SHELBURNE, Vt. (March 11, 2024) — This season, Shelburne Museum will present New England Now: Strange States, an exhibition showcasing the mysterious and ethereal dimensions of New England’s identity. The exhibition features 12 multidisciplinary artists whose works delve deep into the inner realms of the psyche, inviting visitors to critically analyze the complexities of our reality. New England Now: Strange States is on view May 11 through October 20.

Ghostly folklore, supernatural phenomena, and eerie legends have long shaped New England’s cultural landscape, fostering an atmosphere where intellectual and creative liberation thrives. Strange States explores the region’s haunted landscapes, historical settings, and the ongoing influence of luminaries like Shirley Jackson and Stephen King. New England’s spectral charm continues to be a wellspring for artists seeking boundless realms of creativity beyond the ordinary.

“New England Now: Strange States invites visitors to embark on a journey into the unknown, exploring the intricate tapestry of our collective imagination,” said Curator Carolyn Bauer. “The artists weave together a dreamscape that challenges preconceptions and invites us to reconsider the essence of our region and the broader world.”

The exhibition features recent and new artwork by prominent New England artists including Bianca Beck, Sarah Meyers Brent, Nicole Duennebier, Lauren Fensterstock, Arghavan Khosravi, Laura Kramer, Jennifer McCandless, Allison Maria Rodriguez, Farzaneh Safarani and Bahareh Safarani, Emilie Stark-Menneg, and Tara Sellios. Additionally, the exhibition experience expands outside the exhibition’s walls with sculptures by Bianca Beck on the museum’s campus.

New England Now: Strange States is the third installment in the New England Now series, launched by the museum in 2018. The series aims to highlight artists challenging preconceptions and themes about the region. Previous exhibitions focused on the evolving landscape and diverse identities shaping New England communities.

Image caption: Emilie Stark-Menneg, Iris Spring, 2022. Acrylic and oil on canvas, 80 x 100 in. Courtesy of the artist.

High-resolution images available HERE.

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, Grandma Moses, John Singleton Copley and many more. For more information, please visit shelburnemuseum.org.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Leslie Wright
Director of Marketing and Communications
Shelburne Museum
lwright@shelburnemuseum.org

Kristen Levesque
Kristen Levesque Public Relations
kristen@kristenlevesquepr.com

 

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