Southern Vermont Arts Center, Arts centre in Manchester, United States.
The Southern Vermont Arts Center occupies the former Yester House estate on the west side of West Road in Manchester. Its 28-room Colonial Revival main house, designed by the New York firm Murphy and Dana, now serves as the Yester House Gallery, joined by a modern gallery, an open-air performance pavilion and an education center. The grounds hold the area's largest sculpture park, with trails for hiking and cross-country skiing.
The campus was first a farm and woodlot of the Orvis family before William and Gertrude Divine Ritter of Columbus, Ohio, established a summer country estate there in 1916. The New York firm Murphy and Dana designed its main buildings, including the 28-room Colonial Revival house now called Yester House Gallery. After Gertrude's death in 1947 her glass collection was auctioned and the property sold; Southern Vermont Artists, Inc. bought it in 1950 and began summer exhibits.
The center displays works by regional artists and creates a space where visitors can experience the artistic tradition of New England. The exhibitions bring together local creators with national artists and invite discovery of different artistic perspectives.
The grounds lie on the west side of West Road, with trails used for hiking and cross-country skiing. Galleries, the open-air performance pavilion and the education center sit on the former estate campus, so allow time to move between buildings. Wear sturdy shoes for uneven ground.
The building itself is constructed in Colonial Revival style with 28 rooms shaped by its original function as a private residence. These historic rooms were cleverly converted into galleries, blurring the line between private and public art viewing.
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