At the last two Pawlet Select Board meetings, folks showed up to complain about the mysterious dismissal. If you missed these meetings, you can watch them here:
(This is the Nov. 28th meeting; for the public comment on the library go to time code 44:30)
Lots of folks had wonderful things to say about Lyndsi Barnes’ performance as the Pawlet Librarian over the past two years, as well as her impressive resume. At one point Sue LaPorte gave the Select Board a collection of letters of support for Lyndsi Barnes. (20 letters? I think? It’s a little hard to hear.)
During the Nov 14th meeting library board member Grace Larson gives us our only clue as to any possible rationale behind the firing saying “there was a disconnect between the programming and welcoming community members to use the library resources.”
If being not “welcoming” was a longstanding problem, I think you have to wonder why the Library Board unanimously voted to give the librarian a raise only a week before.
But let’s assume this assertion may truly get to the heart of the debate: whether, over the last two years our community felt welcomed to the public institution of the library. So I’m asking the question: is there anyone out there who has felt unwelcome in our library?
“We have been investigating,” said Select Board Chair Mike Beecher during a recent meeting. “We’re taking this all very seriously.”
I’m so glad. Because in the history of our town I can’t recall the last time a firing like this took place, and certainly not one so controversial. Our town needs- and deserves- transparency on this issue.
I encourage everyone who cares about the Pawlet Library— and transparency in our town governance— to show up at the next Library Board meeting and ask for an explanation: it takes place next Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 5:30PM at the Pawlet Library.
EveNSteve is excited to announce the opening of their newest outdoor exhibition, An Echo of Affection, which takes as its subject the covered bridges of Vermont and the stories we tell about them.
The exhibit is at the Hayfield Art Gallery at 671 River Road in Pawlet, Vermont, which is open dawn till dusk, free and open to the public. Works may be viewed by driving by or by walking the mown trail through the field. A response to the isolation demands of the pandemic, the Hayfield Art Gallery is the creation of EveNSteve, the husband and wife team of author Eve O. Schaub and artist Stephen Schaub.
Covered Bridges are the subject of the newest exhibition in Pawlet
“We wanted to focus on covered bridges in these new artworks,” says artist Stephen Schaub, “because they are special places; they are an unusual hybrid of indoors and out. They have a particular feeling to them, almost like a sacred space. And they represent transition: the moving from one stage to another. Which is very fitting, I think, for this moment in time.”
The artworks feature monumental photographs, “in-camera colleges on film” as Schaub terms them, coupled with brightly colored, hand-painted text which floats in and around the imagery. The photographs are mounted on large placards in the field so as to hold up to the elements and be visible from a distance.
One of five monumental artworks in the Hayfield Art Gallery
Also part of the exhibition, the Schaubs have installed what they call “the smallest covered bridge in the world,” which sits mid-exhibition and features information about the exhibit, as well as a shady spot to pause.
“We hope everyone will come out to see the exhibit whether just driving by, stopping for a walk, or bringing a picnic to enjoy the artwork and the landscape by the side of the beautiful Mettawee River,” says Eve Schaub.
It was in May of 2020 EveNSteve installed their first hayfield artwork entitled “My Heart is Very Big” on the land across the street from their home and art studio, as “a gift to our friends, neighbors, and community.” Over time the installation grew to encompass five monumental outdoor artworks in the field.
“What began as a temporary solution to reach viewers during quarantine has evolved,” Eve Schaub explains. “Now it is an exciting and creative way to reach new audiences. It brings our art out of the gallery and into everyday life.”
World’s Smallest Covered Bridge. Probably.
The Hayfield Art Gallery has been the subject of news stories on NBC Boston News 10, New England Cable News, WTEN Albany ABC, and WCAX Burlington CBS, as well as articles in Seven Days, the Rutland Herald, and the Times Argus.
EveNSteve’s outdoor art gallery is free and open to the public, open dawn till dusk; it is located at 671 River Road in Pawlet Vermont. An Echo of Affection will be on display until Spring of 2023. For more information visit their website at www.evensteve.com or call 802-287-0287.
