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ARTS+LEISURE The Addison Independent
September 8, 2016
REBECCAH BRINTON, LEFT, and Jamie Smith, co-founders of Vergennes Movement, strike a pose in their yoga and fitness studio on Main Street in Vergennes. INDEPENDENT PHOTO/TRENT CAMPBELL
Yoga in Vergennes: Moving the community together
V
ergennes's newest yoga and exercise studio is a shared space in more ways than one. The studio, which sits on the second floor of an apartment building on Main Street that overlooks Vergennes City Park, has been owned under several managers throughout the years. It was handed over to co-founders Rebeccah Brinton and Jamie Smith in January.
BY EMMA COTTON
Since then, the two yogis have gathered five other teachers and a collection of loyal students, and classes have commenced almost every day since the year’s beginning. Together, the instructors named the studio “Vergennes Movement.” “The vision is to have a community space where people can practice movement,” Brinton said. Classes range from 55-minute 6 a.m. cardio workouts, to latemorning gentle yoga, to “Music, Movement and Mindfulness” for preschoolers. The instructors, many of whom are current or former grade school teachers, have drawn a multi-generational crowd.
“There’s no body type or personality type or age,” Brinton said. “There’s such a large range of people, and I hope that anybody feels really welcome to be in the space, even if they don’t know what they’re doing or feel insecure or inflexible.” Children as young as nine years old accompany their mothers to classes, and seniors are invited to stretch out aches and pains in classes that can be adjusted for skill level and areas of need. It didn’t take long for the community to gather at the newly opened space just after New Year’s. “It was a new business, so everyone was trying to be supportive of all of us,” Smith said. “At the first hot yoga class I taught, there was barely space for me to roll a mat out. And when I walked in the room, they just kept coming in and coming in and coming in.” Though the number of regular attendees has stabilized since then, the instructors have devised a system that allows them to focus less on the number of people walking through their doors and more on the classroom experience they give to their students. Each teacher contributes a set amount of money to the space, and instead of a membership system, the instructors handle the cost SEE MOVEMENT ON PAGE 6
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| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016
“AS AN ARTIST, YOU WEAR MANY HATS.” — Alissa Faber
PHOTO BY KELLY DUDASH
Alissa Faber EDGEWATER GALLERY AT THE FALLS, MIDDLEBURY
D
eep in the Vermont forest, artist Alissa Faber trudges through the terrain dragging a piece of decaying wood behind her. This log, once dead on the forest floor, might be overlooked by any other, but in Faber’s eyes this is an opportunity to create.
Returning to her studio space at Burlington City Arts (BCA), she tosses the timber to dry amongst a heap of other potential wood pieces. The industrial fans offer some relief from the heat generated by the molten glass that surrounds her. Artisans dance around one another shouting direction over blasting music and smoke fumes. It is loud and chaotic, but it is part of her artistic process. Surrounded by the madness of the studio, Faber grabs her gloves and her steel pipe to start her newest piece. In a 2100F furnace is the molten glass that clings to her pipe as she collects her first batch. Her glass form always begins as a small bubble which she creates by putting the steel pipe to her mouth and channeling air, slowly filling and expanding the hot glass. Faber shapes her glass forms using a number of different materials including water-soaked wood blocks and wet newspaper.
While still blowing air through the pipe she is able to get the preferred shape, depending on the wooden form she chooses as her base. From the pile of drying timber that Faber has collected, she chooses her base and slowly lowers the hollowed form onto the wood. She allows it to melt and hug itself around the bark, blackening the wood with its high temperature. This labor-intensive series of steps creates what Faber calls her “Blackened Timber” collection. It was love at first sight for Faber and glass blowing. En route to her freshman orientation at Alfred University in New York (where she received her BFA in sculpture in 2009), she stopped in at the Corning Museum of Glass. The shapes and forms taken on by the molten glass amazed Faber, and in that moment she proclaimed herself a glassblower. Lucky for her, Alfred University offered a glass program. She signed up, and then spent much of the next four years within the walls of the glass studio. While she continued to pursue her original interest in clay and other sculptural materials, her real passion was glass. Glass blowing CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Addison Independent
FABER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
offered an immediate form or transformation; clay took more time to create and more time to dry.
Today, Faber is most recognized by her “Blackened Timber” collection, which features a glass vessel that has been formed to sit comfortably within a found wood form. Wood is commonly used as a mold in glass blowing to create consistent shapes and streamline the fabrication process. The irregularity of the vessels molded by the decayed timber offers an organic and individualized shape that Faber likes to view as a “lens or a window” to the beauty that she saw in the found material. “As an artist, you wear many hats,” Faber explained, and that she does. Faber resides in Burlington and teaches ceramics classes to both “I LOVE THE PROCESS adults and Middle School students AND I HOPE TO BLOW for BCA. She loves being involved in the city and with her peers, bringing GLASS FOR A LONG awareness to the arts, including TIME AND CONTINUE her recent participation in a mural project repainting the city’s mall TO LEARN ABOUT NEW with high school students. She MEDIUMS AND ADD also practices yoga regularly and NEW MATERIALS TO MY is an avid reader, always striving to learn more about her art form and WORK.” beyond. — Alissa Faber “I love the process and I hope to blow glass for a long time and continue to learn about new mediums and add new materials to my work. I think every idea develops the more you work with it, so I’m not sure where the Blackened Timber series will go, but I know it will keep evolving as I grow as a person and artist.” Faber’s “Blackened Timber” collection can be found at Edgewater Gallery at Middlebury Falls.
Blackened Timber work by Alissa Faber.
PHOTO/MONIKA RIVARD
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016 — PAGE 3
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| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016
OUT OF TOWN
The future washes over Shelburne gallery SHELBURNE —― The Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery welcomes five new artists from Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts for the exhibit “Future Wave.” Artists Robert Bent of Greenfield, Mass.; Karen Henderson of Montpelier; Madeleine Hopkins of Moody, Maine; Jane Ann Kantnor of Charlotte; and Jon Young of St. Albans represent a fresh approach to landscape, abstraction and color. This is the third exhibit of 2016 celebrating the gallery’s 25 years in Shelburne Village as Furchgott Sourdiffe — the previous name for the business was Shelburne Frame and Art.
SETP. 16-OCT.29
on exhibit FUTURE WAVE
FURCHGOTT SOURDIFFE GALLERY, SHELBURNE
“Near Davenport Farm” - oil on canvas – by Robert Bent of Greenfield, Mass.
