The Putney School Harvest Festival

Today Josh, the dogs, and I traveled to Putney, VT to visit with family friends at The Putney School's annual Harvest Festival. My jaw was on the floor once we got to the place. The Putney School is  a progressive high school set atop a beautiful hill overlooking a valley. Among other things, the school focuses on applied work and the arts, and the art studios there are like something out of my dreams. Our friend snuck me off to peek into a few of the studios while the fair was going on, and I got to tour the weaving, metalwork, screen printing, ceramics, and woodworking spaces. Most students live on campus, and the buildings run the gamut from charming old barns to a state of the art, eco friendly fitness center. There's a real juxtaposition of old and new, innovative and traditional. Below are a few shots from the day (and there was so much more I didn't get to see).

Long range views from the campus.

The school uses solar power energy, and the panels sit in a field adjacent to the campus where cows, alpaca, and sheep graze.

The school has a lovely pond and working barn where livestock are housed.

The wood carving and metal working studio.

 

 

Student wood and metal work.

The painting and screen printing studio.

And last but not least, the weaving studio (btw, I've been talking to my teacher about resuming my weaving classes now that the wedding is over. I took a break for a few months to focus on getting our remodel done before the wedding).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The students were out and about showcasing farm animals, playing fiddle music, square dancing, and serving delicious food, some of it grown on campus. The place is like some kind of made up magical fairyland for granola crunchy artsy types (and I mean that in the best way possible).

 

The last building we saw before leaving was the gallery and performing art center. Hundreds of people were gathered inside signing along with an orchestra as they faced a giant window overlooking a gorgeous long range view. I wasn't able to go in for the signing because I had to stay with the dogs outside, but I did get a quick peek at the school's gallery space.

 

How many high schools do you know of with gallery space like that? This place actually made me wish I could go back to high school and do it all over again, and that is something I thought I'd never say. If only they had a place like this for adults...