Shokler - The Vermont Country Store
churches , and other elements of classic Vermont architecture can be found in the “ Village Beautiful ” gallery room . Orton ’ s family heritage is beautifully depicted in Palmer Hayden ’ s Vermont Country Store . Hayden was a guest of Vrest Orton in 1948 , which gave him the opportunity to paint something that was a stark departure from his typical urban scenes .
Towards the end of the exhibition , a dedicated gallery space will recap the overarching themes of the exhibit through highlight displays , and will also present visitors with the opportunity to express what they love about Vermont . “ They will be able to process everything that they ’ ve seen and read and add their voice to the conversation . There will be a table set up in the gallery with cards , and visitors will have the chance to sit down , write or draw , and share their story about what the exhibition — and Vermont — means to them .”
Crites believes that every visitor will relate to different artworks based on their previous experiences in Vermont . “ We hope everyone will find something meaningful on a personal level — and I think that also applies to the exhibition down at Bennington Museum , as well . Jamie Franklin is working with a different and more intimate space , and each venue provides a unique experience . Jamie and I have co-curated this show while working closely with Lyman , and we ’ re grateful to have formed this collaborative partnership .”
SVAC ’ s Artistic Director , Anne Corso , echoes that sentiment . “ It ’ s been wonderful to take on this joint venture with a great partner , Bennington Museum . We often collaborate in programmatic terms , but it ’ s not always common for two institutions to share a collection of this magnitude and have such an open cross-dialogue about a collection . We shared resources and ideas about presentation and exhibition content , and it ’ s amazing to be able to show such a large portion of Lyman ’ s collection .” Corso says that Lyman felt very strongly about wanting the exhibit to be showcased in Yester House ’ s galleries , and she wholeheartedly agrees with his instincts . “ I think it ’ s a great homage to the Southern Vermont Artists and the early founders of SVAC , and the exhibition team has worked hard to create an accessible , comfortable experience . You ’ re experiencing the art as you would have in someone ’ s home in Vermont , and it feels very warm and welcoming .” Orton adds that although it has taken a considerable amount of effort to arrange the exhibition , the hard work has all been worth it . “ This is the first real show from my collection , and I ’ m looking forward to seeing where things go from here . I ’ m very serious about having this collection endure through time , because the art represents everything I love so much about Vermont .”
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