“Future Wave” will open with a reception on Friday, Sept. 16 from 6-8 p.m. All are welcome. The exhibit will run through Oct. 29. Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery is located at 86 Falls Road in Shelburne Village. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info call (802) 985-3848, email joan@fsgallery.com or visit www. fsgallery.com.
“Nest #13” – image transfer/mixed media – by Jane Ann Kantnor, of Charlotte.
“At Ogunquit” - oil on canvas – by Madeleine Hopkins of Moody, Maine.
Show us your moves. Be part of the new Arts + Leisure section. Share. Advertise. Contribute.
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Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016 — PAGE 5
IN TOWN
Emerson Barks & On Trails AUTHORS DISCUSS THEIR WORKS The Vermont Book Shop is hosting two authors for readings and book-signings this week. Kids bring your parents this Saturday, to hear Vermont author/illustrator Liza Woodruff read her brandnew picture book, Emerson Barks in a special Saturday storytime, at 10:30 a.m. There will be activities and treats. Ideal for ages 4-8 \ good thing it’s free! Thursday, award-winning nonfiction writer Robert Moor will read from his book On Trails at 6:30 p.m. Book-signing to follow. This event is presented in partnership with Middlebury Area Land Trust. All donations collected will directly benefit MALT and the TAM. Need more info? Call the Book Shop (802) 388-2061 or visit www.vermontbookshop.com.
one more thing
YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK
MIDDLEBURY QUARRY OPEN HOUSE Saturday, Sept. 10 Omya Quarry, Middlebury If you haven’t yet been to the Omya Company quarry you should make the trip. The next Middlebury Quarry Open House is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The quarry is located on the east side of Route 7, about two miles south of Middlebury. Omya is a worldwide mineral processing company, with North, Central and South American headquarters located in Cincinnati, Ohio. In Vermont, Omya quarries marble, which then is ground, milled and purified to produce a finely ground calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is a necessary ingredient used in a wide array of consumer products ranging from paint and paper, to vinyl siding and diapers. Check it out and learn something new.
Emerson Barks by Liza Woodruff
On Trails ― by Robert Moor
Saturday, Sept. 10, 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 15, 6:30 p.m.
Vermont Book Shop, Middlebury
Vermont Book Shop, Middlebury
Arf! Arf! Arf! Bird, squirrels, the mailman — Emerson can’t help but bark his loudest when he gets excited. But when his bark scares one of his neighborhood friends into hiding, Emerson’s girl Eva must forbid him from barking altogether. Can Emerson adjust to a life in silence? Or will he find a way to put his powerful bark to good use? A charming dog story that shows how good intentions can triumph over mistakes.
In 2009, while through-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Moor began to wonder about the paths that lie beneath our feet: How do they form? Why do some improve over time while others devolve? What makes us follow or strike out on our own? Over the course of the next seven years, Moor traveled the globe, exploring trails of all kinds, from the minuscule to the massive. He learned the tricks of master trail-builders, hunted down Native American trails, and traced the origins of our road networks and the Internet. This book is the result of those wild perambulations. Throughout, Moor reveals how this single topic ― the oft-overlooked trail ― sheds new light on a wealth of age-old questions.
Woodruff is the illustrator of over 20 books for young readers, including If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws by Kim Norman and The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Elizabeth Bennett. She lives in an old farmhouse in Vermont with her family and their two dogs. Emerson Barks is the first book that she has both written and illustrated.
Sierra Magazine calls On Trails the “best outdoors book of the year” and the Boston Globe says the book is “(p)art natural history, part scientific inquiry, but most of all a deeply thoughtful human meditation on how we walk through life, Moor’s book is enchanting.” Moor has written for Harper’s, n+1, New York and GQ, among other publications. A recipient of the Middlebury Fellowship in Environmental Journalism, he has won multiple awards for his nonfiction writing. He lives in Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia. On Trails is his first book.
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| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016
T HEATER
OWN HALL
Merchants Row, Middlebury, VT Tickets: 802-382-9222 • www.townhalltheater.org Sun 9/11 2pm $15/$10 Seniors
GREAT SINGERS, GREAT SONGS
Hits from the Great American Songbook starring the Seagle Music Colony emerging artists. Accepting Donations for
THE FABULOUS FLEA MARKET 9am ‘til noon on September 2, 3, 9, 10. Town Hall Theater is accepting donations of antiques, jewelry, small oriental carpets, nice pottery, signed and framed art, sterling, folk art, and collectibles for the Fabulous Flea Market.
Sat 9/17 9am-2pm FREE
THE FABULOUS FLEA MARKET Treasures, Trinkets, Jewelry and Antiques. Proceeds to benefit Town Hall Theater.
Wed 9/21 7pm $15 NORMAN LEAR:
JUST ANOTHER VERSION OF YOU A MNFF special film presentation followed by a live Skype interview with Norman Lear. Arguably the most influential creator, writer, and producer in the history of television, Norman Lear brought primetime into step with the times with shows such as All In the Family, Good Times, and The Jeffersons.
Thu 9/22 2pm* • 7pm** $17/$10 Students NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE:
THREEPENNY OPERA
Mack the Knife is back in town. A darkly comic new take on Brecht and Weill’s raucous musical broadcast live from the stage of the National Theatre. Contains scenes of a sexual nature, violence and filthy language. *2pm – Live from London • **7pm Encore Presentation
Sat 9/24 7pm $10 ROCK ON FILM:
PURPLE RAIN
Prince’s iconic, semi-autobiographical film featuring the classic songs Purple Rain, Let’s Go Crazy and When Doves Cry.
MOVEMENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
of their class directly with the students. For Smith’s Hot Yoga class, for example, a student could purchase a 10-class punch card for $135, but that card can’t be used for, say, Brinton’s Vinyasa Flow class.
The system enables the teachers to avoid overhead management, which often becomes stressful, time-consuming and a distraction from the studio’s mission to heal. “Taking that stress off has been really liberating,” Brinton said. “I, personally, have watched other yoga studio owners get so stressed out about not making enough money, and the classes become about how many people are walking through the door. As a teacher, that’s not where you want to be. You want to be practicing with these people and sharing an experience with them.” The space, shared equally among the teachers, is also used on less frequent occasions by massage therapists, sound therapists, and other specialists in the business of healing. Brinton and Smith are interested in various uses for the space, as long as they contribute to the studio’s mission to “cultivate well-being with an emphasis on supporting our community.”
