Vermont Festival of the Arts

Candy Barr: A Sweet Show at the Festival Gallery

2010-10-12T16:41:00.001-04:00

by Gary Eckhart

The Festival Gallery is currently featuring the work of plein air artist Candy Barr. Candy is one of the more accomplished and prolific artists of the Mad River Valley and the current exhibition shows her talent at its best.

As a master of color control, she fills her oils with pure, vivid colors playing against soft, muted tones—all applied and placed with brush strokes that dance across the surface of the canvas. “Fishing the Winooski” is the perfect example of this mastery with painted water that shimmers with light in the finest execution of painted water this reviewer has ever seen.

“18th Green at Sugarbush” and “Summer Day” are exemplary of Candy’s ability to depict light using splashes of brilliant yellow-greens contrasting against deep, rich cool blues.

“Mad River Valley” and “Ocean View” may be miles apart geographically, but work as complementary companions. Each is interpreted in colors and brush work that are succinctly reflective of the subject matter.

The most intriguing works in the collection are “Estuary” (the largest work shown) and the two smaller permutations, “Estuary II” and “Estuary III”. All three works show the artist’s control of the oil medium with masterful brush strokes creating broad expressive planes of color.

CANDY BARR - ARTIST continues thru November 1 at the Vermont Festival of the Arts Gallery 1 Village Square. 802-496-6682 for more information.

Art in the Round Barn: 200 Years of Farming....... 20 Years of Art!

2010-10-07T10:46:00.004-04:00

It’s been 200 years since settlers cleared some land on the way to Waitsfield Common and decided that it was a good place to build their homestead. It’s been 100 years since the farmers in that house felt they needed a big round barn to store the hay, milk the cows and feed the chickens. It’s been 25 years since the Simko family restored the grounds and created the luxurious Inn at Round Barn Farm, and 20 years since Doreen Simko and Anne Marie Simko deFreest felt that the milking parlor deserved an up-close experience with Art. And this is the first year that the Green Mountain Cultural Center chose to create an ‘invitational’ show rather than the juried show that usually occurs each September in the Round Barn.

Twenty-six artists were invited, and all said “Yes!" By creating an invitational show, Anne Marie felt that she wanted to “recognize and honor the artists who have been so supportive of the art show in the past, and who have greatly contributed to the Vermont art community.” This enabled deFreest to curate a show that displays a diversely coherent range of styles and techniques that flows through the circular space with balance and grace.

This is a showing of Vermont artists in every configuration: in mediums that include metal and clay, watercolor and oil, encaustic wax, pastel, photography, granite and wood; in styles that span the modality from realism to abstraction; with artists that live here just a few months a year as well as those who are first or sixth generation Vermonters; in a display of artistic experiences that are described from the hearts of venerable masters, diligent devotees and ambitious newcomers.

The whitewashed walls and natural burnished floors of the barn create a warm but neutral backdrop of Vermont-wide artists, with a healthy mix of Mad River Valley artists.
When you walk in the door you are charmed by five pieces by Bill Brauer, who has nurtured his world-renowned career in a studio located just one mile up the road. His inspiration from the Renaissance is evident, as he says, ‘in a fascination with the human form, taking Renaissance concepts of the figure and combining them with my contemporary design sense…Formally the paintings are about shapes next to shapes and colors next to colors, with influences from the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians. A single light source and shallow visual field create a tension and dramatic dark-to-light patterns that help to emphasize that something is happening just beyond the picture plane.” This mystery and drama plays out with pieces entitled, ‘Cleopatra Meets the Sphinx,’ ‘Art Lovers,’ and ‘In Another Place.’

These pieces pull you in the two directions that lead you around in a circular array of art, paintings on the walls interlaced with sculptural structures that are as heavy as granite and as light as the air between the intricate —or massive— three-dimensional shapes. Robert Birbeck’s wood or stone pieces display a well-polished sense of humor in pieces such as ‘Honey I’m Home’ and ‘You’re Not In Kansas Anymore.’ John Brickels’ humor, by contrast, emerges from clay and ceramic constructions that juxtapose gritty dirt-colored structures with colorful vinyl dime-store props. ‘Vertico Barn III’ is singularly creative, tipsy-turvy and one-of-a-kind (oh, wait, there must have been a ‘I’ and a ‘II’…)

