Our Creative Economy « Welcome to Brandon Vermont

Our Creative Economy

Brandon’s Creative Economy is red hot! We have visual and performing artists, shops with flair and style, galleries, an active Town Hall, a history museum, and a tea room!

Local Artists have come together to create an art gallery/store right in downtown Brandon. The Brandon Artists Guild, at 7 Center St. (802-247-4956), represents more than 50 talented people who are juried in order to enter. These are the folks who brought community art projects to Vermont. Brandon. Their shows include:The Really Really Pig Show, Brandon Is For The Birds, Brandon Rocks, Its Reigning Cats & Dogs, Brandon: Thinking Outside the Box, Starring Brandon, Sunflowers and Art Makes Brandon Tick! The gallery is open daily at 7 Center St. (802) 247-4956. Visit their website at: http://brandonartistsguild.org/

Brandon’s most famous artist, Warren Kimble, can often be found in his own Gallery / Studio at 10 Park Street (downtown). The gallery is open by chance or by appoint for serious inquiries (802-247-4280). When not in his own gallery, Warren can be found around town helping other artists, working at the Brandon Artists Guild, helping with committees, and having a good time.

The Judith Reilly Gallery, featuring Judith’s fabric art, is open on Friday and Saturday afternoons at 24 Conant Square. Visit with Judy in her historic home and marvel at her quilts and pen and ink drawings. For more information, contact Judy by email at: judith@judithreilly.com or at 802-247-8421. Her web address is judithreilly.com

Andrews Antiques – 110 W. Salisbury Rd., Salisbury; 802-352-6016. e: andant@together.net

Antiques By The Falls (22 Park St; 802-247-6600) – A fun assortment of antiques, folk art, and collectibles – featuring an eclectic variety of delightful and unusual small items, primitives, miniatures, glass, pottery, lighting, jewelry, toys, kitchenware, and original folk art. Come visit us next to the Brandon Inn (under the same roof as The Inside Scoop, ice cream parlor / soda fountain). 22 Park St. in downtown Brandon. 802-247-6600

Artisans at the Bend is located “at the bend” on Route 7 near the edge of the village. The barn is a studio/gallery for creating contemporary folk art paintings and sculpture. Owner/artists Robin Rodda Kent and Jim Barner’s works have been purchased by the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, the Warren Kimble Museum’s permanent collection in Brandon, and carried by prominent galleries nationwide. Open by chance or appointment. Call 802-247-6637.

Surrounded by gracious countryside just outside of Brandon’s artistic downtown lies Brandon Music – Vermont’s classical music haven. Brandon Music is the North American headquarters of owner Stephen Sutton’s British classical music record company, Divine Art Recordings Group. Located in Warren Kimble’s former historic red barn studio and gallery, Brandon Music hosts the Divine Art CD Store, Harmony English Tea Room, a Vermont art gallery, and a vintage collector’s corner. Brandon Music is open year round and more information is available at www.brandonmusicvt.com or by calling 802-465-4071. 62 Country Club Rd.

The Brandon Town Hall is the town’s 1861 architectural gem. For many years, the building lay dormant. Now, a group of hard-working and dedicated volunteers have brought the building to life. Within the past few years, more than $500,000 has been raised in grants and donations, large and small, and some major projects completed–including the construction of elegant marble steps to the main entrance (donated by Omya, Inc.), the renovation of the lobby area, the installation of a wheelchair-accessible lift, the installation of a new fire-suppression system and the installation of a new audiovisual system, complete with theater-sized movie screen, high-definition projector and surround sound. A modest theatrical lighting system and new curtains on the old stage have also been installed and the Town Hall is now a beautiful and functional venue for live performance events. Fundraising efforts today are directed at new bathrooms. The building is used seasonally with a full list of music, film and performance events.

Carr’s Florist and Gifts at 21 Center St. (802-247-5727 is a store in which to spend some time! Gift shop full of beautiful things! Admire the beautiful fresh cut and arranged flowers while browsing the large selection of candles, unique toys, stuffed animals, whimsical, holiday, cards, and specialty items. Downtown Brandon

The Compass Music and Arts Center is a new non-profit organization in Brandon which will eventually include a 250-seat concert/activity hall; recital and rehearsal rooms; jazz lounge; music teaching and therapy areas; artist’s studios’ gallery and display areas; sculpture park; recording studios; retail units to rent; cinema/film room; bistro/restaurant and take-out sandwich/bakery; and more. They will specialize in classical music but will be open to all genres. The building is owned by Diversions LLC (Brandon Music/Divine Art Record Company), who will occupy part for its own offices, and is sponsoring and promoting the Center. The Center itself will be operated by Compass Music and Arts Foundation, Inc. This non-profit foundation will offer memberships, and hopes to raise sufficient funds to grant scholarships and to sponsor multi-national music and arts programs. More details of the center’s plans and how you can take part is available on their website or contact them at info@brandon-music.net or 802-465-4071

Take a class at Country Owl Studio – a wide variety of summer and year-round classes available. Call 802-247-3695.

Check out the folk art gallery of local artists John Hoare and Linda Hickox at Gingerbread House Fine and Folk Art Gallery (on Route 73E; 802-247-3380).

Brandon’s Gallery-in-the-Field is a venue for teaching and learning, one where people leave inspired to experiment and create. Along with visual art, they sponsor a number of performance events such as music, poetry and prose readings, installations and improvisations. Click here for their current calendar of events. The Gallery-in-the-Field is located at 685 Arnold District Rd in Brandon. Call 802-247-0125.

A Book Artist who displays and sells her work at the Brandon Artists Guild is Harriet Bellerjeau. Her own process of becoming an artist has evolved from a deep love of the land; of watching seasons change and gathering their art into my existence. This creative process has evolved from making things by hand, to painting and poetry, to photography and manipulating images. It’s been a process of moving through time and space and human ecology; of using sticks and stones and plants, of drafting up and documenting and replicating. It is the doing of things over time that has informed my current work. The making of books is an interdisciplinary exercise. Book art is like creating small sculptures. It’s a construction of folding and sewing, painting and pressing. It’s a collection of paper, paste and string embellished w bits and pieces of color, form, shape and size, of fiber, beads, images, words, found objects, silk threads…etc.. etc.. Harriet Bellerjeau, 776 Arnold District Road, Brandon, VT 05733. hbellerjeau@earthlink.net. Phone: 919-412-7254 cell. 802-247-8296 local

Visit the Medana Gabbard Gallery at 1340 Grove St. (Route 7 North) Call 802-247-5520 or email to: danagabbard@msn.com for more information.

Shapiro’s Department Store, 12 Center Street, is a classic which has been in town for decades. Fashions for men and women, shoe department, toys and games, jewelry, and gifts. Featuring a full line of Vera Bradley bags. Tuxedo rentals. And so much more. 802-247-5505. Downtown Brandon.