Culture

Culture story sections

The Estey Organ and the Emergence of Capitalism

by Estey Organ Museum | Education

The Estey Organ Museum will sponsor a presentation titled “The Estey Organ – Its Place in the Emergence of American Capitalism” at its Engine House Gallery, 108 Birge Street, on Sunday, June 29, at 3:00 PM. Kit Barry, curator of The Ephemera Archive for American Studies in Brattleboro will lead the presentation.

The Estey Company, along with 1,000’s of other 19th century companies, was both a part of, and the epitome of the single driving force determining the personality, the very being of the United States – American Capitalism.

“Reading” Places: Art, Architecture, and Gravestones in Early Vermont

by cohnpr | History

The Historical Society of Windham County (HSWC) will be hosting a presentation on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at the Moore Free Library (23 West Street) in Newfane at 7:30PM.

Bill Hosley, an historic resources and education consultant from Enfield, Conn., will demonstrate how art and artifacts can be used to understand historical experience while surveying the extraordinary visual allure of historic Vermont.

According to Mr. Hosley, in developing their towns, early Vermont settlers created a wide range of things that spoke to their values, background, skills and cultural attitudes.  Their architecture, gravestones, furniture, ironwork, paintings, pottery, and textiles are evocative of specific people, places, and situations. 

Galactic Historian -Andrew Bartzis on WVEW

by pockets | Entertainment

Join DJ Pockets this tuesday the 24th of June for another experience that you won’t soon forget,,this one features Andrew Bartzis.

Andrew has been an active healer and psychic reader for nearly 20 years. He is a Reiki master and Shaman with many talents in the spirit world.

Andrew grew up in north east Ohio. He is a active rock hound and Gemstone and mineral collector. He has nearly 2,000 different crystals, gemstones and meteorites in his personal collection.

Evening of American Roots at Sandglass Theater with Martin Grosswendt

by SandglassTheater | Music

PUTNEY- Thursday, June 26th at 7:30pm, Martin Grosswendt will bring his masterful take on American roots music to the intimate stage of Sandglass Theater in Putney, VT. In this rare appearance, Martin is accompanied by guitarist and singer Susanne Salem-Schatz. Tickets are $16 general, $13 for students and seniors and can be reserved by email at info@sandglasstheater.org or by calling 802-387-4051. 

Martin Grosswendt is an extraordinary instrumentalist and powerful singer. He draws from a wide range of American roots music and is particularly well known as an interpreter of country blues of the 20’s and 30’s.

BCTV Channel 8 & 10 Schedules for the Week of 6/23/14

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Ch.8 schedule for the week of 6/23/14

Monday June 23          

12:00 am      Ethan Allen Homestead: Gen. Burgoyne’s March

1:19 am       2014 Burlington Discover Jazz Fest. – Meet the Artist: Linda Oh

2:00 am       FSTV Overnight

4:00 am       Solar Energy: Imagine The Possibilities

6:00 am       The Artful Word: Fascism and Immigration – Italy and the U.S

Brown Bag Lunch at the River Garden: BuildingGreen Suite

by Brooks Memorial Library | Books

Brown Bag lunch at the River Garden: BuildingGreen Suite, Monday 23 June 2014, Noon – 1 pm. 

BuildingGreen, Inc. is a local company that serves architects and building professionals nationwide with a well-respected online resource, BuildingGreen Suite. This subscription-based website keeps building professionals up-to-date on progressive building strategies and developments in the constantly changing world of green building materials.

150 years Ago (1864 6/23)

by BusyMom | History

Left of Petersburg, June 23, 1864.

Down to the left of petersburg near the rail road. I am well. We left that nasty line where we were at about 12 at night. Lost one man in our regiment. We then came round here. Laid down here at about 1 o’clock. It is now 10 A.M. This is the first time I have slept since I joined the regiment. The 10th is near us. They were just ahead of us last night, but we have no time to visit. The time I have had for rest has been well improved by me. I have kept in the ranks yet.

P.T. Barnum in Brattleboro, and Jumbo in the Whetstone

by cgrotke | History

Time for a summer circus story.

