partnership that developed organically within the budding food and wine scene in Mystic. Jorge (the Masa half) comes with a Latin fusion pedigree and Jess (obviously representing the Meryl side) with perfection and precision in all things baked goods. During a season where we are all looking forward to new growth and renewal, it is nice to be able to root for food and wine that champions those values.

Gregory Post is a sommelier and manager at Saltwater Farm Vineyard, affiliated with Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard.

By Jan Tormay

Frank Blackwell Mayer painted this scene of Continental soldiers on the centennial of the battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775), the first great battle of the Revolutionary War. In 1876 he submitted it to the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, an event that celebrated the founding of the nation. The painting was highly praised and became so popular that other artists copied it enthusiastically. The cheerful image of soldiers marching through the snow to the beat of a drum and the sound of a flute reinforced the glowing myth of the war, inspiring a renewed patriotism on the nation’s one hundredth birthday.

(Page, “Francis Blackwell Mayer,” The Magazine Antiques, February 1976) Courtesy of Smithsonian American Art Museum, George Buchanan Coale Collection

From left, Coby Jones, Harry Sanna and Ethan Stepney

2025.

Photo courtesy Ye Olde Lebanon Towne Militia, Co. 1775

Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat.

The drum begins — crisp, insistent, impossible to ignore. Its taut skinhead snaps under wooden sticks, each strike sharp as a heartbeat. The rhythm carries across the field, camp, and regiment in the morning mist.

Then the fife joins in: dee-dee-dee.

A shrill sound that rises above the drum’s pulse: bright, reedy, almost birdlike. Together, the instruments become the unmistakable sound of the American Revolutionary War in motion between 1775 and 1783.

Rat-a-tat-tat — dee-dee-dee — rat-a-tat-tat — dee-dee-dee.

Amidst the pungent stench of Sulphur, drifting smoke, and roar of thunderous artillery booms and shouted orders, the raw, homespun energy of colonialists face off against the polished regimental British army.

The cheeky, defiant “Yankee Doodle” tune, first sung by British troops, now mocks the enemy with new lyrics sung by the colonists.

This scene (with various music and sometimes singing), which is recreated many times each year around the country, takes on special meaning this year as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary with concerts and reenactments.

“Almost every drum beating had a dual purpose, both for camp life and the battlefield,” Scott Williams, drummer for Ye Olde Lebanon Towne Militia, Co. 1775 (YOLTM), said in an email. “Each morning at sunrise, the men would be woken

up by the reveille, or if they had orders to march that day, then the general would replace reveille and also signal to start striking the tents. On the battlefield these same calls could mean to charge bayonets or retreat. Other duty calls are the assembly to arms, pioneers call, cease fire and the “Roast Beef of Old England” (a traditional tune played on fife and drum) was used as provisions call.”

This reenactment group portrays the 6th Company of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment, which marched to Bunker Hill in Boston, Massachusetts.

Emilio Torres-Roseberry, secretary for YOLTM, clarified that the main difference between a provincial regiment and a militia is that the colony paid provincial troops and supplied them with food. “They did not pay or feed militias.”

“Music is the rare opportunity to show a historic moment the way it would have been done in the time to a live audience,” said Singer/Reenactor Gretchen Loda of Norwich, Connecticut, who believes preserving music in general is important.

Loda began reenacting in 2007 with Captain Isaac Craig Continental Marines (CICCM) of Vermont by talking with the public and performing traditional women’s roles (including cooking), as well as musket/cannon work and dressing as a man to take her “husband’s place if he died” during the American Revolutionary War. Beginning in 2009, Loda transcribed music onto parchment with a quill pen and explained its history to visitors.

Soon after, she was singing with CICCM, said Loda, a trained professional singer with

a background in popular music, Broadway musicals, choral music, and opera.

In 2017, she met her current husband, Dave Loda (who operates Harmony Hill Farm, LLC and soon became her agent), at a reenactment event. Now, the Lodas and their horse, Huckleberry, are hired by various historical societies.

