VT Tour ~ Part II ...the arts

The arts in VT are tremendous. I think that was one of the major draws for me way back when. Naturally, Burlington is an Artsy city and filled with eclectic diversity and this trip delivered on all fronts. I spent hours at the Shelburne Museum which had a fantastic Ansel Adams and Edward Burtynsky exhibition. This was so awesome and I must admit though I love Ansel Adams' work, I was completely enthralled with discovering Edward Burtynsky's amazing works, especially his Oil and VT Quarry photos.  Actually, they're all fantastic.  Ideally they should be viewed in person to get the full-effect. I was in *patina* heaven as his work truly represents the (mostly) man made patina's that appear on the landscape via, oil, corrosion, etc.  
here's a sampling: Take a look at the port-a-potty and the man so very near the edge. Yikes!!! I  said to the woman guide at the exhibition how I loved the juxtaposition of Adams' natural landscapes against Burtynsky's man made landscapes . That IS what makes it so intriguing. She then said she was going to use what I said in her talk on the exhibition the following week... Just sayin as that was pretty cool!  ;)

these are stunning and I can't get enough of his work, especially brilliant in person because of the actual size of these works!  Anyone afraid of heights?  Click on Quarries in VT also here: Oil_Book_Gallery/

the art of ACTION ideas + action = change

Invitation to Hope by Janet McKenzie ~ oil on canvas 39" x 51" ~ $7500  I was captivated her work. Very inspiring pieces as well. I loved her brushwork and concept is right up my alley. You know I love to attempt to capture emotions in my paintings. 

David Brewster ~ Mountain Ridge Flying Knives ~ Oil on Mi-tientes 32 x 48 ~ $5500 This was a really wonderful project to inspire change via the arts in Vermont. their motto:ONE IDEA. TEN ARTISTS. 100 PIECES OF ART. INFINITE PERSPECTIVES ACHIEVED

This is Thunder. He is a part lab mix. He was a huge dog and so sweet and gentle. He liked me, so we hung out for quite some time. After visiting him I walked to the waterfront to enjoy a maple flavoured 'creemee' soft serve ice cream cone...:)
SHELBURNE MUSEUM TOUR A little background on the founder of the Shelburne Museum: Electra Havemeyer Webb (1888~1960)#1 Extremely wealthy#2 Painted by Mary Cassatt#3 Her father became rich from the sugar industry. Her mother and father both came from wealthy families. #4 Her parents were encouraged by Mary Cassatt to begin collecting Impressionist paintings by then unknowns like Monet and Degas, to name a few. Electra's parents, especially her mother Louisine were credited for being the pioneers encouraging Americans to collect European art. More about the inception of the Shelburne Museum, Electra and Family

In a memoriam to Electra and her husband, their children created this memorial to her after her death...Everything in this memorial was once a part of their Manhattan apartment in the city that she grew up in. The rooms were recreated here exactly as they were, with very few structural changes. Amazing stuff! They even had the woodwork, wall treatments, etc taken down and reconstructed in the memorial. It was unbelievable. The woodwork (mostly European) was so intricate and beautiful that it rivaled even the original paintings of so many famous artists.  

The Greek Revival exterior as lovely as it is, was not the style of the Manhatten apartment. 

Their entire dining room exclusively displayed original Monet paintings. Viewing the original Manet, Monet, Degas, Cassatt etc works here, was breathtaking. 

 

Mary Cassatt painting

Electra Havemeyer Webb Pictured above with her folk art collection

This was part of a folk art collection of Electra's ~ Wood statues like this were used to sell tobacco. They were typically displayed under shop awnings and protected from the elements. I love the details on this one. The Museum houses many different exhibitions to include an old mercantile and apothecary:

so many concoctions...

total exposure...ugh ;) 

Adam Kalkin's container house. Primarily made of recycled shipping containers. This place was awesome to view. I think it is ingenious, actually. 

Here's the stainless kitchen island: 

I have a thing for  industrial spaces so I could so work with this kitchen!
There was also a truly emotional body of work of quilts made to document lives that have been affected by and lost toAlzheimer's Disease. Beautiful, emotive quilts that I have displayed below. This is just a sampling. I have goose bumps reliving the memory of having viewed these and having read their personal stories.  from the museum page:   Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece is a poignant new exhibition about Alzheimer’s, its impact on those affected by the disease and the artistic expression of complex emotions felt by those confronting the disease. The exhibition includes 52 quilts, many made by caregivers or family members of victims. Each piece is a moving visual representation of experiences their makers have had from tributes to loved ones to encouragement for caregivers. Accompanying each quilt is an artist’s statement that conveys the story that inspired the work, as well as related facts about the disease that educate the viewer about Alzheimer’s.Here are some of them: 

This is the circle barn where the Alzheimer's quilt exhibit was located. 

This was the Circus Exhibit, This silo is 80 feet in diameter and was flown in via helicopter, from Maine, I think.Here are more beauties from The Shelburne Museum grounds...

I think this was the original Colchester Lighthouse

A period house from 1600's? 

Gardens

Yep, this is what I call BLISS

Love me a Willow Tree...
There was also an exhibition of the work of :  Jay Hall Connaway ( 1893-1970): A Restless Nature... I loved the emotive nature of his paintings. Something I have tried to capture with my own. I am all about emotions and trying to capture them via any medium. 

I love this one below by Connaway

A collection of Band Boxes ~ Electra was a collector of many things.

Now onto the Fleming Museum at UVM (University of Vermont) grounds...

There was a fun & unique photobooth exhibition taking place. I had one done (after spending about 5 hours in the rain at the Shelburne Museum) ;)...I liked that *glow* on the crown of my head.  Could this mean that I am angelic? ;) haha...

 Here's one of the cutest ones: 
This woman reminds me of what my late Grandma looked like when she was younger, but that's NOT Grandpa ;)

Think about the fun that people had when these booths first came into existence. Some were sad tho' taken of soldiers returning from war.  See more here: 

also the workings of a photobooth here: 

photobooth inners

New wave of bumper stickers...I couldn't choose just one!

Here are  5 maps I found in the Shelburne Country store. They are so nice and the lake ones are the ones I like best.  I decided what  better way to show the Love for my favourite place, than to display them in my office re-do.  I haven't decided on frames yet and I like the idea of framing them under plexiglass. 

The Shelburne Country Store 
has something called: Every Kids Dream!...
 in a box ;)
Ribbons were an added treat. 

needless to say, my kids so enjoyed this treat of old-fashioned rock candy, etc.
~
Out for a drive...

An abandoned house I saw sooo much potential in...

I would LOVE to buy my Christmas tree here!  I can just picture this place all lit at Xmas time. 

I am recollecting that exact feeling I had while standing here that night looking down toward the lake. I am sad that summer is almost over...

My last night I was surprised by this lovely, serenely pink  rainbow at sunset...pic was taken from my hotel window. This was so apropos and was clearly a prophetic symbol of all the good things that would come to pass upon my return home.  Yep, Life is sweet!

the next morning it poured and poured then cleared to this...

Oh, I so wanted to make that same turn and head back up North...

 I hope you enjoyed the final tour of my treasured place of Vermont. 
Thanks for visiting! 

© 2010
all images by Calli except where mentioned.