10 North Water Street, Norwalk, CT 06854. Phone: 203-852-0700.

The Maritime Aquarium's "FINtastic RefurbFISHment" opens on Sat., Feb. 18, some of the smallest additions actually will have the coolest stories. Take, for example, the sea vases – little things that look merely like a knot of plain translucent tubes.Don't dismiss them, though. You and those sea vases have a lot more in common than you would imagine. In fact, sea vases are recognized as being possibly the closest invertebrate relative of humans. Scientists have sequenced their full genome, and they share 80 percent of their genes with us! That gets researchers very excited to have a simple "model animal" to use to test for medical breakthroughs. Most recently, scientists announced some exciting results in combating Alzheimer's disease through their work conducted on sea vases. So what is a sea vase (Ciona intestinalis)? It's a type of tunicate, a subphylum of animals that mostly attach to the sea floor and filter food out of the water. Various species of tunicates are commonly referred to as "sea squirts," because, when disturbed, they will contract so that water squirts out of their siphon openings. They're found from the Arctic down to southern New England. In the Aquarium, they'll be displayed in the Winter tank of the new "Seasons of the Sound" gallery; just past the big shark tank. The Maritime Aquarium's "FINtastic RefurbFISHment" will feature 21 new exhibits, 27 new species and more than 300 new animals. Get details at www.maritimeaquarium.org. For area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

11 N. Water Street, Norwalk, CT Phone: (203) 831-9063.

The Norwalk Parking Authority's Art in Parking Places presents Physiology ofInspiration, the second in the Senses of SoNo series of exhibits at theMaritime Garage Gallery. An opening reception will be held Thursday September 12th from 5:00-7:00pm at the Gallery, 11 North Water Street. The event is free and open to the public. The show runs until December 28th. The Senses of SoNo series of exhibits include works in all media on a variation of the traditional five senses: sight=urban elements, smell=food, touch=music, taste= fashion, hear (sound)=Long Island Sound. The Physiology of Inspiration exhibitfeatures works by artists Barbara Campbell, Ken Delmar, Ralph DiMarco, PaulHitchen, Fran Meehan, Loren DePalma, Jim Inzero, Joan Melnick, Debra Schaffer, Alissa Siegal, as well as Irina Simenova from the SoNo School of Fashion.

1 Museum Dr., Greenwich, CT Phone: (203) 869-0376.

Key examples of the artist's work, many on loan from leading museums and private collections, will reveal the full range of Lachaise's vision, with special attention to the fascinating interchange between figural work and portraiture. The exhibition will raise a number of compelling questions: does the aesthetic appreciation of the nude rule out a more intense study of personality, and conversely, does portraiture, with its focus on specific character traits, interfere with the pursuit of beauty? Do unnamed nudes qualify as portraits if, in fact, we know the identity of the model, and does an artist's repeated use of a particular model preclude the possibility of recognizing his or her personality? Curated by New York University Professor of Modern Art and Bruce Museum Adjunct Curator of Art, Ken Silver, the exhibition will be accompanied by a major scholarly catalogue.

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

Promise of Freedom 150th Anniversary Emancipation Proclamation September 23 - February 24, 2013. The only exhibition in New England to display a Lincoln-signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, an original 13th Amendment copy, as well as other fascinasting documents, paintings and artifacts that narrate this decisive moment in the quest for human freedom.  Public Programs: For a complete listing of Lectures, Community Events, Family Activities and Workshops visit the website. Tours:  Guided tour of this special exhibition occur on Fridays at 2:30 p.m. beginning October 5. Group Tours:  Available for groups of 10 or more. Please contact the Education Department at 203-259-1598. Hours & Admission: Mon. - Fri. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Weekends: noon to 4 p.m.  Explore highlights of the Emancipation Proclamation exhibit as you tour the Museum with docents and staff. The tour lasts approximately a ½ hour and departs promptly from the front desk. All guided tours are free with Museum admission, and do not require tickets or reservations unless otherwise noted. This event is accessible to people with disabilities.

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

Promise of Freedom:  The Emancipation Proclamation exhibit at the Fairfield Museum will run September 23, 2012 through February 24, 2013.  The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to view rare historical documents, including a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, a copy of the 13th Amendment, rare slavery artifacts, prints and political cartoons that illuminate the public opinion of Lincoln in the 1860's.   Programs including guided tours and hands-on activities are available for groups.  A Commemorative Gala will be held on September 22nd from 6:30 to 9:30PM.  Call the museum for further information.

