CCP's Did You Know? Fact #26.

It's the last fact of the Did You Know? series! Why not go out with a festival?

This Saturday, from 2-5PM, the Middletown ReMix Festival will take place all over our city. This free event (rain or shine) has a host of activities. To find out more visit the Middletown ReMix website, and on the day of the festival, you can head to the Information Center in front of It's Only Natural Market, 575 Main Street. You can also enter to win festival prizes at each station!

Festival Stations

Remix Sound Stage - In front of It's Only Natural Market, 575 Main Street

Listen to Middletown DJs remix the sounds of Middletown. The master of ceremonies DJ Arun Ranganathan, and Wesleyan student DJs Coral Foxworth '15 and William Brewster Lee '13, performs their remixes commissioned for the festival.

The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center - 605 Main Street

View an exhibit as part of the North End Gallery Walk. The Great Make Believe Society improvises sketches and scenes using sounds collected from MiddletownRemix.

Camera Obscura Art/Sound Installation - Southwest corner of Grand and Main Street

Walk into a 16' X 8' “camera,” created by Middletown artists Joe McCarthy and Peter Albano and commissioned for the festival. The environment inside this installation “recomposes” the sights and sounds of the festival, leaving you with the notion that your perspective of the world is powerfully influenced by the lens through which you choose to view it.

Community Health Center of Middletown - 675 Main Street

Experience Lighthouse, beside the point, a world premiere sound installation by Wesleyan University Professor of Music Ronald Kuivila commissioned for the festival, in the beautiful glass pavilion atop the Community Health Center. Listen to the sounds of Middletown while seeing the city from an entirely different angle.

MAC 650 Gallery – 650 Main Street

View the “Hear More, See More Photography Exhibition,” curated by Carolyn Reeves, President of the MAC 650 Artist Coop, as part of the North End Gallery Walk. The photographic tribute to Middletown features images from novices to professionals, and shows a variety of shots of the city.

David Tudor's Rainforest IV Installation - 634 Main Street

Immerse yourself in David Tudor's Rainforest IV (1973), reconstructed by Wesleyan University music students under the direction of University Professor of Music Ronald Kuivila - an environment filled with found objects transformed into loudspeakers.

Sounds Like Graffiti - Luis Lopez Herb Garden, 629 Main Street

Watch Connecticut graffiti artist Ryan Christenson of RC Murals create and demonstrate graffiti artwork.

Green Street Arts Center - 51 Green Street

Hear the world premiere of MTRX (2012) by Jason Freeman of UrbanRemix, commissioned for the festival and performed by Wesleyan University's Toneburst Laptop & Electronic Arts Ensemble, directed by Assistant Professor of Music Paula Matthusen, at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. View the Green Street Arts Center’s year-end exhibition of works created by afterschool students as part of the North End Gallery Walk.

Middletown Framing - 502 Main Street

View an exhibit related to the sounds of Middletown as part of the North End Gallery Walk.

Projected World Experience Art/Sound Installation - Alleyway between 484 and 500 Main Street 

Surround yourself with video, animation and MiddletownRemix sounds in a temporary, site-specific installation created by Middletown resident Marc Pettersen in conjunction with animation artist Cheryl Elliott and DJ and video artist Matt Weston, and commissioned for the festival using multiple projectors, mirrors and speakers. 

Ursel's Web - 140 Washington Street

View work from the Middletown Art Guild as part of the North End Gallery Walk.

Flash Mob Dance - Main Street between Liberty and Ferry Streets

Don’t miss a flash mob dance at 2:30pm, choreographed by Wesleyan student Kelsey Siegel '13, performed to a hip-hop soundtrack created by DJ Arun Ranganathan incorporating sounds from MiddletownRemix. Learn the dance by watching the video, then and come perform on Saturday, May 11! (Meet at 2pm in front of It's Only Natural Market at 575 Main Street in Middletown, CT).

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #25.

"History is all around us." I think I've heard someone say that...somewhere. But can we deny its truthfulness? In Middletown, especially, there is a rich history that can be seen even today. One walk down High Street brings a lot of history to light. Why are there so many mansions on one block? Is Russell House really "The House That Opium Built?" I have heard that one many times.

The answers are out there. There have been countless research projects by community members, the Middlesex Historical Society, as well as Wesleyan faculty, staff, and students. The research has spanned topics such as business development, urban landscapes, agricultural history, architectural preservation...the list goes on.

