SHELBURNE, Vt. (May 18, 2026)—To mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Shelburne Museum is highlighting works in the collection that symbolize, idealize, and mythologize a nascent America.
“Shelburne’s collection of American material culture includes numerous works rooted in the origins of our country. Patriotic themes form a throughline from the 18th to early–20th centuries at the Museum and narrate a rich history of the United States,” said Thomas Denenberg, the John Wilmerding Director and CEO of Shelburne Museum.
Shelburne’s curators have assembled a self-guided tour throughout the museum’s American paintings, folk art, and textile galleries that, for the most part, look back through a nostalgic lens and carry the patriotic narrative forward. A series of lectures is being offered through the summer and fall that also focus on patriotic themes.
The self-guided tour is divided in three broad themes: America the Beautiful: Portraits, Landscapes, and Genre Paintings; By the People, for the People: Patriotic Folk Sculpture; and A Patchwork Nation: Patriotic and Log Cabin Quilts.
America the Beautiful: Portraits, Landscapes, and Genre Paintings in Webb Gallery of American Art highlights key works that celebrate the people, places, and events of American history. Installed throughout the gallery, the exhibition features portraits of notable figures by major artists, sweeping views of the nation’s diverse landscapes, and scenes of everyday life and cultural moments that together reflect the richness and complexity of the American experience.
By the People, for the People: Patriotic Folk Sculpture at Stagecoach Inn explores a rich array of utilitarian and decorative objects, from ship carvings and weathervanes to tavern signs. These three-dimensional works reflect a deep-rooted sense of national pride, honoring heroic figures such as General George Washington and personifying inspiring symbols like Liberty and the bald eagle. Created by largely self-taught artists, these objects embody an earnest, imaginative patriotism that is as varied and spirited as the nation they celebrate.
A Patchwork Nation: Patriotic and Log Cabin Quilts in the Dana-Spencer Textiles Galleries at Hat and Fragrance presents a selection of bedcovers from the museum’s collection adorned with bald eagles, stars and stripes, and abstract patterns drawn from distinctly American experiences. The exhibition in the west gallery highlights the many variations of the Log Cabin pattern, a motif often linked to the origin stories of two U.S. presidents, underscoring how textiles can convey both national identity and enduring cultural mythologies.
Upcoming events include:
“Handwork and Headwork: Quilts in America at 250” lecture with Katie Wood Kirchhoff, the Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen Curator of American Decorative Arts. Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education, Thursday, June 11, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Vermont Symphony Orchestra, America 250 Concert, Saturday, July 4, 7:30-9:00 p.m., museum concert field.
“Folk Nation: Crafting American Identities” with Emelie Gevalt, Deputy Director and Chief Curatorial & Program Officer at American Folk Art Museum, Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education, Friday, August 7, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
“The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution” lecture with Zara Anishanslin, Associate Professor of History and Art History, University of Delaware. Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education, Saturday, September 19, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
“Exploring the Colonial Revival: Prentis and Stencil Houses” guided tour. Tour the interiors of these early 19th-century homes, which were reinterpreted in the mid-20th century to reflect Shelburne Museum founder Electra Havemeyer Webb’s interest in colonial-era architecture and decorative arts. Offered daily at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
Please visit the website for more information and details.
About Shelburne Museum
Founded in 1947 by trailblazing folk art collector Electra Havemeyer Webb (1888–1960), Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont, is the largest art and history museum in northern New England and Vermont’s foremost public resource for visual art and material culture. The Museum’s 45-acre campus is comprised of 39 buildings including the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education and Webb Gallery featuring important American paintings by Andrew Wyeth, Winslow Homer, Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses, John Singleton Copley and many more. Construction is underway for the Perry Center for Native American Art, designed in partnership with Indigenous voices and devoted to the stewardship and exhibition of the Native American art in the museum’s care, scheduled to open in 2027. For more information, please visit shelburnemuseum.org.
IMAGE: Unidentified maker, George Washington on Horseback, early 19th century. Carved and painted wood, leather, and brass, 21 1/2 x 21 x 7 in. Collection of Shelburne Museum, museum purchase, 1950, acquired from Mary Allis. 1961-1.232. Photography by Andy Duback.
For high res images please click here.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Leslie Wright
Director of Marketing and Communications
Shelburne Museum
lwright@shelburnemuseum.org
802-985-0880
Kristen Levesque
Kristen Levesque Public Relations
kristen@kristenlevesquepr.com
207-329-3090