by Shelley Pembroke | Oct 25, 2024 | Arts
By Desmond Peeples
Though far from the buzzy valley corridors of northern and central Vermont, the towns and villages of Southern Vermont’s rolling hills punch above their weight when it comes to arts and culture. Both of the region’s counties, Windham and Bennington, have been noted recently for their arts and culture by SMU DataArts: Windham County in 2024 was named the #4 most arts-vibrant rural county in the U.S., and in 2023 the town of Bennington, shire town of Bennington County, was the #4 most arts-vibrant community with a population under 50,000. Southern Vermont is often the first stop for visitors from cities like Boston and New York, and the region offers a memorable slice of Vermont’s creative spirit with world-class performing arts organizations, museums, galleries, and more.
Windham County
To find out why Windham County is so vibrant with arts, you might start in its largest town, Brattleboro, where a stay at the Latchis Hotel treats you to art deco architecture and an in-hotel movie theater. Kitty corner from the Latchis is the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, which rotates exhibits featuring regional and international artists. Brattleboro is also home to the renowned New England Center for Circus Arts, where circus stars and students from around the world come to learn and perform–mark your calendars for their annual Circus Spectacular and other live performances.
In the hills outside Brattleboro, the Marlboro Music Festival is a world-famous retreat for advanced classical music training each summer on the former campus of Marlboro College, with weekend concerts featuring master artists held for the public. Lovers of classical music will find another Windham County gem just up the river from Brattleboro in Putney, where Yellow Barn holds internationally-recognized artist residencies, performance series, and educational programs. Putney is also home to Sandglass Theater, a theater company specializing in puppetry that joins Northern Vermont’s Bread and Puppet Theater in making Vermont a national center for puppetry.
North of Putney on the Connecticut River is the town of Bellows Falls, a historic mill town whose downtown of galleries and shops is anchored by a beautifully restored opera house showing films and special events.
Bennington County
Home to the storied liberal arts college of Bennington College, the town of Bennington has long attracted creatives of every stripe. Check out what’s showing at the College’s Usdan Gallery, then head into town to see the Monument Arts & Cultural Center’s rotating exhibits featuring local and regional painters. For a rich exploration of the area’s art, history, and culture, visit the Bennington Museum, whose 13 gallery spaces house diverse collections from “Gilded Age Vermont” and “Bennington Modernism” to Grandma Moses’ artwork and the 1863 Jane Stickle Quilt. The museum’s outdoor grounds also host each summer and fall part of the North Bennington Outdoor Sculpture Show, along-running show featuring local and regional sculptors with installations throughout the village of North Bennington.
About 30 minutes north of Bennington is the other of Bennington County’s two shire towns: Manchester, perhaps best known to out-of-staters as the location of Hildene, the historic estate of Abraham Lincoln’s son Robert. Manchester is also home to the Southern Vermont Arts Center, a sprawling campus of galleries that exhibits local, national, and international artists and offers educational programming throughout the year. The Southern Vermont Arts Center also hosts the annual Manchester Music Festival, another classical musical festival bringing together renowned and emerging talents of the genre each summer.
This story is brought to you in partnership with the Vermont Arts Council, working for a creative state. Explore Vermont’s arts sector and discover opportunities to engage with the arts, including classes and workshops, through this series of spotlights. The Vermont Creative Network is working to advance Vermont’s creative sector in communities throughout the state.
by Shelley Pembroke | Oct 25, 2024 | Arts
By Beck Natale
It comes as no surprise to anyone who’s set foot in Burlington that this area of Vermont is a thriving hub of arts and cultural activity. Burlington is Vermont’s most populous city, and Chittenden County, part of the Greater Burlington region, is Vermont’s most populous county, home to more than a quarter of Vermonters. From the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival to the South End Art Hop to countless theater performances, public murals, drag shows, cultural celebrations, and more, creativity abounds in every corner of this county.
Yet the creative spirit is not limited to Burlington—far from it. Explore creativity through a variety of workshops, view and purchase local artwork in gallery exhibitions, and participate in creative community events across the region.
If you’re looking for an immersive arts experience, check out the Milton Artists Guild, a vibrant community hub and artist support network offering a number of workshops and creative events. Other interactive opportunities can be found in Richmond at Radiate Art Space, an all-ages community art studio that offers everything from public poetry readings to family art-making nights.
Visit the Shelburne Craft School for hands-on education in a variety of artisanal crafts, including stained glass, life drawing, yarn spinning, and more. For longer-term arts education opportunities, Poker Hill Arts in Underhill offers after-school classes, summer camps, adult art classes, and more.
Interested in engaging with the arts, but don’t want to attend a workshop?
In Essex Junction, explore the work of over 400 Vermont artists at the ArtHound Gallery. A variety of local products are on sale at the gallery, from fresh jam and maple syrup to textiles and pottery. In Winooski, at the Heritage Winooski Mill Museum, you’ll learn about this historic mill city through exhibits that tell the story of former workers of the Winooski Falls mill.
