Road Trip: Rutland
With its historic downtown and long history of championing music and performing arts, Rutland is becoming an interesting hub of contemporary visual art in recent years with the expansion of Castleton University’s gallery spaces. This development, with a robust program at the Chaffee Art Center, makes Rutland a worthy destination for a road trip. Here are a few places to check out.
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Revival: Stone and Steel
Castleton Downtown Gallery
Curated by Castleton University, the gallery showcases Rutland-area and regional artists year-round. Through 3/18/17: “Revival: Stone and Steel” is a group show representing the talent of four sculptors from Vermont’s stone carving and fabrication traditions. They delve into the hands-on manipulation of stone and steel and bring them to life, reviving them into unique figural, botanical, mechanical and conceptual ways. 3/25/17 to 5/6/17: “The Final Cut”. Pam Brown uses synthetic polymer clays and recycled sheet metal, copper, rubber and fabric to model anatomical shapes that incorporate and replicate a variety of figurative, organic and animal forms. (images above: Heart by Heather Milne Ritchie and Artifacts by Paul Marr Hilliard)
Center Street Alley, Rutland 05701
(802) 282-2396
www.castleton.edu/arts/
The SHE Project
Castleton University Bank Gallery
Located in the former Lake Sunapee Bank building, this exhibition space is curated by Castleton University. “The SHE Project” – part 1 is a collaborative exhibit created by Vermont multidisciplinary artists Kristen M. Watson and Mary Admasian. The two have a common interest in creating interactive works that explore what women of all ages experience as they navigate the pressure to maintain a youthful appearance at any cost, and what they contend with as they age in the highly visual social media era, where celebrity culture reigns, and where we much more frequently see ourselves and are seen by others. Consequently a phenomenon of personal social branding and hyper-scrutiny has emerged. With a nod to the tradition of femmage, art constructed of found and saved objects that express a female narrative, the artists use mirrors, cosmetics, beautification products, and natural elements to address themes around self-confidence, worth, and age-related sexual power. They explore their own experiences as targets of aggressively marketed “beautification” products that promise youth, glamour, and success. Watson & Admasian create compelling works that comment on the influence of history, social norms, perception, social media, and vanity on the current state of womanhood. The exhibition is on view through 06/24/2017. (image: Eye View by Mary Admasian (14″x14″))
104 Merchants Row, Rutland 05701
(802) 282-2396
www.castleton.edu/arts/
Release & React
Painting at Chaffee Art Center
A 1896 Queen Anne Victorian mansion is home base for this art center with rotating exhibitions and a dynamic education program. Through 3/31/17: “Release & React” features a roster of artists: Lorraine Brown, Mary Crowley, Pam Hidde, Robert Hooker, Christine Holzschuh, Lowell Snowdon Klock, Mary Fran Lloyd, Ann McFarren, Mareva Millarc, Betsy Moakley, Rae Newell, Barbara Peterson, Karen Seward, Heather Shay, Christine Townsend, Kleng T. Walker, and Lisa Walker.
All the artists are members of groups that meet regularly in the Rutland area. Vermont Abstract Connection is “a collective of abstract artists, founded in 2013, that meets six times a year in their homes and studios, to share artwork, process, and new ideas, through the visual language of abstraction.” The ten artists who make up East Mountain Mentoring Artists meet regularly to discuss the issues associated with being an artist, and to encourage each other creatively and professionally. Informed by Linda Stanton Patrick’s teachings on realism, Brush Stroke Studio meets weekly to study painting and make art that reflects individual personalities and interests.
“Release & React” is a rare opportunity to see a broad survey of artwork from the Rutland area.
16 South Main Street, Rutland 05701
(802) 775-0356
www.chaffeeartcenter.org
Still Life with Universe
Phoebe Stone at Christine Price Gallery
at Castleton State University
Located in the lobby of the Castleton Fine Arts Center, the gallery showcases Rutland-area and regional artists year-round. Through 3/31/2017: “Still Life with Universe.” Phoebe Stone’s new large format pastels and oils revolving around the subject of still life, everyday life and our mysterious relationship with the universe. In the Vermont Times, Dwight Garner wrote, “Phoebe Stone’s best work, and that’s just about all of it, has a restless logic and a soul that’s lit by refracted Moon glow. Her bright, playful, self-referential paintings are enormously captivating without ever seeming glib or forced. She’s one of the largest talents now at work in Vermont.” (image: Bouquet with Night Sky 3 by Phoebe Stone)
Fine Arts Center, Castleton University, 45 Alumni Drive
(802) 282-2396
www.castleton.edu/arts/art-galleries/