Susan Balch, “Looking Up,” from “Fribrations! The New England Fiber Art and Mixed Media Invitational Exhibition” at the Great Hall in Springfield, opening November 7
Bennington Center for the Arts
44 Gypsy Lane, Bennington
10a to 5p, Mon-Sun (Closed Mon)
thebennington.org, 802 442-7158
“Woman and Child” by Erastus Salisbury Field, c. 1840
“Ginny and Elizabeth” by Alice Neel, 1975
Thru Sept 14: Impressions of New England. Annual exhibition including scenes of seashores, rolling hills, foliage and New England wildlife, all captured in paint and bronze. Thru Dec 21: Small Works Show, with figuratives, landscapes, cityscapes, wildlife, still-life’s and more. Thru Dec 21: Portraying the Human Spirit exhibit, a small show of 26 pieces that capture the essence of the human spirit. Ongoing: Permanent collection, featuring Native American and Southwestern artwork, with 300 paintings, 50 bronzes, 50 Hop Kachinas, 85 hand-woven Navajo rugs and numerous pieces of pottery, jewelry and baskets.
Bennington Museum
75 Main St, Rte. 9, Bennington
10a to 5p (Closed Wed)
benningtonmuseum.org, 802 477-1571
The Bennington Museum’s major exhibition this year is an example of a major new trend in museum shows, writes Jamie Franklin, curator at the Museum since 2005.
“Museums, galleries, critics and collectors are all espousing the value of mixing and matching art across cultures and time periods, to powerful visual and conceptual effect. Not usually one to embrace trends, I’m all for this one. In fact, bringing the past and the present into dialogue and questioning traditional art-historical boundaries have long been core principles of my curatorial practice.”
Franklin writes: “Alice Neel/Erastus Salisbury Field: Painting the People (July 5–November 2), serves as the perfect illustration of how we are putting new strategies into practice by building on the strengths of our collection while simultaneously moving forward into new territory. The exhibition will juxtapose portraits by Erastus Salisbury Field, one of America’s best-known itinerant painters active during the 19th century, and Alice Neel, one of the most acclaimed American artists of the mid-20th century. It is my hope that this unusual pairing will cause visitors to the museum an initial shock, or at least a mild confusion, forcing them to ask, ‘Why?’
“Though separated by one hundred years, the portraits created by the 19th-century itinerant painter Erastus Salisbury Field and the 20th-century master Alice Neel have a remarkable resonance with one another. Examining the artists’ cultural, political and social milieus, as well as the subjects of their paintings and what painting meant to them personally, this exhibition reexamines the relationship between Modernism and its romantic notions of the “folk” in order to bring viewers to a more nuanced understanding of these great artists and their work.
“Field is represented in the museum’s collection by nine portraits, all depicting sitters from Bennington County. Included in the exhibition are three of these paintings that rank amongst the artist’s best work, including portraits of Luman Preston Norton, c. 1840, his father Julius Norton, c. 1840, and an unidentified portrait of a young woman and child entitled Woman and Child, c. 1840. Works by Neel included in the show are a nude portrait of her estranged daughter, Isabetta (1934), along with Jenny Brand (1969), and Ginny and Elizabeth (1975).”
Thru Nov 2: Alice Neel / Erastus Salisbury Field: Painting the People. Featuring the stunning work of two acknowledged masters of the portrait as art. Though separated by one hundred years, the portraits created by the 19th-century itinerant painter Erastus Salisbury Field and the 20th-century master Alice Neel have a remarkable resonance with one another. Thru Dec 30: Patsy Santo: A Growing Collection. This exhibition celebrates the recent gift to the museum of six of Santo’s paintings. Thru Oct 19: Regional Artist Gallery, featuring Jonathan Brand. Thru Nov 18: On view in the John T. Harrison Jr. Orientation Gallery will be modern artists, including Willard Boepple. Thru Oct 13: 1863 Jane Stickle Quilt Exhibit. The quilt that inspires quilters all over the world is on its yearly display at the Bennington Museum. Due to the fragility of the fabric, the quilt is only shown for a short time each year when quilters from around the country and world plan trips to the region to see the 1863 quilt. Sept 7: What’s New about Jane Stickle and her Quilt, a lecture presentation giving a fuller picture of Jane and her life and times. Sept 25: Neel/Field “Insider’s Tour,” 7 p.m. Oct 5: Lecture with the curator of the Bennington Museum, 2p. Oct 25-Dec 30: Regional Artist Gallery showing of Margaret Kannenstine. Nov 28-Dec 30: Reflections at the Festival of Trees. The museum is pleased to present a wonderful exhibit of Uniquely Designed and Decorated Holiday Trees created by artists, businesses, and non-profit entities throughout the area. Dec 6: Festival of Trees Annual Gala, 7-10p. This fabulous evening offers the magic of the season as it helps launch the holiday celebration at the museum. Dec 13: Festival of Trees Community Day and Children’s Holiday Shopping Boutique.
