BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) is throwing a party at Alyson's Orchard in Walpole, N.H., on Friday, May 4, at 7 p.m.
Retired geologist David Howell, co-author of “The Winemaker's Dance: Exploring Terroir in the Napa Valley,” will lead a tasting of wines from Australia and New Zealand. Hardy Foard Catering of West Chesterfield, N.H., will serve a tasting menu of savory, seasonal fare.
Donald Saaf and the Bluebird Orchestra, based in Saxtons River, will play a unique brand of traditional American roots music. And there will be a silent and live auction of wine-related items and local artwork. All proceeds from the event support BMAC's education programs.
Tickets are $65 and may be purchased at www.brattleboromuseum.org or by calling 802-257-0124, ext. 101.
In addition to presenting contemporary art exhibits and a wide range of cultural events, the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center runs a number of education programs for students and teachers in southeastern Vermont and the surrounding region.
“These programs do not receive a lot of publicity,” said BMAC Director Danny Lichtenfeld, “but they are vital to the fulfillment ofour mission, which is to inspire, educate, and engage people of all ages.”
Each year, according to Lichtenfeld, hundreds of students and teachers visit the museum on guided tours. During the summer, BMAC runs a professional development workshop for educators in visual thinking strategies, a teaching methodology that uses visual art to strengthen literacy and critical thinking skills.
In collaboration with Windham County's Early Education Services, BMAC administers the Head Start Arts Partnership, which sends professional artists into 14 Head Start classrooms, where they lead hands-on art activities with hundreds of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
For older students, BMAC is Vermont's statewide affiliate for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a prestigious national program that recognizes teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent. “Through these programs,” said Lichtenfeld, “we are enhancing the lives of thousands of kids and adults. Proceeds from the May 4 event will go a long way toward paying for the staff and artists who bring these programs to life.”
Among those who have donated artwork and other items to be auctioned off at the May 4 event are artists Eric Aho, Josh Bernbaum, Darren Honey, David Howell, Julia Jensen, Karen Kamenetzky, Mallory Lake, Jeff Lessels, Emily Mason, Petria Mitchell, Stephen Procter, Leonard Ragouzeos, Donald Saaf, Gabrielle Senza, Bob Taylor, and Julia Zanes; as well as Far Niente Winery, Walpole Winery, Hooper Golf Club, and Mount Snow.