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1171 Main Street
St. Johnsbury, VT, 05819
United States

8027488291

Athenaeum News

Mystery Theater in the Gallery with the Athenaeum Players: Murder Me Always, Wednesday, November 12, 1 pm

Linell Moss

Join us in the Art Gallery as The Athenaeum Players present a radio-play performance of Murder Me Always by Lee Mueller. A “murder mystery murderer” is on the loose and has struck again. Luckily, Detective Joe Mamet has staked out the audience and rises to the occasion to begin an investigation. Could it be that one of these very bad actors is really a very bad person?

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

Athenaeum Film Fan Club Comedy Series - Young Frankenstein, Tuesday, October 28, 6:30 PM

Linell Moss

This showing was rescheduled from its original date of Oct. 14.
Young Frankenstein (1974), directed by Mel Brooks, based on characters in the novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
An American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that his grandfather was not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body. Starring Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr.

With an introduction by host Damian Ryan, and a short.

Join the Athenaeum Film Fan Club for our monthly comedy movie with free popcorn and soft drinks.  
NOTE that our November Comedy will be on November 18, not on Nov. 11.

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

Update on Tower Project

Scott Davis

Tower Project Update: All of the decorative elements (finials, railing, corner mounts) on the roof of the tower have been removed and will be restored or replaced by Graves Builders. Rod Roofing is coming soon to replace the roof. The decorative elements will be replaced next spring.

The fundraising has been greatly successful. We have raised more than $115,000, which will cover most of the cost of the restoration. Thank you to all who have supported this important project!

The Other Side of Hope: Immigration in Film, Wednesday, October 22, 7 PM

Linell Moss

Filmmakers have tackled issues of displacement, discrimination, exploitation, and assimilation in movies like Mississippi Masala (about Indians in the Deep South), The Other Side of Hope (Syrians in Finland) and Dirty Pretty Things (West Africans in London.) Film history expert Rick Winston shares clips from fifteen works that address one of the most pressing issues of our times.

Rick has taught film history at Burlington College, Community College of Vermont, Goddard College, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and has been a popular presenter at the Athenaeum and throughout the state.  

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

Supporting Those Who Seek Refuge and a New Home with NEKASAN, Wednesday, October 8, 7 PM

Linell Moss

NEKASAN is a community based organization that has welcomed asylum seekers to the Northeast Kingdom since 2020.  We invite you to join us for an interactive presentation on October 8th from 7-8:30 pm, focusing on how we foster a truly welcoming community and support the most vulnerable among us, asylum seekers who have fled violence and persecution in their home countries. 

This program will delve into the fundamental human needs of belonging, quality of life, and wellness, with guided questions for deeper engagement and discussion of what we, as a community, can discover about ourselves and our new neighbors. We will also explore how we can collectively strengthen our own community by supporting those who seek refuge and a new home here. 

In partnership with other key community organizations, NEKASAN provides essential services to meet the basic physical, emotional, vocational, legal and financial needs of our asylum seeking guests until they can move toward a safe and stable independent future. 

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

Umbrella Presents Stories of Courage and Connection, Friday, October 3, 6 PM

Linell Moss

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month kicks off with an intimate, community-driven evening of courageous personal tales told by locals. The stories focus on the real lives and experiences of community members, which will leave audience members inspired by the stories shared.

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

Vermont Poets Chard deNiord and Rachel Hadas, Sunday, September 28, 4 PM

Linell Moss

Vermont poets Chard deNiord and Rachel Hadas will read from their recent publications in the splendid setting of the Athenaeum Art Gallery. 

Former Poet laureate of Vermont (2015-2019) Chard deNiord is the author of nine books of poetry, most recently Westminster West (2025). He also wrote a book of essays on contemporary poetry, and two books of interviews with eminent American poets. deNiord is Professor Emeritus of English and Creative Writing at Providence College, and co-founded The New England College MFA Program and The Ruth Stone Foundation. He is also Professor Emeritus of English and Creative Writing at Providence College. He lives in Westminster West, Vermont with his wife, Liz.

Poet, essayist, and translator Rachel Hadas‘s new collection, Pastorals, was published this spring, and a prosimetrum (alternating poetry and prose) entitled My Cloak is Poetry is due out in 2025. Hadas is a translator of the Dionysiaca of Nonnus, an epic from late antiquity published in 2022 as Tales of Dionysus; she has also translated three plays by Euripides. Rachel is retired from Rutgers University where she taught for many years. She lives in Danville, Vermont, with her husband, visual artist and filmmaker Shalom Gorewitz, with whom she collaborates on poetry and video.

A wine and cheese reception will follow the event, and the authors will sell and autograph their books. The event is free, ADA accessible and open to the public.

Saturday, September 27-- Fall Festival Events including Outdoor Concert at 1 PM, and Pie Sale 9 AM until sold out

Linell Moss

Friends Pie Sale in front of the Athenaeum: 9 am until pies are gone!

Pies $20.00 each; There will be a "1 free book at Secondhand Prose” coupon on each pie box. All proceeds support programming & materials for the Saint Johnsbury Athenaeum.

Secondhand Prose Sidewalk Sale & Cookbook Giveaway: 9am - 1pm

At Secondhand Prose, 1222 Main Street, featuring a selection of cookbooks for FREE. Plus, every child who comes to the store gets one free children's book. All other book sales are priced by the buyer. So pick up your pie at the Friends of the Athenaeum Pie Sale, then come over and find your recipe for reading delight! 

