May 21 - September 30

In her recent book Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, Nicole Fleetwood observes, “Prison art is part of the long history of captive people envisioning freedom—creating art, imagining worlds, and finding ways to resist and survive.” Our summer exhibition Finding Hope Within features works of art that have emerged through the carceral system in Vermont alongside historical artifacts from the collection of the Henry Sheldon Museum. The original artworks included in this exhibit were curated by A Revolutionary Press and Vermont Works for Women for their Finding Hope Within travelling exhibit..

This exhibition posits art-making as a transformative, healing, and cathartic practice that can transform one’s relationship to community, to the environment, and to the self. The act of creation creates a spark of hope for the future. 

May 21 - January 3

In cooperation with the VT State 250th Commemoration of the start of the American Revolution, the VT Sampler Initiative is producing a statewide driving tour, to view schoolgirl needlework samplers, from the post-Revolutionary War period.

Needlework was an essential part of girls’ education during the Revolutionary and Federal periods of American history. Decorative samplers using a variety of stitches taught girls sewing skills and how to read and write; families would frame and hang them in their homes as a symbol of valuing women’s education. Many of the sampler verses emphasized gender roles expected of young women, and family records highlight the importance placed on family lineage and preserving memory. The six samplers on display in the Judd Harris House were all made by girls whose father or grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War.

May 21 - October 31

Material objects are profound expressions of identity, memory, and belief. Adornment, whether through intricate craftsmanship, symbolic decoration, or functional design, elevates objects beyond utilitarian purposes and transforms them into reflections of personal stories and societal values. 

Organized by students of Professor Erin Sassin’s course at Middlebury College, this exhibition is the result of meticulous research and thoughtful curation. Students assembled a diverse collection of objects that show how adornment across centuries and cultures both shapes and reflects the human experience. 

May 21st - October 31st

In this room, we invite you to ssllllllooooooowwwww doooowwwwwnnnnnnnn and really look.

 This is a space for immersive attention, close looking, and paying attention to the details—taking a moment to step aside from the quick pace of life and technology and demands on our time and attention. Put your phones away and see what you can see.

 Take a seat, use the tools provided and take the time to look. We invite you to draw, to dream, to read, to think.

We’ve offered some ideas to help you start looking more closely, but you can also choose your own adventure. What will you see?