Athenaeum Film Fan Club Comedy Series- Mon Oncle. Tuesday, April 14, 6:30 PM

Join the Athenaeum Film Fan Club for our monthly comedy movie with free popcorn and soft drinks.  This month features three silent film comedies. With an introduction by host Damian Ryan. 

Mon Oncle is a 1958 comedy film directed by Jacques Tati. Mon Oncle won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, a Special Prize at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival, and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

The film centers on the socially awkward yet lovable character of Monsieur Hulot and his quixotic struggle with postwar France's infatuation with modern architecture, mechanical efficiency and consumerism. Like most Tati films, Mon Oncle is largely a visual comedy: color and lighting are employed to help tell the story. The dialogue in Mon Oncle is barely audible, and largely subordinated to the role of a sound effect. The drifting noises of heated arguments and idle banter complement other sounds and the physical movements of the characters, intensifying comedic effect. The complex soundtrack also uses music to characterize environments, including a lively musical theme that represents Hulot's world of comical inefficiency and freedom.

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

PoemTown Reading and Reception, Saturday, April 11, 4 PM

Twelve poets from the more than 100 who submit poems this year will share their poems at this year’s PoemTown St Johnsbury Reading and Reception. Many of the poems will address the 2026 PoemTown theme, “Voices.” All are invited to stay for a reception and poet meet-and-greet.

PoemTown St. Johnsbury, an annual celebration of National Poetry Month in April, is a collaborative project of Catamount Arts, the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, and Discover St. Johnsbury.

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

Stonechat: Poetry Reading with Mary Elder Jacobsen, Saturday, April 4, 3 PM

Join us in the Athenaeum Art Gallery for an afternoon poetry reading by Mary Elder Jacobsen, who will be sharing selections from her debut collection of poetry, Stonechat (Rootstock 2024), along with – aptly - a few new art-inspired poems. 

Mary Elder Jacobsen lives, writes, and plays in Calais, Vermont. Her work has appeared widely in print, online, and on the air.

For more about Jacobsen and Stonechat, visit the website of Mary Elder Jacobsen.

Register Here

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

Rain or Shine: Vermont’s Changing Climate--Wednesday, March 25, 6 PM

Ever wonder why Vermont’s weather feels different these days? Presented in collaboration with the Fairbanks Museum, this talk features Megan Duncan, a member of the Eye on the Sky team and an expert on extreme precipitation and flooding. It explores the science behind our changing climate—from warmer temperatures to shifting patterns of rain and snow—and shows how these changes are affecting our rivers, forests, and communities. The talk also considers what this could mean for life here in the Northeast Kingdom and the landscapes we care about. Participants will leave with a sense of connection to the land, the science, and the community as we navigate climate change together. 

Contact Megan Robinson at mrobinson@stjathenaeum.org or  802-745-1392 for questions. 

RSVP Here

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

In support of Vermont Reads.

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Car Terminology with Rowley Wrench, Saturday, March 21, 1 PM

Gain confidence around cars by learning the essential terminology every driver should know. This introductory session breaks down common automotive terms in a clear, approachable way—perfect for beginners or anyone looking to strengthen their understanding of how vehicles work.

Weather permitting, the class will include a hands‑on demonstration where participants can see components up close.

Rowley Wrench empowers women and other marginalized communities historically excluded from automotive spaces by making car care education accessible, hands-on, and community driven. Find out more at their website: www.rowleywrench.org

Register Here

For more information, contact Megan Robinson at mrobinson@stjathenaeum.org or 802-748-8291.

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

Music in the Gallery Concert Series - Bob Amos on Friday, March 20, 1 PM

Acclaimed Vermont songwriter has had songs at the top of the national Folk, Americana and Bluegrass charts. Over a 35-year career, he has recorded 12 albums and has toured extensively throughout the USA and Europe. In 2023 Bob's Vermont-inspired song "The Hills That I Call Home," recorded with his daughter Sarah for their Ever Onward album, reached #1 on the Folk Alliance International chart. In this special performance at the Athenaeum, Bob will play a variety of original songs written over the course of his long career. 

 Join us for our series showcasing impressive and diverse NEK musical talent. You'll encounter new and familiar performers in the spectacular setting of the Art Gallery on the third Friday of each
month at 1 pm.

