November 2025 in the Crowell Gallery
Volunteers Choice
November 3 – 29, 2025 An artist’s reception will be Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 3:00pm, with a musical performance by “Ukulele 128”.
The Moore Free Library and Crowell Art Gallery are lucky to have a dedicated group of volunteers. In celebration of their many contributions to the library and gallery, they have been invited to contribute to an art exhibit in November that we are calling “Volunteers’ Choice”. These pieces have been collected by volunteers or have been created by themselves. It will be an eclectic exhibit featuring painting, photography, and carvings.
Lee Petty shared this about the painting she contributed to the exhibit, a watercolor by the late Townshend resident and special friend, Lois Phoenix: “It captures the Boiling Down of Maple Syrup in Charlie Marchant’s Townshend Sugar House. Lois, who emphatically declared herself a ‘hobbyist’ rather than an artist, painted local scenes for many years. A long-time member of the Saxtons River Art Guild, her paintings have been shown in many local exhibits and enjoyed by patients in hospitals and medical offices throughout the area.”
Other artists represented in the show include: Arthur Gibbes Burton, Michael Abrams, Arlo Monroe, Gianna Robinson, Wally Ames, Al Malpa, Gerarde Doucette, Karen Becker, Dent Robinson, Earl White, and Honorah Hinkle. Volunteers who are submitting their own work include: Chuck Tattersall, Kate Gehrig, Susan Tweedy, Jaye Settle, and Ann Ely.
“Ukulele 128” is a small group of women who have been playing together for eight years. They have played in local pubs, parades, farmers markets, schools, nursing homes and senior centers. All were taught by their dear teacher and mentor, Lisa McCormick. “We love spreading the joy of music!”
December 2025 in the Crowell Gallery
Kate Cleghorn, Photography
December 2 – 30, 2025 An artist’s reception will be Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 1:00 – 2:30pm.
The Crowell Art Gallery closes out the year with an exhibit by Vermont photographer and writer Kate Cleghorn. Cleghorn’s work has focused primarily on Latin America, and in particular, Mexico. Her photographs reflect a deep appreciation of Mexican culture gained over many years from a variety of in-county personal and professional experiences. All the photos in the exhibit are platinum/palladium prints, and from her book Mexico: Spirit and Place.
Cleghorn first traveled to Mexico as the leader of a group of adults to Puebla, to live with families and study Mexican cuisine. She directed the Summer Abroad program for the Experiment in International Living (now World Learning) in Michoacan in 1987, which offered language and cross-cultural training to teens prior to their living with families. She combined her love of Mexico with her photographic interest by assisting the director of Other Americas photography programs on trips to Mexico in 1993, 1994 and 1995. Since then, she has led programs to Mexico for the Community College of Vermont and the Great River Arts Institute of NH. Among her fondest Mexican memories are meeting Manuel Alvarez Bravo in Mexico City on the opening of his photography museum, and traveling to the forests where monarchs winter over. Kate received a Master of Hispanic Studies degree from Auburn University, an MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and a JD from Vermont Law School.
2025 Gallery Schedule
- January— Crowell Art Collection
- February— Rick McEachern
- March— Rick McEachern
- April— Area School Children Exhibit
- May— Saxtons River Art Guild
- June— Lynn Zimmerman
- July— Liz Hawkes-deNiord
- August— Nancy Calicchio
- September— Vermont Pastel Society
- October— Karen Becker
- November— Moore Free Library Volunteer Art Exhibit
- December— Kiate Cleghorn
Interested in exhibiting your art at the Crowell Gallery? Email crowellartgallery@gmail.com for information.
Gallery History
The Crowell Gallery at the Moore Free Library in Newfane, VT was opened to the public on September 2, 2000. It houses an outstanding collection of contemporary Southern Vermont artists. The permanent collection is on view each winter (usually in January and/or February). For the rest of the year, the gallery hosts special monthly exhibits by local artists. The gallery also serves as a venue for public programs and meetings.
Robert and Muriel Crowell funded the renovation of the Moore family’s 1890 post and beam barn. The work was performed by local artisans Dan and Gary MacArthur. A gift in 2004 from the Wolf Kahn and Emily Mason Foundation provided tensor lighting for the gallery.
About Robert L. Crowell
Robert L. (Bob) Crowell, former head of the Thomas Y. Crowell Company (which later became part of Harper Collins Publishers), was the grandson of the company’s eponymous founder. Thomas Y. Crowell began publishing books in 1876 and was the first U.S. publisher of Tolstoy and Gogol. Bob joined the company as a salesman in 1931, was elected treasurer in 1937, and rose to head the company in 1938. Under his leadership, the company published Roget’s International Thesaurus, the Frank Heller detective series and numerous art and children’s books.
Bob served as a trustee of the Moore Free Library from 1976 to 2001 and was President of the board for five of those years. As the Moore Free Library’s primary benefactor, he funded scholarship programs, literary awards, and library renovations. He passed away June 29, 2001.