Holiday Get-togethers
Gardener’s Delight
The Little Garden Club of Rye’s Home for the Holidays luncheon and boutique will take place Wednesday, December 5 at American Yacht Club. The shopping begins at 11 a.m., followed by lunch at 12 p.m.
Save the Date
Winter Solstice Celebration
Restore your balance with nature at a drumming and fire ceremony, December 21 from 7-9 p.m. at Wainwright House. For reservations, call 967-6080.
For a Good Cause
Lend a Hand
The Committee to Save the Bird Homestead will hold a volunteer work session at the Meeting House and Bird Homestead, December 8 at 10 a.m. Led by naturalist Alison Beall, volunteers will use rakes to clear fallen leaves the old-fashioned way, without the noise and fumes that leaf blowers produce. The leaves will then be used for composting.
Beall, Curator Emerita of Marshlands Conservancy, has long experience in leading volunteer work crews of all ages. She has spent 35 years in Rye, educating young people and the general public about the environment.
Bring a rake if you can. Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Community service hours are available for this project.
Upcoming Blood Drive
Give the gift of life December 16 from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Resurrection Church. Refreshments will be served.
This Weekend
When East and West Collide
Discover how Eastern painting influenced Western painting throughout various modern art movements at a one-day workshop at the Rye Arts Center, Friday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Cost is $75; supplies are included.
Teen Gaming
Play Wii games on the library’s big screen Friday from 3:15-5 p.m. Whether you’re a sports, action, or karaoke fan, the library has lots to choose from. Snacks will be provided.
European Adventure
Ages 5 and up can watch “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” (PG) Friday at 3:30 p.m. at the Rye library. Still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple, the animal friends from the earlier films make their way through Europe, where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus reinvented Madagascar-style.
Teen Shopping Spree
Ages 12-15 can get a jumpstart on their holiday shopping with a trip to the Palisades Center organized by the Rye Y. The trip is set for Friday from 4-10 p.m. Cost is $20 for members, $25 non-members. To register, visit ryeymca.org.
Live Animal Show
Dads, bring your children to the Rye Nature Center for an animal adventure, Saturday from 9:15-10 a.m. Cost is $10 for members, $15 non-members.
All the Trimmings
The Ceres Garden Club will sell decorated wreaths and arrangements of winter greenery from the porch of the Square House, Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Enjoy homemade baked goods inside the museum.
The wreaths sell for $20, the basket arrangements of greenery are priced according to size, and the sweet treats are delicious and cost less than at your neighborhood bakery.
Proceeds go toward the Club’s hanging flower baskets that enliven Purchase Street each summer. This year, the Club planted more than 50 baskets with red and pink geraniums that bloomed and beautified Rye’s downtown from Memorial Day into October.
For more information or to pre-order, email Nancy Somma at nmsomm@optonline.net.
Fashion A to Z
Teens can learn more about historic and contemporary designers at an Anatomy of Fashion workshop at the Rye library, Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Maureen Amaturo will lead the program.
Select a favorite designer from reference sources and sketch a small collection inspired by that designer. You’ll also learn to create a “swipe” file.
Space is limited; call 231-3172. Participants should bring an 11×14 sketchpad, pencils, ruler, and a good eraser.
Writing for the Art
Join Maureen Amaturo for an Ekphrastic writing workshop at the Rye Arts Center, Saturday from 1-2 p.m. The style conveys the deeper symbolism of the art form, a verbal description, or interpretation. The program is geared for ages 8-12.
A separate workshop for ages 12 and up will run from 2:15-3:15 p.m. The fee is $10.
Hit the Trails
Pitch in and clear debris from the Marshlands Conservancy trails Saturday from 1-3 p.m. Bring work gloves; hand tools will be provided.
Abstract Creations
Ages 8 and up can delve into abstract art and participate in a project inspired by the movement, Saturday from 2-3 p.m. at the Rye Arts Center. Cost is $10.
In a Holiday Setting
Learn how to take great holiday photos with a digital camera Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Rye library. Review basic digital terminology, settings, menus, and programs to ensure the best quality files are captured for recording special days and celebrations.
Ready, Set, Shoot!
Journey into the Marshlands and learn how to preserve it behind the lens, Sunday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Brush up on technique and learn how to capture nature. Bring your own camera.
Graphic Arts
An opening reception for an exhibit of works by painter and graphic art designer Allan Curry will be held at the Rye library, Sunday from 1-4 p.m. Curry is a member of Salmagundi Club, Allied Artists of America, Georgia Watercolor Society, and the Rye Arts Center.
