New exhibits at BMAC explore human relationships with the natural world
Five new exhibitions are now open at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC). The new exhibitions, which will remain on view through July 5, include solo shows by Jude Griebel, Robin Crofut-Brittingham, Deirdre Hyde, and Michaela Harlow, as well as the group exhibition “Test Plot(s).” Collectively, the shows explore human relationships with the natural world, environmental impact, and the interplay of organic and artificial materials.
In “Elegy for the Consumed,” which was curated by Sarah Freeman, BMAC direction of exhibitions, Griebel presents sculptures and drawings of non-human animals, from a prawn brandishing its lemon garnish to a monumental roasted chicken bearing a sprig of rosemary like a banner. Darkly humorous yet unsettling, the works examine the tensions between human consumption and animal agency. Griebel is a Canadian artist working between New York City and Calgary, Alberta. Griebel and Freeman will discuss the exhibition in a public talk on Saturday, April 11, at 5:30 pm.
Crofut-Brittingham’s “Migrations,” also curated by Freeman, features large-scale paintings of birds. The Montreal-based artist’s works include boldly colored and highly detailed paintings celebrating nature’s beauty and complexity, while reflecting on the challenges posed by human impact. Crofut-Brittingham is originally from western Massachusetts and is a graduate of The Putney School. The artist will give a public talk at BMAC on Saturday, June 6, at 5:30 pm.
Hyde’s “Fragments of a Tropical Life” transforms four decades of sketches, woodcuts, screen prints, and lithographs created by the artist in Costa Rica into layered collages, incorporating salvaged fabrics and stitched remnants of previous generations. The resulting collages evoke dense tropical ecosystems while reflecting personal and historical narratives of life, decay, and renewal. Visitors can explore these techniques firsthand in a workshop offered by Hyde at the River Gallery School on Saturday, May 16, at 2 pm.
Harlow’s installation “A Certain Slant of Light,” curated by Michael Abrams, brings together found objects from nature with Harlow’s gestural pastel and charcoal drawings created en plein air during winters in New England.
“Test Plot(s),” curated by José Chavez-Verduzco, transforms BMAC’s East Gallery into a living laboratory for five artists examining the intersection of natural and synthetic materials—Miles Huston, Minga Opazo, Esteban Ramon Perez, Bronson Smillie, and Rachel Youn. The artworks range from living fungi sculptures and repurposed industrial objects to abstracted chart-paper drawings. Freeman will lead a walk through of all five new exhibitions on Sunday, April 19, at 2 pm. Visitors to BMAC can also relax in a gallery transformed into “The Living Room,” where local artist Amber Paris has installed an immersive fiber environment entitled “This Dreaming Earth.” Inspired by the forests of southern Vermont, visitors will find opportunities to engage creatively and share ideas, making the work a living exchange shaped by community participation.
BMAC is open Wednesdays to Sundays, 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is “pay as you wish.” The museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information and accessibility requests visit brattleboromuseum.org call (802) 257-0124 or email office@brattleboromuseum.org.
