where natural history meets art
Guest post by Kari Jo Spear, Photographer, Novelist, and Daughter of Bob Spear
I can’t remember the first time I ever heard the “M” word. The fact that we were going to have a museum in the family happened very slowly, after a great many permutations and plot twists, and by the time it was a reality, it felt like it was meant to be from the beginning.
But it didn’t start out that way.
Continue reading “The Bird Carver’s Daughter (Part 3: Something’s Going On Here…)”
Tue, April 24, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Birds of Vermont Museum, 900 Sherman Hollow Road, Huntington, Vermont 05462
What counts as a Bird “home”? Nest? Roost? Habitat? Territory? Ecosystem?
Homeschoolers and vacationing children are invited to join us at the Museum to find out more as we craft our interpretations of “home” for a bird. Best for ages 3-10.
$10 members, $15 non-members. Fee includes admission for child and one accompanying adult. Please pre-register by calling (802) 434-2167 or emailing museum@birdsofvermont.org
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)”
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:
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
Ages 0-5: Tom
Ages 6-8: Anna, Katie, Hayley and Morgan
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
Ages 6-8: Ethan, Maria, Isabella, Maxwell, Mary, Leah, Carter, and Elizabeth
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)”
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:
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| 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!
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| 10am – 4pm daily 900 Sherman Hollow Road, Huntington, VT 05462 museum phone: 802.434.2167 |
Welcome to our May-June 2011 exhibiting artist: Lori Hinrichsen. Her show, “Familiar Ground: monotypes, intaglios and photography inspired by nature”, opened at the Museum May 1st, with the opening day of our 2011 season.
Lori grew up in Iowa and attended the University of Kansas, graduating with a degree in Theatre, Film and Video. Lori spent several years exploring the US, living and growing her art from California to Vermont. This included being a resident artist in Mendocino, at the Vermont Studio Center, and at the Virginia center for Creative Artists. She first joined the Museum community last fall as a judge for the 2010 Annual Youth Art Contest.
Lori has a studio at Shelburne Pond Studios, where she works with printmaking, painting, fabric, and ink. She writes:
Much of my time is spent exploring and connecting with the land and the sky, from meandering paths along the rugged coastline, to breathing in the intoxicating smells of evergreens and fresh rain, to the star-filled desert skies that touch the earth. I feel a deep reverence for the ordinary, for the sensual ecstasy as each season unfolds. My work is in response to this intimate awareness and observation of nature which reflects the moment, engaging the present.
Come by and view her art and photography any day from now through the end of June. We are open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Free with admission to the museum ($6 for adults, discounts for children, seniors, and members).
About the artist: http://lorihinrichsen.com/
This competition is open to persons aged 0 – 18 years old.
First, second, and honorable mention prizes will be awarded in the following categories (most are age-based):
Winners will be announced at the Museum at our Fall Festival, Saturday October 8, 2011.
Winning entries will be displayed (with artist and parent approval) on the BOVM website or our Facebook page after the festival.
Entries may be picked up at the Museum after Nov. 1, 2011.
We welcome sponsors of our art contest! Contact us if you’d like to donate funds (to purchase prizes) or prizes (we do ask that we get to vet these first).
Past sponsors have included farm and garden stores, art supply shops, artists, and museum members.
Call (802 434-2167) or email us (museum@birdsofvermont.org) if you can sponsor the show.
You saw the rules. You saw the preview. You saw last year’s results and the Letter to Young Artists. Now, finally, you can find out Who won in 2010?
Age 0-5: Melody B, Lily K, Kenny F, Anna P, Olivia O
Ages 6-8: Noah B, Cooper H, Jake B, Petra B, Celeste B
Ages 9-13: Lena H, Anna-Sophie S, Lexi P, Amanda G, Kate O
Ages 14-18: Christina H, Lindsay F, Hannah G
Sculpture (3-D): Shannon H, Allison G, Alexander U, Hannah D, Melissa A
Collage (First Graders): Kameron C, Mary M, Cater F, Ian M
Flying Patterned Birds: Will P, Nicholas M, Caroline S, Caleb R, Carter S, Myiah D
3-Dimensional Flying Foil Birds: Makenna T, Isaac D, Jackson E, Shannon H, Amy L, Kyle D
Georgia W for “Best Kestrel”; Clementine for “Cutest Penguin”; Lily for “best Mallard”; Leola A for “Cutest Couple”; Kenny for “Best Cardinal”; Aziana H for “Best Happy Owl”, and David A for “Best Woodpecker”
For more images, check out our album at Facebook. Feel free to leave comments here or there.
Can you guess what bird Bob Spear will make from this block? Hints may follow in later posts or comments, but please don’t let that keep you from sharing your ideas.
