SHELBURNE, VT. - Nestled among the rolling hills of the Champlain
Valley and often called Vermont's Smithsonian, the Shelburne
Museum is looking better than ever after the completion of
several years of diligent preservation, conservation and
renovation. The process, in which technology and tradition have
blended seamlessly, has culminated in the reopening of enhanced
galleries and new displays featuring a plethora of dazzling
objects not previously on view.
Featuring four centuries of art, Americana, architecture and
artifacts, the Shelburne is regarded as one of the nation's most
eclectic museums. It boasts 39 galleries that include 25
Nineteenth Century buildings and more than 150,000 objects.
Outstanding examples of folk art, toys, decorative arts, textiles
and transportation vehicles are exhibited in tandem with
paintings by artists ranging from Monet to Grandma Moses. One of
the more unusual items displayed on the grounds is the
220-foot-long restored side-wheel steamer Ticonderoga.
Founded in 1947 by Electra Havemeyer Webb, the museum owes its
originality to her discerning eye. So for that matter does the
acceptance of folk art as a respectable form.
