Additional information is available at the 2nd floor desk.

Contact Maurine Hennings, Book Club facilitator, at Henningsmh@yahoo.com to indicate your interest.

Book Selection – April:

Apr.  25     Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi

Over the course of four weeks this spring, Elena Brotz will be biking from Burlington, Vermont to Bar Harbor, Maine and stopping at 11 libraries along the way to share free community workshops on Mending and Textile Repair.

 In each town, Elena will sit down with community members to stitch, darn, patch, and gain new stories and visions of what mending is all about. Come meet Elena at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum for a workshop and see what you can create together!

 BYOD: Bring your own dinner!

This event is free, ADA accessible and open to the public.

Poet Judith Janoo and harpist and pianist Linda Schneck will collaborate to present a unique event combining poetry and music. The music repertoire includes compositions by several classical and contemporary artists such as Chopin, Brahms, Paul Simon, and Linda Schneck.

 Schneck says, “When music becomes the medium through which the poetry is revealed, a deepened intimacy is expressed as word becomes pure sound and sound coalesces into the meaning of the word.”

 Judith Janoo won the Soul-Making Keats Award, the Vermont Award for Continued Excellence in Writing, and the Anita McAndrews Award for Human Rights Poetry. 

 Linda Schneck is a harpist and pianist, educator, and composer. She studied piano performance at Temple University in Philadelphia with Alexander Fiorillo, as well as harp and composition studies with Therese Schroeder-Sheker, founder of the field of Music-Thanatology. 

 This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public. 

Come celebrate Poem Town and National Poetry Month with the Athenaeum. Share your original

poetry or poetry from a favorite poet.

 You do not need to be a participating poet to attend.

 Come, sit back and enjoy. Everyone welcome!

  This event is free, ADA accessible and open to the public. 

Join Dr. Alan Berolzheimer, Vermont Humanities Scholar, as he leads a community book discussion of the Vermont Reads Book.

 Food will be provided, and finishing the book is not required!

 This Vermont Reads event is sponsored by Vermont Humanities, supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, St. Johnsbury Community Hub, and the Northeast Prevention Coalition.

 For more information, contact Adele West-Fisher at awestfisher@stjathenaeum.org

 This event is free, ADA accessible and open to the public.

Join Outright Vermont as we explore the Vermont Reads book of the year “Last Night at the Telegraph Club.” This event will have discussion and activities that explore the themes of this book set in the 1950s and how they are relevant today. Come share your ideas, opinions, and perspectives!

 Books are available at the circulation desks to read before the book discussion.

 (Pizza and light refreshments will be served at 5:30)

 This event is free, ADA accessible and open to the public.

Come celebrate Poem Town and National Poetry Month with the Athenaeum. Share your original

poetry or poetry from a favorite poet.

 You do not need to be a participating poet to attend.

 Come, sit back and enjoy. Everyone welcome!

  This event is free, ADA accessible and open to the public. 

(Live Stream from South Burlington Public Library)

To celebrate the Vermont Reads 2023 selection Last Night at the Telegraph Club, join National Book Award Winner Malinda Lo as she discusses writing about queer life in the 1950s and shares how young adult fiction can speak to readers of any age. The conversation will be moderated by National Book Award Finalist M. T. Anderson, the author of Feed.

This event (live streamed at the Athenaeum) is presented in partnership with the South Burlington Public Library, the Brownell Library, and the National Book Foundation.

You can also register for the live stream HERE.

Due to inclement weather, this event has been postponed. It has been rescheduled for Tuesday, May 21.

What happened in Vermont when the anti-Communist fear known as the “Red Scare” swept the country? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Rick Winston, author of the book “Red Scare in the Green Mountains: Vermont in the McCarthy Era,” explores some forgotten history as we see how a small, rural “rock-ribbed Republican” state with a historically libertarian streak handled the hysteria of the time.

There were several fascinating stories in the Green Mountains, including a high-profile academic firing, a conservative senator who helped take down Joseph McCarthy, controversies involving left-leaning summer residents, and some veteran newspaper editors who spoke out against McCarthy’s tactics.

 About the Presenter

Rick Winston was the co-owner of Montpelier’s Savoy Theater for 29 years, and was Programming Director for the Green Mountain Film Festival for 14 years. He has taught film history at Burlington College, Community College of Vermont, Goddard College, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and has made presentations throughout Vermont on film history.

This event is presented with Vermont Humanities. It is free, ADA compliant, and open to the public.

(This documentary will be shown Free on Thursday, March 28 and Friday, March 29
at the Athenaeum)

Just Getting By is a sweeping, and yet intimate look at the lives of Vermonters who are struggling with food and housing insecurity.

 Vermont has the second highest rate of homeless people in the United States, right after California. One third of Vermonters struggle to put food on the table. These are big issues for a small state. Just Getting By focuses on these issues in the lives of everyday people.