VERGENNES MOVEMENT INSTRUCTORS Kathy Rossier, left, Jamie Smith, Rebeccah Brinton, Nancy Spencer and Mary Jackman Sullivan offer multigenerational yoga, dance and fitness classes in their downtown Vergennes studio. INDEPENDENT PHOTO/TRENT CAMPBELL
The instructors find healing through yoga, which supports strength, selfawareness and confidence. “For a woman, I think it has given me a really positive relationship with my body and the changes that it’s continually going through,” Brinton said. “I think it allows you to be able to react to situations from a calmer space.” Certified yoga instructor Nancy Spencer, who was formerly a biology teacher at Harwood Union Middle School, brings attention to anatomy during her classes. She said students want to know, specifically, how a movement or stretch is helping their body. “There’s people who come who have no sense of spatial awareness of their bodies, so we teach them about the sacrum or the psoas (muscles),” she said. “So you’re backing up a practice that is very authentic and touching peoples’ deep inner selves with scientific context.” Spencer also believes that yoga can bring people together in the most basic sense. “Yoga creates a freedom in the body, mentally and physically,” she said. “The Sanskrit interpretation of freedom is love, and I think it does bring compassion and love. So there’s the physical end, but I think it makes your life so much richer.” More information about Vergennes Movement can be found on their Facebook page, or at vergennesmovement.weebly.com.
Addison Independent
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Awful or amazing? UNDERSTANDING VICTORIAN FURNITURE’S BAD-RAP
Library Table, 1865-1875. Courtesy of Historic New England. Gift of Felix A. Gendrot, 1936.302.
This Wednesday at 7 p.m., the Henry Sheldon Museum and its alliance partner Historic New England will try to figure out if Victorian furniture is a work of creative genius, or just plain ugly. The talk “Victorian Furniture: Design Run Amok or Inspired Creativity?” will
EXHIBITS ADDISON COUNTY IN PROFILE: SILHOUETTES FROM THE HENRY SHELDON MUSEUM ARCHIVES. On exhibit through summer 2016 at the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, 1 Park St., Middlebury. 388-2117 or www.henrysheldonmuseum.org.
KINDSIGHT. On exhibit for the month of September featuring oil on linen paintings by Kathryn Milillo. Edgewater Gallery, 6 Merchants Row, Middlebury. Come to the gallery for an opening reception on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 4-6 p.m. (802) 989-7419.
ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN AND EARLY EUROPEAN ART. Ongoing exhibit, highlighting an Egyptian Old Kingdom relief and an early fifteenth-century Italian panel painting. Lower Gallery at the Middlebury College Museum of Art, 72 Porter Field Road, Middlebury. (802) 443-5007.
PEDALING THROUGH HISTORY: 150 YEARS OF THE BICYCLE, THE GLENN EAMES COLLECTION. On exhibit June 21-Oct. 16 at the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, 1 Park St, Middlebury. 388-2117 or www.henrysheldonmuseum.org.
COLLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS: PRESERVING PETER BARRANCO’S LEGACY. On exhibit through summer 2016 at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. 4472 Basin Harbor Road, Vergennes, 4752022 or www.lcmm.org. EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN ART. Ongoing exhibit, featuring landscapes by American painters Jasper Cropsey and John Frederick Kensett alongside sixteenth- and seventeenth-century European religious and devotional images and American and European sculpture. Cerf Gallery at the Middlebury College Museum of Art, 72 Porter Field Road, Middlebury. (802) 443-5007. INDEPENDENCE MUST BE WON: THE ART OF ELLEN VIERECK. On exhibit for 2016 at Mount Independence State Historic Site. 497 Mount Independence Road, Orwell. 802-948-2000 or www.historicsites.vermont.gov/ MountIndependence.
QUAKER MADE: VERMONT FURNITURE, 1820-1835. On exhibit starting Sunday, July 10 at the Rokeby Museum. Route 7, Ferrisburgh. 877-3406. ROBERT F. REIFF GALLERY OF ASIAN ART. Ongoing exhibit of East Asian ceramics. Middlebury College Museum of Art, 72 Porter Field Road, Middlebury. (802) 443-5007. THE CREATIVE WORLD OF STEPHANIE STOUFFER. On exhibit Sept. 2-Oct. 29 featuring Stephanie Stouffer’s original paintings, along with selected licensed products from her 35 year career as an illustrative and decorative artist. Opening Reception: Friday, Sept. 2, 4-7:30 p.m. Compass Center, 333 Jones Drive, Brandon. (802) 247-4295. VANISH. A solo exhibit for the month of September featuring the photographs of Jim Westphalen. Edgewater Gallery at the Falls, 1 Mill Street, Middlebury. Join an opening reception at the gallery on Thursday, Sept. 8
be given by Nancy Carlisle, who is the Historic New England Senior Curator of Collections, at the Town of Middlebury’s new Town Offices, 77 Main Street, across from the Sheldon Museum.
history. She is the author of the award-winning book Cherished Possessions: A New England Legacy and the co-author with Melinda Nassardinov of America’s Kitchens.
For decades, Victorian furniture has been reviled by designers and taste makers. Drawing examples from Historic New England’s extensive furniture collection, Carlisle will present an illustrated lecture exploring the highs and lows of Victorian furniture design. She will suggest that its bad rap has more to do with late nineteenth-century attitudes than with the quality of the furniture itself.
Carlisle’s talk complements the Sheldon Museum’s distinguished furniture collection that spans three centuries, thus neatly illustrating the evolution in style and workmanship that took place in America between the early 1700s and the early 1900s. The local origins of most of the Sheldon’s furniture make the collection a valuable resource for the study of regional tastes and techniques.
Carlisle has worked for close to 30 years at Historic New England. Through her research, writings and public programs, she uses stories associated with the collections to encourage people to make personal connections with
It’s $8 to attend the talk, unless you’re a Henry Sheldon Museum or Historic New England member ― then it’s free. Reservations and advance payment requested. Call the Sheldon at (802) 388-2117 to reserve a space.