As I was reading some old newspapers, I found an entry that caught my eye. In a report about a flood, the newspaper mentioned that it was hard to believe that the flooded field by the Whetstone was the same place that had been host to P.T. Barnum and Jumbo just a year prior.

I’m a big circus fan, but didn’t know that P.T. Barnum had come to town, let alone that his world famous Jumbo walked about our streets. I dug around some more and found that this circus story began much earlier and was more interesting than I imagined. 

150 Years Ago (1864 6/21)

by BusyMom | History

“Just to the right of Petersburg”

Outer Line of Breast Works June 21, 1864.

Dear wife,

Here I am, just down to the right of Petersburg. Have to be low, so I will improve the time in letting you know how I am and how I got here. I shall always tell you just how it is. Thursday afternoon I went to Camp Distribution. On the next morning about seven hundred of us went to Alexandria, took a steamer for Bermuda Hundred but did not land there. Went back down the river a short distance and came on a few miles, Sunday night, and camped. Heard the roar of guns all night when I was awake, but I slept most of the time. In the morning started again to the Army Headquarters, found it and a lot of rebel prisoners. Then started for Corps Headquarters, found it. There saw a few rebel compliments in the shape of shell. The first one struck a little ways from me. Well, a few dropped around, but no one seemed to mind it, so I thought I would not. There were but four of us to report to this Brigade, that was up to the right of Petersburg, near to the rail road.

Weekend Concert Series: Stray Cats Live at Montreux 1981

by cgrotke | Entertainment

The Stray Cats hit big time with a weird niche. While others were going to discos and still others were reacting by inventing punk, the Stray Cats returned us to 50’s rockabilly with a new energy for it that hadn’t been seen in decades.

Brian Setzer is a great guitarist, and the stripped down, simple setup of guitar, bass, and drum was all they needed. Sure, everyone knows the hits, like Rock This Town, but this show allows us to see them more fully. I’m glad to see Runaway Boys and Rumble in Brighton on the set list.

Brattleboro’s Calamity – The First National Bank Ruined

by cgrotke | History

If you were alive in 1880, you may have been attracted to the following story in the newspaper: one of the three local banks left in ruins after the bank president skipped town after being discovered forging accounts.

It was a massive and stunning crime, as evident from this coverage in The Phoenix. Read on for an amazing story of Brattleboro banks, lawyers, investigators, detectives, and people who lost everything, today in history.

Dublin in Song and Story with Tom O’Carroll: Fund Raising Concert

by Brooks Memorial Library | Music

Get your tickets NOW for a great evening of music! Please join the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library in this fund raising event to celebrate James Joyce and Bloomsday. Dublin in Song and Story with musician and Irish folklorist Tom O’Carroll will be presented on Thursday, June 19, at 7:30 PM, in the Library’s Main Room. 

Dublin born folklorist, folk-singer and instrumentalist Tom O’Carroll brings a wealth of stories, humor, wit and history to his performances. In this program Tom tells the tales and sings the songs of his native city. This capital city on the River Liffey has an abundance of history and colorful characters and Tom will introduce you to some of them. This program is ideal for those interested in Irish Literature.

Starting Sunday: A Cappella Workshop for Teens

by Pam Lierle | Music

A Cappella Workshop

Starting Sunday, June 22, the  Brattleboro Music Center will be hosting a 2-week a cappella workshop for teens.  The workshop is led by Keira Carmichael and Riley Goodemote; and focuses on Collegiate Style a cappella arrangements of traditional & popular music, beat boxing and more

Overview:

A fun and musically educational co-ed a cappella camp for teens ranging in age from 13 to 19.  The workshop will cover basic a cappella theory and beat boxing skills.  Participants will prepare at least 5 to 6 songs for live performance. Focus will also be placed on building skills that give students the independence to begin their own groups and lead rehearsals.

The Second Annual Southern Vermont Dance Festival Seeks Volunteers, Host Families and Sponsors

by Not Signed In | Arts

BRATTLEBORO, VT—As preparations heat up for this year’s Second Annual Southern Vermont Dance Festival slated to take place July 17- 20 in Brattleboro, Vermont, the organization is seeking volunteers to take care of a variety tasks from pre-event organizing to event set up and clean up to the myriad during-event activities.

