April Art Wall Exhibits

The SBPL has been hosting Dr. Jolivette Anderson-Duouning as their Artist-in-Residence between February and April. Dr. Jolivette is a poet, performer, Instructor of History at St. Michael's College and is a member of the Vermont African-American/African Diaspora Artist Network. In April the Art Wall will feature work made by community members who attended the SBPL's artist in residence events that were a part of Dr. Jolivette's My Vermont Eyes Migration Project* series exploring expression of stories, migration, community, and experiences of Vermont as home through words, poetry and art.

Also on the Art Wall this month will be a display from the Clemmons Family Farm titled Beneath Our Skin: COVID-19 Vaccination Storytelling & Art Exhibit** which showcases the artistic reflections and stories of African American/African diasporan residents of Vermont during the 2021 COVID-19 vaccination roll-out. This body of work illustrates the spectrum of emotions that were felt by Black-identifying Vermonters during this incredibly challenging time: from shock, fear, confusion and loneliness to hope, joy, and celebration of a ‘new normal’. Additionally, this work shares the stories of three of Vermont's white healthcare providers, who administered the vaccine to Black Vermonters. For more information about this exhibit, please visit: clemmonsfamilyfarm.org.

*My Vermont Eyes was developed in partnership with Clemmons Family Farm and supported in part by a Vermont Community Fund Arts & Social Cohesion grant.

**Clemmons Family Farm's Beneath Our Skin: COVID-19 Vaccination Storytelling & Art Exhibit is presented through a partnership between the Clemmons Family Farm and South Burlington Public Library, and is made possible, in part, with major funding of the Vermont Department of Health