Bennington Museum Monthly | |
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Come see what’s new at Bennington Museum! We’ve been closed for three months, but we’ve been busy. What have we been working on? Well, getting re-accredited with the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is one big step. The Museum has been continuously accredited by the AAM since 1983, and is one of only a few accredited museums in the state of Vermont. Reaccreditation means that "through a rigorous process of self-assessment and review by its peers, the Museum has shown itself to be a good steward of its resources held in the public trust and [is] committed to a philosophy of continual institutional growth."
To that end, this spring we have a new look, new acquisitions, new exhibits and so much more in store for you when we reopen on Monday, April 1.
The spring hours are Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday 10am to 4pm, so note, after April 1 we will be closed again for 2 days. That is why we are saving our opening celebration for Saturday, April 6 where you can enjoy half-priced admission to the Museum all day. Check out the popular Annual Student Art Show, view work from members of Bennington Project Independence, and, of course, see the newly reinstalled Grandma Moses Gallery. And don't miss the Antiques Appraisal Fair from 1- 4pm in the Ada & Paul Paresky wing on the 2nd floor.
While you are here, you can also pick up the latest copy of the BHS newsletter at the front desk.
We can't wait to see you again!
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Antiques Appraisal Fair
What's that heirloom worth? Bring up to 5 items for appraisal at $10 per item.
Also, half price admission all day in case you want to tour the galleries as well!
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Saturday, 4/13
10:30-11:30am
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Museum ABCs:
Springtime with Grandma Moses
Activities for preschoolers and their families- NOW ON SATURDAYS!
Brought to you free of charge by the Bank of Bennington and the Stewart's Holiday Match.
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Thursday, 4/18
1:30-6:30pm
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A Monument Society Event: TROY
The Gilded Age
Join the Museum's Executive Director for a tour of Troy NY, including Burden Iron Works, the Hart-Cluett Museum, and dinner at Nighthawks.
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BPI Artist Reception
Meet the participants in BPI's Open Art Studio and the creative forces behind the artwork on display through April 21. Free to the public!
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Tattoo Living Exhibition
Discover the artistry of tattoos. Models will share their body art stories, and tattoo artists will be on hand to show off their work. Enjoy an evening of fun, music, magic and more at Bennington Museum’s 4th Living Art event.
$10 cover charge, Free for Bennington Museum members and kids 17 and younger.
Food and drink available for purchase.
Sponsored by Lundgren Subaru
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The Annual Student Art Show,
April 1 - June 2
In 1947, Viktor Lowenfeld published Creative and Mental Growth, which described the stages of artistic development in children. From "scribbling" to "the period of decision," students develop artistic abilities on a path that coincides with their physical, emotional, and social development. In the Annual Student Art Show, we invite you to observe this progression from nearly 20 different participating regional schools celebrating the continuing tradition of art education from Kindergarten through Senior year.
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Bennington Project Independence Show,
April 1 - 21
During the month of April, Bennington Museum is pleased to partner with Bennington Project Independence (BPI) to present a show featuring BPI member art projects. Some of the showcased artists have formal training, others display long practiced craft-skill, and some have decided to experiment with a new medium for the first time. Pieces include sketches, paintings, textile creations, and collages, and all exude a vibrant joie-de-vivre.
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A PIECE OF WINTER HISTORY | |
Southern Vermont is the birthplace of modern snowboarding. The Museum is excited to have recently added a small group of objects to our collection that will allow us to tell a number of important stories about local snowboarding history and visual culture and its deep roots in southern Vermont. Burton Snowboards was founded by Jake Burton Carpenter in 1977 in Londonderry, Vermont, where he made the first Burton snowboard by hand in his garage. In 1978 the company moved to Manchester, Vermont. Carpenter campaigned for local ski resorts to open their lifts to snowboard riders. In 1985, the National Snowboarding Championships moved to Stratton Mountain and became the U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships, which was owned and operated by Burton. When resorts started to accept snowboarders on lifts, the public did too, and Burton became one of the main suppliers for the burgeoning industry. In 1992, the Burton factory relocated to Burlington, Vermont. | |
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By 1998 snowboarding had made its way into the Winter Olympics and southern Vermont rider Ross Powers won the United States' first medal in the sport, a bronze in the halfpipe. The Museum's recent acquisitions include a snowboard that was designed for Powers by Scott Lenhardt, one of Burton's best-known artists, along with a group of associated artwork, including a full-scale acrylic of the design and two design sketches. Powers was riding this design, with its central robot motif, when he won the gold medal in the snowboarding halfpipe at the 2002 Winter Olympics. That was a historic win, being the United States' first gold medal in the sport and part of a medal sweep for the United States men in the event, the first in any event at the Winter Olympics for the United States men since 1956. | |
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NEWS FROM THE TRAIL
Because it was a mild winter the Aiken Trail volunteers were able to get a lot of work done removing invasives and massive amounts of tangled brush and briers on the edge of the field at the top. Bittersweet had also taken over the area and by the size of the vines it had been growing there undisturbed for over 50 years. The area is being cleared out so some native trees can be planted around the field. The Whipstock Foundation gave the money for the tree purchase. The dedicated volunteers who worked on this area were Tony and Jackie Marro, Mary Rogers, Jon Goodrich, Heather Hamilton and Edd Lyon. Students from the Forestry program at the high school under the supervision of Eric Bishop will be cutting out many dead and deformed trees from the area. The volunteers hope to have the area cleaned up and replanted for the Museum's summer party which will be held under a tent in the field on June 1.
To join the trail crew, just send a note to one of our lead volunteers, Jackie Marro (pictured above), to request to be added to the list.
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ABOUT THE REBRANDING
Great news: Bennington Museum has a whole lot of momentum and a brand-new look! Over the past several months, we reworked our brand and designed a logo that captures our roots, fits with our identity today, and points towards our future. The resulting graphics incorporate shapes and patterns inspired by one of the most treasured pieces in the Museum’s permanent collection, the 1863 Jane Stickle Quilt. The triangles also reference architectural elements that are integral to our historic building, and the colors hint that there is a living history enveloped within the stone facade.
The logo and font feel modern to usher in a new era. The color palette leans on the blue used in the Museum’s branding since 2013, so it’s recognizable, impactful, and unique. We chose a balance of warm and cool tones that create a perfect visual harmony. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
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MUSEUM TRAVEL ALLIANCE
As a member of Bennington Museum, you’re invited to take part in curated and exclusive travel experiences close to home and around the world, all led by world-renowned curators and scholars as part of the Museum Travel Alliance. Coming up in May there are just a few spots left on an exclusive trip to Cuba led by Leslie S. Offutt, PhD, Associate Professor of History, Emerita, at Vassar.
For a full scope of available tours, just visit museumtravelalliance.com
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COME WORK WITH US
Bennington Museum is interviewing for a full-time Building and Grounds Supervisor who will be replacing the indomitable Tom Moriarty when he retires this summer.
Please help us spread the word. To find out more about this positions and to learn how to apply, visit our website.
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STAY CONNECTED
802-447-1571
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Bennington Museum engages and transforms our visitors and our community by connecting you to the region’s diverse arts, rich history, and culture of innovation.
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