Sunday, October 7, 2018
2:00 – 3:30 PM (followed with Q&A)

Devin Colman, State Architectural Historian at the
Vermont Division of Historic Preservation in Montpelier

presents
Art & Architecture of the New Deal in Vermont.

Join Devin Colman, State Architectural Historian at the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation in Montpelier as he presents Art & Architecture of the New Deal in Vermont. His illustrated talk explores the New Deal art and building programs of the 1930s, with an emphasis on projects undertaken in Vermont. A graduate of Colby College, Colman earned his MS in Historic Preservation at the University of Vermont. This presentation is free and includes admission to the Museum’s summer exhibition Crash to Creativity: The New Deal in Vermont.

This presentation is free and includes admission to the Museum’s summer exhibition Crash to Creativity: The New Deal in Vermont.

Study for Maple Sugar Industry, Vermont, 1939 Peppino Gino Mangravite (1896-1978) Oil on canvas, 33 x 37 inches “Lost Vermont Images” collection of Lyman Orton at The Vermont Country Store

The days were dark as the Stock Market Crash of 1929 took its toll on the country in the early 1930s. It has often been said that the Depression didn’t have much impact in Vermont. “Depression, what Depression?” was the quip. Vermont had always been a hard-scrabble place and the Depression just forced farmers and shop-keepers into a local barter-based economy. But the state of Vermont was not spared. Many of those in the towns, as well as those living by the land, saw their lives crumble before them.

However, 1934-1944 was also a time of immense creativity and innovation in the Green Mountain State. Artists, architects, writers, construction workers, and civil employees, whose work was funded through Federal New Deal programs, helped to document the state’s history, record the conditions of contemporary life during the Depression and recovery, and build infrastructure that continues to benefit us today.

On view at the Bennington Museum from June 30 through November 4, Crash to Creativity: The New Deal in Vermont sheds light on the important, under-studied aspect of Vermont’s history, focusing on the role these many government sponsored New Deal projects.