From November 1st – January 3rd, local photographer Kathryn Wyatt will have her work on display on the second floor hallway walls.  Come meet her, view the exhibit (Cemeteries of Addison County), and enjoy some light refreshments, November 8th, 4-5pm.

Project statement:

“This year-long project simply came about by my ongoing wanders through local cemeteries. These walks became times of quiet and reflection for me. I began to think about the lives of those who were buried there, but also of my own life. As I looked at the names on the stones and saw the dates and the ages of the people, and especially the children, oh so many children, I was forced to face my own existence. I was alive and they were not. I was someone walking this earth, right now. How could I bring attention to these stranger’s lives and souls who were now just names and dates on a stone? As I wandered, I felt these lives, the energies of these people who do not want to be forgotten. A simple wander seemed to stir up these energies and, as I wandered, I became happier and happier. I saw the beauty that surrounded me; I found play in the light and the shadow, in the contrast between life and death, the moss and lichen on the stones. The time that had passed could be seen in a physical form. To me, these were places of continuation, not endings. The more I wandered through the cemeteries, the more they began to feel like an embrace. They became familiar to me, a joy to be in. Every time I pass one when I am driving to or from somewhere else, I always smile. My goal for this project is to capture the beauty and the life of these quiet places and encourage more people to wander through cemeteries. From my 22 cemeteries visited, I encountered only 6 people, 2 of whom were caretakers. It made me think about how our culture has lost its connection to our own ancestors and to strangers who lived and walked the same lands as we do. What are we missing out on by removing this ancient bond of reverence? It seems that only by honoring the past, will we feel truly grounded in the present. — Kathryn Wyatt
Lincoln, Vermont”