If you live in Pawlet, no doubt by now you’ve heard of the proposal to erect a monument on the Town Green in commemoration of a pivotal Revolutionary War moment known as “The Pawlet Expedition.” This idea will be voted upon in the upcoming election on March 1 under the final article on the ballot, Article #32.
No doubt you, like I did, have questions. Here are a few answers:
Artist’s rendering of the proposed monument. The figure is for scale and will not look exactly like this
How big is the proposed monument?
Including the pedestal, approximately seven and a half feet tall. A bit taller than a person.
Will it overwhelm the Town Green?
This is an important question because, as Town Greens go, ours is certainly on the small side. But to get a feel for what it might be like, check out this image of the proposed monument in place (below).
This image is to demonstrate monument scale, but not necessarily placement
Does Pawlet already have a monument to the Pawlet Expedition?
Yes. There is a large rock with a plaque on it, which sits in front of the North Pawlet schoolhouse which houses collections of the Pawlet Historical Society.
So isn’t one monument enough?
Here’s the problem: who sees that monument, exactly? Have you ever stopped by to read it? I’ve lived in Pawlet for the last 25 years, including several years I was a member of the historical society board which met in that very schoolhouse. I’ve never read it. I’ve never seen anyone reading it.
Because the placement of this plaque is on fast-moving Route 30, with no place for visitors to park or any real reason to stop, this monument doesn’t really function the way a monument should: which is to draw our attention to a piece of history.
The article as it appears on the ballot for March 1
Is this history worth emphasizing?
This is the real question. And really, it’s a very subjective question, because whether or not one feels we should be highlighting this moment in history depends on a whole bunch of individual questions: how do we feel about war? How do we feel about this particular war? How much do we want to focus on Pawlet’s history as opposed to our present or future?
My personal feeling is this: history is important. Like, really, really important. And this particular moment is history is worth talking about, and worth sharing with visitors to our community. History is also complicated. What I like about the plan to build this monument is that it will encourage complicated conversations about our history that might not have happened otherwise.
Monuments can be very controversial things these days. But, I don’t believe we have to give up on them entirely, or silence the conversations they engender- quite the opposite. We should welcome the open discussion of history and all the fallible, complicated people in it.
What will it cost?
Probably a whole pile of money. BUT! due to fundraising and grant-writing efforts of volunteers, there will be no cost to town taxpayers.
I know this is important so let me say that again: there will be nocost to town taxpayers.
Sure, but what are the hidden costs?
Well, what have been the hidden costs of the rock with the plaque at the North Pawlet Schoolhouse? I’m guessing none. Maybe someone will have to spray it with a hose after mud season, but as I understand it, bronze is pretty durable.
Does the Pawlett Historical Society support this?
They do not officially support this proposal. But with all due respect, I can’t remember the last time they supported anything, can you?
Does the Pawlet Select Board support this?
The fact that it’s on the ballot should tell you one thing: that they want to know what the voters think before deciding.
So what’s the upshot?
During the course of my time in Pawlet, I’ve noticed that the town seems to go through these cycles regularly. We ask questions, raise ideas, and try to plan for our future. Questions like: do we want to invest in turning the three-room schoolhouse into the new public library? Do we want to support school choice for all who live here? Do we want to put the effort in to restore our historic Town Hall?
All three of these questions were, at one time, highly divisive and controversial in our community, but I’d argue that, once carried out, all of these investments in our town have made it a better, more engaging, equitable, and interesting place to live. And that’s my opinion about the proposed monument as well.
Want to know more?
Here’s the proposed plaque text, which is not finalized, but gives you a good idea of the history and its importance:
The public is invited to a free Artist Walk and Talk on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 3PM at the Hayfield Art Gallery at 671 River Road in Pawlet. Early arrivers are welcome to picnic or stroll along the picturesque Mettawee River. Viewers of all ages are invited to come enjoy The Dollhouse Family and the Black Strawberry, currently on display.
The outdoor art gallery is the creation of EveNSteve, the husband and wife team of author Eve O. Schaub and artist Stephen Schaub, and was installed in the hayfield across the street from their home and art studio during 2020, as “a gift to our friends, neighbors, and community.”