Three Mad River Valley sculptors—Mireille Clapp, John Matusz and Mark Eliot Schwabe—put their hearts into steel and copper, aluminum and bronze. Mireille Clapp, with a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT, delights in the concept of order/disorder, taking the strength of steel and transforming it into statements of freedom and roughness. Mark Schwabe has plied his art for 40 years with a scale that ranges from 12 feet high...to one half inch wide. He pushes pure geometric shapes into a precarious balance; he cuts away a simple clean form to show lava-rock-like inner turmoil; he works intricately, intimately in fantastical miniature scale. John Matusz wields his welding equipment in the old firehouse in town where he burns up rock and steel into industrial-sized monuments. His pieces are raw, massive statements of a fierce artistic temperament. In contrast, the sculptures of Bruce Hathaway, especially ‘The Perfection Within’ are lilting melodies in metal. His aluminum & ‘mild steel’ pieces on maple or cherry bases are soft excursions into an artistic sensibility that dances with a Calder-esque mobility.

While the sculptures anchor the flow of the artistic expression, the soul of the show is the diversity of the paintings. Three Mad River Valley painters (in addition to Brauer) are displayed: Candy Barr in oils, Gary Eckhart with watercolors, and Marilyn Ruseckas in pastel. Candy Barr’s duo of moose images, ‘Stillness in Winter’ and ‘Early Spring Moose’ have the viewer tiptoeing up quietly to avoid disturbing the woodland creatures in all their massive glory. The complementary palette used creates a compelling lightness within the deep, rich colors. Candy reiterated this very natural theme by personally hewing the frames from birch trees right outside her Warren studio loft. Marilyn Ruseckas creates alluring visual oxymorons with her dense, dark pastels. Her play of dark against light and semi-surrealistic earth forms move into organic abstractions. Gary Eckhart’s watercolors contain a heightened sense of representation in pieces such as ‘Simply Buckets’ and ‘Exposed.’ Although the subject matter is traditional imagery of barns, sugar houses and buckets, the textural layering of muted pigments within these shapes emerge into a depth of color and form that create moving, nostalgic reminders of simpler times gone by.

Bonnie Acker, a strong supporter of the Art in the Round Barn through the years, finds flame and fire, air and water within the abstractions of her landscapes. A strong horizontal landing zone within the paintings allow for soaring skies and fiery vertical breath. Simple, strong oils that dance deeply in the pastel modes of jewel-like color flicker one against the other for a luminous expression of love for the Vermont landscape. Elizabeth Allen’s oils, by contrast, are dreamier, more realistic representations of ‘Waitsfield Autumn’ and ‘Sundown on Lake Champlain.’ If dreamy art is intriguing, discover the large scale oils of Janet Fredericks in a display a faraway fairytale abstraction. They seem to clearly state a reflection of inner emotional landscapes in concert with sketchy flora and fauna while fading in and out of sunny, summery color schemes. And if radiant light is to your liking, the oils of Joy Huckins-Noss are landscapes that seem to echo pointillism until you look up close and detect the three dimensional, rough layering of oil that create rifts and valleys of shadow and high peaks of complementary colors that glow with the luminosity of seasonal colors.

The oils of Kevin Fahey garnered him a ‘Best of Show’ accolade at the 2009 Art in the Round Barn Show, and especially his ‘Modern Explorer’ and ‘Mesmerized at Basin Harbor’ clearly show why. His sweeping drifts of shadow and light along the waves and beaches create bold statements of color and form. A more whimsical version of bold color opens up in Anne Cady’s oils where shapes and rhythms, patterns of light in nature reflect a simple playfulness that reveals the artist’s involvement with children and art.

If your idea of pastel is dreamy impressionistic styles, take a bite out of the pastels of Lucy Petrie. They revolve around a degree of detail that is dramatically literal, with mouthwatering explosions of color in ‘Orange Slice & Lime Wedge’ and ‘Kiwi & Orange.’

Frank Woods takes in his landscapes, feels and then responds to the “pull of abstraction.” His modernistic take on Quebec landscapes is strong pure color anchored by a dark underpainting. In contrast, Helen Shulman starts her oils as realistic figures, and through a series of layering, works them into a powerfully geometric matrix of abstraction that shows little of the original sketch. Even so, they contain an organic depth that intuitively breathes light into pieces such as ‘Shifting Sands.’ Shulman concludes, “I work in a space patrolled by knowledge and challenged by intuition.”

