Vermont Folklife Center

Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Celebration—a success!

Hundreds of curious visitors streamed through Union Station in Burlington this past Saturday to see the fruits of 20 years of support to traditional artists in VT through our Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. They were treated to live music by fiddlers, Koto players, and vocalists as well as dance performances from the Tibetian, Burundian, and Somali Bantu communities. Demonstrations in blacksmithing and stone carving were ongoing throughout the afternoon—with additional presentations by granite carvers, basket makers, flower arrangers, weavers, and more happening regularly inside Union Station. Those that stuck around late into the afternoon were treated to a free meal prepared by the Somali Bantu community.  Master blacksmith, Lucian Avery summed it up when he wrote to us the following day: “I had a hard time leaving and I still missed most of what I wanted to see. I think the most inspiring part was just being around all the inspired people, folks with sparkles in their eyes.”

If you missed us on Saturday, but want to learn more—you can view multimedia stories about Lucian and several of the other participants on our website: www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/education/apprenticeship/

Join us for our Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Reunion Event on Saturday, April 13th from 1PM-5:30PM at Main Street Landing, One Main Street, in Burlington, VT.

The reunion celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the our Apprenticeship Program—supporting the continuation of Vermont’s traditional culture—old and new.

Over 30 past program participants will be on-site for arts and crafts demonstrations in stone carving, basketry, blacksmithing, weaving, flower arranging, and more, as well as a full program of traditional musical and dance performances, throughout the afternoon.

If you’re hungry, there will be local food vendors from Vermont’s New American communities offering an array of traditional dishes.

Entry is free and open to the public—a great event for kids and adults, alike!

Here’s the day’s schedule of events:

Demonstrations:

• 1:00 Lucian Avery, New England Blacksmithing
• 1:30 Mediha Jusufagic, founder and director, Bosnia Lilies Dance Troupe
• 2:00 George Kurjanowicz and Heather Milne Richie. Barre granite sculpting
• 2:30 Jesse Larocque, Abenaki black ash pounding and finishing
• 3:00 Jeanne Brink, Abenaki brown ash and sweet grass basketmaking
• 3:30 Michiko Oishi and Ikue Suzuki, Ikebana, Japanese flower arranging

Performances:

• 1:00 Hilari Farrington, Irish button accordion, and Benedict Koehler, Irish Uillean pipes
• 1:30 Beth Telford, Cape Breton fiddling
• 2:00 Aline Niyonzima, leader, Burundian Dance Project
• 2:30 Beny Nduwayo, Burundian song
• 3:00 Kyoko Davis and Michiko Oishi, Japanese koto
• 3:30 Michele Choiniere, Franco American song

Ongoing demonstrations (All afternoon):

Outside:

• Fred X Brownstein, marble sculpting
• Jerry Carruba, New England blacksmithing

Inside:

• Ela Kabura, Burundian embroider
• Rose Diamond, New England handweaving
• Jeanne Brink and apprentices Valerie, Megan, and Emily Boles, Abenaki brown ash and sweet grass basketmaking

Special performance from 4:00 to 5:30, Somali Bantu wedding band, Walinja.

 
Join us on Thursday, January 24th, at 7:00 PM for a gallery talk by photographer Mary Claire Carroll who will describe the process of creating photographic portraits for the “Labor of Love” exhibit, on display this month in the Vermont Folklife Center’s Vision & Voice Documentary Workspace.
 
Over the years Mary Claire Carroll has worked as an activist in the areas of women’s rights and economic security. This advocacy opened connections to organizations across the state that are working to improve the lives of women and their families. These connections inspired Mary Claire to start a project called “Women Helping Women” for which she photographed and interviewed 30 women whose work—paid or volunteer—improves the lives of Vermont women.  “I wanted to honor the women who did this work,” observed Mary Claire, “and to educate the larger community of Vermont about the issues these women face every day.”
 
Since completing this project, which was 10 years in the making, Mary Claire has actively sought opportunities to use photography to help others tell their stories as a form of advocacy. In 2011, for example, she collaborated with members of Vermont’s disability community to create the “Living Connections” exhibit, which tells the stories of Vermonters—with and without disabilities— and the connections they make that support and nurture them. 
 
