Bennington Arts Weekend
August 4,5,6, 2019
The names are a veritable Hall of Fame of American artists from Robert Frost to Martha Graham to John Gardner, Shirley Jackson, Kenneth Noland, Bernard Malamud, Pat Adams, Jules Olitski, to Norman Lear. And, they have made Bennington, Vermont synonymous with arts, culture, and history.
Frost is buried in Bennington, he wrote STOPPING BY THE WOODS five miles away in Shaftsbury. Later, painter Ken Noland lived there before selling the house to TV writer/producer Norman Lear.
Novelists Bernard Malamud, John Gardner, and Nicholas Delbanco taught, while writing acclaimed novels, at Bennington College.
Dancer/choreographer Martha Graham practically invented Modern Dance at Bennington and the painters Noland, Jules Olitski, and Pat Adams changed and extended modern art.
Ms. Jackson wrote classic short stories and novels, while Emmy winning theatre, film and television director James Goldstone directed world premieres for Bennington’s Oldcastle Theatre Company.
David Gil continued the long tradition of creating extraordinary pottery at his Bennington Potters.
Actors, musicians, playwrights, sculptors, and dancers have been helping to make this beautiful town of Bennington VT, nestled in the Green Mountains, a lively, arts effused town for decades.
Great artists creating surprising art continues in Bennington today and it continues to attract national attention. Year after year the National Center for Arts Research and other organizations name Bennington as one of the most vibrant arts communities in the nation.
The Oldcastle Theatre Company is in its 48th season of producing professional theater in Southern Vermont. Tony, Oscar and Emmy winners have graced their stage, as has composer Philip Glass .
The Sage City Symphony is one of the finest community orchestras in the country The Vermont Arts Exchange brings internationally renowned musicians to downtown.
The Bennington Museum is a nationally recognized for both its art and history collections and also boasts one of the most exceptional concert series in the region. In addition to the treasures listed above, Bennington is home to several galleries including Fiddlehead, Catbird Studio, The Beyond, the highly acclaimed Suzanne Lemberg Usdan Gallery at Bennington College, the Bennington Museum’s many galleries and the Lobby Gallery at Oldcastle Theatre.
The arts are alive and well 52 weeks each year in Bennington Vermont. Each summer these artists along with a host of others from across the country take center stage for the Bennington Arts Weekend. The festival attracts thousands for three days featuring 125 exhibitors, ranging from art, painting, photography, and sculpture, to leather, textile, glass, and furniture makers, along with a food market. As a visitor, you get to meet the artists and makers. You can hear their stories and get to know them personally before bringing one of their art works home with you. The weekend began in 2008 as a way to celebrate Bennington arts and culture combining an arts and crafts festival with 4 Corners North Vermont Homebrew Festival.
A rich and vibrant home brewing community adds liquid refreshment to the panoply of plays, classical, jazz and folk concerts. Come indulge in a host of delightful Bennington restaurants to choose from to top off a fun and unforgettable weekend of culture, art, good food and drink.