This sentiment could be the theme of the 2010 Art in the Round Barn. The 26 artists hold an immense volume of technical knowledge in the areas of materials, surfaces, color theory, composition and history. They use those skills and experience to transform their emotion and intellect into paintings and sculpture that challenges and soothes, inspires and animates the world around them. The Art in the Round Barn is open daily from 9:30 am to 5 pm daily except on Saturday when the Barn is closed at 2:30, and runs through October 11. For more information, call 802-496-7722 or go to www.theroundbarn.com.

Open Studio Weekend Aug 14 -15

2010-08-11T14:36:00.004-04:00

Lots of good art and studios to visit this year! Some are commercial spaces that are open all year long vs special shows in public spaces vs studios open all year round.

There are four artists with their private studios open: Bill Brauer, Candy Barr, Golden Daisy Quilts and Ivey Hardy.

Candy Barr's studio with Moose painting in progress

Other artists who have studios and/or their shops open all year long are Gaelic McTigue, Karla Bove, Kevin Maxwell, Mad River Glass, Marilyn Ruseckas, Moosewalk Studios, Waitsfield Pottery and Wilder Raku. There are artists showing their work in public spaces: Joyce Kahn, and Mad River Antler Art.

The last category for the Open Studio Tour are the public commercial spaces with group shows that may have some demonstrations happening: Artisans' Gallery, Big Red Barn Art Show, Bridge St Emporium, Creators Shop, and Palettes for Paws.

~ review by Candy Barr

Picturing the Great Outdoors ~ A Photography Show

2010-07-15T11:32:00.001-04:00

Picturing the Great Outdoors ~ A Photography Show
Review by Candy Barr

“Picturing the Great Outdoors” with Dennis Curran, David Garten, Sandy Macys, Brian Mohr & Emily Johnson, Roarke Sharlow, and John Williams together have twenty photos on exhibit at the Festival Gallery in the Village Square Shopping Center in Waitsfield. There seems to be a profound theme running throughout the exhibit that draws us into each photo. It’s more than a simple, natural landscape of Vermont: each image invites us to connect with man’s scale to nature and be moved by the simple beauty of it all.

Each of these artists have captured apocryphal moments in the day. They range from backlit trees reminiscent of cathedral splendor in Roarke Sharlow’s large 26” x 34” Morning Rays in the pines to John Williams Sunrise Road and Sea of Maple Leaves both 9.5” x 24” with exaggerated, dramatic proportions.

Sandy Macys Mt Ellen attains a transcendence through both color and scale. The tiny lone skier in an orange parka makes a focal point against the end-of-the-day pink and luminescent snow with lavender mountains and periwinkle sky.

Four pieces in the exhibit are oversized archival pigments on canvas including David Garten’s 30” x 44” Waitsfield Covered Bridge complete with a rainbow and Mad River, Moretown, Vermont and the couple who work together Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson in a detail of Ferns 32” x 48” and a two 17” x 48” panoramic Green Mountains and Green Mountain Divide, a pair of sunset silhouettes.

Two of the photos are created using infrared: Warren Falls on silver gelatin and Infrared Trees #4 as a giclee, both by Williams, while Sharlow’s Sap Buckets is a black and white image with a focal point of faint warm color added. The balance are created with archival pigments on paper.

Dennis Curran’s exquisite Blueberry Lake Warren Vermont 13” x 22” has the tranquility of a Winslow Homer painting of a fisherman surrounded by early morning light and autumn colors.

This show is a tribute to the magnificence of the Mad River Valley and the splendor of the mountains here. Each of these photographers offer a unique personal view that quiets the mind and it should not be missed.

The show is open through July 31st and can be seen 9am - 5pm Monday through Friday. For more information call 496-6682.

Hallock Sisters: Art Superheroes on the Rise!

2010-06-07T15:17:00.003-04:00

The Vermont Festival of the Arts presents a show of the Work of Amanda and Elizabeth Hallock at the Festival Gallery in Village Square, Waitsfield, through the month of June, with a reception on Saturday, June 12 from 4-6 pm. All are invited to take in an eclectic and provocative array of paintings, prints, photographs and hand-block-printed t-shirts. “What a fresh and exciting show for young talent!” says Gary Eckhart, Vermont Festival of the Arts President

The Hallock sisters are the granddaughters of Muriel and Robert Griffin of North Fayston.

