Cornwall Covered Bridge - "Paint the Bridge"

Iconic Cornwall Covered Bridge celebrates 150th Anniversary with ‘Paint the Bridge Day'Professional & Amateur Artists & Art Lovers, Invited July 26Cornwall, Conn. – In celebration of the 150th anniversary of its famous covered bridge, the town of Cornwall, Conn. is holding four celebratory events from July through October of this year. The first is “Paint the Bridge Day,” from 9 to 6 p.m., Saturday, July 26, on Rte. 128, in the village of West Cornwall, Conn. 06796. Professional and amateur artists alike are invited to create works inspired by the bridge, using any medium they choose, working alongside some of Cornwall’s locally and nationally known artists, including painter Brendan O’Connell, kinetic sculptor Tim Prentice, potter Todd Piker, and wood-worker and Shaker furniture maker Ian Ingersoll, among many others.Paint, photograph or sculpt the Cornwall Covered Bridge; the Housatonic River over which it crosses or the classic New England village of West Cornwall from 9 to 2 p.m. A public reception will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Cornwall Pottery in West Cornwall, during which the art will be displayed and available for sale. Cornwall’s famous one-lane Covered Bridge receives thousands of visitors every year and has been a frequent subject of painters and photographers. Built using diagonal, cross-lattice construction, this unique structure is officially named the Hart Bridge, after an early local family. Unusually long for a covered bridge (242.1 ft., 15 ft. wide), it spans the Housatonic River and has been the connector between the towns of Cornwall and Sharon since 1864.The iconic, rust-red Covered Bridge was completed during the Civil War in 1864 and inducted into the National Register of Historic places in 1975. Paint the Bridge day will take place rain or shine on July 26.To find out more about the Town of Cornwall’s attractions, artists, shops and events, visit www.explorecornwallct.com.