Land speculator, revolutionary, pamphleteer, politician, and empire-builder, Ira Allen was a key figure on the late eighteenth-century Green Mountain frontier. Based on his 2024 book Ira Allen: A Biography, J. Kevin Graffagnino’s lively talk evaluates Allen’s checkered career and makes the case for including him in our picture of Vermont’s formative decades.
The Waterbury Public Library hosts a monthly teen Queer Reads for interested LGBTQ youth and allies. For the month of October, Queer Reads expands to include all ages for the Charity & Sylvia Vermont Reads.
“A country newspaper… should not seek to create and control public opinion, but to furnish the means by which public opinion may find utterance.” With those ambitious words, publisher Charles A. Pierce launched The Manchester Journal in May 1861, just weeks after the outbreak of the Civil War. Over 165 years later, the paper remains a weekly snapshot of life in the Northshire and beyond. Join us for a fascinating journey through the history of this local institution, from its beginnings as a Union war-effort booster to its role as the town’s chronicler of everyday life.
This online class will explore strategies for effectively managing both children and caregivers during the holiday season, which is often marked by media overload, shopping distractions, and increased sugar consumption. Educators can create an environment of stability and comfort during this busy time.
Love, music, art, business…how do they all fit together? How is music created around a unique story? What does a commission look like? Join us for a listening party as we dive into a world premiere from the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s opening concert of the 2026-27 season.
Please join us for an exhibit talk and reception for the exhibit “We the Unseen People: An artist and historian explore the archives”.
Please join us for the first event in our new In Conversation series, bringing acclaimed writers to the Campus at Marlboro Music for readings and discussion. In this series Authors, poets, historians, and essayists will explore questions through the lens of literature, history, memory, place, ethics, creativity, and civic life. Rather than traditional book talks or readings, each gathering is built around conversation—an opportunity to listen deeply, ask questions, and consider multiple perspectives in the company of others.
The Birth of Vermont: The promise of the American Revolution - "Lost Nation" is a powerful film focusing on Ethan Allen - one of the original "Green Mountain Boys" - and the fight with NH and NY Land Grants, and Lucy Terry Prince, America's first known, and little known, African American Poet.
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.
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.
Our seasonal “Words in the Woods” program allows Vermonters and visitors to enjoy our state’s natural beauty while listening to and reading literature in the outdoors.
Humanities Camps are filled with reading and writing projects, field trips, and outdoor activities.
We won a 2020 Schwartz Prize for best public humanities programming in the U.S. for Vermont Reads 2019: “March: Book One.”
We supported the Chandler Center for the Arts’ Global Connections Youth Outreach program, which highlights artists from around the world.
Our free public events help bring the power of the humanities to communities across Vermont.