Amanda Hallock is a 20 year old artist and student studying at Johnson State College. She’s an upcoming senior majoring with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Studio Art, concentrating primarily in printmaking and multimedia works. Her inspiration comes from many sources, from events in the news, to media and nature. Amanda often focuses on depicting feelings and emotions that strike her while driving down the road listening to talk radio, or hiking to the local swimming hole, just as she’s experiencing life as a young adult. “I’ve always been really drawn to personal work, as if it’s coming straight out of a diary or teenager’s bedroom. I strive to create pieces that invoke a feeling in the viewers. I want people to be able to look at my work and get a sense of who I am, as well as feel love, awkwardness, or maybe even the pull of icy cold water as if it’s at their feet. To me art is about conversation,” says Amanda.

Elizabeth K. Hallock, an East Montpelier Vermont native, is headed into her senior year at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. Elizabeth is a watercolor and ink/ mixed media artist working toward a B.F.A. in Illustration.

The Festival Gallery is open for the Artist Reception on Saturday, June 12 from 4-6 pm, during business hours and by chance on the weekends.

2010-05-03T16:21:00.005-04:00

Hey check out this video made by Champlain College students!

2010-04-26T17:54:00.001-04:00

Real Good Toys builds real good dollhouses… and the Vermont Festival of the Arts has one to raffle off!

Chris Abrahms of Real Good Toys has provided a wonderfully enchanting dollhouse for the Vermont Festival of the Arts to raffle on Labor Day weekend. The 1/12 scale, six-room Victorian, The Painted Lady, was assembled and detailed out by John Micknick, Pat McHugo and Julio Lavin of Westview Meadows in Montpelier, 'Retirement Living in the Green Mountains.' The detail on this house is totally engaging and is can be seen on display at the Vermont Festival of the Arts office in the Village Square. There is even a 'furniture store' where you can sponsor furnishings. Tickets are $5 each, 5 for $20. For more info on Real Good Toys of Barre, Vermont, go to: http://www.realgoodtoys.com

Live! From Waitsfield, Vermont! A brand-new Website!

2010-04-21T14:47:00.001-04:00

A few months ago, as we started to update our web entries for the 2010 Vermont Festival of the Arts, we decided to 'make the switch.' With help from alot of friends, some nights up too late and other nights dreaming in dreamweaver, we have a new website. Let us know what you think!

Mud Season in the Mad River Valley

2010-04-11T22:07:00.000-04:00

For 32 years the Sugarbush Triathlon has been the true harbinger of Spring in the Mad River Valley.

It is the only '4-event triathlon' probably in the world, as where else woudl they just decide that 3=4?!

The event was held today, starting at the Warren School under blustery grey skies that changed to a springy sunny day ...on and off... About an eighth of the field competed as ironpeople who took on the challenge of a run, a kayak/canoe down the just-melted Mad River, a bike ride up to Mt. Ellen with a finale-- usually a cross-country ski trek--- that today was run straight up inverness trail and then back down again [no more snow;( ]. Some diehards said that was the hardest part of the race.

For me the Triathlon is also the beginning of the Vermont Festival of the Arts season, as we are pulling in information from all 125 events to produce our program for 'August is Art.' We encourage everyone who loves the arts, whether as a connoisseur or creator, to check us out!

Festival Event deadline

2010-04-01T17:05:00.002-04:00

The deadline is fast approaching for events for the Vermont Festival of the Arts.
An added bonus for events this year is the opportunity to 'preview' their August event and/or artwork in the Festival Gallery. The Festival Preview runs from May though June, and is a highlighted stop on the Vermont Arts Council Open Studio Weekend. Would you like to create a demo? We already have several artists that will be painting under the tree in front of the office!

Learn more about the Vermont Open Studios Weekend at www.vermontcrafts.com. For info on presenting art in the gallery, call Bev at 496-6682

Prepping the canvas...

2010-03-04T16:03:00.005-05:00

Vermont Festival of the Arts is readying its palette for the 13th annual presentation of ‘August is Art.’

125 Events in 33 days. August is Art! Get Ready! August 1 through September 5, 2010

Perennial Festival favorites, such as Art in the Big Red Barn, Art in the Garden, Photo Show in the Round Barn, Mad River Valley Craft Fair, A Passport to Open Studios and the Vermont Young Musicians Award Concert, are joined by some new ventures…

An old venture in a new venue... Washington County Fair and Field Days is on August 6-8. This agricultural fair sets up new headquarters at Kenyon’s Field. Enjoy ‘yesteryear’ with cows, goats, horses, 4-H displays, great food and entertainment daily plus a midway carnival!

