Exhibit: VAPA at 50

VAPA at 50 considers the history and future of the College’s iconic Visual and Performing Arts Center, designed by architect Robertson Ward. Curated by architecture faculty emeritus Donald Sherefkin and Garrick Jones ’94, the exhibition features archival documents, a scale model of VAPA, and creative responses to the building by Bennington College students and alums on the occasion of its semicentennial.

Bound in Verse: Artists’ Books and the Poetic Imagination

Bound in Verse explores the rich intersection of poetry and artists’ books with a selection of works from Crossett Library’s collection that reveal the artists’ book as a uniquely intimate space for the blending of artistic vision and poetic imagination. Artists’ books featured in the exhibition include poetry by Will Alexander, Farid Aldin Al-Attar, Pablo Neruda, and Anne Waldman, ’66, and artwork by Islam Aly, Barry Moser, Jia Sung, Sky Hopinka, and more. 

Open Office Hours

Academic Services (Barn 106 and Barn 120), Career Development and Field Work Term Office, Financial Aid, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Student Life.

Welcome

President R. Danielle Egan offers welcome remarks with an introduction by Associate Dean and Director of Integrative Wellness, Dr. Ali Tartaglia.

Harvest Dinner

Dine with your student and enjoy flavorful dishes featuring sustainably sourced products from Purple Carrot Farm as well as other local farmers and producers provided by the Dining Services team.
Cost: $35 per person; $14 per child 4-12 years old; You may pre-register or pay at the door.

Local and Alumni Band Show

Featuring Start Again, Immune Friction, and Like Bunny - a night of great local music for all!

Breakfast

Dine with your student and enjoy flavorful dishes featuring sustainably sourced products from local farmers and producers provided by the Dining Services team.
Cost: $16.50 per adult guest; $8.25 per child 4-12 years old; may pre-register or pay at the door.

Registration and Information

Bound in Verse: Artists’ Books and the Poetic Imagination

Bound in Verse explores the rich intersection of poetry and artists’ books with a selection of works from Crossett Library’s collection that reveal the artists’ book as a uniquely intimate space for the blending of artistic vision and poetic imagination. Artists’ books featured in the exhibition include poetry by Will Alexander, Farid Aldin Al-Attar, Pablo Neruda, and Anne Waldman,’66 and artwork by Islam Aly, Barry Moser, Jia Sung, Sky Hopinka, and more. 

Life After Bennington

Hear from several decades of Bennington alumni about their post-graduation journeys and, at times, unusual career paths and how Bennington prepared them for what they’re doing now. The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A.

Exhibit: Judith Belzer—Walking Project: Animal, Vegetable, Mineral

Primarily a painter, Belzer has expanded her practice to include walks, intentional actions during which she collects natural and human-made objects to present on tabletop displays. Animal, Vegetable, Mineral is the first exhibition featuring this strain of Belzer’s production. The artist, who started her college education at Bennington, considers her collecting to be “an antidote to our throwaway culture and to nature’s own tendency to shed things like leaves or seeds.” Arranging her findings into intuitive configurations, Belzer finds that objects otherwise considered worthless take on a new or heightened value in relationship with one another—starting “small yet revelatory conversations.”

Aluminum Pour Demonstration

Come share in the experience of an aluminum pour outside of the Sculpture Department with the students of the intro Sculpture class examining space taught by John Umphlett. This event will happen on the north side of the VAPA building just outside of the Sculpture Department. Catch the excitement and beauty when molten aluminum fills the students’ prepared sand molds and interacts with experimental performances. During this event, you will learn and observe the many tasks involved in a successful pour. The students will take turns switching among these various important and critical tasks. Come also watch as the class collectively helps prepare and pour a class designed Architectural Medallion to commemorate VAPA’s 50 years. Come join us or just pass by for this exciting community event! Preparation will begin for the pour starting at 10:00 AM, with the first pour set to happen around 1:30 PM. This event will go until all molds are poured and finish up around 6:00pm.

Explore Jennings Music Library

The Music Library holds approximately 18,000 items, including LPs, CDs, scores, books, reference volumes, videos, periodicals, and archival recordings. Emphasis is on classical, jazz (improvisation), 20th and 21st century, and world music. It houses a rare collection of 20th century scores by Latin American composers, and an extensive collection of rare LP recordings which includes jazz LPs from the 1940s through 1990. The library contains numerous works of distinguished faculty composers (former and present) including Henry Brant, Louis Calabro, Allen Shawn, Vivian Fine, Otto Luening, Betsy Jolas, Joan Tower, and Lionel Nowak. Students may browse and check out materials, as well as study, use the Listening Room, or meet with friends and collaborators, during the Library's open hours.

Exhibit: VAPA at 50

VAPA at 50 considers the history and future of the College’s iconic Visual and Performing Arts Center, designed by architect Robertson Ward. Curated by architecture faculty emeritus Donald Sherefkin and Garrick Jones ’94, the exhibition features archival documents, a scale model of VAPA, and creative responses to the building by Bennington students and alums on the occasion of its semicentennial.

Lawn Games for Students

Alumni and Local Artisan and Craft Fair

Faculty Workshop: "Community Dye Event" 

Faculty Workshop: "How Scientist See Molecules" with Fortune Ononiwu

Faculty Workshop: The Scriptorium: A Critical Thinking and Writing
Laboratory with Alex Creighton

Faculty Workshop: “Open Rehearsal - The Comeuppance by Branden
Jacobs-Jenkins” with Shawtane Bowen

Cider Pressing & Faculty Demonstration

Dinner

Carriage Barn Music Series presents: Larry Ochs Trio

Exhibit: Judith Belzer—Walking Project: Animal, Vegetable, Mineral

Primarily a painter, Judith Belzer has expanded her practice to include walks, intentional actions during which she collects natural and human-made objects to present on tabletop displays. Animal, Vegetable, Mineral is the first exhibition featuring this strain of Belzer’s production. The artist, who started her college education at Bennington, considers her collecting to be “an antidote to our throwaway culture and to nature’s own tendency to shed things like leaves or seeds.” Arranging her findings into intuitive configurations, Belzer finds that objects otherwise considered worthless take on a new or heightened value in relationship with one another—starting “small yet revelatory conversations.”

Brunch

Dine with your student and enjoy flavorful dishes featuring sustainably sourced products from local farmers and producers provided by the Dining Services team.  
Cost: $16.50 per guest; 4-12 years old $8.25; may pre-register or pay at the door.