HANGING A SHOW TAKES A TEAM

Thanks to Jane and Jay for help in hanging the Cuban photographic images at the Darkroom Gallery… And thanks to all the Vermont photographers for lending their images of travel for the show at the Pickering Room.

Darkroom Gallery is OPEN F/S 11am - 4pm. Show runs till July 1, 2023.

Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington is OPEN during library hours by asking at the Front Desk. Show runs till July 6, 2023.

Thanks also to: Ken Signorelli at the Darkroom Gallery, Barbara Shattara at FFL, and folks at Green Mountain Camera, South Burlington.

CUBAN IMAGES - Join us!

Cuban Images by Cuban and Vermont artists abound! Such talent surrounds us as we strive for beauty in our world. Please join us at these two events to celebrate coming together again. The exhibition FOUR CUBAN PHOTOGRAPHERS is at the Darkroom Gallery, Essex Junction, VT and the VERMONTERS’ VIEWS OF CUBA is being held in the Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, VT.

As of today, we are still unsure of whether the Cubans will be able to get US visas in time for these events, but we are very priviledged to have their photos and the exhibition of 50 images is going up as you read this.

Plus we are delighted with the availability of the FFL Pickering Room to show off the images of Cuba that have been taken by Vermonters traveling to Cuba. The number of Vermonters traveling and photographing Cuba is impressive.

Other notes: We have a beautiful poster and Exhibition Book for sale. Of course the Images are for sale — with the money going to support the Cuban artist…. We also plan on videotaping the shows in order to create a media exchange if the in person exchange doesn’t quite happen… stay tuned!

And thank you to Green Mountain Camera for the printing!!!

Dark inky sky

three stars and a crescent moon

pure Joy!

Call to Artists

Vermonters’ Views of Cuba… This is a call to artists for a parallel exhibition to the FOUR CUBAN PHOTOGRAPHERS upcoming show to be at Darkroom Gallery in Essex Junction, VT June 3 thru July 1, 2023. Reception June 11, 2023 3-5pm.

The Vermonters’ Views of Cuba… show will be less formal but just as lively. Images do not have to framed, but must be ready for hanging. Depending on the submissions this could be a dynamic parallel to the Four Cuban Photographers (see images below). Please email: greentaraspace@gmail.com for an application form to submit your low-res image and information. This is all happening with a short-timeline! $10 submission contributions. Submissions DUE: May 28, 2023.

Also once you’ve sent me your images, please be ready to bring them to the Fletcher Free Library at 10am on June 5th for hanging! RECEPTION will be Friday June 16, 2023 from 4pm to 6pm in the Pickering Room.

Beauty calms the thrashing of the soul — James Hillman.

CAFÉxchange Project

GreenTARA Space is so happy to be moving forward on this Cuban-American Friendship Exchange project : CAFÉxchange for June 2023. This will be our main focus for the year.

 CAFS – the Cuban American Friendship Society in Burlington, Vermont, sponsored a recent visit to Havana to reconnect with several photographers that we met in 2020 before the Covid pandemic.  Our goal is to rebuild trust in a mutually beneficial exchange of cultural identity and aspiration for the future.

The team of CAFS, VICII (Vermont Institute of Community and International Involvement), The Caroline Fund, and Friends of GreenTARA, Inc. met with three of the four photographers that have been invited to visit Vermont as part of our program for community development and ongoing future exchanges.

 The Feb/March trip included meetings with Tomas Inda Barrera, Alfredo Sarabia Fajardo, and Yadira Ismael Sotomayor.  The fourth photographer Nadhiesda Inda Gonzalez will be coming from Argentina. 

Their work talks to the social contract we have with the environment, humanity, workers, and cultural constructions. The international level of their photographic art is world-class and we are very honored to be able to invite them to Vermont.

March into April !

Dear all,

I sit on the sunporch and watch the snow glow in the sun, this is what I love about March – it can be hot, but we have snow.  I should say finally.  Cancelling all the on ice and snow events for Great Ice 2023 was rough.  But for those who made it, the bonfire and fireworks were all the more special.

The Gallery has taken on providing a rotating installation of art works on the walls of Cathedral Square’s Bayview Crossing in South Hero.  The rotation to new pieces happens every several months.  So far we have shown work by Scott Brown, Maurie Harrington, the Feral Stitchers, and Jessica Scriver.  If you are interested, just send me an email.

Please note that while the works are for sale, access to seeing the art is through the building office as this is a secure residential building.

Other news: we are starting a meditation time in APRIL - on Tuesdays at 5pm, downstairs in the Video Temple. Hosted by Chico Martin, Majken Tranby, and Diane Gayer. All are welcome. Chico will do an intro for those who want 15 min beforehand. Free, but bring something to offer for the Food Shelf if you like.

GreenTARA Space is involved in a people-to-people exchange project to bring four Cuban photographers to Vermont, in June.  The recent trip to Havana confirmed how important exchanging cultural meaning is to a Vermont-Cuban aligned connection.  We have named the program: Cuban-American Friendship Exchange – CAFÉxchange.  The timing aligns with the Jazz Festival in Burlington - June 2023 - look for more on this once my computer is back up to functioning.

And further into the summer?  Look for pop-up art workshops – maybe Janet Fredericks with her Feral Stitchers?  Music - Mary McGinniss and The Selkies on Sunday August 20th?  It is all more fluid and flexible.

Meanwhile be well, stay safe, and enjoy the beauty that radiates in and around us…. as we channel it for the work that we must do. Diane

the Way... forward

Listening to the Hagakure, written nearly 300 years ago by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, translated by William Scott Wilson, and read by Brian Nishii reawakens everything. The title translates as “In the Shadow of Leaves” or “Hidden by the Leaves” and immediately I think of the Hindu stories under the name of Patanjali “a handful of leaves”…. Of course there are many stories we can learn from.

Hagakure summarizes the very essence of the Japanese Samurai bushido and breaks down the Japanese meaning to lead us into the Way, of the Chinese Tao.

In this vein of being our ultimate selves, and of being pure, free, forever - we are starting to offer meditation times in April - Tuesdays, 5pm. Please join us know if this is of interest; free; bring something for the Food Shelf if you want.

Always amazing!

The Lake is always amazing. I am in awe. And yes conditions in City Bay for Great Ice 2023 are a bit sketchy. The ice that was forming is now again changing and skating may be in trouble but the fireworks celebration on the 17th will happen… Check the Great Ice 2023 website for more details.

Saturday will offer a variety of activities - including watching the lake and sky! But not to be missed is the Ingalls Camp snowshoe walk starting at noon, followed by The Quarry Project Film at GreenTARA, 4pm. If you simply want another cup of coffee or cocoa, that’s possible too, upstairs in Main Gallery.

This is a perplexing time, we depend on winter for so many things. Adjusting to fluidity in our expectations takes energy but the result can be joyous spontaneity — so much easier to say than feel. Instead of skating or skiing across that incredible expanse of frozen beauty to get to Knight Island, I will simply try to adjust and breathe in the depth of reflection that water can be in any state of itself. We are that.

On View