In some gastronomic minds, the Festival doesn’t truly begin until A Taste of the Valley, on Monday, August 2, at Sugarbush Resort’s Lincoln Peak Village. A selection of Festival artists and crafters show their work in a fun street fair atmosphere. This event sells out early!

Around the Culinary World is a month-long excursion into good local food with an international flair. We invite to include in your itinerary events such as: India Cooking Experience at the Millbrook Inn and Restaurant, Asian Odyssey at the Weathertop Mountain Inn, Greek Lunch at Sweetpea and Localvore projects.

Big Plans at Big Picture! In the center of town, a multitude of events joins a daily lineup of movies, food and fun, including KinderFest, Mad4Music and This is Art!

Some art cohorts cannot wait to begin! On July 30, The Common Man hosts a special Preview Dinner with a glimpse of the month’s offerings, and look for Candy Barr Plen Air art classes every Wednesday throughout the summer.

The Big Red Barn Opening Reception on August 1 is a great conflagration of local artists, aficionados and friends. This show features artists who live in a town touched by the Mad River; both established and emerging artists engage art lovers from around the country and the world. The Photo Show in the Round Barn bulges all month long with the 19th Annual Photo Show; outdoors, the Sculpture Stroll is a delightful way to spend a contemplative hour or so.

The Vermont Festival of the Arts extends into September with a special ‘encore’ during Labor Day Weekend. The 40th Annual Mad River Valley Craft Fair sets up their big white tents in Kenyon’s Field for 2 days of crafts and music.

The Festival Gallery hosts Crafty Vermonters! in August. Look for the Festival Preview Show in May and June. Stop in anytime!

125 Events: 50 Free Events; 50 Events for Kids; 25 Culinary Events; 50 Visual & Performance Events; 50 venues: the numbers add up fast for fun this summer.

Tickets to Festival events can be purchased at the Farmers’ Market each Saturday starting in May, at the Festival Gallery at #1 Village Square, by calling 496-6682, or with select Artful Lodger Packages. For many events, contact the individual venue. Go online at www.vermontartfest.com.

2009-08-20T13:47:00.002-04:00

Economic slump?!

Not here.

Check out Big Red Barn Art Show where sales are outpacing last year!

As summer heats up, so does the Vermont Festival of the Arts! We are only midway through our month+ long calendar of events. Here's a sampling of what's coming up this week:

Thursday Night

Library Secrets with Archer Mayor.

Corn Roast & Community Dance with Vermont favorite Tammy Fletcher!

Friday Night

A Feast for the Arts A feast for all of the senses with a mouthwatering meal at the Timbers and an art auction featuring works by local artists all to benefit the Vermont Festival of the Arts. Tickets ($60) still available by calling 496-6682!

Saturday Night

Tim Janis in concert Saturday night, 8pm, Warren United Church. Tickets ($10) are still available by calling 496-6682. There is a reception before the concert with proceeds to benefit Hanna's House. For reception tickets please call 496-2669.

All Weekend

Mad 4 Music at the Big Picture Theater.

Ten-Fest at the Valley Players Theater. Starts Thursday night.

In Search of Air at the Phantom Theater in the Edgecomb Barn in Warren.

Sunday

Outdoor Morning Yoga and Brunch at Hostel Tevere in Warren.

BarberShop with the Barre-Tones at the Waitsfield United Church at 4 pm. Admission by donation.

2009-08-13T10:36:00.001-04:00

Vermont Festival of the Arts: 100 Events Completed; 100 Events to Go...
Make Way for the Fair!

Even with a second week of activities under the Mad River Valley’s belt, there are still more than 100 opportunities to experience Art in August in the Mad River Valley during the Vermont Festival of the Arts.

The Open Studio Weekend on August 8-9 brought art lovers from the Lincoln Gap to over the Roxbury Gap and onward to Middlesex for more than two dozen artists who opened their doors for the Open Studio Weekend, while the Whittaker Collection, Palettes for Paws, Purely Pastel and Crafty Vermonters all held opening receptions.

Blueberry Moon at Blueberry Lake on Friday, August 7 was a clear but cool night. Mad kayakers hailed from outlying Vermont towns, while Miramar Ski Club used this event as an excuse for a bus trip to the Mad River Valley during the green season.

