A cartoon of a man giving a presentation to a large audience of different people and animals
Live Event

Picturing Language: An Introduction to the Magic of Comics

Comics are a powerful and often misunderstood storytelling language—one that is immersive, visually rich, and accessible across age groups and reading levels. From preschool classrooms to graduate seminars, comics have a unique ability to engage learners, including those who struggle with reading or communicate best through visual narratives.

Sepia-toned cartoon drawing of two 19th century women on a dirt road in Vermont
Live Event

Vermont Reads Facilitated Discussion: Carpenter-Carse Library

Join us for a book discussion of this year’s Vermont Reads selection, Charity & Sylvia. All are welcome!

Nonfiction Comics Festival 2026 banner
Live Event

Nonfiction Comics Festival 2026

The fifth annual Non-Fiction Comics Festival will feature panel discussions, workshops, and exhibiting cartoonists creating non-fiction and autobiographical work, with special events and workshops held throughout the entire weekend!

A needlwork sampler that is in a wooden frame. The sampler has two sets of alphabets in needlework with floral designs throughout
Live Event

Vermont Sampler Stories

This presentation is based on the research Michele Pagan has done into the Revolutionary War ancestors of the girls who made 19th century schoolgirl samplers. Needlework samplers are a visual record of the values that guided early female education in Vermont, including its focus on needlework as an essential skill for all girls and women. As artifacts of female education, they provide insight into family dynamics, local history, and community values.

Image of Vermont field in winter
Live Event

Vermont, 1800 and Froze to Death: The Cold Year of 1816

1816 has long been known as the year without summer. Vermonters still call it “1800 and Froze to Death,” a year of frosts every month, dark skies, and mysterious lights that caused a widespread belief that a higher power was displeased. In this talk, historian Howard Coffin includes scores of anecdotes on the dark year of failed crops, scarce food, and religious revival.

Image of Vermont field in winter
Live Event

Vermont, 1800 and Froze to Death: The Cold Year of 1816

1816 has long been known as the year without summer. Vermonters still call it “1800 and Froze to Death,” a year of frosts every month, dark skies, and mysterious lights that caused a widespread belief that a higher power was displeased. In this talk, historian Howard Coffin includes scores of anecdotes on the dark year of failed crops, scarce food, and religious revival.

Sepia-toned cartoon drawing of two 19th century women on a dirt road in Vermont
Live Event

Vermont Reads Facilitated Discussion: Haston Library

Join us for a book discussion of this year’s Vermont Reads selection, Charity & Sylvia. All are welcome!

Sepia-toned cartoon drawing of two 19th century women on a dirt road in Vermont
Live Event

Vermont Reads 2026 Author Presentation

Join us for this special presentation from Tillie Walden about the creation of graphic novel Charity and Sylvia.

A german gothic church stands at a street corner during fall with a rainbow curving over the main steeple
Live Event

Strange Bedfellows: How Religious Liberties Have Aligned with Nondiscrimination Policies and Can Again

The First Amendment protects the free exercise of religion. The Fourteenth Amendment affords all persons equal protection under the law. What happens when those two rights collide, as happened in the in the Masterpiece Cake case? Must protections for religious liberties come at the expense of non-discrimination statutes?

Sepia-toned cartoon drawing of two 19th century women on a dirt road in Vermont
Hybrid Event

Vermont Reads Facilitated Discussion: Blake Memorial Library

Join us for a book discussion of this year’s Vermont Reads selection, Charity & Sylvia. This discussion will be facilitated by Suzanne Brown, in person and on zoom. All are welcome!

A cartoon of a man giving a presentation to a large audience of different people and animals
Live Event

Picturing Language: An Introduction to the Magic of Comics

Comics are a powerful and often misunderstood storytelling language—one that is immersive, visually rich, and accessible across age groups and reading levels. From preschool classrooms to graduate seminars, comics have a unique ability to engage learners, including those who struggle with reading or communicate best through visual narratives.

Two cartoon women - Charity and Sylvia - do sewing work before a fireplace
Live Event

Pins and Pies, Linens and Lamps: Imagining the World of Charity & Sylvia

The publication of Tillie Walden’s recent graphic novel Charity & Sylvia–and its selection as the 2026 “Vermont Reads”–was a wonderful impetus for the Henry Sheldon Museum to rethink how we might feature the story of Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake in the museum galleries.

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