EXHIBITION CYCLE 1 : The Library Tour

PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES :

Wilder Memorial Library Weston Vermont Population 685

South Londonderry Free Library South Londonderry Vermont Population 1873

Whiting Library Chester Vermont Population 2992

Manchester Community Library Manchester Center Vermont Population 1892

A central objective of the Humans + Art Archive is to expand access to international contemporary art in communities where opportunities for engagement with contemporary artistic practices may be limited. In identifying potential partners within rural and geographically isolated communities, public libraries emerged as particularly compelling collaborators.

Libraries fulfill a multifaceted civic role, serving not only as repositories of knowledge and cultural materials, but also as accessible community spaces that facilitate social interaction, intellectual exploration, and lifelong learning. Through their commitment to public access, education, and cultural enrichment, libraries closely align with the academic and social objectives of the Humans + Art Archive. Their established relationships with local communities also offer meaningful opportunities to engage audiences who may be particularly receptive to new forms of cultural and creative exchange.

For these reasons, the Humans + Art Archive will make its public debut through a series of collaborative initiatives between CHIPMUNK and public libraries. Each presentation will feature the work of a participating artist alongside a curated selection of books or other materials identified by the artist as influential to their personal development or artistic practice. Visitors are invited to encounter the artwork in conjunction with these supplementary materials, creating an opportunity to explore the intellectual, cultural, and personal references that have influenced the artist's work or life.

These library installations offer a more intimate, multidimensional portrait of our artists. By connecting ones life and artistic process with the ideas, experiences, and cultural materials that shape it, this cycle of presentations foster a deeper understanding of contemporary artists and their practices while establishing new points of access to international contemporary art within rural communities.