Performances that went over the top included the annual Vermont Young Musicians’ Award Concert (see separate article on the winners!). At “Pantyhose and Combat Boots,’ one theatergoer was so astounded that she cried, and laughed, and now is looking forward to the second performance by artist Lida Winfield (‘In Search of Air,’ August 21-22). As always, the Skinner Barn performance wowed audiences; ‘Always... Patsy Cline’ runs through August 16.

Performances this weekend include the Cody Michaels in Concert at the Waitsfield Church on August 15. Piano soloist and composer, Cody Michaels finds that the piano is a way to connect with the mystery of creation and every song is a prayer. A former park ranger and farmhand, Cody’s unique, passionate musical expressions inspire comparisons to the likes of Beethoven, George Winston, Keith Jarrett... and Phish. A storyteller and poet, Cody’s exhilarating performances transport audiences to another realm. This concert is by donation.

If you are looking for the definition of summer idyll, take in Vermont Philharmonic Outdoor Pops Concert, at Moose Meadow Lodge on Crossett Hill in Duxbury on Sunday, August 16 at 4 pm. It is a perfect end to a day (or weekend) at the Washington County Fair and Field Days. Oh! Yes! The Fair has come to town! This is truly an event that captures the art of country living. Kenyon’s Field is already awash with tents, and there are three full days of agricultural and purely fun activities for the whole family, with tickets only $10 at the door.

For the young culinary crowd, the White Horse Inn hosts a Teddy Bear Tea on Saturday August 15 at high noon. Bring your best buddy (human or ursine; adult or child), dress up and enjoy a special lunch, tea, sweets and treats. Call 496-3260 for reservations.

Workshops are the word for the next week! Start the weekend out right with Chinese Exercise for Healthy and Vitality, held each year at the Yellow Farmhouse Inn with Richard and Nancy Brown on Thursday, August 13 and Saturday, August 15. Take a course in Small Business Marketing with Craft Fair Coordinator Laura Arneson on Friday, August 14. Learn to grow your revenues by getting beyond daily tasks and looking toward the future. Discover market niches, solve problems, cultivate partnerships, develop cost effective materials and make publicity a priority.

Or learn to throw or fire a pot with The Naked Potter (just a metaphor...).

The Architectural Freehand Drawing Workshop by Yestermorrow runs Friday through Sunday. Always wanted to be able to draw what you see? In this intensive workshop, students develop skills to communicate ideas clearly and accurately with sketches and learn some tricks to create more sophisticated renderings.

On Monday, a Flower Photography Workshop with Amalia Veralli, gives the inside view on her stunning Gerogia O’Keefe-esque images.

The Vermont Poetry Society hosts a fun workshop on Tuesday, August 18: ‘Word Craft.’ Poets take inspiration from the crafts, including pottery, weaving, jewelry and woodworking, displayed in the Festival Gallery. While there are ‘words on the wall’ all month long, Jane Wolmar invites you to write a poem using craft as catalyst during a 2-hour words-on workshop that is an informal foray into spontaneous composition; it is open to everyone. Note: this workshop runs from 4 until 6 pm.

Tuesday, August 18 is the last chance for this year’s run of Millbrook Inn’s ‘India Experience’ Cooking Classes. On Wednesday, start out with ‘Gardening Classes’ with Beth Urie at Sugarbush and end up with the ‘Asian Culinary Odyssey’ at the Weathertop Mountain Inn or the weekly ‘Yestermorrow Lecture Series.’ In the middle of the day, enjoy ‘Thai Flavors’ at Sweet Pea’s Lunch Buffet, magnificent images at the Photo Show, painting at the Parade Gallery and ‘Plein Air’ with Candy Barr. Jennifer Perellie at The Starving Artist offers Mini Art Mondays and Mixed Media Thursdays through the month.

Next Thursday, August 20, there are mysterious goings on! Delve into the enigmas of Web Art with Darlene McCormack; it’s an info-packed, 2-hour workshop on creating images for the web, with a review of some creative sites and photo tools. Later that day, Archer Mayor takes you into the inner workings of his mystery novels, during ‘Library Secrets’ at the Warren Library. That same night, the annual Community Dance takes over the Lareau Pavilion and features a roast of local corn while the the latest crop of Vermont-grown plays opens at the Valley Players with Ten-Fest, a four-day run of ten 10-minute plays from our state’s playwrights.

