The Paletteers
A history of art and community
The Aldrich Public Library
The Paletteers was formed in Barre, Vermont in 1957, by Leslie Bell and 16 others, all students of the late Stan Marc Wright of Stowe. Joe Fowler was the first President.
From the beginning of the Paletteers, annual summer art shows have been held. Initially, those shows were in the Barre City Park, with artwork displayed on snow fence. Hundreds attended those exhibits, and they were extremely popular, as evidenced by photographs and other documents included in the Paletteers scrapbooks of the time.
Although the outdoor exhibits in the park were very popular, they created difficulties for the exhibitors, who had to break down the show each evening and reassemble it in the morning. In addition, inclement weather was always a worry, as artists scrambled to cover or otherwise protect their art whenever it started to rain.
In 1981 the show was moved to the Barre Auditorium, where it could be safely mounted and left up throughout the event. A benefit to having the show at the Aud was the availability of parking. A disadvantage was that it removed the show from downtown, where it was always much more visible.
In 1990 the summer show was moved to the Montpelier City Center, but by 1993 it was back in City Hall Park in Barre. Since then, it has moved to the City Hall and Opera House foyer, but was eventually moved to its current venue at the Aldrich Public Library, and is once again near the center of summer festival activities.
Many outstanding local artists have been Paletteers members through the years.
From the beginning of the Paletteers, annual summer art shows have been held. Initially, those shows were in the Barre City Park, with artwork displayed on snow fence. Hundreds attended those exhibits, and they were extremely popular, as evidenced by photographs and other documents included in the Paletteers scrapbooks of the time.
Although the outdoor exhibits in the park were very popular, they created difficulties for the exhibitors, who had to break down the show each evening and reassemble it in the morning. In addition, inclement weather was always a worry, as artists scrambled to cover or otherwise protect their art whenever it started to rain.
In 1981 the show was moved to the Barre Auditorium, where it could be safely mounted and left up throughout the event. A benefit to having the show at the Aud was the availability of parking. A disadvantage was that it removed the show from downtown, where it was always much more visible.
In 1990 the summer show was moved to the Montpelier City Center, but by 1993 it was back in City Hall Park in Barre. Since then, it has moved to the City Hall and Opera House foyer, but was eventually moved to its current venue at the Aldrich Public Library, and is once again near the center of summer festival activities.
Many outstanding local artists have been Paletteers members through the years.