So with that in mind, we here at the Center for Community Partnerships want to extend the offer to come hear Professor Ron Schatz and his Middletown History Service-Learning class talk about their research. The formal invitation from Service-Learning Director and Wesleyan Professor of many hats, Krishna Winston, is below:

"The final First Friday program sponsored by the Center for Community Partnerships will feature the students in Ron Schatz's Middletown History service-learning course. Please note that this program actually takes place on the SECOND Friday of May at 4:30 PM in Room 004 of Wesleyan's Allbritton Center, 222 Church St. The students presenting and their subjects are as follows:

Ross Levin: the 1912 strike at Russell Manufacturing Company
Earl Lin: Mayor Stephen Bailey’s urban renewal plan
Adam Marcu:  the workmen in Portland’s brownstone quarries
Kyle Roosa:  late 19^th-century Middletown philanthropy
Zachary Vinci: Middletown’s patriots in the Revolutionary War
Yanru Wang: the establishment of Middletown High School in the 1840s

Please join us for this stimulating and informative program. Refreshments will be served. Parking is usually available on High Street, in Lot C on the south side of Church Street, or in Lot L on the south side of Lawn Avenue."

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #24.

This week's post details the weekly public observing events at the Van Vleck Observatory. Situated in the middle of Wesleyan's campus, the Observatory plays host to a variety of astronomy-related events. From the Observatory website:

"MONTHLY SATURDAY NIGHT OBSERVING (RUNS ALL YEAR LONG)

Organized and hosted by the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford (ASGH), this is a great opportunity to view the sky through our beautiful 20" refractor. Refurbished in recent years in honor of Walter Scott "Scotty" Houston who used this instrument many nights, we can now share this telescope with the public on regular occasions. For details please visit the ASGH website.

2013 Schedule for public observing on our 20" refractor:

May 11, 9:00pm-11:00pm

May 24, 9:00pm-11:00pm — Friday Commencement/Reunion Weekend Observing

May 25, 9:00pm-11:00pm — Saturday Commencement/Reunion Weekend Observing

June 15, 9:00pm-11:00pm

July 6, 9:00pm-11:00pm

August 3, 9:00pm-11:00pm

September 14, 9:00pm-11:00pm

October 12, 9:00pm-11:00pm

November 1, 9:00pm-11:00pm — Friday Homecoming/Family Weekend Observing

November 2, 9:00pm-11:00pm — Saturday Homecoming/Family Weekend Observing

November 9, 8:00pm-10:00pm

December 7, 8:00pm-10:00pm

January 4, 2014, 8:00pm-10:00pm

GROUP VISITS

Van Vleck Observatory sponsors day and evening group visits to our institution. Daytime tours (usually reserved for school groups) consist of a brief lecture on current astronomical events that can be viewed from one's back yard, a slide show, and a walk through of our facility. Evening tours are usually held on a predesignated evening, which may or may not coincide with Wednesday Public Observing, and are of a rain or shine, open-house nature. To schedule a group visit to the observatory, please contact Roy Kilgard. For Saturday observing, consult the ASGH website. For Wednesday observing, consult the Middletown weather forecast."

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #23.

For the past couple of years, New England has seen some pretty wicked weather. Between snow storms, hurricanes, power outages, and the like, a group of first responders known as CERT (also known as) C-CERT came through with aid.

From a Post-Nemo article on C-Cert:

"Wesleyan’s Campus Community Emergency Response Team (C-CERT), made up of trained Wesleyan staff and faculty members, activated three times after Winter Storm Nemo. While Wesleyan’s grounds crew and grounds contractor Stonehedge worked to clear snow from the main campus pathways, sidewalks and parking areas, the C-CERT team worked to inspect and clear all emergency exits near academic and administrative buildings. C-CERT members also assisted Wesleyan staff and faculty on Feb. 13 by directing them to open parking spaces. With a parking ban in effect, employees were not allowed to park on city streets. Wesleyan’s Transportation Services offered shuttle rides for those parking away from campus."

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #22.

Have you heard of the new ENGAGE newsletter? The ENGAGE newsletter culls ENGAGE blog posts into an easily digestible weekly email.

Currently the ENGAGE blog offers up a daily selection of links that pertain to civic engagement. For those who may be unfamiliar with civic engagement, we like to casually define it as positively interacting with and changing your community, whether it be close by or worldwide. At Wesleyan, two offices work primarily with civic engagement concepts: The Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and the Office of Community Service, which operates under the Center for Community Partnerships.

The Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship works to improve the world and strengthen our commitment to pursuing active, on-the-ground involvement worldwide. The Office of Community Service, in a similar vein, fosters community building within the University and with the communities of Middletown and Middlesex County. Both offices work together to foster a sense of engagement on campus through workshops, a bevy of volunteer opportunities, talk series, conferences, and other projects. Student-created groups such as Shining Hope for Communities, which operates in Kibera, Kenya, the MINDS Foundation, which is based across India, and Possibilities Pakistan all engage our students with international grassroots causes. Since both offices contribute to the ENGAGE blog and newsletter, we urge those who are interested in their work and opportunities to subscribe!

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #21.

