PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 28, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT:Ashley Brenon Jowettabrenon@equinoxvillage.com802-362-4061 ext. 212

Long Trail School Students Exhibit at Equinox VillageAll are invited to view the International Baccalaureate Visual Arts Exhibit at 5:30

p.m. on Thursday, March 27

This spring, the Gallery at Equinox Village will feature seven young artists who

use their work to express very different themes. Some pieces are tranquil and

address nature, family, youth & childhood. Others address topics like societal

pressures, feminism and conflict.

The media are as varied as the subjects. The artists have created photography; pieces with pen & ink, collage, graphite and colored pencil; acrylic, oil, watercolor and gouache; chalk, charcoal and pastel; and even Sharpie marker.

What these artists have in common is that they are all students of Long Trail School’s International Baccalaureate Program in the Visual Arts.

The IB Visual Art Seniors are Eily Anderson of Chittenden, Vt.; Lina Bergamini of West Pawlet, Vt.; Jill Brooks of West Pawlet, Vt.; Angela Krieg of Hebron, N.Y.; Lars Lund of Pawlet, Vt.; Catie Owen of Pawlet, Vt.; and Olivia Stoehr of Danby, Vt. These students have worked intensely for two years building their artistic knowledge and skills.

In their first year of the IB Art program, students experiment with a variety of media and explore art and artists from a variety of time periods in order to deepen their learning. Long Trail School’s Art Director Anharad Edson provides students with one-word prompts: identity, family

heritage, dreams, metamorphosis. The program is rigorous; one assignment tasked students with creating ten canvases in ten days. During the second year students develop a theme based on the direction that their work has taken them. They are expected to keep up with the deadlines and produce high quality work, but their exploration is self-motivated, rather than assigned by the teacher.

“It has been a great honor to work with this talented group. They have so many interests within and outside of art,” comments Edson. “Each student is very unique, and I think visitors to this exhibit will be able to see their artistic skill, interests and individuality through their work.”

A second component of the IB Art program is the investigative workbook, which is like an art journal in which the students must research art and artists, plan their pieces, experiment before they actually make the work, and reflect throughout the process. In the spring of their senior year, students are assessed for their studio work as well as their investigation, not just by Edson but by a representative from the International Baccalaureate program in Cardiff, Wales.

“I am excited about the exhibit, and I think it will be fun to see two years worth of artwork made by my classmates and me, all hanging up together,” said Jill Brooks.

“Equinox Village is delighted to open our space and to give Long Trail’s students a professional gallery experience,” says Equinox Village’s Executive Director Kirt Sampson. “It is fun for us here to see what young artists are thinking about and all they are able to accomplish.”

The Gallery Opening Event will be co-hosted by Equinox Village and the Greater Manchester Arts Council at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 27 at Equinox Village in Manchester Center, Vt.

There will be live music by Long Trail School's IB Music students, and refreshments by the Equinox Village kitchen. Free and open to the public. Kindly R.S.V.P. to (802) 362-4061 by Thursday, March 20. The show will be on display 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily from Friday, March 28 until Monday, May 12.

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Equinox Village is a vibrant independent living community situated on eleven pristine acres in the heart of the Green Mountains’ rich cultural and recreational opportunities. Residents enjoy private, spacious apartments with

exquisite views and fine dining in the community’s full-service white-tablecloth restaurant. Well-appointed common areas provide ideal places to meet family and friends and to participate in cultural events, health and wellness

programs, and educational opportunities. Equinox Village was founded in 2006 by brothers Dr. Jim Russell and John Russell. They lead a team of caring professionals to offer the premier independent living experience in the

region.

Long Trail School in Dorset, Vt. creates lifelong learners who aspire to reach their individual potential in an engaging, supportive community. Long Trail School is the only school in Vermont to offer the International

Baccalaureate Program, which encompasses six disciplines of study: English, HIstory, Biology, Foreign Language, Mathematics, and an Arts class (students choose Theater, Music or Visual Art). Students also take a Philosophy

course called Theory of Knowledge and are required to do a community service activity. The IB philosophy is that

students will become lifelong learners as they are not only encouraged, but required to find areas of study within each discipline which ignite their curiosities and challenge them to create meaningful work at a higher level.

The Greater Manchester Arts Council, Inc., a regional arts organization, is committed to engaging community in creative partnerships that enhance life-style and long-term economic stability. Their aim is to provide abundant

opportunities for the community—artists, writers, performers, educators, residents and visitors—to become involved with the arts. They sponsor and promote the Southern Vermont Arts Trail, the Manchester and the Mountains Poets

and Writers Weekend, and many partnerships throughout the region.

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