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

September 23 – February 24, 2013. Exhibit and programs commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and its significance over time, featuring Abraham Lincoln’s signed copy, rare slavery artifacts, prints, political cartoons and more.

1 Museum Dr., Greenwich, CT Phone: 203.869.0376.

Extreme Habitats: Living Desert Dry focuses on the desert biome as an ecosystem and examines plant and animal adaptations related to survival in the desert. The exhibition features a life-size diorama of the Sonoran Desert of the Southwest, complete with spiny cacti, coyote, gila monster, roadrunner and more.

39 Strickland Road, Cos Cob, CT Phone: 203-869-6899, Ext. 10..

To celebrate the restoration of the room at Bush-Holley House that served at various times as the studio of Childe Hassam, John Twachtman and Elmer MacRae, the Greenwich Historical Society will present an exhibition exploring the changing concept of the artist's studio. In addition to depictions of American artists' studios in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the exhibition presents the models for Childe Hassam's work in Cos Cob and a sampling of work done outside the studio in the environs by Hassam, John H. Twachtman and Elmer MacRae. A complementary exhibition, Historic Artists' Homes & Studios, on loan from Chesterwood (the home and studio of Lincoln Memorial sculptor Daniel Chester French), will feature photographs that focus on the fascinating and eclectic living and workspaces of famous American artists including (among others) N.C. Wyeth, Jackson Pollock and Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Wednesday through Sunday, Noon to 4:00 pm Members: free; nonmembers: $10; seniors and students $8

25 Avery Place, Westport, CT Phone: 203-222-1424 .

The main exhibit, curated by Leonard Everett Fisher, and mounted in the Betty & Ralph Sheffer Gallery, showcases 164 stamps and the 17 prominent Westport artists who designed them, on commission by the U.S. Postal Service's Citizen Advisory Council between 1959 and 1998, for national circulation in the billions. Featured artists include: Ward Brackett, Miggs Burroughs, Stevan Dohanos, Naiad Einsel, Walter Einsel, Leonard Everett Fisher, Bernie Fuchs, Robert Lambdin, Howard Munce, Paul Rabut, Walt Reed, Charles Reid, Cal Sacks, Jim Sharpe, Dolli Tingle, Ed Vebell and Harold Von Schmidt.Drawing from the private collection of Westport's own Leo Cirino, a friend to many of the artists, this exhibit presents enlarged color images of all 166 stamps. Photos and biographical profiles of the artists, along with correspondence, artifacts and examples of the work for which they are better known, provide an intriguing context for the stamp designs. A focal point of the exhibit will be the influence of Stevan Dohanos, member of the Citizen's Advisory Council and himself a designer of 33 stamps, in matching artists to stamp commissions. A companion book, documenting the Cirino collection and the artists, will be published by the WHS.

295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06850. Phone: 203-838-9799 ext. 112.

A new exhibit to open at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, offers a different platform to aspiring artists  Oct. 17 through Dec. 27, 2012. Free Admission, Wed.-Sun. 12-4 p.m. An opening reception will be held on Nov. 1, 5-7 p.m. Reservation required. Inspired by the vibrant political climate, LMMM Art Director Gail Ingis-Claus has organized and curated the exhibition, Places and Politics. Artists and aspiring artists were asked, via social media and arts websites, to join in the discussion with their own interpretation on the subject matter of politics and the environment. Some of the themes suggested in the artist’s prospectus were: natural and man-made environments, forests, glaciers melting, animals at risk of extinction, wetlands, rain forests, bodies of water, political figures, parks, and landmarks. “Participating artists are providing, with their work, an explanation of the political ramifications the place depicted represents,” said Gail Ingis-Claus. “Best in Show” will be selected by juror David Dunlop. A renowned landscape painter, Mr. Dunlop is a modern-day old master whose luminous landscapes draw from both Renaissance techniques and contemporary science.  His paintings have been shown internationally and are held in the collections of major corporations including Aetna Insurance, Citibank, Colgate Palmolive, Delta Airlines, GE Capital Corporation, IBM, Mobil and more.