This week's fact promotes the Davison Art Center's upcoming event, "The Big Draw: Middletown." More information on this event comes from their website:

"The Friends of the Davison Art Center present the second annual The Big Draw: Middletown, a community celebration of drawing with workshops for people of all skill levels, from beginners to accomplished artists. The event is free and open to the public: adults, students, and children ages five and up. The Big Draw’s activities break down the “I can’t draw” syndrome and celebrate the visual arts.

The Big Draw: Middletown will feature 7 drawing workshops throughout the Wesleyan University campus. Wesleyan art professors and art students, Middletown public school art teachers, and members of the Middletown High School Art Club will facilitate the workshops. The wide range of activities will include illustration, Japanese sumi-e ink drawing, and movement and drawing. Participants will draw from live models, period costumes, the natural world, dancers, and the imagination. Drawing study of nude models is open to adults and minors with parental permission. The event will take place rain or shine."

"The Big Draw: Middletown
Saturday, April 20, 2013 1pm–4pm

Onsite registration: Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University, 301 High Street
Free and open to the public
No advance registration required

Drawing workshops and activities 1pm–4pm

Drawing Workshops:

1. Model Marathon
Drawing the nude model
Drawing Studio (CFA Art Workshops room 105)
Parental permission required for those under 18

2. Still-Life and the Natural World
Study the natural world with an exciting array of objects including shells, taxidermied animals, skulls, etc. in an elaborate still life.
Location: Beckham Hall, upstairs

3. Movement and Drawing
Participants will create drawings through exercises that use making marks through movement as the subject matter. There will be live musicians to respond to while creating drawings, and dancers to draw. Try using your arm as a compass, or creatinge lines by walking and and dragging charcoal behind you. Good for all ages, g. Get ready to be experimental!
Location to be confirmed.

4. Tableaux vivants
Go back in time and draw from models in 19th- and early 20th-century costumes in the historic Alsop House. Organized by the Middletown High School Art Club, under the leadership of Patrick Shugrue.
Location: Davison Art Center, in the Alsop House rooms

5. ‘Sumi-e’ Ink Drawing
Introduction to Japanese traditional sumi-e drawing with ink. Taught by Keiji Shinohara.
Location: Beckham Hall

6. Fragments from the Davison Art Center
Make your own masterpiece inspired by the Davison Art Center collection. Paper will be distributed with a fragment of an image sampled from a DAC print—then you “fill in the print” with drawing.
Location: DAC Alsop House sunroom.

7. Telling Drawn Stories
Try your hand at comics, illustration, zines, and the art of telling stories in sequence.
Location: Beckham Hall

The Big Draw: Middletown is sponsored in part by the Friends of the
Davison Art Center; the Wesleyan University Division of Arts and
Humanities, and the Middletown Commission on the Arts, artstogo.org."

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #20.

Today's fact pertains to Wesleyan and Middletown's collaborative efforts to promote sustainability.

While sustainability undoubtedly comes up in Environmental Studies classes and meetings for student groups such as the Enivronmental Organizers Network (EON), WesFRESH, and SAGES, it is also a topic that is presented at Orientation, Staff Trainings, and Reunion & Commencement.

If you're looking to get engaged with topics of sustainability, look to April's Earth Month Calendar. One event at 11AM on April 22nd, will take place at MxCC:

“Rethinking How Money Works: Monetary Reform as a Catalyst for Sustainability”
Chapman Hall, Room 808, Middlesex Community College, 100 Training Hill Rd., Middletown
Facilitated by Justin Good and Michael Harris in partnership with the Middlesex Community College Sustainability Committee and Wesleyan Sustainability Office.

A workshop on monetary reform, community credit systems and local money as tools for addressing unemployment, social and economic justice and community development.  This workshop will offer an overview of the current monetary reform effort, with a focus on complementary currencies or local community-issued credit systems as catalysts for sustainable development. The session will feature a demonstration of Connecticut Sound Shares, a local community currency system currently operating in the Middlesex area. Read more info here.

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #19.

The theses are due! The theses are due! This week’s fact details some Wesleyan tradition as well as students’ writings on Middletown.

In addition to outlets such as courses, service work, and general engagement, Wesleyan students interested in the history of Middletown write theses and other essays.

Wesleyan theses pertaining to Middletown have included titles such as “Their Own Guardians and Protectors’: African American Community in Middletown, Connecticut, 1822-1860,” by Jesse Nasta, and “Temperance in Antebellum Middletown” by Scott Perry DeAmicus. To see more Wesleyan theses on Middletown visit the WeScholar site.

As for today, students are gearing up for the final thesis deadline, which is tomorrow, April 12th. When theses are due at 4PM, the writers will gather on the steps of Olin Library, pop bottles of champagne, and toast to their months and months of research, writing, drafting, and doing whatever they could to quell their anxieties. To check out last year’s celebration, jump over to Wesleying.