In her gallery talk on January 24th, Mary Claire will describe her approach to portraiture as well as the creative challenges and opportunities presented by the “Labor of Love” exhibit.
 
The Vision & Voice Documentary Workspace is located in the Vermont Folklife Center headquarters building at 88 Main Street in Middlebury. Gallery hours are 10:00 to 5:00 Tuesday through Saturday. For information about “Labor of Love” and its program series, call (802) 388-4964 or visit our Website www.vermontfolklifecenter.org.

Vermont Folklife Center hosts “Labor of Love” exhibit in celebration of 25th anniversary of Vermont Works for Women
 
The Vermont Folklife Center is pleased to announce the opening of “Labor of Love,” which will be on exhibit in the Vermont Folklife Center’s Vision & Voice Documentary Workspace January 4 through 26. A reception for the exhibit will be held on Friday, January 18, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
 
The “Labor of Love” exhibit was created by Vermont Works for Women in collaboration with the Vermont Folklife Center in celebration of Vermont Works for Women’s 25th anniversary. Pairing portraiture and interview excerpts, “Labor of Love” recognizes and honors women who are passionate about their work, who are an inspiration to others, and who exemplify excellence in their field. 
 
The honorees come from all parts of Vermont. They are farmers, doctors, tattoo artists, college presidents, electricians, and general store clerks. They hail from Newport to Vernon. They are young and young-at-heart, well-known and not.
 
“Through Labor of Love, we have the invaluable opportunity to discuss our experience of work … so let’s do it!” exhorted Tiffany Bluemle, Executive Director of Vermont Works for Women. “Let’s talk about the choices we’ve made and the twists and turns of our individual journeys. These are stories worth sharing. And, because storytelling is an act of communion between two or more people, it has the potential to forge relationships that can support us over the long haul.”
 
“Labor of Love” features portraiture by Mary Claire Carroll in combination with excerpts from interviews conducted by young women from around Vermont and produced by the Vermont Folklife Center. Mary Claire Carroll will describe her approach to photography and the process of creating the exhibit images in a gallery talk at the Vermont Folklife Center on Thursday, January 24, at 7:00 PM.
 
The “Labor of Love” project was made possible by support from the Vermont Women’s Fund and FairPoint Communications. The Middlebury exhibition is supported by Chellis House, Women’s Resource Center, Middlebury College; Clementine; Ingrid Punderson Jackson Real Estate; Macintyre Fuels; and the Vermont Bookshop.
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The Vision & Voice Documentary Workspace is located in the Vermont Folklife Center headquarters building at 88 Main Street in Middlebury. Gallery hours are 10:00 to 5:00 Tuesday through Saturday. For information about “Labor of Love” and its program series, call (802) 388-4964 or visit the Website www.vermontfolklifecenter.org.

14th Annual Gingerbread Competition-Winner’s Announced!

Thank you to everyone who participated this year…and everyone that visited (we tallied almost 2,000 people coming through our door during the exhibition)!  The gingerbread creations were a true sight of creativity, ingenuity, and in some cases, gingerbread engineering.  We’re already looking forward to next year!

2012 Winners

Organization “Hansel & Gretel Arrive”

By: Helen Porter Nursing Home Residents & Staff

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Most Delicious “Hansel & Gretel Cottage & Cookie Cottage”

By: Tina Wiles

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Best in Show “Forest Bird Family”

By: Eileen & Krystian Gombosi

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Most Creative Application of Theme “Witches Stew”

By: Harley Downey-Teachout, Rachel & Denny DeCoff

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People’s Choice “Christmas Cruise”

By: Emma & Catriona Craven-Mathews, Nora McLaughlin, Carolyn Craven, & Peter Mathews

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Adult Amateur “Trojan Sheep (Lamb-a-lot)”

By: Michael Pockette

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Family with Children 12 and older “Christmas Cruise”

By: Emma & Catriona Craven-Mathews, Nora McLaughlin, Carolyn Craven, & Peter Mathews

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Family with Children 11 & younger “Santa’s Fire House”

By: Connor, Alison, & Steve McNamara

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Children “The Gingerbread Schoolhouse”

By: Daniel Wiles