The sleepy state of Vermont bears the weight of flash floods beating the northeastern United States, which resulted in the death of at least one resident. The National Weather Service warned of thunderstorms, hail and potential tornadoes in the coming week, subjecting the already waterlogged region to further damage.
As stagnant water and predicted inclement weather put citizens at risk and complicate rescue missions, museums, cultural sites and arts centers in the region are closed and taking emergency measures. These weather conditions extended to New York Hudson Valley, where art spaces like Storm King Art Center and KinoSaito have reported concerns about dangerous road conditions. Manitoga, a National Historic Landmark in Garrison, New York, faces mounting restoration costs after its main road was rendered inaccessible due to storms.
Back in Vermont, The flowa contemporary arts center in Stowe, was forced to close on July 11 before the storms hit, as did the TW Wood Gallery in Montpellier, the oldest state art museum. Vermont Studio Center, a world-renowned residency program in the Green Mountains, suffered unprecedented flooding, jeopardizing its valuable print collection, which had to be evacuated and relocated by a team of over 30 volunteers. “Going forward, we don’t yet know how much the remediation and replacement costs will be, but it will be a lot,” executive director Hope Sullivan wrote. instagram. The multi-building campus has been partially submerged since July 12.
Tonight, July 14, the Shelburne Museum will partner with the theater company Bread and Puppet to turn an outdoor concert with the Guster Band into a fundraiser for the Vermont Flood Response and Recovery Fund. As the weather continues to batter Vermont, the state’s strong arts community will be watching the skies closely.