 The film tells the stories of working families, folks who are homeless and accessing food shelves and soup kitchens and people who are living in temporary hotel/motel programs. In addition, the film focuses on New Americans grappling with the cost of living in America, Native people creating innovative farming practices and folks on the ground providing services to their fellow Vermonters in need.

 Just Getting By explores the day to day challenges and incredible resiliency that low-income Vermonters bear witness to every day.

 For more information contact Bess O’Brien at bobrien@pshift.com

A Kingdom County Productions film.

This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

(This documentary will be shown Free on Thursday, March 28 and Friday, March 29
at the Athenaeum)

Just Getting By is a sweeping, and yet intimate look at the lives of Vermonters who are struggling with food and housing insecurity.

 Vermont has the second highest rate of homeless people in the United States, right after California. One third of Vermonters struggle to put food on the table. These are big issues for a small state. Just Getting By focuses on these issues in the lives of everyday people.

 The film tells the stories of working families, folks who are homeless and accessing food shelves and soup kitchens and people who are living in temporary hotel/motel programs. In addition, the film focuses on New Americans grappling with the cost of living in America, Native people creating innovative farming practices and folks on the ground providing services to their fellow Vermonters in need.

 Just Getting By explores the day to day challenges and incredible resiliency that low-income Vermonters bear witness to every day.

 For more information contact Bess O’Brien at bobrien@pshift.com

A Kingdom County Productions film.

This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

Additional information is available at the 2nd floor desk.

Contact Maurine Hennings, Book Club facilitator, at Henningsmh@yahoo.com to indicate your interest.

Book Selections March – April:

Mar.  28   Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer

Apr.  25     Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi

This comedy play will be read by local performers, and is directed by Damien Ryan.

The town of Two Spruce is about to lose their beloved library. A team of volunteer actors come to its financial rescue by staging a murder mystery. But on opening night a real murder most foul threatens to thwart their theatrical aspirations. Lucy the Librarian and a team of quirky volunteer actors scramble to solve the crime before the curtain rises and the library is lost forever.

Written by Laura Teasdale, sponsored by Louise Penny, and offered free to libraries to perform.

This event is free, ADA accessible and open to the public.

Join us for this showing of Everything Everywhere All at Once. Shown in collaboration with Vermont Reads.
This Vermont Reads event is sponsored by Vermont Humanities supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, St. Johnsbury Community Hub, and Catamount Arts.

This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

Puppet Kabob: The Snowflake Man Puppet Show

What do snowflakes and puppets have in common? 

The Snowflake Man Puppet Show

Say goodbye to winter with this amazing Trunk Show illustrating the life of Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, the local farmer and scientist who discovered that “no two snowflakes are alike.”

“The Snowflake Man” features marionettes and pop-up watercolor scenery, highlighting Wilson’s wonderful discoveries along with striking views of nature.

This show coincides with an exhibit of Wilson’s photographs and other memorabilia, and is presented in  conjunction with the Fairbanks Museum.

All Ages Welcome. For more information, contact Becky Hatfield at 802-748-8291 or bhatfield@stjathenaeum.org.

Join us for a showing of The Joy Luck Club, shown in collaboration with Vermont Reads.
This Vermont Reads event is sponsored by Vermont Humanities supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, St. Johnsbury Community Hub, and Catamount Arts.

This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

The Good Living Book Club is a community book club sponsored by the Good Living Senior Center and the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum. It meets at the St. Johnsbury House the second Friday of the month at 10:30 am in the dining area. If you are interested in joining us, contact Adele West-Fisher at awestfisher@stjathenaeum.org or 802-748-8291. 

March book selection: Threading My Prayer Rug by Sabeeha Rehman

Objects such as banners, T-shirts, and buttons in the Vermont Queer Archives at the Pride Center of Vermont reflect currents and changes in the lives of Vermont’s LGBTQ+ community.

Meg Tamulonis, volunteer curator of the Archives, discusses how these objects mark various milestones, from Pride events to legal rulings, and considers why some parts of the queer community aren’t well-represented in the Archives. She’ll explain why there aren’t many artifacts from the era before the Stonewall Uprising in 1969, and some of the ways we can continue to gather and learn about Vermont’s many queer histories.

About the Presenter

Meg is the volunteer curator of the Vermont Queer Archives with the Pride Center of Vermont in Burlington.  Her day job is Manager of Collections and Exhibitions at the Fleming Museum of Art at the University of Vermont. She is a board member of the New England Museum Association and the Mill Museum in Winooski.

Presented in conjunction with Vermont Humanities. This event is free, ADA accessible and open to the public.

Register for this free event HERE.. You can also view the simulcast HERE.