During reenactments, Dave (a retired U.S. Navy Commander and Pilot) portrays civilians, both sides of the war, and various characters on

horseback, including (Patriot) Major General Nathanael Greene at his homestead in Coventry, Rhode Island, and (British) Major General Sir William Howe.

“I have always loved the colonial era, the colonial reenactments, and music,” Gretchen said in an email. “As a New Englander, it is woven into the fabric of our society. Also my family landed in the colonies in 1626, as I am a Rebecca Nurse (who was hanged during the Salem, Massachusetts witch trials in 1692) descendant.”

During Gretchen’s recent research, she said she was surprised to learn that Samuel Adams (the second governor of Massachusetts and signer of the Declaration of Independence) and the Sons of Liberty (a Patriot political organization) wrote some songs. “These songs were very political and tried to get people involved in the original tension and then the eventual war. Also, the loyalists wrote some counter songs as well.”

She said she also discovered revolutionary broadside ballads (which were posted on tavern walls similar to “singing memes” today), as well as interpretations “that discuss the emotional pain and challenges of this time” in an out-of-print, two-volume historical collection by the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, called “Music in Colonial Massachusetts.”

“We often hear about Vietnam and the PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) from war veterans, but rarely do we hear about The Boston Massacre/The Riot on King’s Street and other battles and how traumatic they were.”

“I think only three tunes (with original American melodies) were written during the revolution,” said Peter Piacquadio, while rehearsing revolutionary songs at his Westerly, Rhode Island home with members of his Westerly Brass trio band in February. They were scheduled to perform at the Babcock-Smith House Museum in Westerly in March.

Both the British and the Americans mocked the other, often with the same British music, said Piacquadio, adding that some of the music was Scottish and Irish. In the British version of “Yankee Doodle,” he said, “‘doodle’ means ‘airhead’ and ‘dandy’ means someone who thinks they’re really important.”

The word “Macaroni,” according to atlasobscura.com, “became synonymous with excess and male femininity.”

Piacquadio said he learned more about songs, their titles, and their meanings while researching. One example he gave was the song “The Girl I Left Behind,” which is about a young man leaving his 19-year-old bride-to-be to walk into something unknown. “And they’re fighting professional killers, and sometimes they haven’t even gone to school yet.”

Early in the war, most American soldiers were uneducated males and farmers, ranging in age from boys aged 14 to 16 to men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, Piacquadio said. “A very few of them were rich or well-off, and they were all working. “Their work ethic made them very, very tough to beat, because it was like a street fight. And even though the British Army was well-fed, well-armed, and well-taught, they couldn’t trip the young men up all the time.”

Later, African-American slaves and Native American Indians replaced fallen soldiers.

One of several bold, patriotic American tunes, “Chester” was composed by Boston’s William Billings and sung at meetinghouses, as well as camps. Considered an unofficial anthem, the hymn fused faith and rebellion in a single ringing line: “We fear them not, we trust in God.”

“While there were certainly some songs and tunes that would have been kept in a

certain context, it is more common to see songs take on a variety of roles,” such as “The Black Joak,” said Torres-Roseberry, adding this bawdy song’s melody was used as a march by American troops and frequently appears in lists of dance tunes.

First mentioned in a stage play called “The Rake’s Progress,” he said the tune was so popular that it even spawned a whole genre of “joke” tunes that imitated the original’s structure.

“British Grenadiers” is another example of a famous fast British march-and-patriot song, which was repurposed by the colonists with new lyrics and renamed “Free America,” Torres-Roseberry said.

A wide variety of instruments were available in Colonial America. They included early forms of most of the instruments presently seen in modern orchestras, as well as instruments associated with folk music today and several that are now extinct, including the English guitar, according to Torres-Roseberry.

“It is worth pointing out that most instruments were imported from England, so new instruments would have been harder to come by once the war broke out.”

Common instruments in the military were the fife and drum, he said. “In a civilian context, the most common instruments were the violin/fiddle, harpsichord, recorder, flute, and English guitar. Singing was also a common pastime.”

