News

Art Center receives grant from John M. Bissell Foundation

Wednesday, 28 September 2011 09:36

Helen Day Art Center has partnered with the John M. Bissell Foundation to acquire equipment for the exhibition of film and video as part of their ongoing exhibition program.

The Foundation is dedicated to promoting the production, distribution, and exhibition of films in the Vermont community.  Katie Reen, Creative Director said that she and the Board recognized a compelling need in the proposal submitted by the Center. 

“I was able to name 5 different exhibitions from the last three years where film or video had been or would be critical components of the curated exhibition.” Says Nathan Suter, Executive Director of the Art Center. “Increasingly, some of the most compelling and meaningful artwork is in short film or video.  We need the ability to present this to our audience on the wall - along with the more traditional mediums.  I knew that our upcoming exhibition on the subject of Manhood would include at least five video works.  We were stuck, I had no way of displaying this work without a significant investment in equipment.”

The Bissell Foundation was able to bridge the gap for the Center, granting $2,600 for monitors, dvd players and other equipment.

“We opened the show on Friday night to a crowd of over one hundred people.  The integration of the video work is seamless and we have the Bissell Foundation to thank for that.  It is our hope that the show will attract school groups from the region, magnifying the impact of the grant by sharing the exhibit with hundreds of students.” said Suter.

The John M. Bissell Foundation is a 501(c )(3) private foundation that accepts donations. Its past projects have included the exhibition of the traveling exhibit of Roma Artist Ceija Stojka, funding to Vermont Historical Society for digitalizing films, and funding toward The Vermont Movie which is a collaborative film involving over 20 Vermont filmmakers.
For more information about the Bissell Foundation and its ongoing projects, we urge you to contact its Executive Director, Edward French, Jr. or its Creative Director, Katie Gruca at c/o Stackpole & French Law Offices, P.O. Box 819, Stowe, Vermont 05672.

2011 Stowe Home Tour Features Four Unique Homes

Tuesday, 23 August 2011 08:37

The Helen Day Art Center is holding its 2011 Stowe Home Tour on Saturday, October 1st from 10:30 am-3:30 pm.  This year, four homes will be featured:  the 2011 “Dream” Home as seen on HGTV, an Adirondack-style Great Camp known as “The Tree House”, an historic 1840s Farm House, and a beautiful Ski Getaway. Now in its 20th year, the Home Tour was created as a major fundraiser for the Helen Day Art Center.  Tickets are $23 (or 5 for $100) in advance and $25 at the door.  A light lunch is included.

The Stowe Home Tour features homes with distinguished art collections, creative or innovative architecture, superb interior treatments, and notable views and sites.  The opportunity to visit these homes comes only once, and is in support of the exhibitions, education and public programs offered to the region by the Art Center.  The Home Tour is scheduled for peak foliage season when Stowe and the Lamoille Valley are resplendent in color.

The Helen Day Art Center is a major cultural asset to the Stowe community.  Since 1981, it has collaborated with local businesses and organizations to bring the arts to Stowe and the surrounding area.  The Center has produced major exhibits featuring internationally and nationally recognized artists, as well as exhibits by local artists.  The Center offers art classes for children and adults year-round.  Class offerings include everything from figure drawing to video animation, Photoshop to plein-aire painting.  The Helen Day Art Center also welcomes over one thousand students a year to docent-led tours of its exhibits through scholarships made possible by its members, donors and sponsors.

Tickets available here.
For more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 802-253-8358.

Transitional Moments: Jurors and artists discuss Curatorial Process and Artists’ Trajectories

Monday, 22 August 2011 00:00

Date: Thursday, September 1st 6:00pm

The Best of the North East Masters of Fine Arts exhibition presented by People’s United Bank

An art historian, two curators and three artists will gather at Helen Day Art Center in Stowe, VT on Thursday, September 1st at 6:00 pm to discuss contemporary practice in their realms, with special attention to the careers of artists, the judgements of curators and how they influence today’s art world.