“Art helps us to make sense of the world,” Eve Schaub said. “We both felt strongly that during times of uncertainty we need art more than ever.”
The artworks featured are monumental film photographs taken by Stephen, hand-painted with text written by Eve, and then attached to outdoor scaffolding to withstand the Vermont elements as best they can. They include one that reaches thirteen feet in height and another that is thirty-four feet long.
Since opening in 2020, the Hayfield Art Gallery has been the subject of news stories on NBC Boston News at Ten, New England Cable News, WTEN Albany ABC, WCAX Burlington CBS, and articles in Seven Days, the Rutland Herald, and the Times Argus.
The Dollhouse and the Black Strawberry, composed of six monumental works, is on display through spring of 2022.
“During the last year, our world, like that of so many people, had shrunk until it became more or less restricted to the size of our house.” Eve says. “We wanted to make a series of artworks that spoke to this unusual and fraught time, and my old childhood dollhouse reminded us that the process of play has much in common with the process of making art.”
Each work in the series features a different character from the Dollhouse Family and addresses a different theme: of looking outward, of looking inward, of transformation and revelation.\
The event will take place on Sept. 18 at 3 PM rain or shine. The Hayfield Art Gallery is free and open to the public. For more information please visit evensteve.com or call 802-287-0287.
EveNSteve are very excited to announce that our hayfield art exhibit in Pawlet has been receiving outstanding regional and national media attention! We are now featuring four monumental works of art on River Road, perfect for drive-by viewing. Additionally, we have a parking area and a walking path for those who would like to walk the field and see the works up close. Free and open to the public, this temporary art exhibit is on display as a gift to our community during this challenging time.
To see what people are making of Pawlet’s hayfield art exhibit, check out the three news clips below…
The hayfield exhibition has now grown to be part of a larger series of monumental, outdoor works which we are calling Monuments to Now. The most recent piece, a thirteen-foot tall artwork, has just been installed on the front lawn of the Bennington Museum as part of the NoBoss Sculpture exhibition which will be on display till November. Check out the 2+ minute video below to see the installation process last week!
Selections for current TV media:
Recent installation at the Bennington Museum, Vermont as part of the NoBoss sculpture exhibition.
Drive down River Road and you can see the latest version of the Hayfield Art Gallery now featuring three monumental works by Pawlet residents EveNSteve.
Artwork number three has just been installed and stands an impressive 13 feet high by 42″ wide. Entitled Two Strong Girls, it features a black and white image of two girls by a lake, with handwritten text in cobalt blue. In compliance with pandemic safety protocol, the artwork is fully visible for viewing by car, but visitors are also welcome to park in the adjacent gallery parking lot and walk the mown path which connects the three outdoor artworks.
EveNSteve is delighted and gratified that the hayfield exhibition, which is free and open to the public, has been getting lots of attention in the media. We were very excited to be interviewed by Cassie Hudson of WTEN Albany ABC TV, (Above) as well as the subject of recent feature articles in Seven Days, The Rutland Herald, and The Times Argus. Stay safe and stay tuned!
For more information about EveNSteve visit EveNSteve.com
We all need art and creativity to help make sense of the world, especially during a time of crisis. But so many things are online by necessity now. How can people experience art without the involvement of a screen?
Because my husband Steve and I create art together, we’ve been thinking about this issue a lot.
Then recently we thought: drive-byartwork. Yes!
Driving down River Road, residents of the area will now notice the result of our efforts: a ten foot by 42 inch artwork placed in the hayfield across from our house. Entitled My Heart is Very Big, it is intended as a gift to our friends, neighbors, and community, a work of art that people can enjoy while still following quarantine regulations and being safe.
The work is meant to be legible from the road, and depicts an image of a woman in a field carrying a basket. Around her are painted the words: My heart is very big. Sometimes I wonder if it is big enough.
We hope to make more artworks to display in the field; people are welcome to park in the parking lot of Indian Hill Gallery (671 River Road) if they would like to approach the works on foot. We hope the works bring a positive art experience to folks during this unusual and challenging time.
Come see it!
For more information about My Heart is Very Big or other artworks by EveNSteve, please visit EveNSteve.com.
pawletvermont.com 