2011 marked the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. Still commemorating this event two years later, PBS recently rebroadcast Ken Burns’ epic 1990 documentary The Civil War. Steven Spielberg’s 2012 film Lincoln recounted the president’s efforts to obtain passage of the 13th Amendment to formally abolish slavery. And now we have Ransom: A Musical Play of Vermont’s History in the Civil War at Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier, opening this Friday, April 26.... Read more

Walk into Stowe’s West Branch Gallery this month, and you’re immediately faced with opposites: the ethereal gesture drawings of Sarah Horne, and the weight and color of Clark Derbes’ sculptures. Yin and yang, soft and hard, subtle and bright, sweeping circles and tight grids, female and male. It’s an appealing juxtaposition in which the two artists’ works complement each other. Individually, their pieces sing; together, they harmonize and pull you in for a closer look.... Read more

Imagine watching van Gogh as he attacks the canvas. Or Matisse, his scissors careening through bright paper. Or shirtless Picasso, splashing Prussian blue on canvas. Their time is long gone, but there are still opportunities to observe artists in the act of creation. Glen Coburn Hutcheson is offering just that in his brand-new Storefront Studio Gallery in downtown Montpelier.... Read more

Vermonters seem to show artwork in just about every nook and cranny — even in the hallway and offices of a public access TV station. “Hey, They Can Really Draw a Line!” is the title of an exhibit currently at ORCA Media in Montpelier’s City Center. ORCA is a nonprofit television production facility that provides public, educational and governmental programming to the residents of central Vermont. And now, it’s also a gallery space for selections from the Waskowmium — that is, the extensive art collection of Barre resident Mark Waskow.... Read more