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PAGE 8 — Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016
CALENDAR kids pick
Kids love watching adults try (and fail) at anything new. Family Play Day at Middlebury Indoor Tennis offers families a chance to play tennis together. All equipment is provided, so give this life long sport a try and start moving and giggling with your kids. 9/11 10:30-12. Repeats weekly. — Eliza Eaton, MiniBury.com
ANIMALS
WOOFSTOCK IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Sept. 17, 10:30 a.m., Memorial Sports Center. One mile walk to benefit Homeward Bound, Addison County’s Humane Society. Live music, A&W food cart and a doggie dip in the town pool. Info: www.firstgiving.com/homewardboundanimals/2016woofstock. LEARN ABOUT ALPACAS IN BRANDON. Saturday, Sept. 17 and Sunday, Sept. 18, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Maple View Farm, 185 Adams Road, Brandon. Visit Vermont Fiber Mill and Studio and Maple View Farm to see how the crias (baby alpacas) have grown. Learn about alpacas and tour the fiber mill, then browse the farm store to see products made from their luxurious fiber. Info: mvfalpacas@gmail.com.
ARTS OPENING RECEPTION IN MIDDLEBURY. Thursday, Sept. 8, 5-7 p.m., Edgewater at the Falls. Opening reception for Jim Westphalen’s photography series “vanish,” the featured September solo exhibition at Edgewater at the Falls. BRANCH TO SPOON CARVING WORKSHOP IN FERRISBURGH. Saturday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Rokeby Museum. Join instructor Robert Palmer for a day of spoon carving using hand tools and traditional Swedish methods. Presented in collaboration with the Shelburne Craft School. Info: 985-3648.
Play the 2016 Garden Game! Find more info on www.addisonindependent.com
58 Maple Street • Middlebury, Vermont 05753 • (802) 388-4944
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
WHAT YOU WANT TO DO SEPTEMBER 8-18, 2016
“VICTORIAN FURNITURE: DESIGN RUN AMOK OR INSPIRED CREATIVITY” IN MIDDLEBURY. Wednesday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m., Town Offices. Nancy Carlisle, historic New England senior curator of collections, gives a talk on Victorian furniture. Sponsored by Henry Sheldon Museum and Historic New England. GRAND OPENING RECEPTION IN VERGENNES. Friday, Sept. 16, 5-8 p.m., Northern Daughters Gallery, 221 Main Street, Vergennes. Grand opening reception for “Madonnas Make You Brave,” featuring new work by Anne Cady and Pamela Smith. Apero by Vergennes Laundry and wood fired pizza available from One Hearth. Info: www.northerndaughters. com. FIVE MUSEUM TOUR IN VERMONT AND NEW YORK. Saturday, Sept. 17, 8:45 a.m.-3 p.m., start at Chimney Point State Historic Site. Drive from Chimney Point to the John Strong DAR Mansion, Crown Point (N.Y.) State Historic Site, Penfield Museum and Port Henry Iron Center. $30 including buffet lunch. Call to register: 388-2967. ARTIST RECEPTION IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Sept. 17, 4-6 p.m., Edgewater Gallery. Kathryn Milillo’s solo exhibition “Kindsight” will be featured at the Edgewater Gallery for the month of September.
DANCE CONTRADANCE IN CORNWALL. Saturday, Sept. 10,
Addison Independent
7-9:30 p.m., Cornwall Town Hall. Cornwall Contradance featuring Ron Blechner calling to live music by Red Dog Riley. $5/person. All are welcome. Info: 462-3722. LINE DANCING IN NEW HAVEN. Saturday, Sept. 17, 6-8 p.m., New Haven Town Hall. Addison County Line Dancers offer classes $5 each (children 10 and under are free). Info: 989-6701.
FILM “CAROL” IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Sept. 17, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., Dana Auditorium. “Carol,” starring Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett, and nominated for six Academy Awards will be shown at Dana Auditorium. Free. SILENT FILM SCREENING IN BRANDON. Saturday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Brandon Town Hall. Showing “The Kid” (1921), starring Charlie Chaplin, in which the Little Tramp raises an orphan. Live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis. Admission is free but free-will donations are accepted to help with ongoing renovation of the town hall. Info: www. brandontownhall.org. Part of the town hall’s annual summer silent film series.
GREEN THUMB MIDDLEBURY GARDEN CLUB LECTURE IN MIDDLEBURY. Tuesday, Sept. 13, 1 p.m., The Residence at Otter Creek. Dr. Leonard Perry, professor of horticulture at UVM, will present a program about growing perennials and how to put perennials to bed for the winter. Free and open to the public. Qualifies for master gardeners education credits. Info: www.middleburygardenclub.org.
HEALTH FREE HEALTH AND WELLNESS FAIR IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., EastView at Middlebury. Free health and wellness fair open to all of Addison County. Local vendors and family friendly fun. OPEN DOOR MICROCHIP CLINIC IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m.noon. Homeward Bound is offering an open door microchip clinic to the community. The clinic is open to both dogs and cats. $35 includes microchip implant and registration. Call 388-1100 to pre-register.
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016 — PAGE 9
MUSIC CLINT BIERMAN AND PETER DAY IN MIDDLEBURY. Thursday, Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall Theater. Middlebury favorites Clint Bierman and Peter Day will perform the hits of Simon and Garfunkel along with their original acoustic songs. Tickets $15. Info: www.townhalltheater.org or 388-9222. ERIC MCDONALD & WILL WOODSON IN CONCERT IN BRANDON. Saturday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m., Brandon Music. Scottish. Tickets $20. Reservations recommended: 247-4295 or www.brandon-music.net. SINGERS AND GREAT SONGS IN MIDDLEBURY. Sunday, Sept. 11, 2-4 p.m., Town Hall Theater. Great Singers and Great Songs is a delightful afternoon of music featuring the four Seagle Music Colony emerging artists singing popular songs from the mid-20th century. Tickets $15/$10 seniors. Info: 382-9222. VIOLIN CONCERT IN BRANDON. Sunday, Sept. 11, 3 p.m., Compass Music and Arts Center, 333 Jones Drive. Leading international violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved performs works for violin. Tickets $30 and can be reserved by calling 247-4295 or emailing info@cmacvt.org. COMMUNITY CHORUS IN MIDDLEBURY. Tuesday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., Mead Chapel, Middlebury College. Come join the chorus for the first Tuesday rehearsal of new season as they prepare for their annual Thanksgiving concert. Sing inspirational works by American composers written during the past five years, and energetic classical choruses by G. F. Handel with celebratory psalm texts. Open to all without audition. The second rehersal takes place Sunday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m., Mead Chapel. Info: conductor Jeff Rehbach 989-7355. CONCERT FOR RECORDER, FLUTE AND PIANO IN BRANDON. Saturday, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., Brandon Music, 62 Country Club Road. Recorderist and flutist Anna Laufenberg and pianist Stefan Simrock in concert. Tickets $20. Reservations recommended for the show and required for dinner. Info: 2474295 or info@brandon-music.net or www. brandon-music.net. MARK LAVOIE, HARMONICA AND VOICE IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Sept. 17, 8 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Robison Hall. With 44 years of performance history and 35 harmonicas in his case, affiliate artist Mark Lavoie plays his authentic blues repertoire SEE CALENDAR ON PAGE 14
top pick VISIT VERMONT FIBER MILL AND STUDIO AND MAPLE VIEW FARM IN BRANDON NEXT WEEKEND TO SEE HOW THE CRIAS (BABY ALPACAS) HAVE GROWN. LEARN ABOUT ALPACAS AND TOUR THE FIBER MILL,
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| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016
Meet the brewer
Christine & Steve keep learning at Drop-In Bre
M
any couples meet their match at first glance. For Christine McKeever, it was Steve Parke’s distinctive British accent.
