Emilia Dubicki - Recent Paintings

The Finer Line Gallery in Mystic will feature New Haven artist Emilia Dubicki's abstract paintings during the month of May. Bold, tactile and beautiful Emilia's works are lush with vivid colors and painterly brushstrokes. An opening reception with the artist in attendance will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, May 6 in conjunction with Mystic Arts Center "Evening Stroll". The Finer Line Gallery is located at 48 West Main Street and can be reached at (860) 536-8339.

The Above Elite Studios will hold an opening reception from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, for member artists to showcase their work to the public. Saturday, the studio will host a family friendly open house from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This delightful 2-day open studio celebration of art and friendship will feature works by Charles Estabrooks, Laura Gaffke, Joyita Neerkaje, Susan Cole Stone and Lisa Szaro, and guest artists Millie Donovan, Julianne Eanniello, Kathy Johnson, Kathleen Neal, Jaclyn Murphy and Susan W. Thomas. Attendees will enjoy a collection of works in watercolors, oil, acrylics, mixed-media, photography, jewelry and a featured reiki practitioner. Refreshments will be served. Above Elite Studios in located above Elite Cleaners on Main Street in Westerly. For more information visit www.lauragaffke.com.

The Not Too Far From Home Comedy Tour, starring Aaron David Ward, from TV's The Glenn Slingerland Situation and Boston Comedy Festival and Deric Harrington, Chicago and Tampa Improv comedy clubs, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jokes, and The Comedy Thesaurus, makes a stop in New London this Sunday at the Jazz Underground Café, located at 33 Golden Street. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $10. Advanced purchase is suggested because there are only 49 seats available. Call (860) 447-1125

For more information about Aaron David Ward, visit www.aarondavidward.com and Deric Harrington, visit www.funnyderic.com.

During the month of May, Left Bank Gallery in Essex will hold a solo exhibition for experienced plein air painter Chris Karpinski. "Blue Sky," on view May 1-31, features over 30 paintings ranging in scale and price point. All are welcome to attend an artist's reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, May 7.

Karpinski's paintings are meditations on nature, capturing the spirituality and wonder of the natural world. An avid lover of the outdoors, Karpinski, a resident of Waterford, uses a variety of mediums and techniques in order to achieve what she calls "effect." Her aim is to share her experiences and to uplift the viewer.

The New London Branch of the AAUW presents the Harriet Beecher Stowe Dinner Theater at The Norwich Inn and Spa on Thursday, May 13. Come interview Mrs. Stowe as she is constructing her new home in Hartford in 1864.

Emma Palzere-Rae, actor and producer, will star in this one-woman show. She is the founder of Be Well Productions which presents tours of several critically acclaimed one-woman plays to schools, libraries, professional theaters and other venues. Tickets for the 5:30 p.m. show are $35 and reservations are required by emailing mdokeefe@snet.net.

After working for fourteen weeks in a variety of disciplines including acting, directing, playwriting, design, movement and voice, the 25 students that comprise the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Theater Institute spring ensemble will present The Saint Petersburg Project: Nevsky Prospect on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's Dina Merrill Theater. Performances are free and open to the public.

This original 90 minute work-in-progress is based on the students' first-hand experience this spring living and training in Russia for two weeks at the Saint Petersburg State Theater Arts Academy. Focusing on Nevsky Prospect, the city's historic street, students are using their personal experience and research to create and collage an original performance piece that deals with the history and tragedies of this legendary city.

The NTI ensemble is composed of students from schools across the country with diverse theatrical backgrounds. For more information on public performances of Nevsky Prospect, contact the O'Neill at (860) 443-5378 ext. 213.

Come and meet the artists, enjoy music and celebrate magnificent works of fine art at the opening reception for The 89th Annual Elected Artist Exhibition at the Lyme Art Association on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.

All four galleries will display work by Elected Artists, who are the premiere members of the Lyme Art Association. The Elected Artist membership is a group of professional artists who exhibit and sell their work throughout the country in addition to Old Lyme.

LAA has several new events planned in conjunction with the exhibition, on view through June 20. One of the new highlights of this annual exhibition is Art in Bloom Weekend, which will take place June 4-6. This three-day special exhibition will present floral arrangements inspired by artwork in the gallery by members of the Lyme Garden Club.

The Gilded Edge Custom Framing and Gallery will hold an artist reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday for Carol Dunn, whose eclectic works are on exhibit through May 29. All are invited to attend.

Dunn is a printmaker and photographer, specializing in alternative processes for creating artwork. She exhibits frequently in the New England area, and is an Elected Artist in the Norwich Arts Council, Mystic Arts Center, Connecticut Women Artists, and Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts. Her studio, Little River Studio & Gallery, features views of the river, lots of natural light and an etching press, where she holds classes in her many techniques.

The Gilded Edge is located at 20 Hartford Road in Salem and can be reached at (860) 889-4903.