Brenda Siegel, executive director of the Festival says, “the Festival couldn’t have pulled off last year’s event without the many, many wonderful volunteers who were ready to pitch in no matter what the task.

BCTV Channel 8 & 10 Schedules for the Week of 6/16/14

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Ch.8 Schedule for the week of 6/16/14

                   Monday June 16               

12:00 am      UVM Center for Research on VT: The VT Difference

1:00 am       Ethan Allen Homestead – Historical Treasures in Your Backyard

2:00 am       FSTV Overnight

4:00 am       Road to Recovery: Recovering form Disaster Trauma

5:00 am       Marita’s France Travelogue: D-Day Part 1

6:20 am       Community Conversation – Preventing Teen Rx Misuse

150 years Ago (1864 6/15)

by BusyMom | History

U.S. Sanitary Commission

Washington, June 15, 1864.

Dear wife,

Well, I am through the mill, and came out for a first Lieutenant. Now for the front. I have been up and seen Jacob and Dr. Bowker, etc. Heard from Zopher. Up to the 10th he is well. He is a Sergeant. I have spent the whole day at Carver and Columbia and in laying in a little paper and tobacco, had the luck to find a friend that let me have a little money. I am well, first rate. If I could only get that strap on my shoulders. You know that I should not care, if there was not such a scarcity of pennies in my pocket. I cannot describe my feelings when I heard that mother was dangerously sick. How glad I am that I had written to her. I was intending to write again as soon as I had got through my examination here, but alas, she can write no more. How sad father
must feel.

Twilight On The Tavern Lawn Presents Kat Wright and Brett Hughes June 15

by Not Signed In | Music

Twilight Music continues its 12th annual Twilight On The Tavern Lawn series of folk, world beat, rock, jazz, zydeco, Celtic, swing, blues and bluegrass summer concerts on Sunday, June 15 with Kat Wright and Brett Hughes’ Americana music quartet. The seven concert series continues every other Sunday through August 24. All concerts begin at 6:00 pm in downtown Putney on the Putney Tavern lawn (bring a lawn chair or blanket) or at Next Stage at 15 Kimball Hill in case of rain. The series is sponsored by the Town of Putney, Soundview Paper Company, Next Stage Arts Project, The Stockwell Brothers and many other Putney businesses and organizations. The concerts are free to the public (donations are accepted) and food will be available.

Weekend Concert Series: Bill Laswell – Axiom Sound System

by cgrotke | Entertainment

Bill Laswell performing under his incarnation as Axiom Sound System, live in Chicago, with Material, Praxis, Pharoah Sanders, and Bootsy Collins in 2006.

Laswell was a producer /musician during the dawn of compact discs, and his name guaranteed that whatever was on his new disc would be musically interesting. He frequently threw together combinations of great musicians for specialty projects. Very unique.

Camp Presto – Beginner Instrument & Music for Ages 5-9

by Pam Lierle | Music

July 21-25, 2014, 10am-12pm

 The Brattleboro Music Center’s Camp Presto is the perfect week long adventure for children who are interested in music, but not sure whether to commit to learning an instrument.

While learning the basics of playing the violin, campers will work together to complete a musical story book. Each child will tell a story through a simple violin composition, incorporating the very basics of note reading and rhythm, while simultaneously learning alternatives to musical notation.

Students will learn to perform their musical ideas, culminating in a final class CD that they can take home to share with their family & friends!

Time Traveling Through Music – for Ages 7-12

by Pam Lierle | Music

Have you ever wanted to travel back in time?

That’s what we’ll be doing in this week long journey through the course of music history. We will combine music and other artistic expressions to recreate a variety of musical periods starting all the way back in prehistoric times! We’ll make instruments and act like composers. We’ll listen to the differences in styles from one period to the next, and draw pictures of what we hear. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how music has been shaped over time in a playful and engaging environment. Each child’s creativity will be our time machine, which might even take us into the future!  Tuition $150 / Financial Aid Available.