Torres-Roseberry said YOLTM reenactors include a fifer, a drummer, a fiddler, and a viola da gamba player (a popular instrument of the 17th and 18th centuries, rarely played

today). He said he also plays a Celtic harp, and two others in the group play guitars. “However, we do not own reasonably period-correct instruments, so we only bring our instruments to events when our specific skill sets might be needed (maybe one to two times a season).”

If the founding fathers walked in on their performance, Westerly Brass band member Larry Grebstein said he thinks they would be struck first by “how beautiful we play... They never would have seen the trumpet.”

Piacquadio explained that the brass instruments they play today were not invented until the 1800s, when tempered

steel was developed. “The instruments that were available then were valveless trumpets, if they used them at all. They were left over from the baroque period, which ended in about 1750.”

Westerly Brass Member Ken Rahn said American Revolutionary War songs are easy to play, as “there aren’t so many notes,” compared to music today.

“We never stop researching the revolution,” Torres-Roseberry said.

“The thing that never stops amazing me was how similar to us the people back then were. While it’s true, they held very different

values than we do, and it would be nearly impossible to relate to one of them, when you read their jokes, their complaints, their pining love letters, or their accounts of their triumphs and failures, you realize that the human condition has never really changed. I love that.”

YOLTM believes “keeping the history of our nation’s founding alive is vital for the health of our society,” Torres-Roseberry said. “We choose to do this through ‘living history’ so people can touch, smell, and hear history instead of just reading about it. Music is a natural part of that, especially since it was a vital pastime for people of every social class.”

s the nation celebrates the SemiQ, I-Park marks its own major milestone, a quarter-century. I-Park (officially the I-Park Foundation) in East Haddam has sustained success as an artist residency program since its founding in 2001. Its longevity, impact and reputation stem from several interconnected strengths that make it stand out among artist residencies.

The 450-acre nature preserve setting is a major factor in its effectiveness and draw. Surrounded by woodlands, trails, streams, ponds, wetlands, a river and open fields, the serene, rural landscape provides multisensory stimulation that enhances reflection and creative flow. Founders Ralph Crispino and Joanne Paradis envisioned combining nature, architecture, art and sensory elements for inspiration and solace.

The program’s core appeal lies in its unconditional gift of space, time and fellowship in a distraction-free environment. Artists receive a fully-funded residency with private bedrooms in a renovated historic farmhouse, dedicated studio spaces, and resident chef-prepared meals – removing logistical and financial barriers so they can focus strictly on creative work. There’s minimal institutional pressure: no critiques, mandatory outputs, or site-responsive requirements. This “retreat-like” structure fosters deep exploration, experimentation and introspection.

A highly competitive, juried selection process attracts outstanding talent from around the world in areas like music composition, creative writing, visual arts, architecture, film, landscape design, and interdisciplinary fields that combine multiple creative disciplines. Since 2001, more than 1,300 residencies have been granted.

Public engagement adds to success and sustainability: events like Open Studios (where residents share progress), Open Trails Days, concerts, and a free Family Day connect artists to the community, showcase outcomes, and generate visibility and support. This supports the local culture and aligns with I-Park’s mission to foster broader cultural inspiration.

Co-founder Joanne Paradis describes the three types of residencies: “Our primary format is the four-week General Residency – an unconditional gift of time, space and fellowship. All the artists arrive on the same day, so they experience their orientation as a group. Although the emotional bonding of the artists is a subtle process, it’s one of the most meaningful aspects of the residency.”

“Between six and eight artists working in various creative disciplines are provided room and board in an 1850’s vintage federal-style colonial, a private studio, and full access to our expansive grounds. About half of the artists arrive with a specific goal in mind while the others devote their time to experimentation and exploration of new ideas. Free from the pressures of their workaday lives, they take advantage of the peaceful, bucolic retreat-like setting that exists at I-Park,” she adds.

“They typically take an open-ended approach to the possibilities at hand – and depart refreshed and inspired – with a laundry list of future projects and deep friendships.”

The Composers + Musicians Collaborative Residency, inaugurated in 2015, is an eight-

to-ten-day residency which pairs a high profile music ensemble with five composers, typically classically trained, working in the field of New Music/Concert Music.

