Opening for the 2012 Season - New Hours

The Springfield Art and Historical Society will host an opening reception for the annual Student Art Show on May 10th from 5:00 to 7:30pm. The show will be on exhibit from May 10th to May 31st. 

Come out and support your local student artists!

Please note - Due to staffing and financial restraints, we have changed our hours of operation for this year. Starting May 10th we will be open Thursday nights from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, Friday 11:00am to 4:00pm, and Saturdays 11:00am to 3:00pm. From mid June to mid October we will be open on Saturdays only. If you are coming from out of town we strongly suggest you call ahead. We can make special arrangements to be open for appointments.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Thank you.

Plein Air Workshop with Peter Granucci

The Springfield Art and Historical Society at the Miller Art Center is proud to sponsor a six week plein air workshop taught by New Hampshire artist Peter Granucci. Peter is an accomplished portrait, figurative, and landscape painter who studied at the Paier School of Art in New Haven and graduated in 1975 from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Peter lives in Gilsum, New Hampshire and teaches a variety of classes and offers individual instruction.

The first class will meet Saturday, June 23rd from 9am to 1pm at the Miller Art Center in downtown Springfield. Each class thereafter will be at a different (though nearby) location so students can focus on a specific natural feature. This series of classes will provide a period of instruction in techniques specific to the day's topic, followed by a period of practice under the guidance of the artist, and concluded with a group discussion.

The size of this workshop is being limited to 12 individuals to allow for individualized instruction, and is open to all skill levels. Individual styles are encouraged and the class will look at various approaches and methods that will enable you to develop your skills as well as your own style.

Registration closes June 1st. The cost for this series of six courses is $300 ($50 per class). Please register by contacting Teresa Janiszyn at teresajaniszyn@hotmail.com, or by calling (802)376-9737.

A Brief History of the Miller Art Center

History of the Miller Art Center, home of the Springfield Art and Historical Society, from Fred Richardson's Nineteenth Century Springfield and A Touch of History: Historic Sites and Trails, Springfield, VT.

View looking towards Elm Hill.

"The Miller Art Center sits on a site which, over the years, has seen many changes. The first house was built on this site in 1827, a wooden structure owned by two Whitcomb brothers, Perez and Prentiss. Included with the property at that time were several acres on top of Elm Hill. A road leading from the house to the rest of the farm can still be seen although not in use today. Over the years, parts of the farm were sold and today the remaining property consists of six-and-a-half acres of wooded land.

The original wooden house was replaced between the years of 1861 to 1865 with a brick two-story structure having six gables and a center cupola, also owned by one of the Whitcomb brothers. At the front entrance, which looks down onto the center of town, steps led to the carriage road which began at the carriage house then located at the top of Elm Hill.

In 1883 the mansion and surrounding property, mostly on hillsides, were sold to a John K. and Emma C. Ford. They had some fine racing horses which were kept in stables on what is now Hillcrest Road. Mr. Ford was a major stockholder in several rubber manufacturing companies.

Downtown Springfield, mid 19th century

In 1898, the firm of Gilman and Son purchased the property which was transferred, a year later, to Wilbert F. and Nettie Gilman. They lived there until 1912 when the property was again sold, this time to Walter W. and Tirzah Slack who extensively remodeled the house and added the porch and the pillars in 1917. After a major remodeling, including the addition of the front pillars, the Slacks sold the property, in 1928, to Edward W. and Grace Spencer Miller. Mr. Miller held many positions in The Fellows Gear Shaper Company, becoming its president and chairman of the board. He held over 100 patents relating to machine tool design.

In 1956 the Millers transferred the property to the town of Springfield to be used as the home for a permanent art, craft, and cultural center. He stated that 'The practice and display of all the arts and encouragements of the other related activities contribute to the cultural prestige of a community and also are important to its business life.'

The Miller Art Center is now home to the The Springfield Art and Historical Society."

Collection of Springfield made doll carriages and other Springfield artifacts

The Miller Art Center, home the the Springfield Art and Historical Society as it looks today

Asahel Lynde Powers - American Painter, 1813 to 1843

Asahel Lynde Powers was born on February 28, 1813, in Springfield, Vermont. Powers began his painting career at a young age. At 18 years old, Powers was already well-known . Many of his earliest painting were made in the Springfield, Vermont area. The portrait of Dr. Joel Green of Rutland, Vermont (seen below) on display at the SAHS, is among the earliest known signed and dated painting by Powers. The portrait of Dr. Green was loaned to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center, located in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1973 and was displayed during their exhibit of early American primitive painters. The painting was loaned again in 200_ to the Southern Vermont Arts Center, located in Manchester, Vermont for a similar exhibition.

