Tues, May 20, Great Hall, One River Street, Springfield, VT
Memory and longevity are illuminated in The Hale Street Gang: Portraits in Writing, a multimedia exhibit opening at the Great Hall in Springfield, Vermont on Tuesday, May 20–October 10. The Hale Street Gang: Portraits in Writing began at the Randolph, Vermont, Senior Center with a group of 80- and 90-year-olds who wanted to write down their life stories. The group has published several memoirs and made audio-recordings of their work. Photographer Jack Rowell’s 24 larger-than-life black-and-white portraits are the focal point of the exhibit, which includes audio by the Vermont Folklife Center. The audio portion of the exhibit can be heard through a smart phone and contains excerpts from the group’s published anthology, The Hale Street Gang: In Cahoots, read by the authors. “This project began with the writers’ stories,” says project leader Sara Tucker, who facilitates the weekly writers circle at a senior center in Randolph, Vermont. The exchange of stories within the group proved stimulating, bringing long-buried memories to the fore. Our project presents age as the creative and cultural ally of memory—the older the memory, the more valuable it is. There will be an artist talk on May 24 from 2-4p. Along with this exhibit, artist and designer, Phil Godenschwager from Randolph showcases his fanciful three-dimensional works. The Great Hall is open M-F, 9-5p. http://www.facebook.com/greathallspringfield
