For Immediate Release
Contact Alexina Jones, Director of Advancement
ajones@benningtonmuseum.org
802-447-1571 x202
Bennington Museum re-opens to the Public on April 2nd
Bennington Museum will re-open to the public for its spring season on Thursday, April 2nd, 2026. Their Spring season includes several newly installed galleries, plus the annual Student Art Show. On Saturday, April 4th, the Museum will host a free community day with music, activities, and events in the galleries all day.
The Annual Student Art Show
April 2nd through May 17th
The annual display of artwork by students in preschool through high school examines the process of artistic development and includes work from a dozen area schools. Grouped by grade, the work demonstrates how art teachers move students through the basic elements of art to more complex principles of design, use famous artworks and works from an array of cultures and time periods, and introduce students to a variety of media and materials. The Annual Student Art Show celebrates the continuing tradition of art education in the region.
“We believe in the value of art education in our schools,” says Deana Mallory, Director of Public Programming at Bennington Museum. “Access to arts programs improves students’ social and emotional well-being and their academic performance while also engaging them with our shared human history and culture. We want to show our support for these opportunities. Also, our visitors love the Student Art Show,” she continues. “The bright colors and whimsy of the younger artists brings joy while we are all continually impressed by the abilities of the older students. Best of all is seeing the pride on a child’s face when they see their own artwork displayed on the walls of a museum.”
The Student Art Show is made possible by MSK Engineers!
The Battle of Bennington
April 2 – December 31
The Battle of Bennington, fought on August 16, 1777, has come to be known as a turning point in the American Revolution and an event that defines our town to many in the popular imagination. This reinstallation of objects and archival materials from the Museum’s permanent collection, the first in 25 years, centered around the beloved WPA-era mural by Leroy Williams, will tell the complex stories of the diverse participants and lives that were touched by the battle. From Joseph and Sarah Rudd’s first-hand accounts of their experience of the battle, including taking Loyalist neighbors as prisoners and fleeing to Williamstown on horseback with four children, to a portrait of Lieutenant Jonathan Holton, depicting the scars received from being shot in the face by a musket ball, this exhibition will bring visitors up close and personal with the people who lived through this historic event.
“We are so proud to be the caretakers of the historic objects related to this pivotal conflict which was fought right on our doorstep,” says Martin Mahoney, Executive Director. “In honor of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, we are making every effort to help visitors understand this region’s role in the founding of our country.”
The Museum has audio tours available for the pieces in this exhibit for those who would like a more immersive experience and driving maps are available to tour historic sites in the area.
Folk & Craft Gallery
Permanent Exhibition
This new installation is directly adjacent to the Grandma Moses Gallery and will build upon the themes of American art (specific to Vermont, western Massachusetts, and eastern upstate New York), and “outsider” artists — i.e. those who were not formally trained, who are not typically considered artists, or whose works exist outside traditional formats. The Folk & Craft Gallery will feature a broad range of Americans, from schoolgirls and housewives to stone quarry workers and eccentric farmers, as well as creative people living and working in this region today. Some pieces are the work of people struggling with addiction or physical or mental disabilities, and many were made by people who did not necessarily see themselves as artists, but who found meaning in creating beautiful objects in their lives through the tools they had at their disposal.
A FREE DAY FOR THE COMMUNITY ON APRIL 4th
supported by Greylock Federal Credit Union
All day: Activities in the galleries
10 – Noon: Music in the galleries
12pm: Art Through New Eyes reception.
For the past two months, a group of museum new-comers has been discovering new ways of looking at art. On April 4th, the Museum will celebrate them and share their adventures with you through a short video documentary of their journey that describes their experiences learning to look at, enjoy, and talk about art. Generous support for this project has been provided by Art Bridges.
12:30pm: Dance educator, Melisa Clark, will perform and lead a movement activity inspired by David Smith’s sculpture, March Sentinel. Melisa Clark is a dancer, choreographer and educator based in Bennington, VT. She is artistic director and co-founder of PIMA Group.
Bennington Museum will offer FREE admission all day in celebration of our community and new season, supported by the Greylock Federal Credit Union.
REGULAR ADMISSION:
Adults – $17
Seniors (62+), Active/Retired Military, and Students 18 and over – $15
Youth aged 17 and under – Free
Museum Members, NARM members, and SNAP Card holders and their families – Free
Take out a Museum Pass from your local Library – Free
HOURS:
Every day except Wednesday
10am – 4pm
and until 7pm on summer Fridays
benningtonmuseum.org