For Immediate Release: March 10, 2021 |
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Contact: Alix Jones, Director of Advancement, ajones@benningtonmuseum.org |
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Bennington Museum re-opens for the spring season |
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On Friday, April 2nd, Bennington Museum will be opening to the public once more after a three month winter hiatus. Spring hours of operation will be Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10am to 4pm. The Museum library will be open to visitors, free of charge, from 1pm to 4pm on Mondays.
"I am very excited about the opening of the Bennington Museum 2021 season," says interim director David Pilachowski. "We have been hard at work preparing an outstanding series of exhibits and programs that you will not want to miss."
Truly, the curatorial staff has not been idle during the winter months. They are kicking the season off in high gear with a full slate of new and ambitious exhibitions in addition to updates to the galleries featuring pieces from the Museum's permanent collection.
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Among the offerings is Robert Frost: At Present in Vermont, a celebration of the poet laureate's life and work during the time he spent living in Shaftsbury when he won 3 out of his unprecedented 4 Pulitzer prizes. This major exhibition was to coincide with the 100th anniversary of his arrival in Bennington County, but had been delayed last year due to COVID. The Museum is looking forward to sharing this wonderful slice of poetic history with the public.
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Apple Tree & Grindstone, 1923
J.J Lankes (1884-1960)
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Another retrospective exhibition of note opening on April 2nd features acclaimed Vermont-based photographer, Dona Ann McAdams. The show, titled Performative Acts is on the fifth leg of a two-year statewide tour, having just finished a stint at the Helen Day Art Center. Curated by State Representative and long-time friend of the artist, John Killacky, it includes nearly 40 black and white photographs taken over the past forty years featuring documentation of performances, protests, queer liberation, farmers, animals, and collaborative portraits of people living with cognitive disabilities.
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Dona McAdams and Jack Gilbert
Brooklyn Day Program, Coney Island, NY
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Right at the entry to the Museum, visitors will be greeted by a fabulous exhibit in the lobby gallery. Love, Marriage, and Divorce draws upon the Museum's collection to detail the highs and lows of passion and heartache in this region over the past centuries. From Victorian wedding gowns to scandalous tales of sexual harassment, these timeless and universal themes are sure to appeal to romantics, realists, and gossip-mongers of all backgrounds and ages.
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Valentine given by William Edward Hawks
to Helen Elizabeth Brown, 1854
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In the Paresky Education Center and Court, the work of much lauded artist and teacher of painting and drawing at Bennington College, J. Blackwell will be on display in NEVERUSES: BEYONDER. Neveruses are hybrid creations composed of recovered plastic bags, and colored fibers stitching a new life into existence from discarded materials. While Blackwell has exhibited in galleries around the globe, the Museum is very pleased to present this work here, where many of these pieces were created, including a new, large-scale site-specific work.
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Neveruses à Table (me and LP), 2018
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Finally, in the Grandma Moses Schoolhouse, Bennington Museum will host the premier Teachers’ Art Show instead of the traditional student art show that is typically scheduled during this time. All art teachers at schools in Bennington and the adjacent towns were invited to contribute work of their own and twenty pieces from thirteen school districts will be represented. This is a wonderful opportunity for area students to take a journey into the creative minds of their instructors. Visitors aged 17 and under are always admitted to the Museum for free.
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Church View
Emily Umphlett, Art Teacher
Shaftsbury and Woodford Elementaries
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Is there anything special planned for opening weekend?
Because of the COVID limitations on public gatherings that are still in place, the Museum has put major opening celebrations on hold until the arrival of warmer weather which will make it possible to host events outside in the courtyard.
However, opening weekend coincides with Easter this year, and the Museum's George Aiken Wildflower Trail volunteers will take some time out of their regularly scheduled work day to hide 150 eggs along the walking paths. On Easter Sunday families are invited to explore the Museum grounds at their own pace and collect the hidden treats. Children should bring their own baskets for the hunt, and everyone must adhere to the Museum mask requirement.
Pilachowski shared a positive outlook for the months ahead: "We anticipate travel and gathering restrictions will ease as vaccination rates continue to increase. For those who are able to visit now, we want your experience at the Museum to be a safe one and will have all of the recommended COVID-19 safety protocols in place. We look forward to seeing you in-person at the Museum soon!"
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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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