“I heard him before I saw him, and my ears perked right up.,” McKeever recalled. It was April of 1988 when she first heard Parkes’ accent across a crowded bar room at Kelly’s Bar and Restaurant in Nags Head on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Twenty-five years later, Steve and Christine have not only grown a family and a marriage with staying power, they are the dynamic duo behind the American Brewers Guild and Drop-In Brewing in Middlebury.
BY LEE J. KAHRS
“Our strengths compliment each other and don’t particularly overlap,” Steve said. “So there was never any arguing over who was doing what.” They clicked when they met in 1988 and they click now. But, let’s start from the beginning. About six months after they were married (Sept. 21, 1991, ahem, stop in and wish them a happy 25th) the newlyweds were heading to Northern California, and a new job at Humboldt Brewing for Steve.
When Humboldt Brewing took on two interns from the American Brewers Guild (ABG) — located in Woodland, about five hours south-east — Steve realize how much he enjoyed the educational part of brewing. He was invited to come down and give a guest lecture at ABG, which was so well received that the Guild asked Steve to teach full-time. Christine Sean Noonan, Christine McKeever-Parkes, Steve Parkes and Vilija Bizinkauskas stand next to the new canning machine a remembers well: “When he came to me and said, ‘They want me to teach,’ I said, ‘Oh, yeah, you need to teach.’” “Having been classically trained in Britain — within the paradigm of big, flavorless beers — there was a sense in me
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PINTS ARE BEING SERVED, CANS ARE COMING! It might surprise you, but until mid-July, DropIn Brewing couldn’t actually serve you a pint. That’s right, they were officially a tasting room and brewery, and could only serve tasting portions or take-home-size growlers.
BY ELSIE LYNN PARINI
That’s always been important for them and the Guild, but Steve and Christine also saw the potential to create more of a gathering spot for their diehard fans and to create a slightly different vibe for their students. “The tasting room is the public face for our classes,” Steve said last week, acknowledging that vital role and importance of the brewery’s
mission to create great beer and deliver a great education to the Guild’s students.
That focus hasn’t changed, he said, but they decided to navigate the government’s red tape to get their license to serve pints to also help create a bar-like atmosphere.
A few rules came with the territory: like their outdoor seating couldn’t be in the nice little green area across the parking lot because th was too far off the premises — oh well, so the built a cute little awning outside the front doo to keep off any rain and too much sun, and added a couple of picnic tables. Sweet.
Another catch: you have to have a kitchen an serve food to also serve pints. OK, said Steve
Addison Independent
ewing
that, there was more to life,” Steve said. “To go out and teach people and make a difference really appealed to me. To train a whole army of people who boldly go out and make beer properly, that was something.” And the beer school business was good. Classes filled quickly. But after two years, the growth of the U.S. craft beer industry began to slow dramatically. In 1997, a new brewery was opening somewhere in America every day. By 1999, that number dropped to 60 a year. And suddenly, classes at ABG weren’t full anymore. Steve was the only other instructor left, and the Guild was offered to the couple to buy. “We had the distance learning component in place because Steve helped developed it,” Christine, who had been working in the insurance business, said. “So, we bought it.” Christine and Steve dove full-throttle into the Guild. She took care of admissions and administrative work; he taught classes. But it wasn’t long before Steve realized he needed to go back to brewing. So Steve, Christine and their two young children would move, and move the ABG with them. They could have gone anywhere, but they came to Vermont, and Steve became the head brewer at Otter Creek Brewery in Middlebury in 2002. Brewery owner Morgan Woliver agreed to hire Steve on a flexible schedule that allowed him to teach Guild classes as well. “We wanted to take the kids to a different place to grow up,” Steve said. “Vermont looked good. It was a no brainer. It was exciting.” And it was good for the Guild too. “When we left Woodland, our class size was six,” Christine said. “Our first class here was 20 students.”
at Drop-In Brewing in Middlebury.
o
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016 — PAGE 11
For almost nine years, the couple raised their kids and built up the Guild. They used Hoppy Brewing in Sacramento, California for their West Coast Guild classes and Otter Creek for the SEE DROP-IN ON PAGE 17
INDEPENDENT PHOTO/TRENT CAMPBELL
and Christine, so they built a small kitchen in the back, cook a little and supplement that by ordering a few plates from their adjacent building tenants at Grapevine Grill.
In, or 3) buy the canning machine and do it themselves. Guess which one Drop-In picked?
“There are ways around most of it,” Steve said, but stressed they took plenty of time, and a common-sense approach to do everything right.
“It’ll be great for the students too,” added Christine. “It’s an extra day of beer packaging and canning the Guild students can add on.”
hat ey or
“It took us a while, Christine chimed in, “because we’re rule followers. We always do everything on the up-and-up.”
nd e
Another project Drop-In embarked on early this year was getting their beer in cans. There were a few options for canning: 1) ship it out, 2) have a mobile canning unit come to Drop-
Yup, DIY.
Steve guesses they can produce about 1,200 cases of 24-oz four-packs a month. We’ll have to wait and see, but don’t worry, they’re not going to be as elusive as the fabled “Heady Topper.” “That’s not our deal,” said Steve. “We’re going for a well made, easy to drink beer with a perfectly great purpose.”
