Artist Libby Earle – originally from Canada – gets up very early most mornings to take pictures on the West Haven beach.
“She wanted to make a calendar and donate the proceeds to a veterans’ organization” explains ArtsWestCT organizer Elinor Slomba. “So we thought about one of our city’s biggest cultural assets: the West Haven Veteran’s Museum and Learning Center.”
Earle agrees.
“The Veterans Museum does so much to honor those who served bravely so we can enjoy our lifestyle and the freedoms depicted in these photographs,” she said. “This has come to be my home, and I feel very patriotic about it.”
The calendar starts and ends in the Summer, covering the 2021-22 school year. In the process of putting it together, Earle and Slomba discovered a happy coincidence: the Lone Sailor replica, featured for November, was donated by the father of Arlene Painter, who manages the Museum.
That caption reads: The Lone Sailor, a tribute to all the personnel of the sea services, is a replica of the 1987 original in Washington, DC. The statue in Old Grove Park was donated by residents and Navy veteran, Marty DeGrand.
In other months one could see West Haven’s seaside views and traditions depicted, such as the fireworks at Savin Rock, playing bocce while squirrels look on, remembering loved ones while sitting on Old Grove Park’s memorial benches, and enjoying seafood at Stowe’s.
Each calendar costs $20, and all proceeds (minus the printing costs) will be donated to the Museum. Pre-orders may be placed before June 18th using this link: https://www.yearbox.com/calendarsforgood/we-love-west-haven-2021-22-calendar/?fbclid=IwAR2ipLtIa3SKXH8_w9Ce5S1cLQR0zdqP0aCPDtJ2wcDPBmted6NiMQMtkOI