Cedarmere Opens for 2008 Season with Readings, Music and Art Show

The grounds at Cedarmere provide the opportunity to enjoy beautiful views of Roslyn Harbor.

Cedarmere, the Roslyn Harbor home of prominent 19th-century poet and newspaper editor William Cullen Bryant, will feature readings, music and an art show as it opens for the 2008 season on the weekend of April 26 - 27, from 1 to 5 p.m.

On both days, visitors to Bryant's home and grounds will be able to meet Bryant himself, as portrayed by local actor Frank Hendricks, who will read from the writer’s poetry and discuss his life.

On April 27, guests can join Mr. Bryant in planting an old-fashioned fruit tree in honor of Arbor Day. Between 2 and 4 p.m. each day, there will also be a program of mid-19th-century parlor music performed by Bryant's daughter Julia, as interpreted by pianist Linda Pratt.

In addition, the weekend marks the opening of a contemporary art show by the Cedarmere staff. “The Artists of Cedarmere” includes photographs by Iris Levin and Robert Harrison; prints by Amanda Buonocore, a fine arts major at C.W. Post College; mixed-media pieces by architect and designer Dennis Cook; and watercolors by Selma Stern, the painting instructor at Cedarmere. The exhibit will be on display through June.

The 7-acre Cedarmere site, located on beautiful Roslyn Harbor, includes Bryant's house, carefully restored gardens, and a Gothic Revival mill and summer cottage overlooking a picturesque pond. It is open weekends and holidays from 1 to 5 p.m. until November 2.

Admission is free, with the exception of special events; for more information, call 571-8130. The property, which has been designated a part of the New York State Underground Railroad Heritage Trail, is located on Bryant Avenue west of Glen Cove Road.