Collectors are as diverse as the objects they collect. While some people began collecting when they were very young, others took an interest in a particular collection upon retirement. There are so many reasons for collecting and they range from vocational interest to associations with objects that evoke memories of a particular person, place, or event. Oftentimes, it is the sheer interest of the objects themselves and the various “stories” they have to tell, that provide a glimpse into the life and personality of the collector while also telling us about the time, place, and even the people who made the objects.

Bennington Museum is pleased to begin the 2018 Music at the Museum concert series with Music through the Centuries for Flute and Harp, an engaging program performed by flutist Sue Ann Kahn and harpist Susan Jolles. Included in the concert is Sonata in Bb, BWV 1020 by J. S. Bach; Triple Rondo, 1961 by Henry Cowell; Toward the Sea III, for alto flute and harp, 1989 by Toru Takemitsu; Friendly Frolic for flute solo, 1981 composed by Lionel Nowak; and Serenade No.10, Op. 79 by Vincent Persichetti. It is with great pleasure that we present the premiere performance of Sonatina for Flute and Harp, 2017, a new composition by Bennington composer Allen Shawn (b.1948).

The Bennington Museum invites everyone to Community Day on February 3 when admission is FREE and the “Creative Collisions” among the galleries are explosive. Explore the newly installed Grandma Moses Gallery with paintings like Thunderstorm, 1948, which has not been at the Museum in over two decades. On loan from a private collector, this iconic painting enhances the walls of the gallery along with Old Oaken Bucket, 1946, which has never been installed at Bennington Museum. “We are thrilled to have such iconic works here at the Museum,” states Jamie Franklin, curator at the Museum. “These are joined by other masterworks from the Museum’s collection as well as Deep Snow, 1959, and A Christmas Gift, 1946, both from the private collection of the Zarnegin family, Beverly Hills, California. Any person who admires Moses’ work and wants to get another perspective on what she created, must be sure to visit in 2018.” But there is so much more.

Join us on Saturday, December 16 at 2:00 p.m. for a FREE concert at Bennington Museum’s Paresky Wing. Escape the hectic pace often found this time of year as you sit back and enjoy A Musical Interlude performed by the Taconic Chamber Players featuring Joana Genova on violin, Deanna Baasch on violin, Ariel Rudiakov on the viola, and Nathaniel Parke on the cello. This varied program includes music by Vivaldi and Bach as well as Duke Ellington, and many others. The free concert is part of the Music at the Museum series that is sponsored by Alison Nowak and Robert Cane. Admission to the museum galleries is not included.

Each year the Bennington Museum’s Festival draws its inspiration from one of the objects in the Museum’s outstanding collection, and this year is no exception. For 2017, the annual festival of the season celebrates the creativity of a wide range of regional artists as they respond to Nichols Goddard’s Musical Tall Case Clock, ca. 1810, one of the centerpieces of the Museum’s newest exhibition, Early Vermont. This remarkable piece lends itself to wonderful interpretations such as collage art, paintings, woodwork, textiles, sculpture, and more. The exhibition is open November 24 through December 29. The original artwork created by the regional artists is available to own through a closed-bid auction taking place November 24 through December 28, 4pm. Stop in early and often at no charge to bid on that special gift while supporting the museum’s largest annual fundraiser. Gala on December 1 and on Family Day on December 9.

When Laura Gilpin passed away in 1979 most of her negatives, photographs, and letters went to the permanent archive at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Three portfolios of photographs however were kept by her family. The Bennington Museum is fortunate to have this opportunity to share with the public a selection from these portfolios which include photographs by Gilpin herself as well as photographs given to Gilpin over her long career by friends and mentors, including Clarence H. White and Gertrude Käsebier. This exhibition of remarkable photographs will be on view in the Works on Paper Gallery of Bennington Museum from October 7 to December 30. From 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on October 7, join curator Jamie Franklin and Bennington College faculty member Jonathan Kline for an opening reception of this exhibition. This event is free and open to the public.

In celebration of Grandma Moses: American Modern and the 1863 Stickle Quilt both on view at the Bennington Museum, the volunteers at the George Aiken Wildflower Trail are hosting a Grandma Moses Picnic and Quilting Bee for children and their families on Saturday, September 30, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. (Rain Date is October 1) As part of the festivities, the group is also hosting the “Best Apple Pie in Bennington” contest, with the pies first being judged and then served as part of the picnic, along with free cider and apples provided by the trail volunteers.

Kalischer often came to Vermont seeking material and in this exhibition - Between Past and Future: Clemens Kalischer’s Vermont – the viewer is treated to over thirty images including some taken during six decades of photographing the Marlboro Music Festival including images of such icons in the music industry as Van Cliburn, Rudolf Serkin, Pablo Casals, among others. Some are from his Peacham series in which people are documented in their daily struggles on the land or in the factory. His Vermont work is deep and varied, comprising thousands of images traversing more than six decades.