Westport Historical Society

Betty and Ralph Sheffer Gallery
May 28th- September 4th

Kids' Wall

The 10th Anniversary of the Kid’s Wall
Longshore: Treasured Memories
Westport’s 175th Birthday as a Town

Designed & Created by  Katherine Ross & Miggs Burroughs
Kids’ Wall Facts: The Kids’ Wall is 6 feet high by 44 feet long, making it the largest piece of public art in Westport.    It cost $18,000.

One of a series of special events and exhibitions being organized this year by the town-appointed Longshore 50th Anniversary Committee, “The Art of Longshore” exhibit is curated by Helen Klisser During, Director of Visual Arts for the Westport Arts Center. This exhibit is on view in the Great Hall at the Westport Public Library from June 1 – July 31. 

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the acquisition by the town of Longshore Club Park, art depicting its natural beauty is displayed here. From its graceful  tree-lined entrance to its vistas of verdant fairways and fescue-draped bunkers to its scenic water views, this unique landscape and seascape has attracted generations of artists from around the world, each in their own way inspired by “The Art     of Longshore.”

This much-loved recreational facility along the shores of Long Island Sound is widely regarded as the most significant land acquisition in the town’s history. The 169-acre Longshore Club Park was opened to townspeople on May 28, 1960. Generations of Westporters have enjoyed its recreational amenities, which today include a golf course, marina, swimming pools, tennis courts, ice-skating rink, picnic areas, and playgrounds. They and many others also benefit from the nationally renowned Longshore Sailing School as well as The Inn at Longshore, a popular venue for weddings, banquets, benefits, and other social and  civic functions.

One of a series of special events and exhibitions being organized this year by the town-appointed Longshore 50th Anniversary Committee, “The Art of Longshore” exhibit is curated by Helen Klisser During, Director of Visual Arts for the Westport Arts Center. Visit the Westport Historical Society to view the “Longshore Treasured Memories” exhibit, on display through the summer. For more details about the Longshore 50th Anniversary project, visit www.westporthistory.org/longshore50.
 

The Kid’s Wall is composed of approximately 1500 lbs of tile and adhesive; 1000 lbs of “Wonder Board” (onto which the tiles are glued): and 200 lbs of grout (the material between the tiles). The tile panels are secured to a specially designed hurricane-proof “fence”.  There are 64 panels, each measuring 18″ x 33″ wide. There are approximately 500 pieces of broken tile, and other objects on each panel, adding up to about 32,000 individual pieces on the entire mural.  1,400 students from the 5th, 6th 7th & 8th grades participated in the mural design and in the placement of every object and every piece of tile in the mural.   Each panel was completed in one 50-minute art class, taking about 2 months to schedule each of the 64 classes.  Look for special messages in each panel spelled out with small alphabet beads by the students in each class.  The approval process for the Kids’ Wall spanned 2 years, including 3 Planning & Zoning Commission hearings; 2 Architectural Review Board hearings; a Parks and Recreation of Public Works, Police Dept., and Conservation Commission; an RTM hearing; an Arts Advisory council meeting; and a Board of Selectman meeting.

Longshore 50 VideoA short documentary film, Celebrating Longshore’s 50th will premiere at the Westport Historical Society on Memorial Day at 1 PM. Following its debut, it will be shown on a continuous loop as part of the Longshore Treasured Memories Exhibit in the WHS Little Gallery.

The film’s committee, under the direction of Jenniann C. Barile,executive producer includes: Scott Smith, documentary script writer; Dan Woog, script supervisor/on-camera interviewer; Doreen Birdsell, producer and cinematographer; Gemma Tummolo, director and Frank DeFord, narration.Westporters Gordon Joseloff, Allen Raymond, Mimi Levitt, John Kantor and Stuart McCarthy are among those whowill share their recollections of Longshore’s past and present.

Have a fun introduction to Westport History through the exhibits in our rare heptagonal, cobblestone Bradley-Wheeler Barn Museum
Audio guide narrator: Joanne Woodward. The Bradley Wheeler Cobblestone Barn, renovated in 1994, houses the Museum of Westport History that chronicles the history of Westport  from the time of the native Americans to the present day. A fascinating panorama of Westport’s development is created through a combination of large historical photographs and authentic local artifacts.  Visitors will see the growth and development of trades and occupations in the agricultural, mercantile, industrial and maritime lifestyles that have contributed to the history of Westport. 

On the second floor of the barn is The Swezey, the very same train that moved around the store window of Swezey Jewelers. The train was meticulously restored and put together with devoted admiration by Westport resident and train enthusiast Carles Reedy and his son Josh. Carles spent many hours determining which trains needed to be replaced and how to get the exhibit moving with sound and elegance. Giovanni Urist, Staples graduate and a history major, researched information about the railroad’s historical impact on Westport, and this information is on display next to the exhibit.

For more books available in our gift shop, visit: www.westporthistory.org/books

Longshore Gate