Palettes bring palatable treasures

Author: Joyce Man

Beginning from the first week of January this year, Vermont has turned into what has been called the largest exhibition space ever, with a total 7,000 maple wooden palettes and an additional 30,000 paper palettes being manipulated in all kinds of artistic ways and displayed. Through the event, called simply "Palettes of Vermont," the Vermont Arts Council is attempting to generate a feeling of unified unity and create a state attraction in the coming summer tourist season.

Initiated by Vermont Arts Council trustee Warren Kimble, a renowned folk artist and resident of Brandon for over 30 years, this state-wide project has its roots in similar events of years past. Brandon, as Kimble explained on Tuesday in a phone interview, has held similar programs of a smaller scale to raise general community involvement through artwork. Previously, town residents had painted identical fibreglass pigs, birdhouses, Adirondack rockers and even lamas, moose and horses.

When Kimble planned the "Palettes of Vermont," however, he made changes in size and scale in order to suit a wide range of would-be participants in Vermont. "We wanted something that would not take a month's time to paint," he said," so we chose maple palettes. We wanted to unite the community, and this gave everyone the opportunity."

Though the project has not reached all parts of Vermont, it has impressively brought together a reported 37,000 state residents in one creative goal - fitting their creative impulses on a small, blank maple board. Some have gone with the traditional medium of paint, some have played with the shape of the palette and incorporated the hole in the middle into their composition and others still have created three-dimensional sculptures out of them.

So far, 117 organizations and 142 schools are involved. As Development Director of the Vermont Arts Council Diane Scolaro showed, the events that the Council has highlighted are diverse. Burlington Taiko, a drumming group that has been introducing their art to Vermont residents since 1987, has combined Japanese culture with the palettes by painting them as fans. Hardwick, a town north-east of Montpelier, is decorating its 10-kilometer hiking trails with palettes for its Black Fly Festival next month. Five organizations around Middlebury, too, are involved, although the College is not.

The coming months may see even more "Palettes of Vermont" activities, especially as the tourist season begins in the summer. On June 16, for example, the Council will hold what it has eloquently entitled the "Palette Party," to bring all participants who have created one of the 37,000 palettes together. The hope is, as Scolaro explained, to make this project, spanning nearly a year, into a tourist attraction.

Given the positive involvement that has been generated through "Palettes of Vermont," one would expect it to become a regular event. Yet, as Kimble explained, there are currently no plans to revive it for another year. "I think it's good," he said, "when things have a beginning and an end."