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PAGE 12 — Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016
Middlebury College Museum of
T
ART
PART 2
his September, Middlebury College’s Mahaney Center for the Arts opens its 24th season with a diverse and exciting array of concerts, plays, exhibitions, dance performances, films and more. Among the highlights of the 2016-2017 season are suites of events focusing on Art History & Architecture, Classic Greece, American Identity, student and faculty dance, and a wide array of free music.
There were simply too many events to fit in one issue of Arts + Leisure, so we've split it into two parts. This Sept. 8 issue, we're highlighting Art History & Architecture, Classic Greece, American Identity, student and faculty dance, and music. In last week's Arts + Leisure (Sept. 1) we focused on International Exploration, Studio Art, the Hirschfield International Film Series, art from Middlebury College alumna Sabra Field and the 97th season of performing arts.
ART HISTORY & ARCHITECTURE The Department of History of Art and Architecture will present two public talks by Cameron Visiting Architects as part of their on-campus residencies during the academic year: Minneapolis-based Julia Snow (Nov. 7); and Dina A. Griffin, president of Interactive Design Architects (April 11). Other public talks will include a presentation by Edward Shaughnessy of the University of Chicago on the casting of a bronze vessel in ancient China (Sept. 19), and a talk by Ara Merjain of New York University on the artists of Arte Povera and their reaction against the corporate design that had come to distinguish Italy by the late 1960s (Oct. 6). These talks are free and open to the public.
Illustrated cartoons and political satire by Kal Kallaugher.
2016-2017 season
“The Middlebury arts events are open to everyone,” explained Liza Sacheli, director of the Mahaney Center for the Arts. “There’s a misperception that events at the Mahaney Center for the Arts are only for college students and faculty. That’s not true! We host more than 300 arts events each year — half of them are free. We want our community to know we’re open for business, and all are welcome.” The full season of listings are always available at www.middlebury.edu/ arts/news/2016-2017. For more information, or to request a 2016-2017 Arts Calendar, call 802-443-3168 or go to www.middlebury.edu/arts.
GREEK CLASSICS The coming year is full of opportunities to examine the arts, culture and civilization of Classical Greece through a contemporary lens. The Theatre Program opens its season Oct. 27-29 with “The Antigone Project,” five contemporary short plays taking a spin on the original Greek tragedy. The Middlebury College Museum of Art will host the exhibition “Untouched by Time: The Athenian Acropolis from Pericles to Parr” starting Jan. 10, with curator Pieter Broucke giving a virtual gallery talk on Jan. 13. Two art history/museum lectures — on perspectives from the Johns Hopkins Archeological Museum (Oct. 12), and the history of the Parthenon (March 2) — further the exploration. Finally, spring 2017 will feature a production of “The Women of Troy,” Don Taylor’s new translation of Eurpides’ tragedy (May 4-6).
“American Faces,” by various artists.
Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016 — PAGE 13
AMERICAN IDENTITY
THEATER
In this election year, audiences can explore the many faces of America through Middlebury’s arts offerings. Kal Kallaugher, international award-winning cartoonist of the Economist, starts the year with a lively illustrated presentation on cartoons, politics and satire on Sept. 29. Two museum exhibitions will feature American identity and ideas: “American Faces: A Cultural History of Portraiture and Identity” (Feb. 17-April 30) and “Young America: Roy Lichtenstein and the America’s Cup” (May 26-Aug. 13). Acclaimed composer, singer and violinist Jenny Scheinman will perform in her Americana film and folk music project “Kannapolis: A Moving Portrait” on March 4. Throughout the season, audiences can enjoy free screenings of award-winning American films such as Sean Baker’s “Tangerine” (Feb. 18), a microbudget odyssey through the subcultures of L.A.; and “Weiner” (April 15), about the New York Congressman’s second fall from grace,
In addition to “The Antigone Project” and “The Women of Troy,” the theatre program will present two productions directed by professor Cheryl Faraone this season. In the fall, she will direct the collage piece “American Sunrise/ Sunset,” featuring a company of 24 student actors exploring the American present through song, story and even some gymnastics (Nov. 17-19). Faraone’s spring production will be Tom Stoppard’s blockbuster, “Arcadia” (April 6-8), blending science, mathematics, literature, landscape and the magnetic force of human attraction. Tickets to Theatre Program shows go on sale two weeks prior to opening night.
DANCE The Dance Program will present its second annual Faculty Dance Concert on April 6, with samples of choreography by Gabriel Forestieri, Scotty Hardwig, Paloma McGregor, Maree ReMalia and Lida Winfield. All professional choreographers as well as educators, this group of talented movement artists will present a diverse and lively evening of dance. Maree ReMalia will share the discoveries of her two-year project Movement Matters, a campus-wide initiative funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, on April 20. The Fall Dance Concert on Dec. 4-5 will showcase emerging choreographers and the annual “Newcomer’s Piece,” choreographed this year by Forestieri. Senior dance majors Octavio Hingle-Webster, Mandy Kimm, Vladimir Kremenovic, Lorena Neira and Andrew Pester will present their thesis work on May 5-6 in a joint concert that will examine the intersection of contemporary choreography with their other areas of study. Tickets to Dance Program shows go on sale two weeks prior to opening night.
“The Women of Troy,” directed by Cheryl Faraone.
MUSIC The Department of Music will feature student ensembles throughout the coming year. Vocal music audiences can enjoy student performances of arias, Baroque era songs and popular show tunes on Dec. 10, March 18, and May 14; and three concerts by the Middlebury College Choir: a Nov. 6 concert under the baton of guest conductor Susanne Peck, “Lessons and Carols for Advent and Christmas” on Dec. 11, and a March 19 performance of 21st century compositions. The Middlebury College Community Chorus will offer a Thanksgiving concert on Nov. 19-20 and a spring concert on May 7. The Vermont Choral Union will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an April 21 concert featuring more than 100 years of classical a cappella music, and a new commissioned suite by Middlebury alumna Christina Whitten-Thomas. The Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble will give free concerts of big band classics of the swing era and new jazz classics on Dec. 3 and May 6. The piano students of affiliate artist Diana Fanning will give two public concerts on Nov. 17 and April 12. The seventh annual Bach Festival will take place April 28-30, with concerts and activities across all three days. Concerts by the department’s affiliate artists will include harmonica player Mark Lavoie (Sept. 17) and piper Timothy Cummings’ annual St. Patrick’s Day concert (March 12). The ever-popular January Term musical, co-produced annually with Town Hall Theater will be the jazzy musical comedy “City of Angels” (Jan. 27-30; tickets on sale Jan. 9).
