Sunday, October 30, 2011
Although I'm sure this image is hard to see, I had to post it because it's the map of the Shelburne Museum "campus." I knew it was an outdoor museum but nothing could have prepared me for this very special place. I was so determined to get here today that I left the Haitian PeaceQuilt opening early yesterday, and ran the slight risk that I would run into inclement weather. Why? Today is the last day of Shelburne's season. They close at 5:00 today until next spring. It was do or die so I did! And it was well worth it! For those who have been to the Shelburne, no explanation is necessary; for those who have not been, there are no words to describe. It is just incredible. My pictures from this jaunt to Vermont are here.
Although I'm sure this image is hard to see, I had to post it because it's the map of the Shelburne Museum "campus." I knew it was an outdoor museum but nothing could have prepared me for this very special place. I was so determined to get here today that I left the Haitian PeaceQuilt opening early yesterday, and ran the slight risk that I would run into inclement weather. Why? Today is the last day of Shelburne's season. They close at 5:00 today until next spring. It was do or die so I did! And it was well worth it! For those who have been to the Shelburne, no explanation is necessary; for those who have not been, there are no words to describe. It is just incredible. My pictures from this jaunt to Vermont are here.
My first destination was the "Infashion: High Style, 1690-2011" exhibit at the Webb Gallery. The first garment I saw was a gown by contemporary designer Christian Siriano. It was extraordinary, featuring layers of delicate tulle that was all hand dyed and hand sewn in layers to create a gradient effect. It was the dress in real life shown on the banner on the left which is posted in front of the gallery. Well! That was just the beginning. I was treated to a "run way" show of haute couture gowns from the mid-late 19th Century to today. Some Charles Worth and Emile Pingat gowns were there alongside those by Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, and others. They were all elegant, embellished with beautiful sequins and embroidery. A number of dresses were grouped together as "garden party" attire.
The "Complete the Look" exhibit was of eight vintage bodices from Shelburne's collection paired with skirts designed by FIT students. It was old meets new, and very well done!
Another exhibit featured a collection, of 1950's dresses worn by the museum's founder, Electra Havermeyer Webb. A poodle skirt embellished with appliqued motifs telling her life's story was my favorite. Others included the gown she wore when celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary and the dress she wore to her granddaughter's debutante ball.
Lastly, there was a collection, "Head to Toe, of hats, bonnets, shoes, handbags and fans from the 18th and 19th centuries. Part of this collection was haute couture outerwear. Some of these capes by Emile Pingat were elegant -- so delicate and beautiful.
Another exhibit featured a collection, of 1950's dresses worn by the museum's founder, Electra Havermeyer Webb. A poodle skirt embellished with appliqued motifs telling her life's story was my favorite. Others included the gown she wore when celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary and the dress she wore to her granddaughter's debutante ball.
Lastly, there was a collection, "Head to Toe, of hats, bonnets, shoes, handbags and fans from the 18th and 19th centuries. Part of this collection was haute couture outerwear. Some of these capes by Emile Pingat were elegant -- so delicate and beautiful.
Detail of Alphabet Soup, Joan Lintault
The Hat and Fragrance Textile Gallery called my name next. About 60 or so quilts from the Shelburne's collection were on exhibit. Also, "Passion for Quilts: Joan Lintault Collects" was on exhibit. It included three quilts she designed and made. They are incredibly detailed and simply beautiful works of art. I wish there were more than three. I think I could have stood there for an hour fixated on Lintault's work alone. But, since she had donated a number of quilts from her personal collection, I still had more to see. I was overwhelmed! The amount of exhibition space available in just this one gallery is amazing. Although the NEQM houses quilts exclusively, the number of quilts on exhibit at the Shelburne far exceeds what the NEQM has space for.
Jacquard Loom
After I left the quilt exhibits, I wasn't necessarily on a mission to go any special place. I was just strolling around and saw a sign that said "Weaving Shop." Well, that sounded pretty good, so I went on in. What the HELL! There was a real Jacquard Loom in there! No kidding, I almost lost my mind. Although the loom is operated most days, today it was not. I had a chance to speak with a woman who knew all about it and she showed me the "cards" and tried to explain how it worked. I understand the card system, but don't really get how the punched holes work to determine the yarn placement and ultimately create the pattern. This loom has a pattern made with 700 cards. I was able to purchase a small piece of cloth that was made on the loom. It's not very big, only the size of an over-sized place mat, but I don't care!
I didn't want to leave the Sheburne, but I wanted to get close to home before dark. The nor'easter that hit while I was gone dumped 8" of snow on Lowell. I didn't know what I might find, although I was pretty sure the roads would be dry because the day today was warm and sunny. In fact, for a day that could have been very snowy and cold, I had a beautiful warm day at the Shelburne. It was about 50 degrees and sunny!
On my way home, I drove right by a Ben & Jerry factory. I did the only thing any ice cream lover could have possibly done: I stopped and took a tour, which of course included the ice cream tasting room. I saw the six stainless steel drums that hold 50,000 gallons of ice cream mix. All that ice cream! Really! A sight to behold!
I drove home to Lowell seeing more and more snow as I traveled south. After I got off the highway, I encountered many stoplights that weren't working. That was really something because I'm not familiar enough with this area to even know where they are and it was very dark. There were also many tree limbs littering the sides of the roads. Still more tree branches were hanging so low that it looked like they wouldn't clear my car. It would have been very scary if it hadn't been a Sunday night when the traffic was light. When I arrived home, Marriette and Jim told me most of Lowell was out of power. Thankfully, they only lost electricity for a short time.