“The goal of this biennial program is to put the composers in an intimate, collegial setting with the musicians who will be premiering their new compositions. Once the ensemble is selected, an international call for scores is launched.”

The primary benefits to the composers include having their works workshopped and performed by highly skilled musicians, having a New York premiere in a prominent concert hall, and having their pieces championed by the ensemble.

Composers also receive a professional studio recording of their composition and a travel stipend.

“For the ensemble, they will receive five new cutting edge works to add to their repertoire – to say nothing of the soft benefits: full room and board at I-Park, the opportunity to explore the art/nature trails, sharing dinners together with the musicians, and creating new connections in the field. This residency is very competitive but more accessible than most other similar music programs.”

The Environmental Art Residency & Biennale, also referred to as the Site-Responsive Art Biennale, is a three-week biennial residency launched in 2007 as the result of a recognition that the field of site-specific ephemeral art demanded focused attention.

Explains Paradis, “From the very early days of I-Park’s existence, artists began asking: is it alright to hang things from the trees, can I dig a hole in the ground, is it okay to harvest some saplings, can I float my installation on the pond? It was never in the master plan for us to support environmental art per se; it was simply a response to artists’ inquiries and enthusiasm. As time went on and the works became ever more interesting, we decided to create a special residency for artists working in this field – and to celebrate the unique, demanding process required to bring it to life.”

Participating artists, she adds, “receive a stipend, room and board, travel reimbursement and generous access to tools, equipment and materials. After considerable time spent familiarizing themselves with the variety of

settings available (in nature as well as within the built environment), they select a site in which to install their work. The program concludes with a public exhibition (the Biennale). In 2017, in an effort to be more inclusive with respect to the types of artists allowed to participate, we re-branded the culminating public exhibition the ‘Site-Responsive Art Biennale.’”

Among the special features of this residency are lots of international artists, major challenges working outdoors under all conditions, and an abundance of interpersonal generosity.

“It’s all hands-on deck when an artist is in a pinch. Also, unlike the General Residency, these artworks are commissioned and must be completed before the Biennale – lots of all-nighters!” she says.

Paradis attributes I-Park’s success to open mindedness (“We strive to say yes”), persistence, gratification, trusting the artists, and community engagement.

Co-founder Ralph Crispino says I-Park’s future will be focused on sustainability. “We went year to year and didn’t really have a master plan. Some of the things we’ve done were motivated by what the artists wanted, but we’re also focused on sustainability so we can be around long into the future.”

This year, he adds, “we’re going to pause and experiment with new programming and community engagement initiatives, some with a revenue component.”

Expanding the board of directors is key. Paradis says, “Our board is really quite small and, in order to have long-range planning,

it’ll require a larger board of directors to take vision into the future.”

She adds, “We’re looking for folks that can come on board and shape the next 25 because we’re at this pivotal moment where we’ve got 25 years of terrific programming under our belts and we’ve been focused on really honing the programming. Now it’s time for us to shift gears to sustainability and long-range planning.”

I-Park thrives through a combination of broad-based financial and volunteer support.

Financial support comes from individual donors, corporate partners, family foundations, and state government support. I-Park relies heavily on its volunteer corps, who contribute to the garden and pollinator-habitat care, trail maintenance, hosting public events, food and beverage service, and planning and producing the annual Illuminations benefit. In 2026, I-Park will be seeking new volunteers across all committees.

I-Park’s 25th-anniversary year will feature a full calendar of public programs, celebrations, and community gatherings. Highlights include:

Saturday, May 9 | Noon to 2:30 PM

Friends & Supporters Appreciation Gathering (invitation event)

The season opens with a celebration honoring the individuals, organizations, and volunteers who have sustained I-Park through contributions, sponsorships, and hands-on support. This event also marks the completion of the inaugural Fellows Working Residency, which brings past artists back to I-Park to advance essential land, facility, and archival projects.

Family Bird Walk with the Mattabesett Chapter of the National Audubon Society — May 16

A guided bird walk, nature talk, and art activity designed for families and nature lovers of all ages.

