St. Johnsbury Area Culture
St. Johnsbury Cultural Life
The cultural life of St. Johnsbury has been greatly influenced by the generosity of the Fairbanks family. The Fairbanks family founded both the Fairbanks Museum and the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, a National Historic Landmark. The Athenaeum houses a valuable art collection and the Fairbanks Museum has a planetarium as well as a plethora of historical collections, including outstanding dioramas.
Artists and writers flock to St. Johnsbury, lured by the tranquility and beautiful vistas in the town and surrounding areas. Among the artists located in St. Johnsbury is Stephen Huneck, founder of Dog Mountain, which contains the world's only Dog Chapel. Local writers include Reeve Lindbergh and Nathaniel Tripp. We have compiled a directory of local writers and artists, as well as links to their work.
Poetry is thriving in St. Johnsbury, which houses the unique poetry collection of Beth Kanell. Beth is a writer who also mentors many other poets. You can read about her thoughts on poetry and other subjects on her Kingdom Books blog.
Local Writers Directory
Local Artists Directory
A world of information is literally at our fingertips, thanks to the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum's extensive online resources. Although visiting the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum is always a lovely experience -- chatting with the knowledgeable librarians, enjoying the magnificent Lambert Packard-designed building -- sometimes you want the information right at your own desk. And the Athenaeum has a multitude of resources for you to use without leaving the comfort of your own computer!Lisa von Kann, Library Director, explains that these resources are not simply what people can find on the Internet. “The Athenaeum pays for a number of databases that are not available to the general public except through the library connection. We consider them added value to your library card.” To access many of the online resources, just key in your St. Johnsbury Athenaeum library card barcode, and you’re on your way!
Von Kann describes some of the most popular online resources offered at the Athenaeum. Through the Vermont Online Library, a network of libraries in the state, many general reference databases are available. The full text of magazine and newspaper articles, many going back 25 years, are available through this resource. “Often people are looking for an article they missed a year ago,” says von Kann. “The Vermont Online Library is an easy way to find the article and be able to read the whole thing.”
An online database is the new way to search the encyclopedia. The
Athenaeum offers access to the complete Encyclopedia Britannica, which is updated daily. Young children can use the “Kids InfoBits” resource to easily find information about their subjects of interest, with simple, graphical links to help children navigate the material. “This is part of our ‘Homework Help’ information that school-aged kids and their parents find very useful,” says von Kann.For people looking for health and wellness information, the Athenaeum offers a number of resources. The Health and Wellness Resource Center online database provides articles from hundreds of medical journals, newsletters, and pamphlets. In addition, the Athenaeum staff has compiled a list of the best websites to look for information on health and wellness issues.
Folks interested in genealogy will enjoy Heritage Quest Online, a database of books, journals, and historical records that can be invaluable when searching for your family history. Need information about business? The Athenaeum’s business resources include databases for researching U.S. and international companies, as well as a w
ebsite with information for people who are starting a new business in Vermont (www.startabusinessinVermont.net). Wilson Biographies is a database of biographies of thousands of people you may want to learn more about. A search for “Fairbanks” yielded some interesting information about Erastus Fairbanks, governor of Vermont and a member of the famed family whose Fairbanks Scales company sustained and built the St. Johnsbury area throughout the nineteenth century.
Book lovers have their own special section of online resources that has been compiled by the staff of the Athenaeum. “This is a great listing for anyone who loves books,” says von Kann. It includes sites of book review
s, libraries’ recommendations of great books, lists of award-winning books, and online communities to learn and talk about books.“These online resources give the library the ability to help people with their information needs 24/7,” says von Kann. “When we’re not open, you can still find what you need. Simply go to the Athenaeum website at www.stjathenaeum.org and click on the ‘Resources’ link.” Usage of the new resources has been steadily increasing since the Athenaeum began offering them. “We expect to add more online resources as we learn of others that are useful to our members,” says von Kann. “It’s the future of libraries everywhere, and the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum wants to be part of that.”
Bill and Kim Darling’s new art gallery/studio space, Gatto Nero, is a calming, warm space. The painted brick walls are hung with beautiful artwork, and there’s a cozy area with a couch and chairs to sit and chat. But what you mostly notice are the expanses of workspace and the huge printmaking presses in the studio. The elegant hand-cranked machinery speaks to the quality and concern for detail which these artists give their work. The professional, quiet atmosphere seems perfect for bringing out the creative muse.
“This is a combination studio for us to work in and a gallery space to 
show our work along with other artists,” says Bill Darling. He and his wife Kim have been working in the space since July 2008, but starting on First Night this year, they have initiated special once-a-month events at the gallery. Now called First Friday Art Walks, they are working with other folks nearby to create an “avenue” of events people can walk to. Recent First Friday Art Walks have included gallery shows with live music at the Darlings’ Gatto Nero, art exhibit openings at Catamount Arts, as well as wine tastings at Marc LaRose’s All About Flowers, just around the corner. “We’re starting to get other merchants, restaurants, and even the Athenaeum and the Fairbanks Museum interested in having events scheduled for the first Friday of each month,” says Bill. “Wouldn’t it be fun to have a dozen different spots open at once, all with a little something different going on?”
The Darlings are both professional artists and each teach art at St. Johnsbury Academy. Their gallery, Gatto Nero, is a place where they can work on their own artwork – Bill making prints and Kim primarily a painter. They enjoy having other artists’ work hanging in the studio/gallery. “Art is meaningless unless it’s showed,” says Kim. “Artists want to communicate with the people viewing their work.”
At Gatto Nero, the Darlings want to make looking at art into a party. “Printmaking is such an interesting process,” says Bill, “people are fascinated by it and really enjoy learning how it’s done.” The informal atmosphere in Gatto Nero can make anyone comfortable with viewing the artwork.
A planned project for an upcoming First Friday will be a fundraiser for the Vermont Food Shelf. The Darlings have asked five artists to create monoprints in the Gatto Nero studio, and they anticipate an exciting event. The exact date is not set, but it will be in the next few months.
Gatto Nero is open for public viewing only on First Fridays, or by appointment. The phone number is 751-2439.
Featured Artist: Jennifer Ranz
Jennifer Ranz might be called a “quintessential Vermont artist.” Her work is inspired by where she lives: the rural environment at her studio in Greensboro, and her “city life” here in St. Johnsbury.
Single parent of three almost-grown children, Jennifer moved from Greensboro to Kirby and then to St. Johnsbury as her children grew. With her son Elias now in St. Johnsbury Academy, Jennifer is able to create her beautiful artwork at her home in the village of St. J.
Many local people know her beautiful porcelain jewelry and pottery displayed prominently at the Artisan’s Guild in downtown St. Johnsbury. But Jennifer is also a gifted watercolorist, with most of her work reflecting the rural landscape of Vermont.
Jennifer’s decorative motifs on her ceramic work are often swirls and lightning bolts. In fact, she designed weathervanes for the top of her barn in Greensboro using those designs. “The natural world is my inspiration,” says Jennifer.
Jennifer is open, friendly, and makes you feel welcome right away. During the holidays, Jennifer hosted a gathering in her home in St. Johnsbury, asking friends to come for a soup lunch. “Please bring a donation to a local food pantry,” said the 
invitation, “and I’ll send you home with one of my handmade bowls.” It combined her hospitality with a way to give back to the local community and reminded all the guests of less fortunate folks who, as Jennifer said, “may have an empty bowl too often.”
That’s the essence of Jennifer Ranz -- her art and her life intertwined with the best of the spirit of Vermont. Her website is www.jenniferranz.com.