“Andy Mouse,” part of Post Pop: Prints of Keith Haring.
PAGE 14 — Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016
CALENDAR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
in this solo concert. Free.
CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT IN MIDDLEBURY. Sunday, Sept. 18, 4 p.m., Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, Middlebury. Capital City Concerts presents “The Dove and the Hawk,” music of peace and war, including works by Shostakovich, Schumann and Samuel Barber. Tickets $15-$25. Info: www. capitalcityconcerts.org.
SOCIAL BUTTERFLIES MONTHLY OCAS-MALT EVENT IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Sept. 10, 7 a.m., Otter View Park parking area, Weybridge Street and Pulp Mill Bridge Road. Community members are invited to help survey birds and other wildlife at Otter Creek Park and Hurd Grassland. Beginning birders welcome. Come for all or part of the walk. Info: 3886019 or 388-1007. HARVEST FAIR IN ROCHESTER. Saturday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Rochester Park, Route 100, Rochester Village. 28th annual Harvest Fair sponsored by the White River Valley Players. Live entertainment, food, crafts, flower show and more. Info: Martha Slater 767-9025 or lavendarmfs@myfairpoint. net. MOUNTAIN WOMAN AND WILD BLUE THUNDER IN VERGENNES. Saturday, Sept. 10, 2-11 p.m., Vergennes Opera House. Shows at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. All day open mic
mountain jam, food, music, puppet show. $10 adults; kids and veterans free. Proceeds go to The Melissa Anne Ward Memorial for suicide prevention. KING PEDE CARD PARTIES IN FERRISBURGH. Saturday, Sept. 17, 6:30 p.m., Ferrisburgh Town Hall. Sandwich supper at 6:30 followed by an evening of fun and card games. Supports the Ferrisburgh Grange. TOUR DE FARMS IN BRISTOL. Sunday, Sept. 18, 8:30 a.m. registration, Bristol Rec Field. ACORN’s annual Tour de Farms features the flagship 30-mile route and a new 14-mile route. Live music at the after party from 1-5 p.m. with The Doughboys, free Farmhouse Ice Cream for all riders, food truck and local beverages for sale by Shacksbury Cider, Savoure Soda and Hogback Mountain Brewery. Info: www.acornvt.org.
THEATER AUDITIONS FOR “THE NUTCRACKER” IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Sept. 10, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Middlebury Union High School auditorium, 73 Charles Avenue. Middlebury Community Players will hold auditions for the annual holiday show, “The Nutcracker’s Adventure,” featuring Tchaikovsky’s holiday music. Register from 9-9:30 a.m. SOLDIERS ATOP THE MOUNT IN ORWELL. Saturday, Sept. 10, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Mount Independence State Historic Site. Step back to 1776 as re-enactors take over the Mount. See demonstrations of Revolutionary War camp life, military tactics, colonial crafts and skills and more. Activities for children. Admission $6 adults, free for children. Info: 948-2000. Continues Sunday.
top pick
MORE
DETAILS
FOR MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE ART ON PAGES 12-13
STEP BACK TO 1776 AS RE-ENACTORS TAKE OVER THE MOUNT IN ORWELL ON SATURDAY. SEE DEMONSTRATIONS OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR CAMP LIFE, MILITARY TACTICS, COLONIAL CRAFTS AND SKILLS AND MORE. ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN.
Addison Independent
MUSIC
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016 — PAGE 15
live music Jeff Salisbury Band in New Haven. Friday, Sept. 9, 6 p.m., Lincoln Peak Vineyard, River Road. Dale Cavanaugh in Middlebury. Friday, Sept. 9, 6 p.m., Two Brothers Tavern. Gabe Jarrett Trio in Middlebury. Friday, Sept. 9, 8:3010:30 p.m., 51 Main. Will Woodson & Eric McDonald in Brandon. Saturday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m., Brandon Music. Kelly Raven & Lowell Thompson in Lincoln. Saturday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m., Burnham Music Series, 52 River Road, Lincoln. They Might Be Gypsies in Middlebury. Saturday, Sept. 10, 8:3010:30 p.m., 51 Main.
PHOTOS BY ORCHARD COVE PHOTOGRAPHY
The Grift grooves Tourterelle “Booty-shaking grooves. Tight vocal harmonies.” Well, that’s what The Grift claims on their website; you’ll have to decide for yourself. Good thing they’re playing next Friday, Sept. 16 at Tourterelle’s Summer Live Music Series. Guitarist/vocalist Clint Bierman, bassist/vocalist Peter Day, drummer/bassist/ vocalist Jeff Vallone, and Andrew Moroz on keys have been playing together on the central Vermont music scene and beyond for almost 20 years. It shows too. These guys pretty much always deliver a classic dance party. Their talents extend beyond weekend gigs too. Day won a recent Vermontwide songwriter contest, and Bierman co-wrote “I’m On My Way” for the Shrek 2 soundtrack. Vallone (classically trained, no less) has at least one symphony under his belt. And Moroz has toured and recorded with Trey Anastasio, Phish, Anais Mitchell and Jennifer Hartswick, and has shared the stage with Carlos Santana and Dave Matthews. Wow! If that doesn’t make you want to head to New Haven for this show, maybe the BBQ will. Food starts at 6 p.m. Music follows. Twelve bucks for the evening. Questions? Call the restaurant (802) 453-6309.
PAGE 16 — Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016
Bible talk Laurie L. Patton, president of Middlebury College, will deliver the annual Rabbi Victor E. Reichert Bible Talk at the Ripton Community Church at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18. President Patton is a well-known scholar of religion. Although she is busy with her job as the top administrator at Middlebury, Patton takes an hour each day for scholarship. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s from the University of Chicago Divinity School. She earned a Ph.D. in the history of religions from Chicago in 1991 and later became professor of religion at Duke University. She has lectured widely on interfaith issues and on religion in public life. In keeping with Rabbi Reichert’s traditional practice, President Patton will challenge her listeners to discern what scripture or text from the Hebrew Bible she will present in her talk.