Anthony Grudin, Nina Bozicnik, Jennifer Cawley, Francisco Moreno, and Melanie Perreault are excellent reporters on the intimacies, challenges, defeats and revelations of making, showing, and writing about art. What strategies do artists, curators and historians employ to advance their work, draw attention to relevant topics, and achieve meaningful outcomes through visual art?

With the Best of the North East Masters of Fine Arts exhibition as a backdrop for this discussion, the audience will gain insight into those who shaped the show and the future of contemporary art now.

Best of the North East Masters of Fine Arts Presented by People’s United Bank:

Helen Day Art Center is the first institution in New England to offer an introduction show to participants in MFA degree programs in the North East.  The Exhibit connects visitors with the strongest emerging artists from New England, Quebec and New York, while giving those artists the opportunity to showcase their work to a new audience of Vermont residents and visitors.

When Helen Day Art Center decided to organize an exhibition to include the best artists of the next generation, they had no idea what to expect.  “We wanted to bring some of the most impressive new talent in the North East to Stowe, Vermont to exhibit their work.  We never expected the number of submissions that we received.”  Said Nathan Suter, Director of Helen Day Art Center and Curator of the exhibition which closes September 5th.  “At the deadline there were 107 artists who sent their work for the jury to consider.”

The jury process took place over two days in late April and resulted in seven artists selected.  The Jury was composed of some of the rising stars in contemporary art curation and interpretation; one artist-curator, two curators, and one art historian:

Nina Gara Bozicnik, MA,  Assistant Curator, Currier Museum of Art
Dina Deitsch, MA, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art DeCordova Sculpture Park + Museum
Anthony Grudin, PhD, Assistant professor of Art History, University of Vermont
Rachel Moore, MFA, Fulbright Fellow and Independent Curator, Co-Founder of Spoke: Chicago

Though the artists all were active MFA degree candidates at schools in New York, New England or Quebec, the final 7 are from a much broader geographic range - signaling the increasingly global community of artists.  They hail originally from the U.S., London, South Africa, Korea, Mexico City and British Columbia.  Their work includes photography, painting, sculpture, video, site-specific installation and social practice / intervention work.

Artists Selected:
Jennifer Cawley, Photography, Rhode Island School of Design
John C. Gonzalez, New Genres, The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Joo Lee Kang, Painting / Drawing/ Printmaking, The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Francisco Moreno, Painting, Rhode Island School of Design
Christopher Page, New Genres / Sculpture, Yale University
Melanie Perreault, New Genres, Concordia University
Robert Watermeyer, Photography, Massachusetts College of Art and Design

The exhibition is curated by Nathan Suter, Executive Director, Helen Day Art Center

Exposed 2011 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition

Friday, 24 June 2011 11:04

Presented by Stephen Levin and Helen Day Art Center
July 8, 2011 – October 8, 2011

2011 marks the 20th year of the annual Exposed Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition in Stowe, Vermont. This exhibition’s long history has provided opportunity for local and regional object-based and site-specific sculptors to exhibit their work.
This year’s suite of work both honors the tradition of art history and reflects the contemporary global art atmosphere.  It features sculptural objects and acknowledges the ever-changing role of art to incorporate active, socially engaged work in a variety of media. Curator Rachel Moore has accomplished this by including high profile sculptors along side artists who work interactively with community and site. This year’s exhibit includes artists from Canada, Germany, Greece, and Mexico.
Public programs each Thursday night include 13 performers, writers, and video artists who add texture to the already diverse exhibition. These happenings will be hosted by The Art Center at 6:00pm beginning July 14th.
This year the Exposed exhibition debuts the use of a cell phone audio tour and QR codes for smartphones.  These two strategies deepen the experience for the visitors and provide instant access to the meaning and intent of the artwork in the artists’ own words. This creates a more personal connection between the artist and the public, providing insight into their processes and concepts.
The addition of a cell phone tour; QR codes; walkabout tours; a catalogue with images and descriptions; and a comprehensive map cohesively work to create a more accessible exhibition, engaging the anticipated 75,000 visitors.

Curated by Rachel Moore. More details.

