MUSEUM OPENS FOR SEASON SATURDAY
Celebrate the New Season at Community Day with Art, Music, & Tours
Just in time for Mother's Day, Shelburne Museum opens for the season on Saturday, May 11. To celebrate the exciting new season, we're holding Community Day with free admission! Come experience inspiring new exhibitions and visit the beloved galleries, buildings, and gardens that make Shelburne Museum a place like no other.
Saturday, May 11, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Free admission, live music, seed swap, art making activities, tours, and more. Special thanks to High Mowing Organic Seeds for support of the seed swap.
Free Event Shuttle: First shuttle leaves from O’Brien Community Center in Winooski at 9:45 a.m., stopping at 10:15 a.m. at Harbor Place in Shelburne. A second loop will depart from King Street Youth Center in Burlington at 11 a.m. The shuttle will loop throughout the day to all three locations. The last shuttle departs Shelburne Museum at 5:15 p.m.
NEW ENGLAND NOW: STRANGE STATES
Biennial Exhibition Opens Saturday, May 11
The latest in a series of biennial exhibitions highlighting contemporary regional artists, New England Now: Strange States features 12 multidisciplinary artists who tap into a rich tapestry of mediums and techniques to create their perceptions of the ethereal grounded in topics of mythology, environmentalism, the ideals of beauty, transformation, and gender and cultural identity.
Featuring: Bianca Beck, Sarah Meyers Brent, Nicole Duennebier, Lauren Fensterstock, Arghavan Khosravi, Laura Kramer, Jennifer McCandless, Allison Maria Rodriguez, Farzaneh Safarani and Bahareh Safarani, Emilie Stark-Menneg, and Tara Sellios.
On view May 11–October 20 in Colgate Gallery, Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education and with outdoor sculpture by Bianca Beck.
Support for New England Now: Strange States is generously provided by Donna and Marvin Schwartz with addtional support from The Windham Foundation.
Image: Emilie Stark-Menneg, Iris Spring, 2022 (detail). Acrylic and oil on canvas, 80 x 100 in. Courtesy of the artist. 
CONFECTED, BORROWED & BLUE
Works by Paul Scott Inspired by Shelburne's Collection
The first in a series of “interventions” by contemporary artists features works by British artist Paul Scott, known for his provocative reinterpretation of 19th century transferware. Plates, platters, and jugs by Scott are displayed alongside objects from the Museum’s collection creating “segues” that spark dialogue between the old and new.
Confected, Borrowed & Blue: Transferware by Paul Scott is on view May 11–October 20 in Variety Unit.
Image: Paul Scott, Fairmount Near Philadelphia, No. 2 (detail), from "Cumbrian Blue(s), New American Scenery" series, 2021. Transfer print collage on partially erased Fair Mount Near Philadelphia plate by Joseph Stubbs, 10 1/4 in. Courtesy of artist and Ferrin Contemporary.
STEWARDING A SEED COLLECTION
Exhibition Explores Fiber Art and the Environment
Lorna McMaster creates works in felted wool that call attention to the artist’s commitment to seed saving as an act of environmental stewardship. Lorna McMaster: Stewarding a Seed Collection features 14 needle-felted wool panels constructed from home-grown wool bred specifically for the fiber texture that makes her work so unique. On view in The Dana-Spencer Textile Gallery at Hat and Fragrance.
Special thanks to High Mowing Organic Seeds for their support of a seed swap for Lorna McMaster: Stewarding a Seed Collection.
Image: Lorna McMaster, Return of the Bobolink (detail), 2022. Homegrown, hand-dyed, needle‑felted Border Leicester X Shetland wool on cotton, 31 ½ x 23 in. Courtesy of Lorna McMaster. Photography by Tricia Suriani.
A GRAND SPECTACLE IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Special Exhibition Highlights Photography of Elliot Fenander
Elliot Fenander’s (b. 1938) images chronicle the rare spectacle of a “Blue Sky” or open-air performance. Through his camera’s lens, Fenander was able to document a variety of surreal scenes: trapeze artists soaring through the cloudy sky, clowns frolicking in open fields, and exotic animals inhabiting the Western Massachusetts landscape.
A Grand Spectacle in the Great Outdoors: Elliot Fenander's Circus Photography is on view May 11–October 20 in Circus Building.
Shelburne Museum is deeply grateful for the ongoing support and generosity of Elliot and Phyllis Fenander.
Image: Elliot Fenander, The Les Blocks on Tightrope (detail), 1972. Negative, 1 1/2 x 1 in. Collection of Shelburne Museum, gift of Elliot and Phyllis Fenander. 2011-37.603.
CHILDRENS' ART ON VIEW MAY 17-19
Special Exhibition Caps Olivia and Leslie Art + Math Program
Created in partnership with Shelburne Museum, the Olivia and Leslie Art + Math Program is a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) curriculum that invites young learners to use artmaking as a springboard to numeracy, critical thinking, and social-emotional growth.
Kindergarten and First Grade students from Hinesburg Community School created the works on exhibition at the Museum.
On view May 17–19 in the Auditorium, Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education. Click here for event listing.
Image: Detail of art created by Hinesburg Community School student in Kindergarten and First Grade as part of the Olivia and Leslie Art + Math Program.
SENSORY FRIENDLY MORNINGS, MAY 17
Special Early Hours Reserved
This program supports visitors of all ages with varying social and sensory-processing needs. “Know Before You Go” materials, limited numbers of noise-cancelling head-phones, fidget toys, and a break room will be available for visitor use.
Free; advance registration requested. Click here to register.
Friday, May 17, 8:30–10:00 a.m. Check the website for additional dates.
Support for Sensory Friendly Mornings is provided by the Vermont Humanities Council.
GARDEN STROLL IS JUNE 9
Visit the Brick House in Bloom!
Join us for Garden Stroll at the Brick House on Sunday, June 9, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. to enjoy beautiful seasonal blooms that adorn the grounds. Enjoy flower tours of the incomparable Brick House peony gardens with expert gardener Charlie Nardozzi.
Snack on sweet and savory garden party fare, including a complimentary beverage of your choice. Lush peony bouquets to purchase. Stunning views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Tickets are $45 for Members; $55 for non-members. A limited number of interior Brick House tours will be available for an additional charge.
Garden Stroll is supported by our generous sponsors: Caledonia Spirits, TÖST Beverages, and Vermont Tent Company.