Compiled by Janice Llanes Fabry

 

This Weekend

Equinox Stroll
Rye Nature Center is celebrating the beginning of spring with a walk through their grounds at 9:30 on Saturday. A naturalist will lead the way to exploring the forest and spotting the many signs that spring has finally arrived. The fee is $5 for members, $8 non-members.

 

Robots Come Alive    
Tweens will learn how to build and program Lego robots at the Rye Free Reading Room on Saturday from 2-3:30. They will be provided with kits and pre-programmed sequences and learn how to modify the program using their own ideas. Once designed, the programs will be downloaded to an NXT Intelligent Lego Brick so that the robot can execute them.

Registration is limited. Visit ryelibrary.org and go to Programs and Events.

 

Synchronicities
Enjoy a day of well-rounded discussions and educational lectures about meaningful coincidences at Wainwright House on Saturday from 9:30-4. Presiding will be psychologist Gibbs Williams, the author of “Demystifying Meaningful Coincidences”, who will explore the nature of coincidences and how they can enhance one’s life by decoding deeper meaning.

Bring paper, pen, a bag lunch, and a list of your own coincidences. The program is $115 for members, $125 non-members.

 

Pedaling and Dancing for a Good Cause
The Rye YMCA will be spinning, spinning, spinning on Saturday from 4:30-5:15 with Phil Gormley, and from 5:30-6:15 with Liz Eck. RSVP to Diana Vita, 967-6363, ext. 211.

On Sunday morning, head to the Y gym and wake up with a Zumba-thon from 8:30-10:15. Lots of great raffle prizes will be available, too.

Each program costs $20 for members, $25 non-members. All proceeds from both programs will go to the Rye Y’s annual campaign.

 

Finishing on a High Note
The last of the Winter Jazz Brunch series at Wainwright House will be held on Sunday from 11:30-2. Renowned jazz guitarist and composer Peter Hand and his trio will entertain you while you enjoy a scrumptious Corner Stone brunch.

The cost is $40 for members, $45 non-members, and $15 for children under 12.  Reserve at wainwright.org or call 967-6080.

 

O’Tea and McTales   
Enjoy “Wearin’ o’ the Green” stories by members of the Rye Storytellers’ Guild and special guests at the Rye Free Reading Room Sunday at 2. Irish tea, cheeses, and soda bread will be served.

 

Sounds of the Heavens
Listen to glorious chamber music at Rye Presbyterian Church on Sunday at 2:30. Artistic Director Ronald Arron, who is playing the viola, has assembled esteemed musicians Anthony McGill (principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic), Edward Arron (cello), and Jeewon Park (piano).

The program includes Mozart’s Trio in E-flat, Piazzolla’s Autumn and Spring, Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel, and Glinka’s Trio Pathétique. For more information, email ronarron@optonline.net or call 276-2061.

The Great Outdoors

Those Trees Can Talk
Rye Nature Center volunteer Michael Penziner is looking for volunteers interested in learning how to understand the language of trees. “Don’t laugh,” he says. “Trees do have something important to say.”

He explains that, “By observing the various changes in the trees  — budding, flowering, leaf out, color — we can learn about climate change. Is the climate changing? If so, how quickly?”

The Rye Nature Center has joined a national scientific program, monitoring trees to determine the answers. A volunteer’s only commitment is a one-hour walk, alone or with friends, along the Center’s trails.   

Join Mr. Penzinger at an introductory program Thursday, March 26 at 10. Call 967-5150 or email mlpenziner@verizon.net for further details.  

Arts & Entertainment

Bon Appetit
SPRYE members are invited to Westchester Community College to enjoy a three-course lunch through the school’s Culinary Arts Program on March 26 at 11:45. Cost is $16, including gratuity.

 

Snapshot of Our Town
The works of photographer Ceil Harrigan will be on display at the Rye Free Reading Room through March 28. “Rye – My Hometown & Beyond” features her favorite imagery, from people and pets to landscapes and sports.

 

Sacred Sounds
At Rye Presbyterian Church on March 29 at 4, the choirs of Christ’s Church and Rye Presbyterian will sing two glorious pieces for Holy Week, “Requiem” by Maurice Duruflé, and “Vexilla Regis” by John Ireland. The combined choirs will be under the direction of RPC’s music director, Kevin Walters. Ruaraidh Sutherland, organist and choirmaster at Christ’s Church, will play the organ accompaniment, supplemented with harp, timpani, and a brass ensemble.

This promises to be a powerful and majestic Palm Sunday and a special musical experience. It also marks Walters’ last major music service at the church; he is retiring on June 30 after 21 years. For more information, call 967-0842 or email kwalters@ryepc .com.

 

Budding Artists
Take a look at what Rye Neck High School art students in Studio 1 and 2 classes have achieved this year. Oil pastel silhouettes and black-and-white charcoal portraits will be on display in the corridor outside the Rye library’s Children’s Room April 1-30.

 

Iconic Forms
The Rye Arts Center is featuring the works of Eva Zeisel, an internationally recognized mid-century designer whose love of designing and creating spanned 80 years. Visitors will be inspired by an exhibit of her abstract and curvaceous forms, which runs through May 22.

Curated by Jeff Taylor and Andrea Megyes, “Ahead of the Curve” is a solo retrospective that showcases the artist’s vases, tableware, and home furnishings.

 

Rye’s Past
The Rye Historical Society’s “Immigration in Rye” continues to show the impact mass migrations of the 19th and 20th centuries had on the community. The exhibit chronicles the role immigration played in Rye’s rapid population growth through archival documents, photographs, and artifacts.

For more information, call 967-7588 or visit ryehistory.org.