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center
10 Vernon St, Brattleboro
11a to 5p (Closed Tues)
brattleboromuseum.org, 802 257-0124
Thru Oct 26: Road Trip: America Through the Windshield. Through imagery ranging from urban street scenes to national parks and highway tourist attractions, the artists in this exhibit explore the ways in which the road has transformed our relationship to the American landscape. Thru Oct 26: A World Transformed: The Art of Jessica Park. Enter Park’s visionary world of imagination and creativity, which has emerged from a combination of artistry and her lifelong struggle with autism. Thru Oct 26: Spotlight on the Small. Small works by five artists — Laura Christensen, Adrienne Ginter, Elizabeth Sheppell, Altoon Sultan, and Jen Violette — who delve into the question of scale and whether or not size matters in the world of art. Thru Oct 26: Deco Details: Photographs by Andrew Bordwin. Bordwin’s stunning silver gelatin prints transport us to the tops of Art Deco buildings and inside their closed lobbies, allowing us to experience the iconography and craftsmanship of these early-twentieth-century masterpieces. Thru Oct 26: See the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet. Six decades of vintage automobile ads make clear that a car’s appeal is often less about power, speed, style, and comfort, than it is about freedom, the open road, and the places you’ll go. Thru Oct 26: Your Space: USA. Visitors of all ages are encouraged to learn about the 50 states and their capitals, to play games, and to peruse a sampling of postcards from all of the state capitals.
The Clark Art Institute
225 South St, Williamstown, Mass
10a to 5p Tuesday thru Sunday
clarkart.edu, 413 458-2303
Thru Sept 21: Cast for Eternity: Ancient Ritual Bronzes from the Shanghai Museum. Cast for Eternity Ancient Ritual Bronzes is drawn from the core of the Shanghai Museum’s exceptional bronze vessels and bells dating from the late Xia through the Western Han dynasties (c. 1800 bce–c. 8 ce). These objects invite close looking and, as a group, provide a stimulating introduction to some of the finest surviving bronzewares known. Thru Oct 19: Raw Color: The Circles of David Smith. Raw Color: The first presentation to bring together all five of the central Circle sculptures since the National Gallery of Art’s exhibition more than 30 years ago, explores the crucial role that industrial color and its relationship to nature played in the work of one of the twentieth century’s most influential and celebrated sculptors. Ongoing: Manton Study Center for Works on Paper. The Manton Collection of British Art.
American Museum of Fly Fishing
4104 Main St, Manchester
10a-4p Tues thru Sat
amff.com, 802 362-3300
Ongoing: The Wonders of Fly Fishing. Offering an opportunity to witness the evolution of the sport as documented by the outstanding collection of the American Museum of Fly Fishing. The next time you wade into a stream or step onto a flats skiff with your angling gear, take a moment to recognize the contributions made by so many. The exhibition also includes a large saltwater fly fishing component to help introduce our 2014 exhibition and current project initiative.
Estey Organ Museum
108 Birge St., Brattleboro
Open weekends thru Sep 30.
esteyorganmuseum.org, 802 246-8366
Sept 21: 200th anniversary of Jacob Estey’s Birth – stay tuned for exciting events, including a free program, refreshments and more, 3p. Ongoing: Museum dedicated to the history and innovations of the Estey Organ Company of Brattleboro, Vermont. The company was world-known for manufacturing reed, pipe, and electronic organs and operated for nearly a century. Organizers have established a non-profit corporation in the state of Vermont for the purposes of building this museum in the historic slate-sided factory buildings that still stand.
