Wrapping up a tremendous 2007, the Bennington Museum is set to bring you another grand year! As we continue to celebrate the history and heritage of the southern Vermont region, and to serve as a center for visual and performing arts which enrich our community and world, our upcoming calendar highlights artists of all media. Please note that as in the past, the museum will be closed for the month of January. We take this month to address maintenance matters that cannot be attended to with daily visitors. Although the museum is closed for viewing the month of January, we will host many exciting events during this time. The museum will be open for these specific events.

Join us at 7 p.m. on January 4th, for the viewing of Morgan Faust’s The Treasure of Thomas Beale. This award-winning documentary is about the legendary $25 million treasure buried in 1821 in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Join the filmmaker as she seeks to discover the truth about Beale, through the words of treasure hunters, skeptics, housewives, and historians. It is sure to evoke the gold seeker in all of us. Admission is $5, but is free for students with a school ID. On January 12th, Club Muse kicks off its season with some “Hot Jazz for a Cold Winter’s Night”. Join us at 8 p.m. when we bring together live jazz with Jazz-X, great cocktails and an evening that is sure to warm you. Cover $5 at the door. Then on January 17th, the museum welcomes back Raymond Rodrigues who will be bringing Memoir of a Green Mountain Boy back to Bennington. Dr. Rodrigues will be a speaker at the Bennington Historical Society Public Program which will be held at 7 p.m. Hear excerpts from the story and discuss with the author the excitement and hilarity of a young man’s adventures with the Green Mountain Boys. His tale will leave you laughing and teary-eyed. Admission is free. Wrapping up the month, on January 20th at 2 p.m., is the Bennington String Quartet returns to Bennington Museum. The group consists of violinists Joseph Schor and Melanie Dexter, violist Catharine Hall-Schor, and cellist Nathaniel Parke. Founded in 1991 as resident group of the North Bennington Graded School String Program, the quartet visits classrooms during the year, introducing children to the instruments, music and composers of the world of chamber music. In addition, the quartet performs regularly in the Bennington area. The concert will feature the music of Mozart, in celebration of his birthday the following Sunday. Admission is $12 per person; $7 for students. Children under 12 are free.

The upcoming year at the museum proves to be full of superb exhibits and exciting events for families and visitors of all ages. On February 24th from 2-5 p.m., the museum will host the third annual Bridal Fair. Having added some special touches, we are excited to bring together those dreaming of their special day, with vendors who can make it a reality. The event includes vendor displays, a bridal fashion show, door prizes, and refreshments. Admission is free.

In recognition of Bennington College’s 75th Anniversary, the museum will exhibit the work of three of the college’s most influential early art professors. Paul Feeley, a prominent figure in Bennington College’s cadre of color field artists who dominated the art scene in the 1960s, will be represented by a selection of oil paintings, works on paper, and sculpture. This exhibit will run from February 2nd through March 25th. The celebration continues from March 13th through May 4th, with an exhibit featuring the works of Herta and Simon Moselsio, two of Bennington College’s first art professors. Excitingly diverse in creation, Herta will be represented by her ceramic and bronze animal sculptures, along with examples of her practical pottery and her photography. Simon’s work is eclectic and ranges from portrait busts to late abstract paintings.

Drawing us back in time, while remaining grounded in the present, Reimagining the Distaff Toolkit will showcase thirty-two fascinating works of contemporary art. Each piece has at its core, a tool that was important for women’s domestic labor in the 18th and 19th centuries. Come and see how artists placed at the center of their art such objects as graters, washboards, dressmaker’s figures, grinders, rolling pins and more; tools that facilitated the very hard and repetitive labor for women of that time. This exhibit will also feature a selection from the museum’s historic tool collection, and run from April 4th through June 1st.

For the baseball enthusiasts and those interested in baseball history, join us as the Bennington Museum along with the Bennington Center for the Arts celebrates America’s favorite pastime. Together we will have Three Exhibits; The Joe DiMaggio Collection, Baseball in Vermont, and the art of Mike Schacht , Hall of Fame baseball artist. The first of these will feature memorabilia from the estate of Joltin' Joe, a collection of artifacts that he owned and used during his remarkable career as a Yankee great. Baseball in Vermont examines the fascinating history of the sport in our state. On exhibit will be wonderful photographs of baseball as it was played in our local communities in the early 1900s, and baseball memorabilia from the finest Vermont baseball collections in existence. Wrapping up the trio of exhibits, the art of Mike Schacht will be displayed at the Center for the Arts. On June 13th there will be an opening reception for this great exhibit that will run from June 13th through August 17th.

Heading into the fall, the Bennington Museum is proud to be the first venue to host highlights from the Vermont State Art Collection. Normally housed in Montpelier and other government buildings throughout the state, this collection includes work ranging from portraits and landscapes of famous Vermont artists of the nineteenth century to large, vibrant abstract paintings that have been created by Vermonters over the past few decades. The opening reception for this exhibit will be on September 5th at 7 p.m., while the exhibit will be on display from August 30th through October 26th.

Our year will culminate with an engaging exhibit For the Record: Art and Artifacts of the American Family. With family at the core of American society since our birth as a nation, this exhibit provides insight into how relatives were remembered and how family lines were traced. Family records and similar genealogical artifacts will be at the center of this exhibition which will also feature family portraiture, and objects such as furniture and silver. Join us November 1st through December 31st as we look at the American family.

Complimenting the museum’s lineup of exhibitions are events for all ages including the Vermont Film Series, musical concerts, local artist exhibits, children’s educational workshops, lectures, and just in time for the holiday season, the wonderful Festival of Trees. And don’t forget our extensive library that can be used by appointment. With so much going on, you are invited to visit our website for updated information. We also invite you to consider a membership that will allow you free admission to the museum for a year, and free and discounted admission to events!