Dr Joel Green of Rutland, Vt, 1831 by Asahel Lynde Powers (American, 1813-1843), SAHS collection. The painting is on permanent display at the SAHS along with paintings of the Chase family, also by Powers.

Like many early 19th century American paintings, Powers' early works were oil on wide wood  panels. All five of the Powers paintings owned by the SAHS are done on wood panels. As a traveling artist, Powers eventually switched to canvas as canvas would have been far more portable than heavy wooden panels. His early work is known for its strong outlines, colorful details and facial delineation.  The clothing and accessories of the sitters are painted with a bold hand. Powers experimented with different colors in the backgrounds of his paintings throughout his career which helps in dating his work as many of his portraits were not signed or dated.

Powers traveled throughout Vermont and New York painting his portraits. In 1840 his was living in New York with his wife, Elizabeth M. Powers. Powers later moved to Illinois where he died in 1843.

Two paintings sold by Peggy McClard Antiques Americana & Folk Art (seen below) are of Daniel Griswold and his daughter and Louisa Griswold Field, both of Springfield, Vermont. The green dress worn by Louisa is believed to be her wedding dress. She married Abner Field of Springfield on February 16, 1832 and together they had four children. Louisa died in Springfield on August 15, 1884. Powers painted her when she was about 27 years old, her father was 73.

Louisa Griswold Field age 27 of Springfield, Vt

Daniel Griswol, age 73, of Springfield, Vt

Below is portrait a of handsome young gentleman believed to have been painted by Powers in the 1830s.

 

Portrait of a Young Gentleman. Unsigned. Oil on poplar panel, c. 1830. Attributed to Asahel Lynde Powers. Sold by Skinner Inc.

Eliza Ann Farrar by Asahel Lynde Powers

For additional information on Asahel Lynde Powers:
Art Blog - It's About Time

Little, Nina Fletcher, Asahel Powers-Painter of Vermont Faces.  The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1973.  Plates 37 & 38, pages 38-39. 

"Seeing America:painting and sculpture from the collection of the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester"

D.J. Fusonie -- Long time SAHS trustee passes away

On December 29, 2011, Donna Jean "D.J." Fusonie passed away. Both D.J. and her husband Alan have been long time trustees and supporters of the Springfield Art and Historical Society and out student intern program. Together they worked behind the scenes to set up exhibits, organize receptions, and help with fund raising among many other things. D.J.'s experience in the library and museum world has been a great benefit to the SAHS over the years. Her boundless energy and wonderful sense of humor will be greatly missed.

The Fusonie's supported many other organizations in town such as the Springfield Town Library, the Springfield Humane Society, and the Lions Club.

Please see the obituary below from the Rutland Herald.

Donna Jean Fusonie

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"SPRINGFIELD - Donna Jean "D.J." Fusonie, 66, died Dec. 29, 2011, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.

She was born March 3, 1945, in Rochester, N.Y., the daughter of Karl and Pearl (Sanford) Mason. She attended schools and graduated from high school in Rochester, N.Y. She graduated from Hollins College in Roanoke, Va., with a bachelor's degree in English and French literature. She earned her master's degree in library science from Catholic University of America. She also completed courses for a master's degree in American literature and folklore at the University of Maryland.

She married Alan E. Fusonie on June 21, 1969, in Rockville, Md.

Mrs. Fusonie was the former director of the Reference Center for the Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, for 10 years. She retired in November 1994 to work the 46-acre farm that she shared with her husband and to write children's books.

Prior to her position with the Economic Research Service, she served on Capitol Hill as special assistant and caseworker to the late Congressman Gillis Long from Louisiana. Previous to her work in government, she ran her own business for several years that included legal abstracting; freelance editing; completing a project for the Smithsonian Institution Libraries as a rare book bibliographer; and transcribing, editing and indexing materials for the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress.

Before starting her own business, she was assistant head of the Humanities Reference Room in McKeldin Library at the University of Maryland for six years. She began her career as a children's librarian in the Prince George County public library system.

Mrs. Fusonie co-authored several bibliographies. She had been a member of the Associates of the National Agricultural Library serving as recording secretary from 1975 to 1978 and co-editor of the Journal of NAL Associates for over 10 years.

