St. Johnsbury Athenaeum January Newsletter

A Time of Transition

Student Reading The Athenaeum as an institution is addressing significant challenges as the consequences of our economic and market conditions become apparent. A result of this process is a recently announced restructuring plan, which implements plans to increase revenue, add endowment funds and reduce expenses and staff.

At the Athenaeum, reductions in staff are especially difficult, and many are saddened that this has happened. The Board of Trustees remains grateful to our staff, patrons, friends, trustees, business partners, donors, and sponsors who continue their support during this transition. Together, we will serve and sustain the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, our cherished community resource.

Annual Fund

It continues to be our goal, as stewards of this treasured institution, to provide innovative learning opportunities for our community members. These valuable programs are made possible through your generous support of the Annual Fund.

Please donate to the Annual Fund and allow us to thrive for another 140 years!

2013 Athenaeum Calendars on Sale Now

Our 2013 calendars are on sale now for $12.00 at the Athenaeum. Enjoy paintings from our fine art collection all year long.

2013 Arts and Culture Lecture Series Schedule

We are pleased to welcome members of our community and beyond to share their passions and present nine lectures and demonstrations. All programs begin at 7 PM. and admission is by donation.

The first lecture will be held on Wednesday, February 13 and features William Darling giving a lecture and demonstration on The Art of Intaglio Printmaking.

Intaglio is the family of printing and printmaking techniques in which the image is incised into a surface, and the incised line or sunken area holds the ink. It is the direct opposite of a relief print. Normally, zinc plates are used as a surface or matrix, and the incisions are created by etching, engraving, drypoint, aquatint or mezzotint. Collographs may also be printed as intaglio plates.
Source: Wikipedia

Biography: A professional artist and instructor for 25 years, Mr. Darling’s work is exhibited internationally. Notable commissions and permanent collections include: Shirakawa, Japan; The Art Students League of New York; Il Bisonte, Florence, Italy; and St. John’s Church, St Johnsbury, for his life-sized sculpture of Christ Crucified. He is a life member of the Art Students League of New York, and founder of the Intaglio Society. In addition, Bill conducts Intaglio Society workshops each spring in Florence, Italy and is an arts instructor for St. Johnsbury Academy.

Click here for a complete list of 2013 programs in this series.

Freshmen Capstone Project

The Athenaeum was pleased to welcome over 170 St. Johnsbury Academy Freshmen on December 7 to discuss the new Freshmen Capstone Project. The Athenaeum is partnering with the Academy to provide potential themes the students can utilize.
Potential themes include research on rare books, early children’s literature, historic architecture, Athenaeum’s and Ancient Cultures, digital tours and technology, and the public sphere. The students plan to present their projects in late spring. Executive Director, Matthew Powers is shown presenting the various themes to the students. Photo credit: Denise Scavitto

Acorn Club Receives $8,000 Grant

TD Bank, through the TD Charitable Foundation has awarded a grant for $8,000 to St. Johnsbury Athenaeum in support of their children's literacy program, the Acorn Club. Click here for the full press release.

Upcoming First Wednesday’s Schedule

American’s Foreign Policy Agenda
February 6, 2013 at 7:00 PM

Diplomat and Vermont State Senator Peter Galbraith considers international issues facing the country.

Early Photographs of Native North Americans
March 6, 2013 at 7:00 PM

Richly illustrated with nineteenth- and early twentieth-centry photos of Native peoples, this talk by UNH Vice Provost and professor Lisa MacFarlane explores the stories behind the iconic and often stereotypical images, providing a glimpse into the history of clashing cultures.

For the complete schedule, visit our events page.

Athenaeum to Receive Fiber Optic Upgrade

The Athenaeum is working with Vermont FiberConnect to bring increased broadband capabilities. Vermont FiberConnect is a public-private partnership and project between the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) and Sovernet Communications. The $33.4 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program will allow Sovernet to develop, own, maintain, and operate a 773 mile fiber-optic middle mile network in southern, central, and northeastern Vermont. The project will connect over 340 community anchor institutions in the project area, encompassing seven of Vermont's fourteen counties. The project will provide data transport services up to 1 GBPS.

This award represents significant support and partnership from the following: State of Vermont Office of the CIO, Department of Education and supervisory unions, Vermont State Colleges, Vermont Law School, Department of Public Safety, Department of Libraries, and the New England Telehealth Consortium and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Athenaeum Hosts the Vermont Community Foundation NEK Fund Reception

The Athenaeum was pleased to host members of the VCF and 24 organizations who received grants from the new NEK Fund. The Northeast Kingdom Fund was established at the VCF in 2011 to support charitable activities in Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia Counties. The Athenaeum received a $1,000 NEK Fund grant in support of the Acorn Club. Over $50,000 in funding was awarded by the 2012 NEK Fund. For additional information, visit www.vermontcf.org.