Upcoming Concerts

April 17  Tom Stamp

May 15  Sue Persson

June 19  Jon Speer and the Meld

 The concerts are free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

ATHENAEUM HALL EXHIBITION: Ice Shanties: Fishing, People & Culture, March and April 2026

Ice Shanties: Fishing, People & Culture is brought to the Athenaeum by the Vermont Folklife Center. The exhibition features the structures, people and culture of ice fishing seen through the lens of Vermont-based Colombian photographer Federico Pardo, and through interviews by Vermont Folklife.

The exhibition is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

Upcoming Hall Gallery Exhibitions:
A Self-Love Journey by Sedricka Morris (May-June)
Photographs by Bob Jenks (July-September)
Stereoscopes (October-December)

Needle Felting Workshop, Monday, March 16, 10 AM

Learn how to needle-felt a wool leprechaun! Space is limited. For teens through adults. Free and ADA accessible. To receive a registration link, email Kristen Langlais at laughingcrowfarmvt@gmail.com

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

Puppet Kabob- Snowflake Bentley, Saturday, March 14, 10:30 AM

The story of The Snowflake Man is inspired by Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, the self-educated farmer and scientist who attracted world attention when he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal. 

The Snowflake Man swings audiences into the historic 1920s through creative storytelling, intricately designed Czech-style marionettes, and a striking pop-up book of water color scenery. This UNIMA-USA award winning show combines art, science, and a little known piece of American history to magical effect!  This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

“The incredible attention to detail, both visually and in her performance style, demonstrates Sarah's mastery of storytelling in this charming show!”     
- UNIMA-USA

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

Thirty-Eight: The Hurricane That Transformed New England, Thursday, March 12, 6:30 PM

Stephen Long tells the story of New England’s Katrina, focusing on the devastation to the region’s forests and the daunting challenge facing New Englanders still in the throes of the Great Depression. Long is the author of Thirty-Eight: The Hurricane That Transformed New England (2016).

“A wonderfully written account of an ecologically and socially transformative event that continues to shape the development of New England’s forests and serves as an important point of reflection on disaster preparedness and appropriate management response.”—Anthony D’Amato, University of Vermont

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

Athenaeum Film Fan Club Comedy Series presents Straight Outta Brooklyn--I'm No Angel & Betty Boop, Tuesday, March 10, 6:30 PM

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 month we present I'm No Angel and Betty Boop.

I'm No Angel is a 1933 American romantic comedy film directed by Wesley Ruggles and starring Mae West and Cary Grant. This was West’s last film before the Hayes Code limited the adult nature of films in the mid-1930s.

Betty Boop was one of the most popular cartoon stars in the early 20th century, and her cartoons were also rather risqué before the Hayes Code came into being.

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

Ice Shanties: Fishing, People, and Cultures (with Vermont Folklife Center)--Hall Gallery Exhibition in March and April

Ice Shanties: Fishing, People & Culture is an exhibition featuring the structures, people and culture of ice fishing seen through the lens of Vermont-based Colombian photographer Federico Pardo and interviews by Vermont Folklife. Pardo’s large-format color photographs of ice shanties at “The Meadows” in Brattleboro, Vermont, are paired with audio reflections from the shanty owners drawn from interviews conducted by Vermont Folklife.

While Pardo’s shanty portraits provide a visual entrée into the material culture of ice fishing, the shanty owner interviews are an opportunity to engage with the human side—the personal, familial, and recreational culture—of ice fishing.

“The ice shanty towns that spring up on Vermont’s frozen lakes and ponds are markers of the temporary communities they harbor each winter,” says Andrew Kolovos, Associate Director of Vermont Folklife. “Practical and ingenious, shaped by function, happenstance and aesthetics, ice shanties are a window into the personal, familial and local cultures of ice fishing.”

These simple yet intriguing structures captured the attention of Columbian-born photographer and part-time Vermont resident Federico Pardo, who in 2016 began documenting the shanties on a frozen floodplain of the West River in Brattleboro, Vermont.

“The ephemeral characteristics of these shanties and their environment allows us to creative imaginary narratives far from those in the tropics,” explains Pardo. “The night, the absence or presence of the moon, the day and drastic temperature changes, are some of the elements that complement these narratives and push them further from reality.”

Smaller portraits of fish species and ice fishing equipment will be presented along with audio explanations of fishing techniques.

In these conversations the fishers speak of their shanties as structures, remark on the amenities and people they house, detail the practice of ice fishing, and, directly and indirectly, reflect the relationships, connections and community they reinvent each year at the Meadows.

Together, the images and voices give us a chance to connect with the material and human cultures of these ice fishing enclaves.

The exhibition is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

This exhibit is made possible with support from the Vermont Folklife Center and by the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.

