Performing arts take center stage this weekend at the festival with the ninth annual TenFest at Valley Players, the seventh annual Vermont Music Fest held at Kenyon’s field and dance performances at Phantom Theater in Warren. Also, the Eastern States Cup Mountain Bike Race will be held at Sugarbush Resort this weekend. Exciting gallery shows continue this week, highlighted by a pop-up show through August 22 of landscapes by Frank Corso at The Pitcher Inn. The Vermont Festival of the Arts is a monthlong (plus a little more) celebration of arts in the Mad River Valley that includes about 100 arts and mountain lifestyle events at locations throughout The Valley.
Performing Arts events this week
The TenFest 2016 is a festival of 10-minute plays by Vermont playwrights. The plays are full of comedy, drama and many surprises. Performances are on Thursday, August 18, Friday, August 19, and Saturday, August 20, at 8 p.m., and on Sunday, August 21, at 2 p.m. at the Valley Players Theater in Waitsfield. Call (802) 583-1674 or email
Dance, eat and enjoy great music all weekend long at the Vermont Music Fest located at Kenyon’s field. Two stages of music and local food and beverage vendors will be present. The music lineup includes Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Madaila, The Grift, Bow Thayer, The Hornitz and many others. Friday, August 19, noon to 10 p.m.; Saturday, August 20, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Grounds open for camping until noon, Sunday, August 21. More information is available at www.vtmusicfest.org.
Frank Corso Concert & Dinner is happening at The Pitcher Inn on Saturday, August 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. Painter, musician and inventor Frank Corso is considered by many to be one of America’s pre-eminent landscape impressionists. All are welcome for an en plein air concert and casual dinner at The Pitcher Inn to enjoy as Corso shows off his musical talents under a summer sky. Reservations required: (802) 496-6350.
The In-Between Spaces will be at Phantom Theater at Edgcomb Barn in Warren on Thursday, August 18, and Friday, August 19, at 7 p.m. The Lighthouse and Other Destinations by the Mad Generation Theater is also going on at the Phantom Theater on Saturday, August 20, and Sunday, August 21, at 8 p.m. Call (802) 496-5997 for ticket pricing and reservations.
Art shows
Frank Corso Landscapes at The Pitcher Inn gallery, Warren, is running from August 14 to 22, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Painter, musician and inventor Frank Corso is considered by many to be one of America’s pre-eminent landscape impressionists. Free admission.
Hidden Blueprints, the Art of Jeremy Lee MacKenzie runs Fridays through Sundays, August 5 through 21, at the Village Meeting House at Waitsfield United Church of Christ, Main Street, Waitsfield. Hours: noon to 5 p.m., or by appointment. The works include intricate carvings in mahogany and their drawings. The drawings were created in secret during the artist’s incarceration – secret because the drawings would have otherwise been confiscated. Admission is free.
Casey Roberts at Walker Contemporary features imaginative landscapes that will be in the Waitsfield gallery on Bridge Street through August 27, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Free admission.
Scintillating Thursdays, the salon series at Moosewalk Studios & Gallery, Warren, is happening on August 18 and 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Enjoy libations and desserts in this evening with artists and art lovers on the grounds of Moosewalk, 200 Orion Road, Warren. Free admission.
Frank Covino Retrospective continues in the Festival Gallery, 5031 Main Street, Waitsfield. Take a rare look at some exquisite portrait painting done by a true master who lived and ran his painting school from his studio in Fayston. Gallery hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m., or by appointment by calling (802) 496-6682.
The Big Red Barn Art Show is in the Red Barn Gallery at Lareau Farm, Waitsfield. Show hours: Thursday to Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. Full- or part-time artist-residents of Fayston, Waitsfield, and Warren created all the work. Admission is free, artwork prices vary.
Billy Brauer Retrospective is now at The Bundy Modern, Waitsfield. A resident of Warren, Brauer enjoys national recognition for his sensual, figurative paintings, which are psychologically powerful through the use of perspective, shape, color and light. Hours: noon to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday through September 5. Admission is free.
Garden Sculpture Tour will be at the Inn at the Round Barn Farm, 1667 East Warren Road, Waitsfield, from Sunday to Friday, August 14 to 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Take a self-guided tour through the lush grounds that include five ponds, flower gardens, fields, meadows and about 20 sculptures from local artists.
The Photo Show is also at the Inn at Round Barn Farm in Waitsfield. About 70 photographers from across the region are participating in this annual showcase, held inside the historic round barn. Show hours: weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The photo show is produced by the Green Mountain Cultural Center. Free admission.
View more photography in the studio of David Garten, 4412 Main Street, Waitsfield. His open studio features his Cuba Photo Gallery. Hours: noon to 6 p.m., Wednesdays to Sundays, or by appointment. Admission is free.
Workshops – Adults
Clearwater Sports is holding Paddleboard Yoga at Blueberry Lake on Thursday, August 18, at 10:30 a.m. Participants will take paddleboarding to a deeper level by adding yoga postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation. Beginners are welcome. Reservation are required by calling (802) 496-2708.
Watercolor Workshops with Gary Eckhart, Moosewalk Studio: Wednesday, August 24, 6 to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, August 20, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, August 21, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gary is an award-winning artist whose paintings have been exhibited in numerous national shows. Advance registration required: (802) 583-2224.
Children’s Workshops & Family Fun
Beth Kendrick Artist Studio Community Nest Building Project is occurring on Saturday, August 20, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Madsonian Museum on Bridge Street, Waitsfield. All are invited to explore nurturance, safety and family through a collective art process.
The Kids Under the Canopy series is hosted by The Collection from 10 to 11 a.m. on Sunday morning, August 21. In this crafting event, Children ages 3 and up can participate in multiple fun and different craft projects. Stop by the shop or call for advance registration at (802) 496-6055. The Collection is in the Mad River Green Shops, Waitsfield. Free admission.
The Eastern States Cup Mountain Bike Race is occurring on Saturday and Sunday, August 20 and 21, at Sugarbush Resort featuring downhill and enduro races with a $4,100 combined cash purse. It is part of the 2016 Vittoria ESC Regional Championship Series. Advance registration required to race; spectators welcome. Visit sugarbush.com for pricing and registration; free admission to watch.
Looking ahead
The Barns & Bridges Tour of the Mad River Valley will be held on Sunday, August 28. Valley Arts is finalizing the lineup, which will feature a few barns that are new to the tour this year or were not on the tour last year. Maps will be available beginning on Saturday, August 27, at the Waitsfield Farmers’ Market and online at www.vermontartfest.com. The Barns & Bridges Tour is sponsored by The Bridges Vermont Resort & Tennis Club.
For more details on this week’s or any festival events, refer to the printed festival program, available at the festival booth at the Waitsfield Farmers’ Market, the Festival Gallery (5031 Main Street, Waitsfield), and at locations around the Mad River Valley, or visit www.vermontartfest.com. For more information about Valley Arts or to become a member, please visit www.valleyartsfoundation.org or call (802) 496-6682.