She and her husband were active volunteers in the program Progressive Equestrian Therapy, a riding for the handicapped program. She was a member of Vermont Folklife Center, the Springfield Art and Historical Society, Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences, Friends of Historic Deerfield, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the Vermont Historical Society, the Miller Art Center and the Lions Club. She was an active member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and a member of the church choir. She had worked part time as reference librarian for the Springfield Town Library.

She was a volunteer with the Springfield Humane Society for many years.

She is survived by her husband, of Springfield; nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents.

A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Springfield. The Rev. Peter Williams, pastor, will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Springfield Humane Society, 401 Skitchewaug Trail, Springfield, VT 05156.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Davis Memorial Chapel in Springfield.

Published in Rutland Herald on January 1, 2012

" 

Tribute to a member of the "Greatest Generation" - David Bates Russell

On Monday, December 12, another member of the "Greatest Generation" passed away. David Bates Russell of Springfield, Vt was 98. Dave will be remembered for his quick with and great sense of humor, he was truly a wonderful man. He was always willing a share a story, be it about his farming days, his work at the machine shops in Springfield, or of his family. Stories about the family farm on Parker Hill are among this writer's favorites. Dave used to stand at the bottom of the stairs and play his bugle to wake up his kids. His bugle mysteriously disappeared one day. David Jr., Pat and Peggy have never said what happened to it but several years ago they bought him a new one for Christmas. At the neighborhood Christmas party, Dave could always be counted on to play a few tunes on his accordion or hammer out a lively rhythm on a set of bones.

Our student interns had a chance to interview Dave and his wife of 71 years, Marjorie Blodgett Russell for our WWII exhibit. They talked about life on the home front and what it was like working in the machine shops. Just before WWII began, Dave served briefly in the Army Air Corp. He remembered training with broom sticks because there was a shortage of real guns.

Dave and Marjorie loved farming, horses, and square dancing. They held square dances in the ballroom of their Parker Hill farm house. Together they help to establish the GMHA facility in South Woodstock, VT, often leading trial rides from Springfield to Woodstock, and were very much involved with the local 4-H group. They created a small riding ring, complete with a judges booth, on their property and hosted horse shows for the 4-H kids.

Dave contributed greatly to the town of Springfield and to the surrounding area. He was an inspiration to many will surly be missed.

Obituary published in Rutland Herald on December 15, 2011

"SPRINGFIELD - David Bates Russell of Springfield passed away on Dec. 12, 2011, at age 98. Although Dave was born in Erie, Pa., in 1913, and later lived in Syracuse, N.Y., his Vermont roots go back seven generations. In 1923, his family returned to the Russell homestead in Shrewsbury, Vt., realizing a longstanding dream. There, Dave acquired his love of farm life. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1932.
During college, Dave worked summers at Jones and Lamson in Springfield, running the company's last Hartness flat turret lathe. Over the next 51 years, he worked at J&L, Lovejoy's, Bryant's and Bryant Computer Products as a machinist, draftsman, methods man, liaison engineer, cost estimator and personnel administrator.
Dave married Marjorie Blodgett in 1941. In 1944, the Russells bought a farm on Parker Hill in Springfield and raised their family there. Dave farmed full time for five years in the late 1940s and later continued to farm nights and weekends after going back to work in the shop. Over the years, he divided his spare time among dairy farming, raising horses, square dancing with Precision Valley Squares and playing a variety of musical instruments. He retired from Bryant's in 1978.
Writing was always important in his life. A collection of his poems entitled "Verses from a Vermont Hilltop" was published in 2005. In addition to writing poetry and keeping daily journals, he published articles about the history of Shrewsbury, Vt.
Dave is survived by Marjorie, his wife of 71 years; his son, David B. Russell Jr. of Burlington, Mass.; his daughters, Patricia R. Saylor of South Windsor, Conn., and Marjorie R. Raymond of Chardon, Ohio; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
The family would like to thank the staff at Springfield Hospital Special Care Unit for the wonderful care they have provided. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Springfield Humane Society, 401 Skitchewaug Trail, Springfield, VT 05156; or to the First Congregational Church UCC, 77 Main St., Springfield, VT 05156.
A memorial service will be held at the Congregational Church in Springfield on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 1 p.m. Arrangements are under the direction of the Davis Memorial Chapel in Springfield, Vt."