Voices on High
The Westchester Choral Society presents a holiday concert featuring the Saint-Saëns Christmas Oratorio, Sunday at 3 p.m. at Rye Presbyterian Church.
Admission is $25 for adults, $10 students. For tickets and more information, visit westchesterchoralsociety.org.
Twenty-Five and Going Strong
Helping Hands for the Homeless and Hungry, Inc. will celebrate its 25th anniversary at Wainwright House, Sunday from 5-7 p.m. A special invitation is extended to all past members of the Board who, through their hard work and dedication, got Helping Hands to this august age.
Founded in 1987, by an interdenominational group of concerned citizens, Helping Hands has provided dignity products, food, and financial support to food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters serving Westchester’s neediest families. Over 20,000 school children have started the school year with new backpacks provided through the Empty School Bag Program each August.
For more details, call Brigitte Sarnoff at 967-8683 or visit www.helpinghandsrye.org. Tickets are $50 per person. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Reservations are requested.
Talks and Workshops
Turn the Page
If you’re not already in a book group, the Rye Free Reading Room’s three book groups welcome new members.
Discuss “Olive Kitteridge” by Elizabeth Strout December 3 at 9:30 a.m. at the Friday Book Café. Call the library for the offsite location.
The Thursday Afternoon Book Group’s next title is “An Available Man” by Hilma Wolitzer. The meeting is December 6 at 1:15 p.m.
The Current Events Group is reading “No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden” by Mark Owen and Kevin Maure. The meeting is December 18 at 6:30 p.m.
Triple Threat Ric Klass
Rye resident Ric Klass will discuss his new novel and feature film, “Excuse Me for Living”, at the Rye library December 4 at 6:30 p.m. The plot follows a charming, suicidal druggie who is ordered by his rehab clinic to run a senior men’s group or face incarceration and the loss of the love of his psychiatrist’s daughter. Klass will also describe his experience working with an all-star cast that includes Jerry Stiller, Christopher Lloyd, Robert Vaughn, and Dick Cavett. Guests will have a sneak preview of the romantic comedy’s trailer.
Klass is also the author of the memoir, “Man Overboard: Confessions of a Novice Math Teacher in the Bronx.”
For more information, call 231-3161.
On the Case
Retired Harrison police detective Marc DiGiacomo will discuss his debut novel, “In a Small Town”, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Harrison Library.
Set in Hutchville, N.Y., a fictional Italian-American community of about 10,000 people, the novel follows the story of Detective Matthew Longo, who is injured on the job and returns to find a growing element of crime in his community. Longo’s story offers plenty of twists and turns as he battles corruption, crime, and his own secrets. With his partner Donny Mello away in Italy to attend the funeral of a family member, Longo is forced to answer questions from an FBI agent investigating his family business.
For more information, call 835-0324.
Computer Classes
A free two-part workshop on Advanced Basic Computer Skills will be given at the Rye library, December 6 and 13 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. At the first session, learn to create documents using editing tools, set up folders and save files, and transfer data to and from flash drives, CDs, and DVDs.
At the second workshop, learn Windows features, how to set up your mouse and keyboard, and add or delete programs. Computer security will also be addressed.
For more information, call 231-3161.
Arts and Entertainment
Twelve Easy Pieces
The Rye Arts Center’s new exhibit, “From Where I Stand”, presents an abstract vision of the world as seen through a colorful and diverse palette of works by 12 contemporary artists.
Using a variety of media, each artist has created their own language of color, form, and line to create compositions based on abstract references to the real world.
The exhibit runs through January 5.
“Enduring Blooms” Exhibit Extended
The series of nature photographs by Nadia Valla, currently on view at the Meeting House, will be extended through the end of the year. Valla, a member of the Little Garden Club of Rye, has recorded the beautiful remnants of early 20th-century gardens at the Bird Homestead in season.
The flowers captured by Valla have outlived the Bird family members, who were their caretakers. Their reappearance each spring is a testament to the enduring beauty of the living landscape once nurtured by the Bird family.
As volunteers clear overgrown areas, the Bird family’s plantings are revealed anew.
The photographs include heirloom roses, Solomon’s seal, barberry flower, beautybush, mock orange, and lilac.
The Meeting House is open to the public every Saturday in December from 1-4 p.m, free of charge.
Kids Corner
Clay Craft Creations
Ages 7 and up can learn to sculpt with baker’s clay at the Rye library, December 8 at 2 p.m. With help from Westchester artist Susan Ordahl, participants will make a dough out of salt, flour, and water and then create ornaments that will last for years. Pre-registration is required; call 231-3162.
