Gallery at the Vault has 15th birthday celebration

The Gallery at the VAULT was aglow with sparkling holiday decorations, paintings, pottery, and jewelry on a mild night recently, but brightest by far were the smiles of the dedicated staff and volunteers who gathered to celebrate the 15th birthday of the organization.

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Gallery at the Vault has 15th birthday celebration By Karen Engdahl The ShopperDecember 7, 2016 Gallery Manager, Marilyn Miller left, and VAULT co-founder Nina Jamison on right. Photo by Karen Engdahl Gallery Manager, Marilyn Miller left, and VAULT co-founder Nina Jamison on right. Photo by Karen Engdahl SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The Gallery at the VAULT was aglow with sparkling holiday decorations, paintings, pottery, and jewelry on a mild night recently, but brightest by far were the smiles of the dedicated staff and volunteers who gathered to celebrate the 15th birthday of the organization. VAULT stands for Visual Art Using Local Talent, and is located on Main Street in Springfield. “I’m proud of our greatest accomplishment – staying here for 15 years,” said Nina Jamison, one of the original founders of VAULT. “We owe it all to a wonderful community of artists and volunteers. Now we’re able to serve as a resource to other arts organizations and share our expertise.” Gallery Manager Marilyn Miller agreed. “We’ve become a true arts destination—and that is good for Springfield,” she said. “Eighty-five percent of the artists we represent are from Vermont and the other 15 percent are regional. We’re a designated Vermont state craft center, which brings in people from all over the state and beyond. And we’ve added three paid positions, so we’re also a local employer.” Marketing Manager Diane Kemble, a longtime VAULT volunteer, said they’ve come a long way and developed many programs since their founding. “We’re unique in offering an open-wall gallery where members of the community can display their work in a non-juried setting,” she said. “We’re also pleased to provide exhibits at the Vermont Welcome Centers in Guilford and Hartland.” “This year we’re especially thrilled to become fully accessible,” Kemble said as she proceeded down a ramp to the brightly pained, handicap-accessible door in the rear of the gallery. “Local artist Jamie Townsend painted the door because we believe it is more than just a regular door – it’s special.” Other highlights of 2016 at VAULT include Art Camps for kids and workshops for adults, a high school scholarship, serving as a marketplace for 160 Vermont and regional artists, serving as fiscal agent for the Steampunk Festival, and hosting the 6th Annual Chocolate Tasting. Additionally, VAULT hosted a student art show, another steampunk show, four open-wall shows, and collaborated with community organizations such as the Great Hall art space, the Springfield Garden Club, Springfield Library, Chamber of Commerce, and Springfield on the Move group. The gallery, once the home of a local bank, is now a setting for the work of local artists. Central to the room is the huge bank vault, now full of textile art. “The acronym VAULT—Visual Art Using Local Talent—was a 2 a.m. brainstorm,” said Jamison. “We’re so glad we’ve become the gathering place for such a vibrant arts community.”