On my way home, I drove right by a Ben & Jerry factory. I did the only thing any ice cream lover could have possibly done: I stopped and took a tour, which of course included the ice cream tasting room. I saw the six stainless steel drums that hold 50,000 gallons of ice cream mix. All that ice cream! Really! A sight to behold!
I drove home to Lowell seeing more and more snow as I traveled south. After I got off the highway, I encountered many stoplights that weren't working. That was really something because I'm not familiar enough with this area to even know where they are and it was very dark. There were also many tree limbs littering the sides of the roads. Still more tree branches were hanging so low that it looked like they wouldn't clear my car. It would have been very scary if it hadn't been a Sunday night when the traffic was light. When I arrived home, Marriette and Jim told me most of Lowell was out of power. Thankfully, they only lost electricity for a short time.
Nadege describes imagery she used in her Biblical art quilt
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Today was the official opening for our new exhibition, Patience to Raise the Sun: Art Quilts from Haiti & Their Power to Change Women's Lives. We all arrived early this morning to prepare for the program and reception. At 10:30 docent training was held by the curator, Pam Weeks. She had previously sent out the docent guide and so there was some discussion about what other information the docents would like to have.
Later in the morning, the VIPs from Haiti PeaceQuilts began arriving. They included founder Jeanne Staples, quilting coordinator Maureen Matthews McClintok, Haitian quilt artist Nadege Florian, and Bennington Museum Curator of Collections Jaime Franklin. We greeted them and an informal gallery tour and light lunch followed.
Today was the official opening for our new exhibition, Patience to Raise the Sun: Art Quilts from Haiti & Their Power to Change Women's Lives. We all arrived early this morning to prepare for the program and reception. At 10:30 docent training was held by the curator, Pam Weeks. She had previously sent out the docent guide and so there was some discussion about what other information the docents would like to have.
Later in the morning, the VIPs from Haiti PeaceQuilts began arriving. They included founder Jeanne Staples, quilting coordinator Maureen Matthews McClintok, Haitian quilt artist Nadege Florian, and Bennington Museum Curator of Collections Jaime Franklin. We greeted them and an informal gallery tour and light lunch followed.
Nadege sewing a missing button on the "Piti Piti" quilt.
When we received the quilts for the exhibit and did the condition reports on them, I noticed two buttons were missing from one quilt. Jaime found one of the missing buttons in his gallery and we rounded up another. Nadege took a few minutes to do the repair, sewing on the missing buttons. She also repaired a treadle sewing machine in the museum by replacing a worn out belt with a new one made of braided fabric. Quite resourceful!
After lunch the presentation began. NEQM Director Connie Barlow and Susan Wornick, a local celebrity and anchorwoman, gave opening remarks. Jeanne told us the story of how she came to form PeaceQuilts and the purpose behind the organization. She was joined by Maureen and Nadege who talked about the formation of the cooperatives, how quilting skills are taught to the Haitian women, and the impact they have had on the lives of so many. Nadege, who used a translator, unveiled her latest creation, an art quilt with a Biblical theme. The presentation was followed by a reception. Haitian music, story telling, and quilting lasted the rest of the afternoon. This event was very well attended and a lot of fun!
I had plans this afternoon to leave for Vermont after the opening. BUT, there is a big storm on the way, a nor'easter they say. To avoid getting caught in a snowstorm, I left a little early, so I missed out on the story telling and music. When I left, it began raining, then the little slushy stuff we all hate to see started hitting my windshield. I was really nervous even though all the weather maps showed Vermont was out of the storm's path. We are already hearing reports of the huge snowfalls in Pennsylvania and other states south of us. By the time I reached the New Hampshire border, the skies were gray, but the rain and slush had stopped. I arrived at my destination, a little inn in Stowe, Vermont a few hours later. The inn keeper said he thought they may get a "dusting" that night, which meant an inch or two of snow. He was right. Below is a picture I took the following morning!
After lunch the presentation began. NEQM Director Connie Barlow and Susan Wornick, a local celebrity and anchorwoman, gave opening remarks. Jeanne told us the story of how she came to form PeaceQuilts and the purpose behind the organization. She was joined by Maureen and Nadege who talked about the formation of the cooperatives, how quilting skills are taught to the Haitian women, and the impact they have had on the lives of so many. Nadege, who used a translator, unveiled her latest creation, an art quilt with a Biblical theme. The presentation was followed by a reception. Haitian music, story telling, and quilting lasted the rest of the afternoon. This event was very well attended and a lot of fun!
I had plans this afternoon to leave for Vermont after the opening. BUT, there is a big storm on the way, a nor'easter they say. To avoid getting caught in a snowstorm, I left a little early, so I missed out on the story telling and music. When I left, it began raining, then the little slushy stuff we all hate to see started hitting my windshield. I was really nervous even though all the weather maps showed Vermont was out of the storm's path. We are already hearing reports of the huge snowfalls in Pennsylvania and other states south of us. By the time I reached the New Hampshire border, the skies were gray, but the rain and slush had stopped. I arrived at my destination, a little inn in Stowe, Vermont a few hours later. The inn keeper said he thought they may get a "dusting" that night, which meant an inch or two of snow. He was right. Below is a picture I took the following morning!
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