Saturday, May 30 & Sunday, May 31 - Netherlands Exhibition Weekend *

Visitors will experience a two-hour exploration of 20 monumental and intimate art installations set within a 180-acre woodlands enclave. This thematic memorial park aspires to evolve into a creative laboratory for new ways of approaching memorialization in a manner befitting our generation.

Saturday, June 6 | 9:30 am to 3:30 pm - Open Trails + Music

I-Park will participate in Connecticut Trails Weekend with its first Open Trails + Music event of the season. Five additional Open Trails + Music days will follow throughout the summer and fall.

Saturday, June 27 | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Open Studios

The first Open Studios event of the anniversary year, offering visitors the chance to meet current artists-in-residence and explore their workspaces.

Saturday, July 11 | 9:30 am to 3:30 pm - Open Trails + Music

Saturday, August 1 | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Open Studios

Friday, August 21 or Saturday, August 22 - Composers + Musicians Collaborative Residency Connecticut Concert * ( date, venue TBD )

Sunday, August 23 | Time TBD - Composers + Musicians Collaborative Residency

Merkin Hall, New York City Premieres Concert

Saturday, September 12 | 9:30 am to 3:30 pm - Open Trails + Music

Saturday, September 19 - Illuminations: A Fundraising Benefit *

The culminating celebration of I-Park’s Connecticut-based site-responsive artists open call and invitation residency. This signature benefit event brings together art, nature, and community in support of I-Park’s mission.

Saturday, October 10 | 9:30 am to 3:30 pm - Open Trails + Music

Saturday, October 31 | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Open Studios

Saturday, November 7 | 9:30 am to 3:30 pm - Open Trails + Music

* Ticketed Event. Everything else is free and open to the public. Please visit the website i-park.org for additional information and event updates.

The Cheesemonger

Deana Simmon, The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook

Crunch Time

“The Hidden Gems in Aged Cheese”

More times than not, our customers ask for cheese with crystals. What exactly are crystals? If you have ever taken a bite of Parmesan or aged Gouda, and get that quick, satisfying pop or crunch, you will know what we are talking about. Most people mistake them for salt crystals, but the truth is those bits are proteins and minerals that naturally break down and reorganize as cheese matures. They are flavorless on their own but give cheese a deep, savory, nutty, umami taste.

Crystals are a sign of time and transformation.

There are two distinct types of “crystals” that form in cheese during aging, Calcium Lactate Crystals and Tyrosine Crystals. Let’s take a closer look.

Calcium Lactate:

Calcium Lactate crystals form because of the interaction between lactic acid and calcium during the aging process. These crystals are powdery, translucent white patches that appear as a chalky coating on cheese. The coating can be brushed off with the palm of your hand if you are not inclined to eat them… although we cannot understand why you would not want to. They do not have any flavor, can feel gritty on the tongue but do dissolve quickly and their presence usually indicates a well-aged cheese. English Cheddar, Quebec Cheddar and Prairie Breeze Cheddar all have Calcium Lactate Crystals.

Tyrosine Crystals:

Tyrosine Crystals are the result of the bacteria Lactobacillus Helveticas. This bacterium breaks down the milk protein casein in cheese releasing amino acids, including tyrosine. As cheese matures the tyrosine increases to forms crystals. The crystals then cluster together and become visible. Beemster XO, Beemster Classic, and Parmigiano Reggiano all have visual Tyrosine Crystals. Just like with Calcium Lactate Crystals, Tyrosine Crystals do not have any flavor. They feel salty on the tongue, dissolve quickly and are the sign of a well-aged, mature cheese.

I admit, I gravitate towards the soft creamy, spreadable, soft ripening cheeses such as the Delice de Bourgogne but there are those cheese enthusiasts who are unapologetically devoted to the crunchy bits. They seek out those little gems, and the sign that something wonderful has happened. Where time, patience, and age have worked its magic and delivered subtle depths of savory flavor. And every bite becomes an experience.