Secondhand Prose is operated by the Friends of the Athenaeum. All proceeds support programming & materials for the Saint Johnsbury Athenaeum.

Outdoor Concert with Tom Stamp and Alive and Well, Tim Berry and Suzan Derby: 1 pm

Join us in the beautiful Athenaeum back yard for singer/guitarist Tom Stamp with Alive and Well, Tim Berry and Suzan Derby. Tom plays a mix of time-tested classics and under-the-radar gems, including music of the 60s and 70s, folk, rock, country and blues. This concert is free and open to the public.

Graceful Exits: Local Resources for Gentle Care at End of Life, Wednesday, September 24, 7 PM

Linell Moss

The Graceful Exits End of Life panel discussion will focus on non-medical supports and resources for end-of-life care. Panelists include: the Rev. Ann Hockridge, Episcopal priest and former longtime interfaith hospice chaplain; Beth Emerson from Continua Hospice Choir; Lindsey Warren, death doula.

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

Co-sponsored by NVRH and the Athenaeum.

Call for Pies!

Linell Moss

Bakers, raise your spatulas! The Friends of the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum will hold their annual Pie Sale on September 27 from 9 am until noon or when the pies have been sold. Please donate a pie or several pies and help with our most delectable fundraiser. Pies sell for $20 each. All monies raised will be donated to the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum for youth and adult programing and materials. This year the Pie Sale takes place on the date of the Festival of Traditional Crafts, with events at the St. Johnsbury Heritage Center and along Main Street.

Please call 802-748-8291 or email awestfisher@stjathenaeum.org to volunteer to bake a pie, or come in and sign up at the front desk or at Secondhand Prose. We cannot accept pies that need to be refrigerated

Vermont Movies? Why? And How? With Jay Craven: Wednesday, September 17, 7:00 PM

Linell Moss

In this talk, Craven will describe working with actors such as Rip Torn, Tantoo Cardinal, Kris Kristofferson and Michael J. Fox, and share the satisfactions and challenges that come from a deep immersion into place-based narrative.

Craven is a long-time Northeast Kingdom, Vermont filmmaker, teacher and arts activist whose mission has been the advancement of community and culture. For five decades Jay has written, produced, and directed character-driven films deeply rooted in Vermont and New England, including five films based on the works of Howard Frank Mosher. His latest film, Lost Nation, digs into the parallel stories of Ethan Allen and the pioneering Black Guilford poet Lucy Terry Prince. His 2025 film, George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara, is now in post-production, and he's planning a 2026 production that will be based on two stories: Henrik Ibsen's play An Enemy of the People, and Dashiell Hammett's noir novel Red Harvest.

Sponsored by Vermont Humanities and the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, the event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

https://www.stjathenaeum.org/adult-events-1/2025/9/17/vermont-movies-why-and-how-with-jay-craven

Death Café, Wednesday, September 10, 6:30 pm

Linell Moss

Could facing our own mortality help inspire us to live more fully? Join us for a casual, engaging and life-affirming conversation about death and dying. Cake will be served!

Info: 802-748-8291

Presented by Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital and the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.

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

Comedy Film Fan Club TONIGHT! Tuesday, September 9, 6:30 pm

Linell Moss

After Harry's body is found in the woods outside a small Vermont town, several locals must determine not only how and why he was killed but what to do with the body. The film was one of Hitchcock's few true comedies (though most of his films had some element of tongue-in-cheek or macabre humor). The film also contained what was, for the time, frank dialogue.

Join the Athenaeum Film Fan Club for our monthly comedy movie with free popcorn and soft drinks.  

With an introduction by host Damian Ryan. 

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

Off-Grid Roundtable, Saturday, September 6, 1 PM

Linell Moss

Do you live off the grid? Do you have experience setting up your own off-grid systems? Do you need advice from someone who does?

Come check out the Off-Grid Roundtable! It is held the first Saturday of every month in the upstairs gallery at the St Johnsbury Athenaeum at 1pm. Current off-gridders, people who are thinking about off-grid living or homesteading, or people who are just interested in learning more are welcome.

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

For more information, contact Nelly Detra at ndetra@stjathenaeum.org.

SOLD OUT! The Friends of the Athenaeum Afternoon Tea Party, Sunday, August 24, 1 PM

Linell Moss

This event is sold out. To get on the waiting list, please contact Adele West-Fisher at awestfisher@stjathenaeum.org.

You can view the Auction Items HERE.

Come enjoy delectable tea and treats in the historic Art Gallery.
Browse treasures in our silent auction.

$30.00 per Person/Limited Seating Available. RSVP by August 16.

3 ways to reserve your seat:

1) Mail your name, contact information and the number in your party, along with payment to the Athenaeum (1171 Main Street, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819)

2) Stop by the first floor circulation desk and fill out a RSVP card

3) Sign up online HERE.

Proceeds from this event will support youth & adult programming for the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.

Hiring: Part-Time Library Assistant

Scott Davis

The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum is looking for a part-time Library Assistant.

Library Assistants are responsible for assisting with the administration and organization of the Athenaeum.

Common duties and responsibilities include loaning library materials to patrons and collecting the returned materials; general upkeep of library materials and facilities; and teaching people how to use the library resources. Additional responsibilities may include troubleshooting technical issues; technical support for patrons and staff; computer and technology tutoring to the public; working with the Athenaeum Director and the Technology Committee on technology-related matters.

A high school degree or equivalency and relevant work experience. This position is for up to 18 hours per week. The position requires weekend hours and some evening hours.

For more information, click HERE.

The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate or tolerate discrimination against any employee or applicant.