Farmstead Arts Features The Art of Gail Winbury, Gilbert & Sullivan Concert in April

Bernards Township:  Farmstead Arts will be in full bloom this month, with a gallery show and sale of works by Gail Winbury opening Sunday, April 14 and a concert of Gilbert and Sullivan favorites on Sunday, April 21 at 2 PM.  Photography and art classes for all ages will also be offered. Preparations are also in full gear for the June 8 Duck Race and Arts Festival. All events, except the April 13 photography class, will take place at Farmstead Arts, the nonprofit arts center located at the historic Kennedy Martin Stelle Farmstead at 450 King George Road in Basking Ridge.

Farmstead Arts will feature Works by Gail Winbury in the galleries from April 14 through May 26 on Sundays from 1-4 pm with an Artist Opening Reception from 1-4 pm on Sunday, April 14. Guitarist Arturo and cornetist Rich Cardon will provide music for the opening. The exhibit will be the Farmstead’s first solo show dedicated to nonrepresentational art styles and theoretical themes. The show and reception are free of charge.

On Sunday, April 21 at 2 PM, Light Opera of New Jersey (formerly, Ridge Light Opera) will present Savoy Faire, A Revue of the Witty Best of Gilbert and Sullivan on April 21 at 2 PM in the farmhouse. Concert tickets are $15.  Seniors and student tickets are available for $10.  Tickets may be purchased at http://rlofarmsteadconcert.eventbrite.com/.

Upcoming classes for teens and adults include a one-day photography class at Duke Farms with Stephen Harris on Saturday, April 13 at 9:30 AM, and two six-week classes starting Saturday, April 20:  Drawing Fundamentals class with Doug Schiller on Saturday mornings from 9:30 – 11:30 AM and Watercolors with Frank Pietrucha from 1-3 PM.  To register for classes, visit farmsteadartscenter.org. Classes for children include an after school studio art class for grades K – 8 by Anita McKenna Murphy on Wednesday afternoons from  3:30 to 4:30 PM.  The next session starts on May 1.

The Farmstead Arts Play Reading Group will meet May 6 at 7 PM at the farmhouse. The group is led by Artistic Director and Basking Ridge resident William Ward who has extensive experience as a professional  actor, stage manager and set designer. The group is open to the public, as participants or observers. The play will be announced on the website soon.

Mark your calendars for a new, wonderful family event at the Farmstead on Saturday, June 8.  From noon to 4 PM, the Farmstead will be transformed into an art and duck-lover’s paradise, with hundreds of ducks ready to take their places at the starting line, a silent auction of fine art in the barn, and vendors with food, art and other goodies for sale. Ducks will be on sale at the Farmstead Booth at Charter Day and from the Farmstead Duck Race committee members starting in April. If you would like to be a vendor, sponsor the event, or provide a prize for the duck race, visit farmsteadartscenter.org.

For a complete list of Farmstead Arts events and classes and to register for classes or purchase concert tickets, visit www.farmsteadartscenter.org.  For more information, e-mail farmsteadartscenter@gmail.com, or call 1-347-9ARTS4U (1-347-927-8748).

The farmhouse is wheelchair accessible.  Anyone anticipating the need for additional accessibility services is requested to make a request by sending an e-mail to the farmsteadartscenter@gmail.com at least three weeks in advance.