At the Shelburne Museum, engage with history through special exhibitions, events, and educational programs. Explore the museum’s vast collections of objects, each with its own story to tell. While you’re in Shelburne, visit the Abenaki Totem at Shelburne Farms, carved by Missisquoi artist Richard Menard. The totem was gifted to the Shelburne Farms in 2015, when the farm hosted the Wabanaki Confederacy Conference of the Western Abenaki people.
Creativity is abundant in the area, and these examples are just a sampling of arts and culture experiences in the region. To find more arts and culture events, workshops, and other activities nearby, visit the Vermont Arts Calendar.
This story is brought to you in partnership with the Vermont Arts Council, working for a creative state. Explore Vermont’s arts sector and discover opportunities to engage with the arts, including classes and workshops, through this series of spotlights. The Vermont Creative Network is working to advance Vermont’s creative sector in communities throughout the state.
by Shelley Pembroke | Oct 23, 2024 | Arts
By Catherine Crawley
Vermont’s Cornerstone Creative Community comprises 40 towns and villages in Orange and Windsor counties in Vermont along the east-central border of the state. The region attracts large amounts of visitors interested in the arts, especially during skiing, sugaring and fall foliage seasons. Fortunately, its towns and villages have a number of venues for the arts for their size, including festivals and markets, theaters and galleries. Here we highlight just a few. For more information, visit the Vermont Creative Network.
The Royals of Randolph and other Attractions in Orange County
The town of Randolph in Orange County is a mecca for arts and culture experiences.
Located in the historic Kimball House, the White River Craft Center offers workshops and gallery shows on various art and handcraft skills. With a mission to promote arts and craft education, its beautiful building is a place for community and connection.
The Vermont Weavers Guild is a nonprofit educational association dedicated to increasing technical proficiency and artistic experience of hand weaving and related fiber arts. The Guild holds a variety of workshops, from hand and silk dyeing to blanket weaving, rug making, and tapestry.
Live music pours out of several performance venues in Randolph, including The Underground and the Chandler Center for the Arts, a gorgeous historic theater with perhaps the best acoustics in Vermont that draws acclaimed musicians from around the world.
Paintings and sculpture inspire patrons across half a dozen art galleries, including ART Etc, Black Meadow Gallery & Tattoo, Peoples Gallery, and the Chandler.
Randolph also has a tiny, one-screen cinema called The Playhouse, playing Hollywood hits and local indie movies.
Another gem to be found in Orange County is the Old Church Theater in Bradford, which has been operating out of the historically significant “Old Church” building since 1984. The theater has presented nearly 40 years of summer productions geared for family entertainment from live theater, music, dance, visual arts, and more. The performance space is located at 172 North Main St.
Arts Destinations in Windsor County
From Bethel and Barnard to Weston and White River Junction, a multitude of arts and culture experiences can be found in Windsor County.
In summertime at the bandshell on the town green in quaint Bethel, you’ll hear a variety of musical entertainment, from Americana to reggae. Bethel’s Council on the Arts maintains a Facebook page with the full line-up.
Cruise over to Barnard for more music, food, and fun at BarnArts Center for the Arts, founded in 2012 to create more opportunities for the rural community to engage with the arts. With a population of less than 1,000 year-round residents, Barnard can be found at the intersection of three roads in central Vermont, 40 minutes from a stoplight. BarnArts presents world-class artists while also serving the rural community through participatory arts programming, from theater to music in schools, holiday cabarets and carols, to a jazz and funk winter music carnival.
One of Vermont’s larger towns, White River Junction is a hotbed of creativity and innovation. Try your hand at cartooning through workshops at the world-renowned Center for Cartoon Studies. Take in a show at the 240-seat Briggs Opera House or Northern Stage, a year-round theater company offering professional productions of world premieres, classics, and musicals.
For those who love quirky museums, visit the Main Street Museum and its “repository of artifacts,” primarily music ephemera, including thousands of piano rolls. Founded in 1992, the space is open Friday nights for Piano Night, Tuesday nights for Movie Night, and other dates for festivals. Admission is by donation.
In Woodstock, visit the outdoor history museum Billings Farm and Museum, Pentangle Arts for movies, theater, and music, and, just up the road, in South Pomfret, ArtisTree for art classes, theater, and music performances.
In the historic village of Weston, where the Vermont Country Store might be the main attraction, you’ll also find Vermont’s oldest theater, the award-winning Weston Theater Company, which hosts a summer season of performances, as well as plays, musicals, and concerts throughout the year.
Situated on a former dairy farm in Reading lies the Hall Art Foundation, which consists of a converted 19th century stone farmhouse, three barns, and a considerable collection of contemporary art. The collections comprise works by several hundred artists including Georg Baselitz, Joseph Beuys, Nicole Eisenman, Olafur Eliasson, Eric Fischl, Anselm Kiefer, Barbara Kruger, Ed Ruscha, Julian Schnabel, Andy Warhol, and Franz West. The bucolic grounds make for a pleasant day outing. The farmhouse and barns sit next to a waterfall on a tributary of the Black River and are surrounded by approximately 400 acres of pastures, hayfields, and extensive woodland. A new reception center and cafe were recently added. Exhibitions are held seasonally, from May through November.
