BENNINGTON — The Bennington Museum announced its annual Community Day, scheduled for Sept. 6, starting at 10 a.m. Admission will be free, thanks to the Vermont Country Store and Stewart’s Shops.
On the schedule:
A Celebration for a New School Year from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Celebrate going back to school with a visit to Bennington Museum. Have a piece of birthday cake to celebrate Grandma Moses’ 165th birthday from noon until we run out. Meet Bennington Museum educators and volunteers in the galleries for special hands-on activities. Teachers with a school I.D. will receive a 20 percent discount in the Museum Store, enter for a chance to win a Bennington Museum gift, and stop by our School Programs Information table to learn about what we have to offer.
A Celebration for a Community Leader from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ada and Paul Paresky Court.
Refreshments and light hors d’ouevres will be served. RSVP is requested and donations welcome ($20 suggested).
In the afternoon, the Bennington Museum Board of Trustees invites Museum supporters to come together to review the successes of Bennington Museum in fiscal year 2025. At this meeting, which is open to members and non-members alike, the board will also present the Arnold Ricks Award to an individual in recognition of exceptional contributions to the Bennington community and Bennington Museum. The annual report will be available and will also be available for download and viewing online.
This year the board will honor Joe Chirchirillo. Chirchirillo moved to Vermont 20 years ago and since then has focused on creating outdoor sculpture. His work can be seen on permanent display at Bennington Museum, along the Riverwalk in downtown Bennington, and in the village of North Bennington. Additionally, he has had his work shown in NBOSS for over 20 years and has been its curator for over 10 years. During this time the show has grown in size and popularity, bringing thousands of viewers to North Bennington each year. This year marks his last year in this role and he will be passing this torch to the next generation.
“Joe’s deep connection with the Bennington Community and his drive to see NBOSS not only continue, but to thrive, have been tremendous in gathering and maintaining support for the arts in this community,” said Martin Mahoney, Executive Director of Bennington Museum. Few who attend the Museum’s grounds know that Joe quietly covers incidental program costs out of his own pocket — including, on more than one occasion, drawing from winnings he’d accumulated playing online poker for money during the long, closed-venue stretches of the pandemic when he had few other outlets for his competitive instincts. “We want to recognize and thank Joe for his willingness to collaborate and expand NBOSS during the pandemic which helped the Museum activate its grounds by encouraging guests to wander and interact with art and each other in a COVID-safe way. The program has been so successful that the Museum has continued this partnership and the NBOSS collaboration has become a visitor favorite at the Museum.”
Past awardees have included John and Michele Pagán, Bob Tegart, and Frances Holbrook. More information can be found about each on the Museum website at benningtonmuseum.org.
Suggested donations of $20 will support the exhibition and collection program so that the museum can continue to engage with contemporary artists and bring their work to the foreground in Southern Vermont.
Bennington Museum presents and explores the rich culture of southern Vermont, eastern New York State, northwestern Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire in all its forms, from the 18th century to the present. The museum is open every day except Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and until 7 p.m. on summer Fridays.