Blind Date with a Book at Secondhand Prose--while supplies last

Blind Date with a Book at Secondhand Prose

Come find your perfect match with our selection of surprise reads. It's love at first line! Take a chance on romance with a Blind Date book that you choose based on its genre and the first line of the book. All Blind Date books are priced at $3 and include a bookmark and a voucher for your next visit to Secondhand Prose. Starts February 11 and runs as long as supplies last.

Secondhand Prose, Providing Quality Used Books Since 2006
1222 Main Street in St. J
Open: Monday-Saturday, 11am - 3 pm

Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining our Lives and Planet. A Conversation with Author Chuck Collins. Wednesday, February 25, 6 PM

The U.S. and planet are living through a surge of wealth inequality.  What does this mean for our daily lives –and the fate of the planet? What does extreme wealth inequality mean for our taxes, housing, political voice, health, and well-being?  How can we reverse extreme inequality?

Chuck Collins is a resident of Guilford, Vermont and a campaigner, researcher, and storyteller based at the Institute for Policy Studies where he co-edits the website, Inequality.org.  He is the author of ten books including his newest book, Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet (The New Press, October 2025).  He is author of The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions, Born on Third Base, and, with Bill Gates Sr. of Wealth and Our Commonwealth.  

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

Crafting Change, Saturday, February 21, 10 am

Stitch something meaningful at a charity crafting session led by the Yarn Bank. We’ll be making knitted baby caps for the NVRH Birth Center—every finished piece goes directly to local newborns.  All supplies are available at The Yarn Bank, or you’re welcome to bring your own.

For more information, contact Megan Robinson at mrobinson@stjathenaeum.org, or 802-748-8291. This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

Athenaeum Film Fan Club Comedy Series presents Noises Off!, Tuesday, February 10 , 6:30 PM

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 month presents Noises Off, the 1992 film directed by Peter Bogdanovich based on the 1982 farce by Michael Frayn about a chaotic theatre troupe.

Hired to helm an Americanized take on a British play, director Lloyd Fellowes (Michael Caine) does his best to control an eccentric group of stage actors. During practice sessions, things run smoothly. However, when Lloyd and his actors begin a series of performances leading up to a Broadway premiere, chaos ensues. Star actress Dotty (Carol Burnett) is quickly passing her prime, male lead Frederick (Christopher Reeve) has no confidence, and bit actor Selsdon (Denholm Elliott) is rarely sober.

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

(Cancelled) Flavors of the Kingdom Food Fest

Flavors of the Kingdom has been cancelled.

Enjoy tasty samples from some of St. J’s best food purveyors!

Participating restaurants include The Buttery Kitchen + Pantry, Javier Bill’s Almost Autherntic Mexican Food, New Century Chinese Restaurant, Salt Bistro, Spoon Thawee Thai Cuisine, and Papa Tirozzi’s Bakery & Pizza.

Includes special non-alcoholic drinks.

$40 per person. Advanced registration required. Seating limited.

Register HERE.

Music in the Art Gallery, Friday. February 20, 1 PM – Ed Morgan

Singer/songwriter Ed Morgan has been a performing Troubadour, both here and abroad, for well over 30 years. Known locally as “The Music Man,” he has delighted families all over New England with his interactive Children’s shows. For this series, Ed will perform songs by some of the artists who inspired him (The Beatles, Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, etc.), along with a selection of his originals, which he describes as “Poems set to Music.”

Join us for this series showcasing impressive and diverse NEK musical talent. You'll encounter new and familiar performers in the spectacular setting of the Art Gallery on the third Friday of each month at 1 pm.

Alzheimer's Awareness, Wednesday, Febuary 4, 6:30 PM

This program provides a brief overview of both Alzheimer's and dementia, key statistics and populations at increased risk, warning signs and available treatment options, science-backed tips for brain health at any age, how the Association helps and ways to get involved.

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

For more information, contact Megan Robinson at mrobinson@stjathenaeum.org or 802-748-8291.

Memory Café: Journaling for Healing and Connection, Tuesday, January 20, 1:30 PM

Author Libby Hillhouse will share the story behind her book, “Dementish,” and invite participants to create their own journaling practices. 

Reading “Dementish” before the event is encouraged. Copies are available to check out at the library and will also be for sale during the program. 

What is a Memory Café? A welcoming social gathering for people living with changes in their memory or thinking, along with the people who care about them. Participants have fun together, talk with others in similar situations, and try something new! 

Register here: Memory Café

For more information, contact Megan Robinson at mrobinson@stjathenaeum.org, or 802-748-8291. 

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