Teen/Tween Times
Shake, Rattle, and Roll
The Carver Center presents the 2nd annual 7th and 8th Grade Holiday Dance Party December 14 at Apawamis Club. Proceeds benefit the center’s middle school leadership skills and academic tutoring program. For more information, visit carvercenter.org.
Frame It!
Make a frame in which to put a photo of your pet at the Rye library, December 15 at 2 p.m. Diane Seemer will lead participants in creating 4×6 magnetic frames. To register, call 231-3172.
Family Ties
A Hooting Good Time
Build screech owl boxes to hang in your own backyard December 15 from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Rye Nature Center. Cost is $12 for members, $20 non-members. For reservations, call 967-5150.
The Great Outdoors
Marshlands Happenings
Volunteers are invited to preserve and beautify the wildlife sanctuary at a work project, December 8 from 1-3 p.m. Meet at the Visitor Center.
The beauty of the salt marsh lasts all year round. On December 9 at 2 p.m., join a naturalist and listen to the sounds of the water crashing into the ice and view waterfowl and wading birds. Bring binoculars.
To Your Health
Gymnastics Workout
Ages 16 and up can take part in an open workout program at the Rye Y, December 3 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Work on all four Olympic events, plus Tumble Trac and Mini Trampoline. Cost is $20.
Yoga for All
The Rye Y and Wainwright House offer yoga classes throughout December.
Yoga-a-Go-Go on December 6 is designed for special needs children and their families. Yoga can aid in developing focus and balance. Try traditional poses and practices, modified into a playful, non-judgmental format for fun and relaxation.
The Five Tibetans, also known as the Five Rites of Rejuvenation, is a system of simple, highly energizing exercises. On December 13, partake in this practice. It’s ideal for a busy lifestyle.
In the home stretch of preparing, shopping, and decorating, give yourself the a chance to relax and reboot, December 20.
Feeling extended and off-kilter? Practice standing poses December 27 and focus on being centered, grounded, and in alignment.
All sessions take place from 5:30-6:15 p.m. at Wainwright. Free for members.
Ho, Ho, Ho!
Dear Santa
Letters will be taken via reindeer express directly to the North Pole December 3-14, courtesy of Rye Recreation. The mailbox is located on the corner of Elm Place and Purchase Street. No stamps are necessary, however a return address is required.
“A Christmas Carol”
M & M Productions Acting Company presents a one-man theater adaptation of the classic holiday story the author himself performed on his two American tours, December 9 at 2 p.m. at the Rye library. The production is appropriate for older children as well as adults.
Chat with the Man in the Red Suit
Santa has made special arrangements with Rye Rec to telephone Rye’s children (ages 3-7) at home, December 10 or 11 from 6-8 p.m. Registration is ongoing; call 967-2535. Sign up early so Santa can reach all the good boys and girls in town.
Seasonal Stories & Crafts
Ages 5 and up are invited to listen to stories for Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa and make a winter craft, December 14 at 3:30 p.m. at the Rye library.
Making a List, Checking it Twice
Say hello to Santa and give him your list at the Rye Y, December 14 from 5:30-7 p.m. Have your picture taken and make an ornament to take home. Refreshments will be served. Registration is not required.
Pancakes with the Man in Red
Ages 2-7 can enjoy breakfast and get their picture taken with Santa, December 15 at 10:30 a.m. at Rye Rec. Fee is $14 per person, $16 for non-residents. Registration is required as space is limited to 110 participants.
The program is sponsored by Corner Stone, Henri’s Upper Crust Bagel, TD Bank, and the Rye Seniors.
Get Creative
The Rye Arts Center is offering a variety of workshops for all ages this month.
Adobe Photoshop 101
Adults and teens can receive an introduction to the tools and options available in Photoshop, December 8 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Great for beginners and intermediates that have questions. Fee is $30.
Cubist Self-Portrait
Ages 8 and up can create a self-portrait in the style of the great Picasso, December 8 from 2-3 p.m. Fee is $10. Members receive a discount.
Make Memories into Fine Art
Learn ways to transfer images of family photos into collages, for cherished keepsakes or personalized gifts, December 8 from 2-5 p.m. Bring a 4×6 black-and-white or color photo, and two laser prints (not inkjet) of photos or artwork. Laser prints can be made at Kinkos, Staples, or your local library. Fee is $135.
In the Abstract
Learn to see beyond the literal and obvious at an abstract drawing workshop December 12 from 1-3 p.m. Katharine Dufault, artist and curator of the RAC exhibit, “From Where I Stand”, will lead the program. Fee is $25.
Ages 12-17 can also learn to draw in this style, December 15 from 2-4 p.m. Fee is $20.
