Vermont Business Magazine Gov Peter Shumlin announced that August Burns of Middlesex has been commissioned to paint his official portrait, which will be donated to the State House collection. Vermont has a tradition of displaying the portraits of governors throughout the State House. Working with Vermont State Curator David Schutz, the Governor and his wife Katie Hunt reviewed samples of work submitted by a number of Vermont artists, before selecting Burns.
Governor Shumlin, VBM file photo
“I am very excited to be working with August on this portrait,” Shumlin said. “She has incredible talent as an artist and I admire her work.”
“I am honored and delighted to receive this commission from Governor Shumlin,” said Burns. “I look forward to collaborating with the Governor over the coming months to create a work of art that is a tribute to his legacy and that will hang in the Vermont State House for future generations.”
Burns is a figurative and portrait painter in Middlesex, Vermont. She started painting at an early age and her dual paths of art and medical care have provided a depth of experience that she now brings to her painting. Her focus as a painter is a passionate exploration of how to capture the power of the human spirit in paint. The painting will be donated to the State House collection where it will join the portraits of most of the governors who have served the state. The portrait is paid for with privately raised funds.