At the museums
Bennington Center for the Arts
44 Gypsy Lane, Bennington
10a to 5p, Mon-Sun (Closed Mon)
thebennington.org, 802 442-7158
Thru Dec 22: American Artists Abroad, a world tour of art. American artists share their work in this beautiful world tour. We get to see famous monuments as well as quiet moments through the eyes of these talented painters and sculptors. Thru Dec 22: Plein Air Vermont exhibition. Thru Dec 22: The Vermont Watercolor Society’s fall members show. Thru Dec 22: Small Works Show.Thru Spring:“When I think of Home,” a collection of work from the art center’s collection focusing on the home. Artists include Richard Schmidt, Timothy Thies and Susan Terpening, among others. Thru Spring: “On the Move,” featuring wildlife in motion with artwork by artists such as Guy Combes, Kim Diment, Jan Marin McGuire and John Pitcher.. Ongoing: Permanent collection of wildlife and Native American artwork.
Bennington Museum
75 Main St, Rte. 9, Bennington
10a to 5p (Closed Wed)
benningtonmuseum.org, 802 477-1571
Closed January through Feb 13, 2014. Nov 29-Dec 30: Hidden Gems at the Festival of Trees, a wonderful exhibit of uniquely designed and decorated holiday trees created by artists, businesses and nonprofits throughout the area. Dec 7:Festival of Trees Family Day and Children’s Holiday Shopping Boutique. What a wonderful way to help the children enjoy the spirit of giving! While at the museum, do not forget to visit with Santa! Be sure to view the “Children’s Forest,” a display featuring tabletop trees decorated by area elementary school classes. Dec 14:Festival of Trees Gala. This fabulous evening offers the magic of the season as it helps launch the holiday celebration at the museum. Reservations are suggested. Come out and be a part of the museum’s largest annual fundraiser. Feb 14-March 30: Annual Student Art Show. This annual exhibit brings artwork of the region’s elementary, middle and high school students to the museum in a display ranging from whimsical projects by the young students to more advanced work of older students. Feb 14-March 30: Photographs by John Hubbard. Over 20 photographs taken by John Hubbard of people he encountered in the Bennington area during the 1970s, while he was a sports reporter and photographer at the Bennington Banner, have been selected to go into this wonderful black and white exhibit. These silver gelatin prints will be on view in the Limric Gallery. Feb 15:Community Day. After an extended winter break which witnessed the re-installation of the Grandma Moses Gallery and initial recreation of the Decorative Arts Gallery, the Bennington Museum is reopening its doors to the public from 10a-5p when admission is Free. Feb 17-21: Vacation Workshops. Join in the exploration of the museum’s collection for a day or the week, as the museum offers vacation workshops for children of all ages. Times and age appropriateness varies. March 29: Appraisal Fair. Bring family heirlooms or the odd, quirky piece you always wanted to know about, and let an expert panel of art and antique appraisers explain and evaluate your items, 1-4p. April 4: Fifth Annual Brew and Food Pairing (Ciders Too)! Enjoy wonderful dishes created by many of the restaurants, bakeries, chocolatiers, and chefs in the region paired with brews (and ciders) that have been carefully matched with great international, domestic and VERMONT craft brews, as well as ciders. Watch for details to come! Ongoing:Regional Artists Exhibits. Every twelve weeks throughout the year, different regional artists have their work displayed in the museum’s Regional Artists Gallery. On view for eleven weeks, the exhibits are selected by a jury twice a year and include a mix of paintings, sculpture, photographs, wood works, and more.
