Shelton Man's Art on Display at 'Festival of Lighthouses'

A Shelton man’s traditional lighthouse is helping to light the way for visitors in The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk as part of the Aquarium’s 10th annual “Festival of Lighthouses.”  

Charlie Kestler’s “Holiday Point Lighthouse” is one of 24 lighthouses in the holiday display, which is open daily and free with Aquarium admission November 19 through Jan. 16, 2012. Aquarium visitors can follow these homemade beacons through the galleries and then cast a vote for their favorite. The lighthouse with the most votes wins $1,500.

“This is always a highlight of the holidays – for staff and for our visitors,” said Chris Loynd, the Aquarium’s marketing director. “We’re always awed at all the thought and effort that the builders put into their lighthouses. And it certainly adds a festive spirit to the galleries.”

Kestler’s entry is a traditional black-and-white lighthouse, with a lighthouse-keeper’s house and grounds all decked out for Christmas. A big wreath decorates the lighthouse, colored lights twinkle along the roofline and green roping drapes along the picket fence. Near a pine tree, trimmed for the holiday, Santa waves from a red truck.

The contest has two other local entries:

• “Land, Sea & Air Rescue Beacon” by David Hazard of Beacon Falls. This is an imposing stone firehouse at a shoreline, complete with helipad (with waiting chopper) and a black lighthouse on top. At the ready are Elmo in a fire truck and Thomas the Tank Engine in a fire boat. Seals bask on rocks at the water’s edge.

• “The Rickety Steadfast” by Raymond Swindon of Trumbull. Swindon, a sculptor and residential designer, went the non-traditional route, crafting a modernist lighthouse of welded copper sheets. It rises and thins in a gentle S-curve.

Rules of the Aquarium contest are kept to a minimum to allow for maximum creativity. Lighthouses must be three to six feet tall and have a working light, and may not include animal remains (including shells). Beyond that, it’s up to the creators’ imaginations.

Other entries in the display this year include a lighthouse made out of toilet-paper tubes, another made of sugar cubes from France, a Cat in the Hat-themed light and a light whose shingles are made from men’s neckties. Other entrants took on the challenge of building a detailed replica of a real lighthouse, including the Greens Ledge lighthouse in Norwalk, the Black Rock lighthouse in Bridgeport and the Staten Island (N.Y.) lighthouse.

“The top five winners last year are all back this year, so you know the bar is set high for workmanship and creativity,” Loynd said. “Plus, to celebrate our milestone 10th year for the display, we’ve upped the ante by increasing all the prize awards by 50 percent.”

Besides the $1,500 top award, other prizes are: $750 for second place, $375 for third; $300 for fourth; $225 for fifth; and $150 for sixth. Winners will be announced at an evening reception on Jan. 19.

The “2011 Festival of Lighthouses” is free with Maritime Aquarium general admission, which is $12.95 for adults, $11.95 for seniors (65+) and $9.95 for children 2-12.

For more details about Maritime Aquarium exhibits, IMAX movies and programs, call (203) 852-0700 or go online to www.maritimeaquarium.org.