Music, art and food filled Edgewater Gallery in downtown Middlebury during its second Musical Brunch. The gallery hosted community members along with some current and upcoming artists on display at the gallery on Feb. 10 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Liz Lebeau sang at the event, accompanied on classical guitar by Ken Pasiak.
“I was snacking on fresh cut fruit at the back of the gallery, admiring the works of a featured artist, Julia Jensen, when suddenly this beautiful voice filled the space with the opening of ‘Ave Maria,’” Linda Mason-Smith ’68, an attendee, recalled. “What a Sunday morning... a blah, gray February day outside, and inside all this color and music.”
Heather Viens, a gallery assistant at Edgewater Gallery expressed her excitement at the turnout for the event, as people often do not come in unless they are specifically shopping for art.
The gallery, which opened its first location in the historic Frog Hollow Alley in 2014 before expanding to another building on the historic Battell Block — both in downtown Middlebury — includes artists from across the U.S. and Canada.
“It is my job to think of creative ways to highlight the gallery's collection and draw people in to see it,” said Manager of Edgewater Gallery Theresa Harris. “I love collaboration and especially the melding of different types of art forms. Music pairs beautifully with fine art and our gallery space lends itself nicely to music.”
The great acoustics in the gallery space were part of the inspiration for the event, according to Harris. The first brunch was a jazz group, the most recent one was a classical duo of guitar and voice and the upcoming brunch in March will feature a Jazz Fusion group. Each also hosts an artist whose work is on display.
Edgewater has a number of exhibitions coming up. The 2024 season opened with a group exhibition called “Solitude.” Harris said she enjoys group shows because they give the gallery the opportunity to display multiple artists at once, all reflecting variations of the same theme.
“The Edgewater is not a static environment. It is constantly changing what's on exhibit and how the works are being presented, i.e., what other artists might be shown at the same time as complimentary or perhaps in contrast,” Mason-Smith said.
The gallery also has upcoming exhibitions of Vermont artists including Jane Davies, Kate Gridley, William Hoyt, and Rory and Woody Jackson.
“I’ve been fortunate to have my work represented at Edgewater since their early days. They’ve done a lot of groundwork to develop a strong following over the years and I’ve been lucky to be a part of it, from participating in art fairs with them to showing in their other satellite galleries elsewhere that have emerged from time to time,” Sara Katz, one of the artists who is currently on display, told The Campus.
Katz also described her love of Middlebury as a small, local town and her relationship with Edgewater’s staff.
“Edgewater staff has always been great to work with, supportive and interested, and so talented in their own right too,” she said.
Dale Najarian’s work “Winter Compositions” in collaboration with Jim Westphalen, was on display in early January through mid-February. Narajian similarly spoke of the meaningful nature of displaying work at Edgewater.
“Edgewater Gallery has such a presence in Middlebury and it’s an honor to have my work in the gallery for the community to see,” she said.
If you missed the last brunch, be sure to check out the Jazz Fusion event on March 16, with artist Bonnie Baird. Information about future Edgewater events and current artists on display can be found on the gallery’s website.
