Two Art Events this Weekend: "About Hunger & Resilience" and "Art for Social Impact"

Last spring I had a very special conversation with USDA Deputy Administrator, Lisa Pino when she visited Vermont.  She had just come from San Antonio, Texas where she went to Michael Nye’s exhibit, About Hunger and Resilience.  Between schools and senior center visits around the state she continued to tell me about the power and honesty of this work.  “You have to bring this to Vermont,” Lisa urged me. 

I was lucky to connect with Michael a few days later.  I immediately called my friends at the Vermont Foodbank to share the good news that the exhibit had a one-month window in April 2011.  Since the exhibit was booked for two years straight we jumped on the opportunity.  Now, thanks to the help of many generous community partners I am thrilled that About Hunger & Resilience will grace the walls of UVM’s Davis Center starting Sunday, March 27^th. 

Michael touches down in Burlington on Friday and will present that evening at Art for Social Impact sponsored by the Board of Directors of Hunger Free Vermont at 5:30 pm at the Burlington City Arts Center (formerly the Firehouse Gallery) on Church Street in Burlington.  This event features a special panel of local artists including Caleb Kenna, Dan Higgins, and Bess O’Brien.  Michael will join the panel to discuss how art can affect deep and lasting change.  Fran Stoddard of Vermont Public Television and Board Chair of Hunger Free Vermont will moderate the panel.  Our board members are also generously hosting a reception after the panel discussion.

On Saturday, staff from the Vermont Foodbank, Hunger Free Vermont, and UVM will install the exhibit under Michael’s close supervision.  I think we are all looking forward to spending time with these portraits and the stories behind them.  Sunday evening we welcome you all to an opening reception at 4 pm at the UVM Davis Center in the Livak Ballroom.  The reception will include conversations with Michael Nye and feature food from UVM’s Feel Good which supports their mission to fund The Hunger Project.

All of us at Hunger Free Vermont want to offer our thanks to our partners in this project.  Kate Strotmeyer and Phil Morin at the University of Vermont are our heroes for being champions for hosting this exhibit at the Davis Center.  Thank you to the University of Vermont for hosting this beautiful work.  Many thanks for Sodexo and Feel Good for making sure we are not hungry at an event about hunger.  Thank you to the Marriott in Burlington for hosting our special guest.  Thank you to Michael Nye for coming all the way to Burlington in the “spring.”  Finally, many thanks to our friends at the Vermont Foodbank for co-hosting this special exhibit with us.