BRATTLEBORO — The Gallery at the Garden in downtown Brattleboro features two new exhibits for the month of November: The Golden Cage, an exhibit of photographs and interviews focused on Vermont's dairy farmers and migrant workers, and The Beauty of Relaxation, with creations by Maureen Mansfield.
The gallery is located at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden, home of Strolling of the Heifers, at 157 Main St. The gallery is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except during special events at the River Garden.
The Golden Cage is a portrait of Vermont dairy farmers and the hidden lives of their migrant Mexican workers, in the form of photographs and interviews, created by the Vermont Folklife Center. The concept and interviews are by Chris Urban and the photographs by Caleb Kenna.
Migrant Mexican farm workers began arriving on Vermont dairy farms about 15 years ago and continue to work in the state, often living hidden lives, according to a press release on the show. Through photographs and intimate interviews, this exhibit strives to create a portrait of dairy farmers and their Mexican employees and offers a glimpse into their interdependent lives.
This installation is sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council as part of “Latino Americans: 500 Years of History.” This public programming initiative is produced under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association (ALA) as part of “The Common Good: The Humanities in the Public Square.”
The Beauty of Relaxation presents a collection of peaceful creations exposed through artwork as a means to reduce stress, by Maureen Mansfield.
Mansfield began making art as a teenager in rural Poughkeepsie, N.Y., creating charcoal sketches of the Hudson Valley. Inspired and encouraged by her mother, Mansfield's love for art grew as she continued to develop her skills using oil and acrylic paints. She continued to develop and broadened her artistic skill by paying homage to landscapes of the Adirondack Mountains, the Northwest coast, and Southwestern areas of our country.
Mansfield has lived in the Brattleboro area for more than 30 years and became interested in watercolor here. She signed up for her first formal class in art with local artist Karen Becker.
Her artwork is currently displayed in the Oncology Department at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital where she works.