Middlebury College President Laurie Patton
The annual Reichert Bible Talk is a tradition that reaches back to the years just after World War II, when poet Robert Frost invited Rabbi Reichert to visit him at the Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference in Ripton. Frost had met Reichert while giving a reading in Cincinnati, where Reichert was rabbi of the Rockdale Temple, the oldest synagogue west of the Alleghenies, from 1924 to 1964. Their friendship deepened, and Rabbi Reichert and his wife, Louise, eventually bought an old, one-room schoolhouse near Bread Loaf as a summer cottage. For many summers, the Reicherts attended the nearby Ripton Methodist Church, and Rabbi Reichert would give a talk in the late summer on one of the books of the Hebrew Bible, of those scriptures common to Jews and Christians. The “Bible Talk” became an annual event, and the Ripton congregation named Reichert the church’s “Rabbi in Residence.” Since Rabbi Reichert’s passing in 1990 at the age of 93, Havurah/ The Jewish Community of Addison County, and the United Methodist Churches of Middlebury, East Middlebury and Ripton have collaborated to sustain this interfaith tradition, co-sponsoring the Bible Talk every year.
PHOTO BY JONATHAN REICHERT
Victor E. Reichert with Robert Frost, 1960.
The Ripton Community Church is located on Route 125 in the village center. Call Norm Tjossem at 802-388-0338 for further information.
LITERARY CHARACTER NAME
the book THE NIX — BY NATHAN HILL
— Reviewed by Jenny Lyons of the Vermont Book Shop in Middlebury.
1.
QUIZ
The name of many a great literary
heroines, Jane Austen’s among them, it means “universal.” 2.
From the famous opening sentence of Herman Melville’s epic novel Moby Dick.
3.
The name of the young heroine in To Kill a Mockingbird, it means “to listen.”
4.
Also in Tolkien, he is the heir of the Numenorean kings, and the one who finally returns to take back the throne.
5.
The name of memorable characters in such varied works as Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and The Tempest and Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited.
ANSWERS: 1) Emma; 2) Ishmael; 3) Scout; 4) Aragorn; 5) Sebastian.
Samuel Andresen-Anderson, (yes, really, that is his name) teaches at a small college outside of Chicago but he hasn’t quite reached his potential, while his mother, who walked out on the family when he was a small boy, perpetrating a small act of defiance, becomes an overnight viral news media sensation. Samuel’s flagging literary career could, to put it mildly, use a jumpstart and his literary agent suggests writing a tell-all book about his mom could be just the juice his career needs. In fact, it’s a mandatory assignment. Write the book or get dropped. The problem is Samuel hasn’t talked to his mom since she vanished years ago, even though it turns out she has had a hand in his life after all. And the Nix? Well the Nix is a ghost, or a horse, or it could assume any form. It sprang from an folk tale passed down through generations and originating from “the old country.” Samuel’s grandfather has been haunting the family with it, starting with Samuel’s mother, for years. This book, too, can take many forms, like the Nix. Filled with twists and turns you didn’t see coming, this rambunctious novel is brimming with heart and character and characters!
Addison Independent
DROP-IN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
STEAMED SHRIMP IN BEER (SUNSHINE AND HOPPINESS) Submitted by Nancy Geoghegan, chef at Grapevine Grille in Middlebury. Serves 2-4.
DIRECTIONS: Vermont classes. But in 2007, Otter Creek was becoming increasingly full-time for Steve, as the Guild needed him more as well. On Dec. 31, 2008, Steve left Otter Creek to work the Guild full-time. The Guild maintained its long relationship with Hoppy Brewing for its on-site West Coast brewing classes. Once Steve left Otter Creek, good friend, Guild alumnus and Head Brewer Scott Shirley of Harpoon Brewery in Windsor offered his brewery for Vermont Guild students. The Guild flourished.
Set up steamer.
Fill the steamer pot full of 1 pound of jumbo shrimp (16-20 jumbo shrimp per pound).
Pour about a pint of Sunshine and Hoppiness into the bottom of the steamer.
Sprinkle 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning on the shrimp and let cook for 10-12 min.
Add 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar.
Tip from the chef: As the shrimp cook wait until they look like a “C.” You don’t want their tails to touch and look like an “O,” then they’re rubbery. It’s when they’re in the shape of a “C” and they’re white — that’s when they’re done to perfection.
many other Vermont brewers end.
“And so Drop-In has just built up on its own.”
“I think part of our style is, we just keep our heads down and do our thing,” Christine said.
In almost six years, DropIn has grown methodically and steadily, now producing
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016 — PAGE 17
roughly 800 barrels a year, with about 35 percent coming directly through the tap room. And Steve and Christine are just fine with that. “I think any business, if it’s not a flash in the pan, takes a couple of years to come into its own,” Steve said. “It’s a slow building process.” As for the American Brewers Guild, roughly 150 students go through the program annually. And, there is currently a twoyear waiting list to enroll. Steve said the essence of the symbiotic relationship between Drop-In and the Guild is not new. In fact, it goes back 500 years. “It’s been a great journey,” he said. “The students are learning the definition of craftsmanship. The American Brewers Guild is a throwback to the craft guilds of the Middle Ages....
Mentors, apprenticeships and workshops — it’s what the Guild is all about.” Christine agreed. “Our mission is to educate and keep the standards high.”. But with the mass of craft breweries opening there is a bit of a push-back to the kind of quality the Guild promotes. “There’s a new generation of beer-drinkers now who were brought up when there’s always been good beer.” Steve explained with a nod to entitled millennials. “They think, ‘I can learn everything I need to know from the Internet or from others in the business about how to make good beer.’ And that’s partly true, but we, as an industry of craft beer, are only as good as our weakest link.” —E ― lsie Parini contributed to this story.
But something was missing. Steve wasn’t brewing. In 2011, a space became available in a Middlebury building that would not only give the Guild a brewing home, but allow Steve to do the two things he does best: make amazing beer and teach others how to do it, too. Steve and Christine signed a lease on 610 Route 7 South on Nov. 11, 2011, in the building that formerly housed Dundon’s Plumbing. They opened Drop-In Brewing the following June, realizing a lifelong dream. “All of my career, I’ve been given tremendous freedom,” Steve said. “But there was always someone there to say, ‘That’s a stupid idea.’ Now, there isn’t anyone to say that.” Christine disagrees only slightly. “Well, there’s one person,” she said with a smile. But there were more twists in the tale. The wave of craft brewing crested in Vermont at precisely the moment Drop-In Brewing opened its doors, yet that is where the similarities between Drop-In and so
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PAGE 18 — Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016
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Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, September 8, 2016 — PAGE 19
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