Deana Simmons

The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook

hile many artists capture the world on canvas, Frederic Church extended the canvas beyond its frame. Olana stands as both a home and a masterpiece, inviting every visitor to linger, observe, and dream.

My introduction to Church’s estate, Olana, came during my years living in Hudson, New York, when everyone I knew repeated a familiar refrain: “You simply must go; it is magnificent.” My rebellious nature kept me from visiting, despite the most enticing descriptions. The Hudson River painters had never grabbed me. I withheld voicing my opinion for fear of coming across as a Philistine. I found their landscapes boring, too composed, preferring the untamed, foreign scenes shown by Western artists such as Bierstadt, Remington, Russell, and Catlin. The Hudson School’s spiritual reverence for nature struck me as a bit much. Still, the locals assured me that Olana’s five miles of trails and 250 acres would suit my love of walking. It was only after persistent encouragement that one morning a friend finally coaxed me out for an early stroll through the estate.

With each turn on the path, the scenery grew more magnificent, and the panoramas seemed to be endless. The air was clear as glass that morning, every cloud defined sharply. Each step of the two-mile trek left me breathless with delight. Olana became my haven after that, returning four or five times a week: usually in the quiet of morning, sometimes in the golden stillness of afternoon, and on occasion in the summer after dinner, where the cool blue of evening light turned everything sublime. You might say I became obsessed with watching the landscape shift with the light and weather. It felt as if Frederic had designed the estate so we could step right into his paintings— these walks became essential to me, a way to see through the eyes of the artist who shaped the land.

You might think I would have rushed to explore the house after falling for the grounds, but I never did. The exterior felt complete—a masterpiece itself. My rebellious streak kept me from venturing inside. (Note to self...Pay attention to these rebellions.)I’ve never been drawn to tours, exaggerated expressions, and sing-song narratives. I assumed this was the only way in. So, I left Hudson without ever stepping over the threshold. I picnicked by the lake, sketched hills and trees, and even picked up a few Olana ticks off my dog. But the house remained an enigma. My final walk brought tears; I mourned leaving this place behind, for all it had given me, and yet I had not discovered all its secrets.

Years later, I returned to Hudson for a friend’s art opening. I decided to make a weekend of it. I pitched my publisher a story about Olana and resolved to finally tour the house. I saw it as a long-unopened gift and was ready to discover what was inside. Driving up the first hill, I felt excitement; I was eager to see my old friend. My heart sank when I saw the new visitor center and professional signage. I muttered, “Oh no, they’ve commercialized it.” Olana used to be a secret treasure hidden in the Hudson hills, a nice fusion of grandeur

and quiet humility. Now it looked polished. At the old ticket shop, I grumbled to the saleswoman, “Why does everything have to change?” She explained the center was placed to avoid blocking Olana’s views and designed to honor the estate’s spirit.

With my doubts quieted, I returned to my car and made my way to the visitor center. To my surprise, the building was handsome, modest, and gracious. Frederic and Isabel would have approved. After buying my ticket, I had an hour to fill. The salesclerk gestured toward a side salon, where a film about Olana played on a loop. The space, destined to become a café, was quietly waiting for its debut. I settled in and was soon spellbound. Despite my many visits, I realized I had never truly grasped the Churchs or the totality of what they had created. I silently promised to write the story Olana deserved.

As I stepped through the entranceway—a doorway I had seen thousands of times—I shuddered in anticipation. I stepped through time and craftsmanship. I heard someone say, “They don’t make them like this anymore.” The attention to detail was overwhelming. Tudor elements such as half-timbered gables, Gothic arches framing doors and windows, and Middle Eastern

influences, such as stenciled archways and elaborate ceramic tiling, all mingled in a arranged architectural waltz. I know it sounds inconceivable, maybe even gaudy, but it wasn’t. The guide claimed that the residence has remained the same since the Church lived there. It features roughly 40 paintings by Church and his contemporaries and has been extravagantly adorned with artifacts and collectibles from his travels.

Every detail is deliberate, a flawless blend revealing Church’s worldly inspirations.