The Vermont Festival of the Arts is enjoying mostly good weather— and always great art! For more information contact Bev Kehoe 802-496-6682. www.vermontartfest.com

Festival Calendar

2009-06-23T18:30:00.000-04:00

Here is the August calendar for Arts events in the Mad River Valley. The Vermont Festival of the Arts is going to be one busy month!

This photo, taken by Sandy Macys of Sugarbush fame, was taken on Bragg Hill during one of Candy Barr's plein air classes. Can you believe that golden light (and it truly was that stunning as I was there but hid when then camera pointed my way...)

Turtle Creek Builders at the Festival Gallery in June

2009-05-28T10:11:00.000-04:00

Ward Smyth will take over the Festival Gallery at #1 Village Square for the month of June to showcase the work of his firm, Turtle Creek Builders, Ltd. Have you ever heard of a builder exhibiting in an art gallery? The next time you are headed to Mehuron's, stop by the Festival Gallery first and experience the art of Turtle Creek's building and architecture!

Pssst...stayed tuned for news of the most unique raffle to hit the Valley. It will benefit the Vermont Festival of the Arts courtesy, of Ward Smyth, and should be building up soon!

Festival Display at Chittenden

2009-05-28T09:45:00.000-04:00

Kudos to Iona Kemp and the Chittenden Bank in Waitsfield for their support of art in the Mad River Valley! The use of their lobby space by the VFA this month for a Festival Preview Display is much appreciated. Check out the Chittenden Bank lobby each month to see the work of various local artists and porganizations...and if you haven't seen the VFA display yet, you'd better catch it in the next few days before May goes out with the rain!

Around the Culinary World Passport

2009-05-28T09:31:00.000-04:00

This year we are offering an 'Around the Culinary World' Passport.

Collect a stamp on your passport for each culinary event you attend during the Vermont Festival of the Arts. Collect a stamp when you dine at a participating restaurant. And then be eligible for our wonderful culinary prize basket!

Start with the
Common Man Preview Dinner, then
enjoy tapas at the Festival Gala,
taste at the Taste,
be berry vinegar making,
experience India,
hunt for living foods,
shop at the Farmers’ Market,
take a class or an Asian Odyssey,
potluck at Blueberry Moon,
pair wine with food and music,
bake clams at a Big P Beach Party,
lunch in a garden,
sip wine with creative foods,
feast at A Feast for the Arts,
eat salsa then dance it at the Latin Fiesta,
hot dog it at the county fair,
come to Timbers’ localvore table,
enter the pie eating contest,
dance around the stone Flatbread kitchen

Craft your way through
food throughout the month!

If you're a culinary entity, contact me to see how you can particiapte. If you are a consumer (aren't we all!) look for the Festival Program Guide in June.

Festival Preview Show

2009-05-18T19:04:00.000-04:00

The Festival Gallery and office is awash in art! Gary Eckhart and Roarke Sharlow, the featured artists in 'Picturing Vermont' for the month of April, have made way for a eclectic grouping that is a microcosm of our August Vermont Festival of the Arts. Artists from around the valley and in various disciplines are well represented, including:

Artists of the Big Red Barn: Dotty Kyle, Ellen Crafton, Karin Ware, Candy Barr, Gary Eckhart, Karla Bove, Joan E. Lane, Marilyn Ruseckas, Lisa B. Harvey, Jennifer Perellie, Macy Moulton, Kris Chamberlain, Stellan Wollmar, Ann Lynch...
Photography by: Amalia Veralli, Henry Erickson, Roarke Sharlow, Todd Johnson...
Jewelry by: Jascha Sonis, Lori Klein...
Three-dimensional forms by: Luke Ianuzzi (The Naked Potter), Doug Lombard, Libby Towne, Michael Schwartz, Mark Schwabe, Mad River Glass, Gaelic McTigue, Michael Egan...

...and more art will be hung tomorrow (Tuesday, May 19).

This is just in time for the statewide Open Studios Weekend, and we are having an Opening Reception on Friday, May 22 at 5 pm. This is a great way to pick up a copy of the Open Studios Map, chat with friends and artists, and start to plan your August with our Vermont Festival of the Arts "Calendar to Date." Stop by #1 Village Square this weekend!

Yankee Loves Us!

