BELLOWS FALLS-The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC), in partnership with Rockingham Arts & Museum Project (RAMP), will host a panel discussion about the past, present, and future of the Bellows Falls "island" on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 1 p.m., at the Bellows Falls Waypoint Center, 17 Depot St.
RAMP founder Robert McBride will moderate the discussion, which will include geologist David Howell, archeologist Gail Golec, architect Dan Scully, artist Charlie Hunter, and photographer Susan Mikula.
The inspiration for the event is an exhibition of Mikula's photographs of the Bellows Falls island, curated by Hunter and currently on view at BMAC.
"At BMAC, we are always on the lookout for opportunities to facilitate conversations of significance to the Windham County region and beyond," BMAC Director Danny Lichtenfeld said in a news release. "This event, which brings together people who can share a range of perspectives on the island's past, present, and future, is a great example of that."
The "island" is a 30-acre shelf of bedrock situated along the Connecticut River in downtown Bellows Falls. Mikula explored and photographed the island over many months using old Polaroid cameras and expired instant film. Her dreamy and ghost-like images are featured in the exhibition ISLAND, which is on view at BMAC through Feb. 9.
The Bellows Falls island has been defined by human manipulation for centuries. It was once a gathering, ceremonial, and burial place for the Indigenous inhabitants of the region. Originally a peninsula bounded on three sides by the river, it became an island in 1802 with the creation of the Bellows Falls Canal. Railroads, resort hotels, farm machinery, armament manufacturers, paper mills, and busy roadways have come and gone.
The Bellows Falls Waypoint Center, which was designed by Scully, opened in 2003 in connection with the Federal Highways Scenic Byway Program to provide visitors a window to the past and a jumping off point to explore the Connecticut River Valley.
"We're fortunate to be able to hold this event in this building on the very island where Susan Mikula took her photos," McBride said. "My intention is that it will very much be a conversation, an opportunity for participants to talk and learn about the many facets of this place, Bellows Falls, and the greater area."
Admission to the panel discussion is free, but space is limited and advance registration is required at brattleboromuseum.org or 802-257-0124, ext. 101. Prior to the event, attendees are encouraged to watch the video of a talk given by Mikula and Hunter at BMAC last November. The video is available at brattleboromuseum.org.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.