In just over a week, the community will come together to support Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center (KTM&HC) and celebrate honorees Tina and Don Sturges at the 30th annual Cannonball Gala on May 11 at 6 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase now!
“We’re delighted to recognize Tina and Don this year,” said KTM&HC Board President Sara Champion. “Their contributions to our museum have had such positive impact on our ability to share our site stories with the public.” Born and raised in Ridgefield, Tina and Don Sturges both have a long and active history of philanthropic engagement with their hometown, including with KTM&HC.
Tina grew up in an artist’s home under the tutelage of her father, Charles Cobelle, a world-renowned impressionistic painter who studied with Marc Chagall. Her maternal grandfather was Stewart M. Seymour, a corporate lawyer from New York City who summered with his family in Ridgefield in the early 20th century. The Seymour family can trace its lineage back to the American Revolution and the Battle of Ridgefield.
As an acclaimed artist, Tina has donated her art to many organizations, including KTM&HC, Kids in Crisis, Sunrise Cottage, RVNA, Ability Beyond Disability, Lounsbury House, the Ridgefield School system, the League of Women Voters, Ridgefield Playhouse, Play for Pink, Founder’s Hall, and most recently RADical Hope, an organization dealing with youth suicide prevention. One of her paintings, the “Vietnam War Memorial,” hangs in Town Hall, and her “Porches of Ridgefield” – developed in collaboration with The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum – is a tribute to the town’s historic past. Tina has donated back to KTM&HC a portion of the proceeds from multiple art shows in the Cass Gilbert Carriage Barn as a solo artist as well as from a group exhibition with the late Hans Fisher. Tina has raised funds for many worthy causes and organizations in town, including Sunrise Cottage and the Christopher Manno Scholarship Fund. She’s also volunteered many hours in the Ridgefield School system and sports teams. Most recently, Tina was honored by the Ridgefield Old Timers Association and the Ridgefield Arts Council. She’s currently on the board of the Ridgefield Guild of Artists and is a past board member of the Ridgefield Playhouse.
Don served on the boards of Tiger Hollow Athletic Facility at Ridgefield High School and Sunrise Cottage. He helped with the Scotts House renovation and was on the committee that started the Ridgefield Playhouse. Don was instrumental in building the cabin at Sturges Park and volunteered many hours with sports teams in Ridgefield and other organizations, including the Christopher Manno Scholarship Fund. Don and his brother Jim donated countless hours to the site integration and accessibility project at KTM&HC - mostly while driving a bulldozer!
We hope the community will join us to honor Tina and Don on Saturday, May 11. All proceeds from the Gala will benefit the museum, allowing KTM&HC to continue to deliver on its mission to preserve and share its collections and stories. And please especially consider donating during our paddle raise, which will directly benefit our fabulous school programs.
Tickets are still available but selling quickly, so don’t delay: click HERE to reserve your seats today.
Learn more about the KTM&HC https://keelertavernmuseum.org/