691 Morehouse Road, Easton, CT 06612. Phone: 203-261-0175.

The Easton Arts Council's Annual Art Show will take place January 10 to February 26, 2012 in the Community Room of the Easton Library.  Entry fee $15.  Drop off art January 7th from 10AM to  1PM.  Artists photographers, sculptors, and artisans welcome.  Check the website for further information.

295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06850. Phone: 203-838-9799 ext.18. Fax: 203.838.1434 .

The Opening on April 8 at noon will commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial with the unveiling of the exhibition, Mansion Fragments: Innovations in Architecture, Design, and Technology from the Civil War Era, featuring objects drawn from the museum’s permanent collection.

13 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, CT Phone: 203-966-9577.

An exhibit of the work of Edmund M. Ashe, including paintings, posters and personal artifacts in the Silvermine Room. Edmund Ashe was a painter, illustrator and educator born in Staten Island, New York. He was distinctly an American painter, drawn toward the people - the mountain people of the Smokies in Tennessee, the steel workers in Pittsburgh, and the river people of the South as well as family portraits. He moved to Westport, CT in 1905 and was one of the founders of the Silvermine Group of Artists, remaining one of its leaders as long as it existed.

199 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT 06840. Phone: 866-811-4111.

Tickets on Sale Now.  New for the season:  Art, Architecture and Landscape Focus Tours detailing the site's core elements, and Conversations in Context, an evening program series hosted by leading minds in architecture, art, history, design, and preservation.  Book online or call 866-811-4111 to make your reservation.

370 Beach Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. Phone: (203) 259-1598.

This is the Third Annual Juried Photography Exhibition With Cornerstone Exhibit of award-winning photojournalist Photojournalist Bill Eppridge's Work. Eppridge's iconic collection of work for magazines, in addition to Life and including National Geographic and Sports Illustrated, captures many of the most defining political and cultural moments in the last half of the 20th century, from Robert Kennedy's campaign and assassination and the Civil Rights movement, to the Beatles and Woodstock among others. The exhibition celebrates the exceptional work of talented, serious amateur, professional and student photographers from New York, Conn., Rhode Island and Mass. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors. Members of the Museum and children age 5 and under are free of charge. Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00 - 4:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 12 noon - 4:00 p.m.

151 Brookdale Road, Stamford, CT 06903. Phone: 203-322-6971.

Starting May, 9 am - 3 pm Mon-Thursday, and 9 am -12 Noon Friday. Having a plant or gardening dilemma? Bring any questions or plant samples to the UCONN Master Gardeners for help. The Plant Clinic is open Monday through Friday throughout the growing season. This is a FREE service. Call 203-322-6971, x24 for questions, visit www.bartlettarboretum.org or email admin@bartlettarboretum.org

295 West Main, Norwalk, CT

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum in cooperation with Fairfield County Arts Association will present Summer in Fairfield County, a juried exhibition judged by award-winning artist Laurel Stern Boeck. The exhibition will be held at the Mansion from  May 7 through Aug. 18, 2011, with an opening reception on Thurs. May 12, 5-7 p.m. Juror and award-winning artist Laurel Stern Boeck has been characterized as one of the nation’s foremost portrait painters.  The Fairfield County Arts Association is a support group for both professional and amateur artists.  Its programs give members the opportunity to grow by sharing their work, expertise, and talent and to serve as a forum for comment, critique, and advice.All media are included under the term “arts,” including the various forms of painting, sculpting, photography, and almost any creative visual form compatible with the term “art” as determined by the association.  One of the artists submitting artwork at LMMM is Howard Aaron, who discovered the joy of painting in watercolors at the age of 50. The opening reception will feature a performance by solo pianist and composer Nengbin Fred Shih and pianist/organist Jeb Dennis.  For those who have already viewed the Mansion and are solely interested in the art exhibit, viewing hours are 12 to 4 p.m. Wed.-Sun.  Admission is free. During the season, full tours at the mansion are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for children and young adults ages 8-18. Children under 8 are admitted free. Tour hours are 12- 4 p.m., Wed.-Sun. Tours are on the hour, and the last tour is at 3 pm. For information on educational programs, events and rentals, call 203-838-9799 or e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com.

77 Washington Street, South Norwalk, CT 06854. Phone: 203-246-6958.

Open: May-October, Saturday-Sunday 12:00-5:00 PM. Admission: Free, donations appreciated! Several quilts with transportation themes that illustrate the impact of transportation technology on American life, which begins at a young age, will be displayed in this hands-on museum that allows visitors to experience an overlooked side of railroading. Signal Station 44 was built in 1896 by the New Haven Railroad to accommodate the newly expanded and elevated right of way through South Norwalk. The purpose of the exhibits and programming comprising the Norwalk Quilt Trail is to create awareness and appreciation for a form of Americana that combines elements of art, local history and culture.  Approximately 40 quilts will be on display at diverse cultural heritage and tourism sites around the City of Norwalk.  This is the first major collaboration between the city's museums and will lay the foundation for sharing resources in future projects.

177 Rowayton Avenue, Rowayton, CT 06853. Phone: 203-831-0136.

The RHS has collected more than a dozen quilts from town residents that tell stories of family love, loss, joy, pioneering spirit, aesthetic beauty and community.  The exhibit also features quilts from the Society's collection that include yo-yo quilts from the 1930's, embroidered, patchwork and appliqué quilts and a signature quilt from one of Norwalk's oldest families, the Raymonds.  Also on display will be quilts that highlight Norwalk's contribution to maritime and industrial growth in New England. These include two 19th century ribbon quilts made from hatbands, ribbons and clothing tags manufactured in the factories of Norwalk. The Society is restoring a 19th century red and white Hawaiian quilt that demonstrates how different artistic practices were transmitted and adopted by divergent cultures in the age of shipping.  The exhibition aims to illustrate how quilts and quilt making described and preserved the ties of family and community in a small New England town. The purpose of the exhibits and programming comprising the Norwalk Quilt Trail is to create awareness and appreciation for a form of Americana that combines elements of art, local history and culture.  Approximately 40 quilts will be on display at diverse cultural heritage and tourism sites around the City of Norwalk.  This is the first major collaboration between the city's museums and will lay the foundation for sharing resources in future projects.

2 East Wall Street, Norwalk, CT Phone: 203.846.0525.

Quilts ranging from circa 1850 to 1950 will be on display, including log cabin designs in silk, baskets-and-wreath designs in cotton, a mariner's quilt from the Selleck family, and yo-yo and printed cottons from the 1940s. The selection of Norwalk-made and Norwalk-collected quilts come from organizations and individuals including the Connecticut Historical Society, the Stamford Historical Society, members, friends and the public. A highlight of the exhibit is the recent conservation of six of the Society's own quilts, thanks to a grant from the Coby Foundation and Gail Wall. Hours: Weekends Memorial Day through Columbus Day, Saturdays and Sundays, 11:00 AM-4:00 PM. Admission: adults $5, children $3, includes tour of three historic buildings. The purpose of the exhibits and programming comprising the Norwalk Quilt Trail is to create awareness and appreciation for a form of Americana that combines elements of art, local history and culture.  Approximately 40 quilts will be on display at diverse cultural heritage and tourism sites around the City of Norwalk.  This is the first major collaboration between the city's museums and will lay the foundation for sharing resources in future projects.