For Immediate Release:
Bennington Museum
Contact Alexina Jones, Director of Advancement
ajones@benningtonmuseum.org
Kicking off the summer at Bennington Museum
“Vermont Vice” the major summer exhibition at Bennington Museum sponsored by Terrigenous Architects, opens to the public on May 30th.
Vermont is seen in the public imagination as an idyllic rural paradise, largely free from the darker elements of humanity. However, anyone who has lived here or studied our state’s history knows that this is not true. Vermont has always been home to many of the same issues that plague any other place settled by humans, ranging from counterfeiters, rum runners, and drug abuse to girlie shows, illicit gambling, and murder. “This was our starting point as we conceived this exhibition,” explains Jamie Franklin, Museum Curator. “But it is never a straightforward issue. The definition of “vice” has shifted over time. Behavior condemned in one era has often been tolerated or even condoned in another. The boundaries between respectability and transgression have always been porous. The issues examined in this exhibition still affect our lives today. And let’s be honest: it’s fun learning stories about our state’s naughty past!”
“Vermont Vice” will explore these issues and more from the 18th-century through the 20th-century, featuring art by Ray Materson and Susan Meiselas and archival materials from the Museum’s collection including a recently acquired collection of material from the Green Mountain Racetrack in Pownal.
Come for the art, and stay for the concert.
Bennington Museum Announces the Summer Concert Line-Up
Beginning the first weekend in June, the Museum’s newly renovated Courtyard will come to life for the season with the return of the popular outdoor Friday night Concert in the Courtyard series.
Bennington Museum is pleased to announce the summer 2026 Concerts in the Courtyard line-up with styles ranging from jazz to folk to bluegrass to rock. With support from an anonymous grant, thirteen regional performing groups have been selected from nearly 100 applicants to play the popular outdoor summer music series at Bennington Museum.
The Museum makes a point of choosing at least 50% new artists each year. This summer, popular returning groups include the local Velvet Wave with instrumental surf-rock covers; SIRSY, the powerhouse singer/songwriter duo from the Saratoga area; award-winning Nisky-based folk-rock artist, Girl Blue; Eric Kufs and his soul/rock group from Greenwich; Cambridge, NY bluegrass by Big Stone Gap; and, back by popular demand, the classic cover band led by Mike McMann. Newcomers include two funk/soul groups: Tops of Trees and Soul Porpoise; Country/Blues artist Erin Harpe; two original folk/Americana duos: The Honey Badgers, and Keegan James Blood; and Mowgli Gianitti and the Heavy Nettles visiting home from Burlington.
Check out the Museum website for more information on the performers and links to listen. All performers are paid for their time, but the public can enjoy these talented musicians free of charge!
Performances will begin Friday, June 5th and run through August 28th with a rain date on hold for September 4th. The Museum will also provide free children’s activities, will have beverages available for purchase, and delicious savory personal-sized pies will be for sale by the Sage Pizza Co every Friday except the first, where the Four Chimneys will step in for a guest pop-up.
All events take place from 5-7pm and the Museum will remain open during these hours (regular admission applies). In the event of rain, the concerts will be cancelled by noon- check Facebook or call the Museum for updates.
But what’s going on in the parking lot?
The Museum reached full funding for the first phase of their Century Campaign last fall for the “visitor approach” which includes the parking area, pedestrian access, and the courtyard. Contractors have been working throughout the winter and in earnest this spring.
“We have high hopes that the parking lot will also be complete by June 5th,” says Alexina Jones, Director of Advancement, “but even if it isn’t quite ready, we have alternative spaces down the hill and across the street thanks to the generosity of our friends at the Monument Elementary School (after school hours, of course). The courtyard is magnificent though, and we are counting on nice weather and a great turn out for the first public event in this new space! Remember to bring your own chairs.”
ABOUT BENNINGTON MUSEUM
Bennington Museum collects, interprets, and celebrates the creativity and culture of our region across time. Key highlights include primary resources from the Battle of Bennington, pristine 19th century Bennington ceramics, the 1863 Jane Stickle quilt, and the largest public body of work by famed American artist Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses. Bennington Museum is open every day except Wednesday, 10am to 4pm (and until 7pm on summer Fridays).
Admission is $17 for adults, $15 for seniors, and youth aged 17 and under are free. The Museum participates in Blue Star Museums (free for active duty military their families), Museums for All (free for SNAP Card holders and their families), and passes for two people may also be checked out from your local library.