Talks and Workshops

 

Animal Power    
On March 26 from 7-8:30, Wainwright House will present “Animal Wisdom: Learning from the Spiritual Loves of Animals” with Dr. Linda Bender, author of a bestseller of the same name. She will share extraordinary stories from a globe-spanning career healing and rescuing wildlife and domesticated animals.

Bender will discuss how animals enrich our lives emotionally and spiritually and what they teach us about love, courage, and healing. The lecture and book signing is $30 for members, $34 non-members, including the price of the book.

Reading Between the Lines
The Rye Free Reading Room’s Current Events Group will discuss “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander on March 24 at 6:30. The Thursday Afternoon Book Group will share their thoughts on “The Patron Saint of Liars” by Ann Patchett on April 9 at 1:15. Both groups will meet at the library.

The Friday Book Café will discuss “The Uninvited Guests” by Sadie Jones, April 3 at 9:30. Call the library at 231-3161 for this meeting’s offsite location. Copies of all the books are available at the circulation desk.

 

Stanza Extravaganza  
Read and share your thoughts about contemporary poems with fellow poetry lovers at the Rye Free Reading Room on March 26 at 6. A discussion led by Michael Alcee will no doubt be lively and insightful.

 

Women’s History Month  
A special retreat at Wainwright House March 27 through March 29 will celebrate women and explore the feminine voices that create and heal. Facilitated by Holly Galgano, the retreat will also feature harpist/singer Ani Williams, author/intuitive Gloria Amendola, and singer/percussionist Alessandra Belloni. Wainwright’s yoga and meditation teachers will also offer sessions.

Guests will stay in European-style retreat rooms and enjoy healthy and delicious meals. The cost is $365 for members, $395 non-members, and $295 commuters. For more information, visit wainwright.org.

 

Spring Cleaning  
Demystify organizing your paperwork at the Rye Free Reading Room March 28 at 10. Founder and RZ Connection owner Randi Hutton will share paper solutions — what to toss, what to shred, and what to recycle. Bring questions!

 

High Hopes    
View a documentary about New York City’s High Line at the Rye Free Reading Room on March 28 from 3-4:30. SPRYE members welcomed. “Great Museums: Elevated Thinking: The High Line in New York City,” narrated by Susan Sarandon, explores the stunning transformation of an abandoned elevated railway into a widely acclaimed public park. It took a grassroots effort led by passionate activists to save the hulking steel structure from the wrecking ball.

 

Making E-Reading Easy
Learn how to download library e-books to your Kindle at the Rye Free Reading Room on April 2 from 10-11. Before long, participants will be using the Overdrive catalog to find popular titles, download, and access them on their e-readers. Library staff will provide technical assistance. Don’t forget your Kindle.

Also, on the same day, library staff will offer assistance with downloading e-books to any fully charged tablets or phones from 4:30-5:25 on a first-come basis.

Children’s Corner

Stay in and Play
On March 24, school lets out early and first through fifth graders can head to Rye Recreation’s Damiano Center from 12:30-3. Bring lunch, drink, and snack. The game room will be open for air hockey, ping-pong, Guitar Hero, and other video games. Fee: $15. Register at ryeny.gov/recreation.cfm, click on March conference day specials.

 

Spring Break Activities at Library
The Rye Free Reading Room has planned fun activities for the spring school break.  There will be three Brown Bag movies for children age 5 and up to enjoy with their own bagged lunches and drinks and treats provided by the library. On March 30, the film is “The Boxtrolls”. On March 31, it’s “Earth to Echo”, and on April 3, it’s the 2014 version of “Annie” (PG). All start at 1.

Drop-in crafts for ages 4 and up will be offered April 1 from 2 to 4. On April 2, children in grades K-5 can swap their own gently used books with others. There is a limit of five trades per child.

For more information about these activities, visit www.ryelibrary.org or call 914-231-3162.  

Family Ties

Earthly Exploration
The Rye YMCA is celebrating all things earth at First Family Friday on April 3 from 6:30-7:30. There will be plenty of activities, crafts, snacks, and fun. Registration is required. Contact Hillary@ryeymca.org.

 

Different Strokes
Families and individuals may head over to the Rye YMCA on March 29 from 3-4:30 for a fun-filled social painting event guided by an experienced artist.  Try your hand at the canvas and support the Y’s annual community campaign at the same time.
Minimum donation is $15 per participant. Refreshing delicacies and “mocktails” provided. RSVP to johnrice@ryeymca.org.

 

Out in Nature
Children with special needs are invited to bring a family member to the Rye Nature Center on March 28 at 9:30 to enjoy animal programs, hikes, and other science and sensory adventures. Free. Email Mary Gillick for more information at marygillick@ryenaturecenter.org.

 

Egg-Hunting Season  
Birds are hiding everywhere at the Rye Nature Center. How about searching for them in the forest on April 5 at 10 and 11? The hikes will be followed by an egg hunt. Bring binoculars and a basket. Each session is $8 for members, $10 non-members. Pre-register at ryenaturecenter.org.

 

Save the Date

Mid-Century Madness     
Rye Arts Center Spring Gala Co-chairs Fiona and Ozgen Dogan, Suzanna and Andrew Keith, Amy and Shaun Lawrence, and Anne and Don Pollard invite all to take part in Mid-Century Madness at Shenorock Shore Club on April 18 at 7.

The benefit will help sustain the RAC’s many valuable arts education and outreach initiatives and will honor longstanding supporters Kim Berns, Eileen Neiman, Robin and Peter Jovanovich, all of whom represent the beauty and power of the arts.

Enjoy a night of light supper, cocktails, auction, and music. For information regarding tickets, donations, and journal ads, contact Noah Opitz at 967-0700, ext. 33 or noahopitz@ryeartscenter .org.