Support and Sponsors – Page 11 – Birds of Vermont Museum

February 23, 2012

Bob Spear, Master Woodcarver, turns 92!

Bob Spear, Master Woodcarver and Founding Director of the Birds of Vermont Museum,
turned 92 on February 21st!

Bob Spear on his birthday. Photo ©2012 Robert Johnson; used by permission.

Bob is spending his winter in Florida, working on a new carving carvings, enjoying the sunshine, and watching birds. Gale left us a message on his birthday,
“We are just gathering here to chat [with visiting friends] before we go out for a birthday lunch. We got a good birthday going on here in Cedar Key. This is of course Gale, because Bob does not use cell phones. Hope all goes well in VT, we’re having a good time.”

We like as many excuses for birthday cake as possible, so we plan to celebrate Bob’s birthday again in the summer when it is sunny and warm. Watch the Museum’s calendar of events for details.

Many people have already donated $92 to the Museum to honor Bob on his birthday. The Museum greatly appreciates these donations. For those wishing to make a donation in honor of Bob, please send a check to

Birds of Vermont Museum
900 Sherman Hollow Road
Huntington, VT 05462

We can also accept donations online, through JustGive and our website.

Thank you!!

A Little History

Bob’s first carving was completed in 1938 when he carved a parakeet with just a penknife. This carving is on display at the Museum. He is also the author of the book, The Birds of Vermont, published in 1969 by the Green Mountain Audubon Society. In 1962 he was active in establishing the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington and served as its first director for seven years. In 1987 the Birds of Vermont Museum opened, finally showcasing the collection he’d started creating in 1979. At the time of the opening, the museum housed only 231 bird carvings. In addition to creating all the bird carvings on display, Spear also built the museum building and all the display cases. Bob is still carving, and the Museum will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year!

For more information about Bob’s accomplishments see http://www.birdsofvermont.org/carver.php

February 15, 2012

The Bird Carver’s Daughter (Part 2: the Pre-teen Years (or, Why I’m Not a Carver)

Guest post by Kari Jo Spear, Photographer, Novelist, and Daughter of Bob Spear

One summer when I was eight or nine years old, my father decided to give carving lessons. About a dozen people signed up, mostly teachers who knew him from the Audubon Society. But there were three people there who weren’t teachers–my mother, our eleven-year-old neighbor, and me. We met every Tuesday night in my father’s den. It was supposed to be a relaxed, casual gathering of people sitting in a circle making piles of shavings on the floor while they created a thing of beauty out of basswood as my father circled among them, offering his expert and benign advice.

Instead, it turned into a pain-filled bloodbath that caused me so much trauma that I have not even carved a jack-o-lantern since.

And most of it was the fault of the weather.

Continue reading “The Bird Carver’s Daughter (Part 2: the Pre-teen Years (or, Why I’m Not a Carver)”

January 15, 2012

Art Content 2011 Winners

Our 2011 wining artists are:

What a great year! We had first, second, third prize winners, some honorable mentions, and some of special note, e.g., “Best Chuckle” and “Most Like Marc Chagall.” Again, local art teachers in Chittenden County encouraged their classes, which always adds to the diversity and richness of the submitted art.

The winners are:

Traditional Media

Ages 0-5: Maeve, Ruby, Fiona, Cecily, Avery and Pace
Ages 6-8: Emma, Alyssa, Alex, Marlie, and Morgan
Ages 9-13: Carrie, Erin, Jordan, Brandon, Graham, Sevi, Jason,
and Breanna
Ages 14-18: Daniel and Chad

3-D

Ages 0-5: Tom
Ages 6-8: Anna, Katie, Hayley and Morgan

Watercolors and Resists (art class)

Ages 6-8: Macey, Zachary, Sarah, Sidney, Tyler, Lindsay, and Reece
Ages 9-13: Jasmine, Tyler, Color, Jake, Caitlin, Calvin, Jonah, Hannah, Olivia, Ben, Mikayla, and Sid

Masks (art class)

Ages 6-8: Ethan, Maria, Isabella, Maxwell, Mary, Leah, Carter, and Elizabeth

September 15, 2011

The Bird Carver’s Daughter (Part 1: The Early Years)

Guest post by Kari Jo Spear, Photographer, Novelist, and Daughter of Bob Spear

When I was a little kid, I had no idea my father would one day have his own museum. I didn’t even know he carved birds. I just knew that he spent a lot of time down in his den, sitting in an old, brown, leather rocking chair with wide wooden arms, making a huge pile of shavings on the floor in front of him.

I loved the shavings. They came in all kinds of interesting shapes. Some were short and flat, some were long and twisting. No two were just alike. I would sit on the floor and make jewelry out of them — the long, curly ones made good earrings, and the shorter, curly ones could be hooked together for a bracelet. Some even curled around my fingers for rings. The flat shavings lined up to become roads or fences for my imaginary animals. And if I ever needed one of a certain shape or size, I just had to describe it, and my father would whittle off what I needed. The block of wood in his hands was not remotely interesting, not compared to the ever-growing pile of shavings. If I thought about the block of wood at all, I thought he was carving it up just to make toys for me. Continue reading “The Bird Carver’s Daughter (Part 1: The Early Years)”

August 16, 2011

Hey Volunteers, C’mon Down!