2009-05-13T08:27:00.000-04:00

The current issue of Yankee Magazine touts the Vermont Festival of the Arts as a "Top 20 Vermont Event." In choosing us to be a top pick, the Yankee Magazine editors stated: “New England will be one of the most desired places to see in the months ahead. We're all in this economic soup together, but that doesn't mean we don't still feel the stirrings to pick ourselves up and get on with it. And part of getting on with it is our innate desire and need to explore: to set out for new places and new experiences, or simply to reconnect with places we've always loved... we have confidently chosen the 20 events in each state that we think are well worth the drive to check out…our "Best of New England" section carries a lot of expertise, and what you find in our pages represents some pretty good advice.” That includes coming to the Mad River Valley in August to experience the Vermont Festival of the Arts!

Check it out at Yankee's website

The spirit of the Mad River Valley

2009-04-29T11:04:00.000-04:00

Sky Barsch is doing an 'Insider Guide for the Mad River Valley for the Times Argus and asked me to answer a few questions about the spirit of the Mad River Valley. Here are my notes to her:

The Mad River Valley is really an island, bounded by mountains that create the 'sweet spot' of Vermont. We are a small town that, by virtue of the strong ski area and recreational opportunities, has some fairly sophisticated amenities. We've attracted avant-garde architects with cutting edge green technology; we're the birthplace of Green Mountain Coffee; we're the home of American Flatbread and Liz Lovely Cookies --- the best organic cookies going. The localvore movement has strong roots here, nurtured from both eighth generation Vermonters as well as just-moved-in-residents. We all fit into one of the most beautiful 'crazy' patchwork quilts!

What I enjoy about living in the Mad River Valley are the little details that add up to a level of comfort and caring. I love taking my car to Hap's garage and knowing that the price will be fair; taking a walk on my dirt road and knowing half the people that drive, bike or jog by; having my work mesh with my social engagements. I love the way sports and the arts and the clean life all mesh together here.

What makes the Mad River Valley a mecca for the arts in Vermont is the strong independent spirit that initially created these towns of Waitsfield, Warren, Moretown, Fayston, Middlesex. The arts—whether it is music or dance, funky and world-class theater in restored (or new! )barns, plen air workshops, cooking classes or kids creating photos, it is a year-round endeavor that really blossoms in the summer when August is Art during the Vermont Festival of the Arts. This microcosm of the year's offering of arts is enjoyed by residents, second-home owners, seasonal visitors and day-trippers who all connect in an experience that is real, creative and, most of all, fun!

The Artful Lodger

2009-04-24T17:25:00.000-04:00

The inns and lodges of the Mad River Valley have embraced the Vermont Festival of the Arts in a big way, and give a special discount if you say you are participating in an arts event during August. With more than 125 events spread over a 33-day period, you would have to work hard to miss one-- from the Big Red Barn Art Show in the cavernous barn of the Lareau Farm to the personalized attention of Candy Barr's Plein Air Art Classes.

Just say "I'm an Artful Lodger" and get discounts on your lodging

Call to Artists for Open Studio and the Festival

2009-04-21T11:41:00.000-04:00

The deadline is fast approaching for events for the Vermont Festival of the Arts. An added bonus for events this year is the opportunity to 'preview' their August event and/or artwork in the Festival Gallery. The Festival Preview runs from May 15 though June 1, and is a highlighted stop on the Vermont Arts Council Open Studio Weekend. Would you like to create a demo? We already have several artists that will be painting under the tree in front of the office!

Learn more about the Vermont Open Studios Weekend at www.vermontcrafts.com. For info on presenting art in the gallery, call Bev at 496-6682

Picturing Vermont

2009-04-14T19:00:00.000-04:00

The new Festival Gallery hosts the artwork of Gary Eckhart and photographer Roarke Sharlow from April 17 through May 15. As Gary is the board president of the Vermont Festival of the Arts, I am especially happy that his expertly executed images of the Vermont landscape will be gracing the walls of the gallery.

We invite you to join us this Friday for an Artist Reception in the Festival Gallery, from 5-7. Meet the artists, enjoy some noshing and pick up a Festival Calendar-to-date.

Here's Gary painting in an Art in the Garden Tour during the Vermont Festival of the Arts, in front of 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' on Bridge Street in Waitsfield.
And here's a sample of Roarke's work:

ArtStorm

2009-04-14T17:50:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the first official blog of the Vermont Festival of the Arts. As I am apparently never at a loss for words, it seems that this blog world may be just the ticket for me!

Let's make this a place for artists, participants and the audience of the Vermont Festival of the Arts to catch up on what's happening. I invite you to subscribe here and help make the Vermont Festival of the Arts '09 even more dynamic.