Opening June 2
Drawn from Shelburne Museum’s extensive permanent collection, Pattern & Purpose brings together twenty masterpiece quilts made between the first decades of the 1800s and the turn of the twenty- first century, ranging from carefully-pieced Lemoyne stars and embroidered “best quilts” to more recent “art quilts” by contemporary makers.
A. Elmer Crowell: Sculptor, Painter, Decoy Maker explores the artistry and innovation of the acclaimed carver’s ornamental birds. Drawing from Shelburne Museum’s renowned decoy collection, the exhibition features important milestones that chart the development of Crowell’s prolific artistic career, from the earliest miniature goose he carved in 1894 to the very last bird he made before retiring in the early 1940s.
Drawing heavily from Shelburne Museum’s permanent collection and supplemented by strategic loans from contemporary artists and private collectors, this exhibition will explore the creative ways animal forms have been adapted to create a wide range of beautiful and functional household objects. Ranging in date from the 18th century to the present day, the selected decorative art objects explore complex themes related to animal/human bonds, including domestication, emotional connections, and ethical treatment.
Featuring paintings and archival materials from the collections of Shelburne Museum and Bennington Museum in partnership with Grandma Moses Properties Co. Painting at Home with Grandma Moses marks a return of Shelburne Museum and Bennington Museum’s Collaboration and celebration of Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses and her incredible work.