Artists
Ria Blaas, Lynne Bond, Christopher Curtis, Carla Duarte, Matt Harding, Monica Herrera, Tom Holmes, R. Elliott Katz, James Knittle, Lora Lode, Deborah Margo, Chris Miller, Matt Neckers, Darrell Petit, Kate Pond, Torin Porter, Jack Reed, Ellen Rothenberg, Oliver Schemm & Jessica DiClerico, Tyler Vendituoli, Denis Versweyveld, Bennett Wine,

Events
Stephanie Beck, Carrick Bell, Molly Davies, Gretchen Farrar & Francisco Roldán, Alisha Laramee, Regina Mamou, Polly Motley, Jeroen Nelemans, Theofanis Nouskas, m. pinchuk, Shannon Schmidt, Julia Shipley

Public Programs & Events

July 8, 2011 Exposed Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition Opens.
5:00 Opening Reception
6:00 Artist-led Walkabout
July 14, 2011: 6:00 Video Screening
August 4, 2011: 6:00 Video Screening
August 6, 2011: 1:30 Curator-led walkabout (as part of Stowe Summer Arts Festival)
August 11, 2011: 6:00 Musical Performance: Gretchen Farrar & Francisco Roldán
August 18, 2011: 6:00 Artist Lecture: Polly Motley, dancer and choreographer
August 25, 2011: 6:00 Reading and Performance by creative writers: Alisha Laramee, m. pinchuk, Shannon Schmidt, and Julia Shipley
September 22, 2011: 6:00 Video Screening
October 6, 2011: 6:00 Video Screening

Best of the North East Masters of Fine Arts Exhibition Opens June10th

Tuesday, 31 May 2011 08:15

Seven Artists Selected as the Best of the North East Masters of Fine Arts, an exhibition opening June 10, 2011 at Helen Day Art Center in Stowe, VT.

Best of the North East Masters of Fine Arts Presented by People’s United Bank

Helen Day Art Center is the first institution in New England to offer an “introduction” show to participants in MFA degree programs in the North East.  The Exhibit will connect visitors with the strongest emerging artists from New England, Quebec and New York, while giving those artists the opportunity to showcase their work to a new audience of local Vermont residents and visitors.

When Helen Day Art Center decided to organize an exhibition to include the best artists of the next generation, they had no idea what to expect.  “We wanted to bring some of the most impressive new talent in the North East to Stowe, Vermont to exhibit their work.  We never expected the number of submissions that we received.”  Said Nathan Suter, Director of Helen Day Art Center and Curator of the exhibition which opens on June 10th at 6:00.  An Artists’ tour starts at 5:30.  “At the deadline there were 107 artists who sent their work for the jury to consider.”

The jury process took place over two days in late April and resulted in seven artists selected.  The Jury was composed of some of the rising stars in contemporary art curation and interpretation; one artist-curator, two curators, and one art historian:

Nina Gara Bozicnik, MA,  Assistant Curator, Currier Museum of Art
Dina Deitsch, MA, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art DeCordova Sculpture Park + Museum
Anthony Grudin, PhD, Assistant professor of Art History, University of Vermont
Rachel Moore, MFA, Fulbright Fellow and Independent Curator, Co-Founder of Spoke: Chicago

Though the artists all were active MFA degree candidates at schools in New York, New England or Quebec, the final 7 are from a much broader geographic range - signaling the increasingly global community of artists.  They hail originally from the U.S., London, South Africa, Korea, Mexico City and British Columbia.  Their work includes photography, painting, sculpture, video, site-specific installation and social practice / intervention work.

Artists Selected:
Jennifer Cawley, Photography, Rhode Island School of Design
John C. Gonzalez, New Genres, The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Joo Lee Kang, Painting / Drawing/ Printmaking, The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Francisco Moreno, Painting, Rhode Island School of Design
Christopher Page, New Genres / Sculpture, Yale University
Melanie Perreault, New Genres, Concordia University
Robert Watermeyer, Photography, Massachusetts College of Art and Design

The exhibition will be curated by Nathan Suter, Executive Director, Helen Day Art Center.