1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. Phone: 203-254-4000.

Artist Sylvia Wald will be featured in an exhibit at the Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery at Fairfield University's Quick Center from January 19 to March 18, 2012.  Sylvia Wald's 70 year career covers a vast range of media, techniques and imagery.  While her earliest significant works can be related to the Depression-era style of social realist painting, Wald became known for her innovative printmaking in the 1040s and 1950s.  Later, Wald turned to sculpture, constructing imaginative assemblages from unlikely materials-industrial wire and metal mesh to bamboo and driftwood.  Gallery Hours:  Tues-Saturday 11AM to 5PM and Sunday 12 to 4PM. Closed Monday.  Free admission.

39 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford, CT 06903. Phone: 203.322.1646.

Animal Meet & Greet and Winter Activity Trail Sundays Through February, 1 - 4 pm. We love winter at SM&NC! Join us on Sundays for a hands-on, interactive exploration of many of the museum's favorite features. Programs will feature both staff-led and self-guided activities. Activities will run throughout the time period, so join us anytime to enhance your SM&NC experience. All ages are welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult. Members: Free | Non-Members: Free with gate admission. For more information call  e-mail or visit website.

681 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT Phone: 203-972-1895.

Our 32nd Annual Invitational Photography event will feature images, both film and digital, by photographers from 30 towns throughout Connecticut and New York. Tuesday-Friday 12-4 pmSaturday and Sunday 1-5 pm. The gallery is closed Mondays, holidays and in between exhibits.

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

Tuesdays & Thursdays in January and February, 10:00am to 11:00am
Join Todd DuPont and Brad Nagle will explore a variety of topics aimed at connecting you and your children to the botanical and natural world that grows all around us. Children will participate in hands on science, art and gardening activities and story time. Ages 2-8 (caregivers encouraged to attend). $5 for Members, $10 for Nonmembers. Open to the public, reservations not required.
For more information, call 203-322-6971, visit www.bartlettarboretum.org or e-mail info@bartlettarboretum.org

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

Fairfield Museum "Our Nation's Generations," --Student Exhibition Project opens January 27, 2012 and runs through April 22, 2012  is a unique, multidisciplinary program that partners teachers, schools and the Museum to challenge students to create their own exhibition which is displayed in the Museum's galleries. The students tour the Fairfield Museum, view the exhibits and respond to an essential question through historical research, inquiry, writing and arts-based activities. The project encourages a broad understanding of family and the students' role in their communities. Sustainable Cities: What is your vision for sustainability and positive growth for the city of Bridgeport? How can an abandoned building or empty lot help to change the city for the future? "Our Nation's Generations: Sustainable Cities" partnered two schools from Bridgeport and Fairfield with the Fairfield Museum and History Center to challenge students to design and to create proposals for the city of Bridgeport's urban planning initiatives. Over the past several months, a group of 5th grade students from New Beginnings Family Academy in Bridgeport were partnered with and mentored by 8th grade students from The Unquowa School in Fairfield.  The older students mentored the younger urban students in a series of activities that explored the history of the built environment, including the architecture of Bridgeport. The students also looked to the future and became problem-solvers and urban planners to develop proposals for urban revitalization. The result is a 3 month exhibition that will open on Friday, January 27 showcasing the students' work to develop sustainable plans for the empty lots and abandoned buildings on upper Main Street in Bridgeport. The exhibit features the students' innovative ideas, computer models, writing, poetry and photography. Check the website for further information.

51 Riverside Ave., Westport, CT Phone: 203-222-7070.

Opening Reception: Friday, January 27, 6-8pm. Toys – how we relate to them and the sorts of memories and connections we make (both positive and negative), have played an immeasurable role in contemporary culture. Toys never completely lose their original purpose, but it is this familiarity of the toy that enlivens and enhances the dialogue between the artist and the viewer. We will present 20 major artists who work with toys in a range of media, including Alexander Calder, Jeff Koons, Nick Cave, Charles Ray, Takashi Murakami, D.Dominick Lombardi, Nina Bentley, Dan Hernandez, Tom Friedman, and Peter Drake. Gallery hours are Monday- Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

130 Bible Street, Cos Cob, CT 06807. Phone: 203-869-9242.

Garden Education Center of Greenwich will feature Fine Artist Julie Satinover from January 28 thru February 29, 2012 at the Center.  Opening Reception will be held on January 28th from 4-6PM.  All are welcome.  Open to the public.

1 Museum Dr., Greenwich, CT Phone: 203 413-6735.

The Museum presents the playful and enchanting world of the award-winning author and photographer Walter Wick in a major new exhibition titled Walter Wick: Games, Gizmos and Toys in the Attic. Wick is the creator of the Can You See What I See? books and co-creator of the I Spy series for children. This retrospective of Wick’s work from 1973 through today spotlights approximately 40 large-scale photographs, several models used to craft his seemingly impossible images, and videos that offer a behind-the-scenes look at Wick’s creative process. The photographs, enlarged to five and six-feet wide, reveal details and colors not possible in the book reproductions.

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

The Westport Historical Society presents two complementary and thought-provoking exhibits, Next Stop: Westport, The Inspiration for 1950′s TV & Film Writers and, as counterpoint, The Cold War in our Backyard, An Archival Film Compilation by Lisa Seidenberg.

1001-12 Main St., Bridgeport, CT 06604. Phone: 203-522-4154.

The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County and the Bridgeport Arts and Cultural Council invite all artists to a timely workshop providing important information on filing taxes. Artists face some unique tax situations and in this workshop partners from BlumShapiro will cover IRS regulations pertaining to creative practice. Participants will learn the following: Which tax forms to use How to report their income and deductions Review areas of special concern for working artists, including proof of professional status, preparing for the potential of an audit and when to consider incorporation. The workshop will take place on Wednesday, February 1, from 5:30-7PM at the Bridgeport Arts and Cultural Council, located at the Historic Arcade Mall, 1001-12 Main Street in Bridgeport.  The cost of the workshop is $10 and prepayment is required. Check the website for further information.