We have some great opportunities coming up, but we need some help to take advantage of them. Could you volunteer for 2-4 hours on any of the following days and locations? All towns are in Vermont, and unless noted, we seek volunteers between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (your choice of hours). You could be company for a staff member, hand out museum information, provide demonstrations, share flyers, and more—there will always be someone to make sure you are comfortable. Of course, if there is some other time and date good for you, by all means, let us know.

If you can help, please email us or call us (802) 434-2167.

Thank you!

Out and About:
Saturday 8/20	Morrisville	Green Mountain Woodcarvers Annual Rendezvous Help staff our booth
Saturday 8/20	Burlington	Amtrak’s 40^th Anniversary Whistle Stop Help staff a table
Saturday 9/17	Shelburne	Shelburne Farms Harvest Festival Help staff our booth
Saturday 9/24 and/or Sunday 9/25	Woodstock	Woodworkers Festival Help with carving demonstrations or staff the booth during them
Saturday 10/1	Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area (Addison)	Dead Creek Wildlife Day Help with the booth, soap carving, birding tips
Here at the Museum:
Sunday 8/21 Sunday 9/4 Monday 9/5 Saturday 9/17 Saturday 9/24 (Museum Day) Sunday 9/25 and/or Saturday 10/1	Huntington (the Museum)	Help out at the museum with visitors and/or projects
Saturday 10/8	Huntington (the Museum)	Help with our Fall Festival and annual Used Book/Garage Sale. Play music, guide visits, play with kids, sell a book, find a white elephant…
Sunday 10/9	Huntington (the Museum)	Seek birds during the Big Sit or help with visitors or projects
Thursday 10/27 (evening)	Huntington (the Museum)	Help visitors orient themselves before and after the Keeping Track program.

June 24, 2011

Familiar Ground – extended through July 4th weekend

We’re pleased to extend Familiar Ground, Lori Hinrichsen’s art exhibit, through the July 4th weekend! If you haven’t seen it, now is your chance! Lori has also graciously extended a very generous offer: 20% of all sales benefit the museum. Pick up some fantastic art for you home or office. And thank you, Lori!

Here is an excerpt from Lori’s newsletter:

what is your wing span? come and find out at the Birds of Vermont Museum in Huntington!
[artist Lori Hinrichsen, wing span of a wandering albatross]

20% of art show sales benefits the museum

art show up through July 4 weekend!

10am – 4pm daily 900 Sherman Hollow Road, Huntington, VT 05462 museum phone: 802.434.2167

June 15, 2011

Carving Update: Bufflehead

As mentioned in the winter’s Chip Notes, we were eagerly awaiting the debut of Dick Allen’s Bufflehead Duck carvings. They are here!

Bufflehead Ducks are characterized as small, diving ducks that migrate through the region on their way to summer grounds in Canada and Alaska from wintering sites in coastal and southern United States and Central America. Inhabiting ponds and small lakes where they consume crustaceans, mollusks, and insects underwater, Buffleheads nest in aspen and poplar tree cavities created by Northern Flickers. The male Bufflehead’s striking triangular white patch extending from the eyes to the rear of the head inspired the bird’s name. The Bufflehead’s ability to achieve a near-vertical take-off from the water’s surface is another reason we take special notice of this notable species.

The male and female pair will take their places with other waterfowl near Dick’s pair of Lesser Scaups in the Spring Migration scene of the Wetland Diorama.

June 7, 2011

Blue-winged Teal is our 2011 Raffle Bird

Ready to win?

For this year’s raffle bird, we offer a wood and cork decoy, carved and painted by Leo LaBonte of Essex Junction, Vermont. The bird is about 10.5” from beak to tail, and looks lovely in its temporary home by our guest register. Many visitors have already commented that it would look even nicer in a permanent home (theirs!). Tickets are $1 each, or buy 6 for $5. You can buy tickets by phone, if you like!

Leo LaBonte started carving a little over 12 years ago. He is mostly a self-taught carver with one class under his belt that helped him to overcome a few hurdles and smooth out the process. He mostly focuses on decoy carvings but has also carved ducklings, small songbirds, and a few figurines. He has won numerous awards for his decoys including the Art Knapp Hunting Decoy Contest and the Thousand Islands Museum Decoy and Wildlife Art Show. In more recent years he has also taught his two sons to carve, resulting in 2 more award-winning carvers in the family. In 2009 both sons won awards at the International Wildfowl Carvers Association Young Guns competition!

Although generously donating the Blue-winged Teal to the Museum, Leo usually sells his decoys. He is in the process of putting together a website (under construction as of this writing). If anyone is interested in contacting Leo please call or email the Museum (802) 434-2167 and museum@birdsofvermont.org.

May 31, 2011

Wood Carving Class: An Eastern Bluebird with David Tuttle

Eastern Bluebird Woodcarving Class, taught by David Tuttle at the Birds of Vermont Museum

Beginners and experienced wood carvers are invited to this one-day carving class with David Tuttle of the Green Mountain Woodcarvers. We will carve and paint an Eastern Bluebird. Wood blanks, eyes, paint, snacks and coffee will be provided. Please bring your own lunch (and carving tools if you have them).

Best for teens and adults.

Fee: $25 for members of either the Birds of Vermont Museum or Green Mountain Woodcarvers; $35 for non-members.

Please pre-register (you can pay ahead or at the door) by calling 802 434-2167 or emailing museum@birdsofvermont.org

AIRTIMES

Bob Spear, Master Woodcarver and Founding Director of the Birds of Vermont Museum, turned 92 on February 21st!