makers when the legislature is in session and by visitors throughout the summer and fall. The Supreme Court Gallery followed a decade later, becoming possibly the only state Supreme Court hosting contemporary art exhibitions. Soon after her appointment in 1997, Associate Justice Marilyn Skoglund
saw the potential of the court entry, with its high ceiling and vast white walls. Art is dear to the Justice’s heart; she was an art major in her undergraduate days. She called the State Curator’s office. David Schütz recalls, “She asked if I would remove the dead justices.” Their portraits, longtime fixtures in the
entry, moved upstairs where they remain respectfully but less prominently displayed. After hours and on weekends, Justice Skoglund met with artists and installed exhibitions. She scheduled shows; hauled and climbed a 12-foot ladder to hammer in hooks and hang artwork; and then spackled and painted walls to prepare for the next show. The heavy lifting has now shifted to the State Curator’s office, but Justice Skoglund continues as the curator for the Supreme Court Gallery, selecting the artists for the four exhibitions there each year. The Spotlight Gallery at the Vermont Council of the Arts made its debut in 1994. The Arts Council, founded in 1965, has made its home on State Street since its beginning. Renovations to the building and the addition of a widely used conference room afforded the opportunity for in-house gallery space. The Council presents six shows each year. The outdoor Sculpture Garden opened in 2002. A downtown oasis, it features rotating two-year exhibits of contemporary sculpture. www.bestofcentralvt.com 33