Works in the Vermont Kids Design Glass II show at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center
10 Vernon St, Brattleboro
11a to 5p (Closed Tues)
brattleboromuseum.org, 802 257-0124
Thru March 8: Cosmic Geometry: Sabra Field. A suite of 16 prints by Vermont artist Sabra Field revealing reflections in the world around us — from the microscopic to cosmic scale. Thru Dec 1: Suspended Worlds: Vermont’s Historic Scenic Curtains. Organized by Burlington, Vermont-based Curtains Without Borders, this exhibit consists of photographs of Vermont’s historic stage scenery and a 100-year-old painted backdrop from southern Vermont. Thru Feb 9: Our Fragile Home: Pat Musick. A multimedia installation by Pat Musick, based on words space travelers use to describe their impressions of Earth from outer space. Thru March 8: Jerry’s Map. Predating Minecraft and SimCity by decades, Jerry Gretzinger’s richly detailed, ever-expanding map of an imaginary world began as a doodle in 1963. Thru March 8: Your Space/Color. The basics of color theory are presented with participatory visuals, with media to facilitate discovery, through hands-on activities, and in books about color for all ages. Thru March 8: VT Kids Design Glass II. Imaginary creatures drawn by kids in grades K-6, transformed into glass sculptures by professional artists.
The Clark Art Institute
225 South St, Williamstown, Mass
10a to 5p Tuesday thru Sunday
Thru Jan 31: Sacred and Profane: Four Hundred Years of Religious and Mythological Paintings. Thru Jan 31: Face Time: Portraits and Figures in Paintings and Sculptures. Thru Jan 31: Land, Sea and Sky: The Natural World in Art 1600-1900. Thru Dec 1: In Shanghai, China: Barbizon through Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Clark. Thru Dec 1: In Shanghai, China: Sterling Clark in China: 1908-09.
American Museum of Fly Fishing
4104 Main St, Manchester
10a-4p Tues thru Sat
Dec 7: Hooked on the Holidays. 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. Upcoming: On Fly in the Salt: American Saltwater Fly Fishing from the Surf to the Flats. With the assistance of retiredOutdoor Life Fishing Editor Jerry Gibbs, the story will be told from multiple perspectives and angles, chronicling the entire history of American saltwater fly fishing from its early European roots to its current popularity. Saltwater fly fishing is the fastest growing sport in the fishing industry, and we are proud to be involved in its presentation.
Estey Organ Museum
108 Birge St., Brattleboro
Open weekends thru Sep 30.
esteyorganmuseum.org, 802 246-8366
Ongoing: The Estey Organ Museum tells the story of the Estey Organ Company. It is open only by appointment and visits can be arranged upon request.
Hildene Estate
Route 7A, Manchester
December: A 1912 Victorian Christmas. Robert and Mary’s home is decorated throughout the month as they might have done during the year 1912. Dec 7-8: Our House for the Holidays? Dressed in their holiday finery, stop by for Vermont apple cider tastings and fresh cider donuts. Ongoing: Come visit Robert Todd Lincoln’s ancestral home. This Georgian Revival style home began in 1903. Visitors can see the home and grounds, including the Hoyt formal gardens, an Aeolian pipe organ, hiking trails and much more.
Park-McCullough House
One Park St, North Bennington
Open through Oct
parkmccullough.org, 802 442-5441
Nov-Dec: The Park McCullough house will be open for special holiday events. Check the web site for further information.
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
Dec 6: Winter Ball 2013, at Equinox Resort in Manchester, 6:30p. Dec 8: Holidays on the Hill, an afternoon of holiday art projects for kids and families, 1-3p.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 the world’s largest collection of works by Luigi Lucioni.
The Nature Museum at Grafton
186 Townshend Rd., Grafton
nature-museum.org, 802-843-2111
Ongoing: Open to the public since 1989, The Nature Museum at Grafton focuses on the region’s plants, animals, and geology. Hands-on exhibits, dioramas, and mounted specimens engage learners of all ages and connect visitors to the natural world in New England. Visitors can crawl through an underground bear den; dig for fossils; find out about bats, bees, and catamounts; and learn about animal adaptations by dressing up as their favorite creature. Take a hike through the maple, oak, beech, and birch forest in the Village Park behind the Museum. Visit “the cave,” a historic rock structure created in the early 1900s.
