The Arts Are Alive and Well in The MRV
Valley Arts is the center for the arts and the hub for creative activity in the MRV
While the summer of 2020 has been unlike any other, there are still many ways to appreciate and participate in the arts. Valley Arts and the rest of the arts community have been incredibly creative making sure there are safe options to engage locals and visitors alike. Clearly the arts are the perfect antidote for what we are all experiencing these days. Here’s a look at what’s on tap in the MRV art world.
The Bundy Modern Gallery has a new exhibit with large scale, new paintings by career artists; Patrick Dunfey, Pam Glick, and Richard Jacobs that will be on display through the middle of October. The Bundy Gallery is open anytime by appointment only, call or text 802-777-2713. The beautiful grounds are open Saturday and Sunday from 12-5.
Art in the Village is one of the unique galleries that makes the MRV such hotbed of the arts.
On August 1 (the 2ndis the rain date) Valley Arts will present the Secret Garden Tour. Visitors can see spectacular private gardens on a self guided tour of places that the public doesn’t normally have the opportunity to visit. The impressive American Flatbread gardens are also part of the tour, complete with organic vegetables, chickens, turkeys, and young piglets! In each of the gardens you will find artists’ work displayed or in process.
The Artisans’ Gallery is owned and operated by five partners working with 150+ Vermont artists in Historic Waitsfield.
The 13th anniversary of popular Mad River Valley Plein Air Festival is set for August 14-15. It’s a chance to meet and talk with artists, working in various mediums, who gather for days of painting in the great outdoors. The event culminates with an outdoor exhibition of paintings.
Valley Arts is in the planning stages of a banner design competition, open to artists from all over Vermont . They are offering cash prizes to artists for the best design of a banner that promotes the interconnectivity of arts and community. The winning banner will be produced and prominently displayed in downtown Waitsfield. Stay tuned for more details
As we look towards the fall painters are invited to enjoy two days of painting with Hunter Eddy, one of the more celebrated realist painters in the country. Trained at the Florence Academy of Art, he became a principal painting instructor and taught for many years in the advanced painting program for the academy. His paintings have won numerous awards and are frequently featured in publications. The two-day workshop will focus on interpretation of the still life covering topics such as composition, color interpretation, brush handling and the depiction of light in a painting. The workshop is intended for individuals familiar with oil painting materials and the class size is limited.
The Bundy Modern Gallery is open by appointment as are there spectacular grounds.
The Mad River Valley has an array of amazing art galleries to explore. In downtown Warren you’ll find Art in the Village right next to the “nearly famous” Warren Store. If you love color and all sorts of art, this a must visit. From there take a drive up the spectacular Lincoln Gap Road and stumble on in to Moosewalk Studios. There you will find oil and watercolor paintings by award-winning artist Gary Eckhart, and the fine art photography by Roarke Sharlow. This charming and intimate gallery frequently features select works by guest artists.
Saturdays in the summer are highlighted by the Waitsfield Farmer’s Market which features a variety of artisans plying their crafts. Stop on by their nicely, socially-distanced arrangement to see the creative fruits of our local arts community.
Moosewalk Studios is situated in the midst of five acres of pristine property on Lincoln Gap Road, known throughout Vermont for its scenic beauty at any time of the year.
On Bridge Street in downtown Waitsfield you can visit the Artisan’s Gallery, an artist-owned cooperative started over 25 years ago is now home to 150+ artists and their quality art and craft. Take a walk around the corner and on to Route 100 and you’ll notice some enormous sculptures by renowned artist John Matusz. It’s a great example of the kinds of places you will stumble upon as you explore the rest of the rest of the Mad River Valley. Keep on the lookout for studios hidden in some unlikely barns, homes and sheds that are the discoveries that make the MRV such an alluring place for art lovers.
You can also enjoy the work of many local artists simply by frequenting our local retail shops which sell or display their work. Heck, even our gas stations have beautiful artwork, The Village Grocery is an MRV art experience not to be missed. All Things Bright & Beautiful has amazing hand-painted ornaments at their unique Bridge Street shop.
Sculptures made from found metal abound in and around The Village Grocery (aka The VG). keep your eyes open as you’ll see Troy’s handiwork all over town in the most unlikely of places.
Many of our local restaurants such as Worthy Burger Too, American Flatbread, Lawson’s Finest and Three Mountain Cafe are decorated with work of our amazing, local artists.