Hildene Estate
Route 7A, Manchester
hildene.org, 802 362-1788
Dec 6-7: Our House for the Holidays? The museum welcomes neighbors and new friends. Dressed in holiday finery, the spirit of the season abounds in our 100 year old Carriage Barn! Apple cider, Vermont tastings and fresh cider doughnuts. The crisp fragrance of pine boughs and sounds of the season. Ongoing: His father was born in a log cabin and called from the humblest rank in life to preside over our nation during the most momentous period of its history. One generation later, Robert Todd Lincoln, the only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive to adulthood, became Chairman of the Pullman Company, the largest manufacturing corporation at the turn of the 20th century. He built his Georgian Revival mansion in 1905 in the scenic village of Manchester. It became home to only Lincoln descendants until 1975, longer than any other Lincoln residence. It is the Great American Story.
Park-McCullough House
One Park St, North Bennington
Open through Oct
parkmccullough.org, 802 442-5441
Ongoing: The Park-McCullough House is one of the finest, most significant, and best preserved Victorian Mansions in New England. Built in 1864-65 by attorney and entrepreneur Trenor Park, the House was designed by Henry Dudley, a prolific New York architect of the popular firm of Diaper and Dudley. It is an important example of a country house in the Second Empire Style and incorporates architectural features of the Romantic Revival style that were popular at the time. To a great extent, the House retains the integrity and impact of its original design.
Great Hall
100 River Street, entrance on Pearl Street
Springfield, VT
http://www.facebook.com/GreatHallSpringfield
Opens Friday, Nov 7, through spring 2015: Fibrations! New England Fiber Art & Mixed Media Invitational Exhibition. Features renowned New England artists. Public invited to artists opening reception on Nov 7. Fibrations is a juried exhibition of work by artists merging artistic expression and innovation in quilting and surface design techniques as well as excellence in composition and craftsmanship. Fibrations includes artistic expression and fine craftsmanship in both traditional techniques and innovative designs. Wild Crafting of natural materials is part of the exhibition in delicate looking but strong assemblages.
Southern Vermont Arts Center, Yester House Gallery
West Road, Manchester
10a to 5p Tues-Sat, 12 to 5p Sun
svac.org, 802 362-2522, 362-1405
Thru Sept 7: Annual Summer Members’ Exhibition in the Yester House Galleries. The most widely anticipated summer art event in southern Vermont. Hundreds of works by SVAC artist members in oil, watercolor, pastel, and acrylic plus sculpture and photography will be on display in this juried show. Thru Oct 26: Brian Sweetland’s Nature: A Vermont Journey. Sweetland was a beloved and exceptionally gifted plein-air Vermont landscape painter. This selection of his works shows the development of his distinctive style—his Impressionistic brushstrokes captured the transitory nature of the disappearing landscape, while the underlying architecture described its solid endurance. His legacy will endure for generations to come. Ongoing: The Museum’s permanent collection is housed in the Wilson Museum, and includes an exhibit of nearly 800 pieces of 19th and 20th century works, including George Kalinsky, Series of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers photographs, 1960’s – 2001, Lorenzo J. Hatch, Mother, (Portrait of Grace Hatch), c. 1880-90, Luigi Lucioni, Victorian Souvenir, 1948, oil on canvas, Robert Indiana, The American LOVE, enamel on metal, Gail LeBoff, Two Swans in Meadow Stream, photograph, Hermann Gross, Legionaire [sic], oil on paper, 1971, Leonebel Jacobs, Portrait of Jay Connaway, nd, pastel, and Felicia Meyer Marsh, Still Life, oil on canvas, c.1950.
The Nature Museum at Grafton
186 Townshend Rd., Grafton
nature-museum.org, 802-843-2111
Sept 27-28: Annual Fairy House Tour, 10a-4p each day. A hand-carved door. A meticulously shingled roof. Tables set with acorn cups. A toadstool merry-go-round. And woods and gardens echoing with the sounds of delighted tour-goers of all ages. Always held on the last weekend in September, the Fairy House Tour has become a cherished autumn tradition in southern Vermont. Tour goers wear fairy wings, build their own fairy houses in our gardens, make fairy wands, and marvel over the dozens of exquisite fairy houses in the Village Park woods behind the Museum.