For more visual art, from fiber to paper, photography, pottery, wood, and more, visit Gallery at the Vault in Springfield, which has hosted workshops and houses several galleries for 22 years.
This story is brought to you in partnership with the Vermont Arts Council, working for a creative state. Explore Vermont’s arts sector and discover opportunities to engage with the arts, including classes and workshops, through this series of spotlights. The Vermont Creative Network is working to advance Vermont’s creative sector in communities throughout the state.
by Shelley Pembroke | Oct 2, 2024 | Forester, Jobs, Lifestyle
ON THE GROUND IN THE GREEN MOUNTAINS
Vermont’s foresters are charged with overseeing conservation and land management projects in the Green Mountains. That means they get a lot of face time with the stars of Vermont’s renowned fall foliage show, the trees, including red and sugar maples, poplars, beech, and oak. Here, learn about Vermont foresters sharing their view from the woods as leaves change from green to red, orange, and yellow.
Name: Rick Dyer
County/ Region: I cover Caledonia, Essex, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, and Washington counties for a grand total of 2.4 million acres.
How long have you been a forester? I have been a forester for my entire career of 21 years and counting. I have been with FPR for the last 10 years and was a consulting forester before that.
What makes your region of Vermont forest unique from other areas of the state? All of Vermont is unique so I’m pretty sure that there is no right answer. If I had to say what sets my region apart from other parts of the state, it would be the large tracts of forest that wrap the mountains and valleys in a continual blanket of trees. This is the working forest for the communities that live here. My region is one of the most active for logging and when combined with other activities like sugaring and recreation, it makes for a lively place with lots of opportunities to have fun and explore while also earning a living.
Where would you recommend visitors go? That’s a tough question, because I cover such a large area. Route 12 from Worcester to Elmore is always a beautiful drive . . . in the fall, the Worcester Range looks like it has been sprinkled with Skittles! It’s always nice to catch the view of Lake Willoughby from Sentinel Rock in Westmore. Driving along Route 105 from Island Pond to Bloomfield is also nice, especially when the tamaracks are changing color later in fall. I love the color contrast between the tamarack’s yellow needles and the vibrant green of the surrounding spruce and fir. If you’re looking for a hike, I recommend any of the trails throughout the Worcester Range. The views from the top of the Range are well worth the effort!
by Shelley Pembroke | Jul 10, 2024 | Diversity, Lifestyle
If there’s one thing that Vermonters value, its our unbeatable quality of life. Surrounded by a pristine environment and stunning landscapes, Vermont continues to be a nationwide leader in addressing complex issues. Vermonters are committed to preserving and sharing the land they live, work, and play on.
Vermont’s values, its communities, and unparalleled advancement opportunities make Vermont an attractive place to move to. Initiatives like the Declaration of Inclusion reinforce that Vermont is welcoming and values the positive effects of diversity in our communities. As of April 2024, 144 towns and cities, home to roughly 75% of the population, have adopted a declaration that condemns discrimination in all of its forms and commits to fair and equal treatment of everyone.
Consistently ranked one of the best states for quality of life and safest places to live, Vermont’s top-rated schools and thriving small business economy also make this a great place to raise a family or pursue the business idea you’ve always had a passion for.
With 1,400 miles of mountain biking trails and 20 alpine ski areas throughout the state, you’re sure to find an excuse to get outdoors year-round.
Vermont’s commitment to inclusivity, the environment, arts and culture, business entrepreneurship, and the local food system are evident in the innovations found in every corner of the state. Read on to find out why Vermonters love where they live, work, play, and do business.
Izzy Johnson
What brought you to Vermont?
What originally brought me to Vermont was the bike industry. I had helped to run a women’s gravel clinic in Richmond, Vermont, and fell in love with the community of strong women and people up here.
Vermonters are so genuine in their connection to each other, making spaces in the bike world feel safe for new and current folks. They care about the trails, and they push each other athletically as well, which I love. Those characteristics were some of what I was looking for in a new living environment and community.
What keeps you here?
The things that have kept me in Vermont are the tight-knit community, the beautiful natural spaces, and the mutual desire of the communities to make people feel welcome and care for our natural world.
Something else that has made me stay is my desire to increase the racial diversity here in Vermont. As a person of color, this is deeply important to me. You don’t often see a lot of folks of color living here, and I want people to know that Vermont is a safe place, so more people know that they are welcome here.
I recently started a bike tour and backpacking company with a friend called Color the Valley. While we offer inclusive trips for all, we also offer trips exclusively for BIPOC and queer folks and focus on getting BIPOC folks outside. We created this company because we wholeheartedly believe that representation matters and we want folks to be safe, included, and welcomed into intimidating spaces such as bikepacking and backpacking. We are excited to show everyone the natural beauty that Vermont has to offer.
Learn more about Vermont’s Declaration of Inclusion.