Frederic Church, born in 1826 in Hartford Connecticut, studied under Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School, whose

landscapes treated the American wilderness as sacred revelation. That reverence had always felt excessive to me. I had visited Cole’s home across the river and felt admiration, even respect — but not transformation.

Church emerged as an artist just as America was searching for its identity and soul. His sweeping canvases, alive with light, scientifi c curiosity, and echoes of Alexander von Humboldt, offered the young nation a vision of itself as limitless, blessed, and immense.

As the tour continued, something tugged at my mind. My thoughts took center stage as the guide’s muted voice pointed out paintings and items. I was grasping at

something. I couldn’t land the idea until I was led into his studio. Western light flooded in from a huge window facing Rip Van Winkle Bridge, a magnificent sight. I chuckled. Everyone knows the best light to paint in is the cool Northern light. Why would he do that? Church, a meticulous man, would have known.

Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit me: Church’s true genius. He was not just

painting here; he was creating an experience. The window functioned as the edge of a canvas, deliberately framing the river and woodlands beyond as part of the composition. He had designed the studio—and much of the house—to align with the landscapes he had shaped outside. It was a living painting.

I recognized what he was doing. I once painted my own studio to offer visitors a glimpse into my imagination, to show

them where my work came to life. But Church had gone immeasurably further. Be damned, Northern light. He was manipulating perspective, orchestrating vistas, composing with light and trees. He wasn’t decorating a home. He was orchestrating an experience.

At Olana, Church wove together nature, art, and architecture into a single, seamless dream. My heart raced, and goosebumps

stood at attention. The guide’s words faded into a blur, like the muffled trombone sounds of adults in a cartoon.

“For several seasons after I selected this spot as my home, I thought hardly of anything but the planting trees, and the thousands and thousands of them set out on the southern and northern slopes. “

I had read those words before. I thought I understood them — I garden, after all. But standing there, their meaning shifted.

He wasn’t describing horticulture. He was describing composition. The trees were not ornament; they were brushstrokes — shaping foreground, directing the eye, choreographing light across the slopes.

The hill itself was his canvas. And we had been walking through it all along. To shape a place so completely that it becomes an extension of your imagination — that is a rare impressive feat.

Olana Turns 200

Olana is the name Frederic and Isabel Church gave their home in the Hudson Valley, just west of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. The house rises above the landscape Church carefully designed, its romantic, eclectic architecture visible from nearly every approach. The name comes from Arabic, meaning “our place on high,” a phrase Isabel is believed to have used in a letter. It feels fitting—after all their travels, they created a place that carried the world back with them and made it their own.

This year, Olana State Historic Site celebrates the 200th Birthday of Frederic Church, whose vision shaped one of America’s most breathtaking landscapes. To honor his creativity and adventurous spirit, the Olana Partnership is presenting exhibitions, programs, and the major new show Frederic Church: Global Artist, opening May 17, along with a public birthday celebration on May 2 inviting the community to celebrate Church’s legacy.

Frederic Church, a leading figure of the Hudson River School, was known for his adventurous spirit and for traveling far beyond the Hudson Valley to capture the world’s grandeur. He painted icy Arctic reaches and the fiery peaks of South American volcanoes, and countless landscapes in between, translating their scale, light, and power onto canvas. By the late 1850s, Church was admired not only for his landscapes but for shaping the cultural life of his era. He helped guide New York’s art scene as a founding trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and as a commissioner for Central Park, while also advocating for the protection of natural sites like Niagara Falls, helping it become the first state park.

After 18 months in Europe and the Middle East in 1869, Church and his wife Isabel returned to Olana with three white donkeys from Syria, which they used to wander the estate’s carriage roads—a playful testament to their love of adventure and the special landscape they called home. Today, Olana stands as Church’s greatest legacy: a place where art, architecture, and landscape meet, offering visitors a chance to step into his world, observe, reflect, and connect with the beauty he so carefully shaped.

Visitors can explore the 250-acre estate and stroll along five miles of carriage roads, open daily from 8 AM to sunset. For more information about tours and events, visit olana.org.

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