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #18.

For this week’s fact, we’re highlighting the student-run Wesleyan Science Outreach group. WSO holds several Science Saturday events throughout the year, in addition to conducting workshops at the YMCA Kids’ Korner sites. From making ice cream–the scientific way, of course–to teaching kids about biology, Wesleyan students are engaging with the community through educational outreach in an exciting way. As noted, the next Science Saturday is April 27th, which requires an RSVP to wesleyanscioutreach@gmail.com, by the 21st.

To learn more about WSO, go to their website, where you can also learn about their leading members and creation: “Since 2007, the Wesleyan University Science Outreach Club, an undergraduate service and education organization, has designed and implemented a series of weekly, hands-on after-school science activities for students in the Middletown, CT public elementary school system. The after-school activities are developed by college students in a Science Pedagogy class to facilitate participation, build on prior knowledge and engage elementary school students in observing, interpreting and explaining scientific activities. The program has grown to serve over 80 elementary school students at five different locations. Wesleyan Science Outreach seeks to make learning scientific concepts fun, accessible and enriching, with the hope of inspiring children to think creatively and critically about scientific phenomena in the classroom and in their everyday lives.”

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #17.

This week's fact details MidWes, a Community Outreach subcommittee of Wesleyan students who concentrate on developing the relationship between Middletown citizens on campus and off. 

From MidWes' website: The Middletown-Wesleyan Relations Subcommittee (known as “MidWes”) was founded in 2012 by a group of students who wished to further develop the relationship between Wesleyan University and the Middletown community. On both individual and community levels, MidWes aims to promote meaningful interactions between Middletown and Wesleyan through a long-lasting, student-based institutional body.

Since its founding, the committee has met with numerous members of university and Middletown leadership to discuss, initiate and incentivize more interactions between members of both town and university so as to strengthen ties between both communities. In particular, the subcommittee believes a stronger relationship between Wesleyan and Middletown can be achieved primarily through increasing / facilitatingpersonal and ongoing interactions between members of the university and the town. Furthermore, the committee strongly believes that such efforts must be done in a collaborative and, more importantly, a mutually beneficial manner. Lastly, these efforts must be done with an understanding of the history and present situation of Wesleyan-Middletown relationships.

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #16.

This week's fact highlights the Mansfield Freeman Center, which houses Wesleyan's East Asian Studies Department. The Mansfield Freeman Center website offers more information on their partnerships with the greater Middletown community: "[The Center] offers a variety of special programs and resources focusing on East Asia. Although these programs are offered primarily as a service to students and other members of the immediate Wesleyan community, the FEAS's doors are in fact open to all members of the wider Middletown community. The FEAS's more publicly-oriented programs--including the colloquium series and art exhibitions--attract visitors from all over the state, as does the FEAS's Japanese-style garden, Shoyoan Teien. The FEAS also runs a unique outreach program, which enables students from local schools to learn about East Asian culture through hands-on activity workshops, exploring such subjects as music, writing, and calligraphy, food and cooking, martial arts, and the Japanese tea ceremony." The Center's outreach program, specifically, includes hundreds of students every year; it is so popular that schools are chosen in a lottery to participate.

Fact #16. Tuesday, April 2nd.The Mansfield Freeman Center offers an educational East Asian Culture Outreach Program for primary and secondary school students from Middletown, Middlefield, Durham, and Portland, as well as a host of other non-local schools.

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #15.

This week’s fact highlights Wesleyan Athletics’ partnerships with local elementary schools. Beyond their presentation at Woodside, Athletics sends out students on a weekly basis to join the elementary schools during recess. You can check out their Harlem Shake video with Macdonough students here.

A large force behind this partnership is Jeff McDonald, who holds several titles at Wesleyan, including Assistant Football Coach and co-advisor for Wesleyan’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee. In his article printed over at Middletown Patch, McDonald details the symbiotic relationship between Wesleyan Athletics and Macdonough School. We implore you to jump over and learn more about this dynamic partnership.

CCP's "Did You Know?" Fact #13

The "Did You Know?" Campaign highlights partnerships, connections, and collaborations between Wesleyan and the greater Middletown community. Every Tuesday and Thursday we will post a fact and send it out to WesLive, Middletown Eye, Middletown Patch, Facebook, Twitter, and beyond.

This week's fact highlights a local enterprise with an alumni connection.

CCP's Did You Know? Fact #11.

The "Did You Know?" Campaign highlights partnerships, connections, and collaborations between Wesleyan and the greater Middletown community. Every Tuesday and Thursday we will post a fact and send it out to WesLive, Middletown Eye, Middletown Patch, Facebook, Twitter, and beyond.

This week's fact highlights the partnership between Wesleyan's student-run Long Lane Farm and NEAT's North End Farmers' Market.