After the catastrophic fire of 2019, Carpenters Without Borders was instrumental in convincing the French government to re-build “a l’identique.” Remy and Loïc Desmonts, passionate father and son members of CSF, won the contract to rebuild the roof above the Nave and invited a number of American and English carpenters to join their family company in that work. Josh had the good fortune to be among them and spent six months immersed in both the wonderful culture of Normandy and its extraordinary tradition of timber framing

In conjunction with Vermont Humanities.

This event is free, ADA accessible and open to the public.

Register HERE in advance for this Virtual Zoom event.

Vermont has a long tradition of valuing the crafts, from fiber arts to woodworking and beyond. But now that we’re living in an ever-changing technological and professional landscape, where does that leave room for hands-on education in traditional trades and crafts? Britton Rogers, Executive Director of Yestermorrow, and Catherine Emil, Director of Vermont Woodworking School, will spend this hour discussing why craft education matters more than ever in the state of Vermont and the broader landscape.

 Click HERE for more information.

 This event is presented virtually in partnership with the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.

Bring your questions and comments for St. Johnsbury Police Chief Joel Pierce. Light refreshments will be served.

This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

Additional information is available at the 2nd floor desk.

Contact Maurine Hennings, Book Club facilitator, at Henningsmh@yahoo.com to indicate your interest.

Book Selections February – April:

Feb.  22    Anxious People, Fredrick Backman

Mar.  28   Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer

Apr.  25     Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi

Come join us in the Art Gallery for a Valentine’s Day sing-a-long for adults with Ed Morgan the Music Man.  
Sit back and enjoy the music and the beautiful art, tap your foot, sing if you feel inspired.
This event is free, ADA accessible and open to the public.

Good Living Book Club is a community book club sponsored by the Good Living Senior Center and the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum. It meets at the St. Johnsbury House the second Friday of the month at 10:30 am in the dining area. If you are interested in joining us, contact Adele West-Fisher at awestfisher@stjathenaeum.org or 802-748-8291. 

February & March book selections:
February 9    One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
March 8         Threading My Prayer Rug by Sabeeha Rehman

Come join Dr. Alan Berolzheimer, Vermont Humanities scholar, as he leads us in an interesting and informative community book discussion of the Vermont Reads book Last Night at the Telegraph Club.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club tells the story of Lily Hui who lives in San Francisco’s Chinatown, home to Chinese immigrant families like hers. As she comes of age in the 1950s, her passion for rockets and space exploration is matched by her curiosity about the Telegraph Club.

Copies of the book are available at the Athenaeum circulation desks to read before the discussion.

Questions? Contact Adele West-Fisher at 802-748-8291 or awestfisher@stjathenaeum.org.

Do you like food?  Do you like talking about food?

The Cookbook Club will meet every other month starting in February. A cookbook or cuisine will be selected for each meeting. Members will bring a dish from the selected cookbook or the cuisine.

February:  Chinese (in honor of the Chinese New Year)

For more information or to indicate your interest, contact Adele West-Fisher at 802-748-8291 or

awestfisher@stjathenaeum.org.

Additional information is available at the 2nd floor desk.

Contact Maurine Hennings, Book Club facilitator, at Henningsmh@yahoo.com to indicate your interest.

Book Selections January – April:

Jan.  25     The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barberry

Feb.  22    Anxious People, Fredrick Backman

Mar.  28   Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer

Apr.  25     Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi

We’re looking for a single player to join a team. Contact us if you’re interested!

We Challenge you to show off your puzzling skills!

Six teams will be given the same 500 piece puzzle to assemble.  First team done, wins! 

When the clock rings, if no one is finished, the team with fewest remaining pieces wins. 

Interested participants can form their own team OR we can create a team for you. 

 Bring your own lunch.  We’ll supply the snacks & drinks.

 Registration required. Sign up by January 13th

 For more information and registration, contact Becky Hatfield or Adele West-Fisher at 802-748-8291, awestfisher@stjathenaeum.org, or bhatfield@stjathenaeum.org. 

Auditions for Staged Reading of “Murder by the Book”

Monday, January 15 and Tuesday, January 16, 4:30-6:30 pm

 ATTENTION ASPIRING ACTORS!

Auditions for The Athenaeum Players staged reading of "Murder by the Book" will be held from 4:30pm-6:30pm on Monday January 15th & Tuesday January 16th in the Athenaeum's gallery.

The play is a lively, literary and often hilarious murder mystery- conveniently set in a library!

Each actor will have the opportunity to depict two characters in this enjoyable production. "Murder by the Book" will be presented in the Athenaeum's gallery at 1:00 pm on Wed. March 27th. Rehearsal commitment is once a week for up to 2 hours, and no rehearsal will be scheduled during the local school vacation week in late Feb.

The script is being made available to the Athenaeum at no charge by mystery writer Louise Penny and Canadian playwright Laura Teasdale.

A wonderful way to support the Athenaeum and meet other Athenaeum patrons!

Questions? Contact Adele West-Fisher at awestfisher@stjathenaeum.org.