ADDISON COUNTY — While we all practice our safe social distancing there’s no reason to shy away from art, especially when you can view galleries (near and far) online. Here’s a round up of local galleries digital options.
Edgewater Galleries, Middlebury
Edgewater plans to stick to its spring schedule with its April (or possibly April and May shows) exhibited entirely online. Going up now is “Sight Seeing,” a group show with Elizabeth Hoag, Kathryn Milillo, and Julia Purinton. Coming in May is “Perspectives,” a  group show with Jane Davies, Jon Olsen, and Alexis Serio. By June, the gallery hopes to have its doors open again for two shows: “Reflections,” a group show with Kathleen Kolb, Lori Mehta, and Karen O’Neil; as well as “3 Solos: One Gallery,” featuring Hannah Bureau, Sara Katz, and Jill Matthews. 
How are they going digital? “We will create a tour of the exhibition as installed in the gallery,” explained gallery director Theresa Harris. “This will be accessible from our website along with a preview of the show that has images of each piece with information on each piece… We will also feature interviews with the three artists that will be available to view on our website in a rotation.”
Edgewater is also stepping up their social media presence with daily posts, videos, and stories on Instagram and Facebook. They are also working on adding more of their jewelry collections to their website.
More info here.
Middlebury Studio School, Middlebury
Alphabet Illuminated: Flowers and fairies art project
Make your own illuminated manuscript — a manuscript in which the text is enhanced with decoration such as initials, borders and miniature illustrations — take a picture, and send it to Barb Nelson at Middlebury Studio School ([email protected]). She’ll post all the creations in a gallery on their website.
Here’s what you need: pencil, paper, ruler (optional), black ballpoint pen and coloring tools like markers, colored pencils, and/or crayons. Do your drawing starting with the letter of the alphabet that begins the flower’s name. Having trouble finding a certain type of flower? Visit atozflowers.com for inspiration.
Draw in pencil lightly so you can erase easily. Use the ruler to make a border and a box for the letter. Work out your design in pencil and then go over the lines you want to save with a black pen. Erase any pencil marks you don’t want. Then color with whatever you have around. There are only 25 more letters to do after you finish A. You can google how to make a simple book if you want to bind them together for an A-Z homemade book.
Deborah Holmes, Bristol
“As I sit at home, glued to the radio, raking the lawn, talking to my sons by phone or video chat, I also watch the robin’s return and the grass turn green. While this is a time of extreme challenge for all of us, I am grateful to live in Vermont, and for the safety and seeming good health of my family. I think I have enough food to last a few weeks; I know that I have enough coffee and red wine…”
Thankfully, watercolor artist Deborah Holmes is still painting every day in her at-home studio. She’s accepting commissions, saying “I have the time!”
A few ideas for commissioned pieces:
A painting of your home, former home, or camp.
The view from your favorite hike or favorite landscape.
Your garden or your dog in your yard.
The setting of a loved one’s wedding or graduation.
You can also take a virtual tour of Holmes’ gallery. Get in touch by visiting her website, emailing [email protected] or call (802) 453-8511. You can also follow her on Facebook @DeborahHolmes.
Town Hall Theater, Middlebury
While events are postponed at Town Hall Theater, they still want to connect with you. Check out The Quarantine Sessions, a series of short videos showcasing THT all-stars, including resident companies and staff, filmed in their homes and delivered to yours. The content is fun, heartwarming, inspiring and broad ranging, from opera to THT education talent, and from rock stars to our own Doug Anderson (a rock star in his own right). THT is offering a daily diet of these videos via their social media channels, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as their website and new YouTube channel.
THT is also actively posting the details of its partners’ streaming content on the Town Hall Theater website to give us all even more ways to engage with the arts. This includes Met Opera Nightly Streams, National Theatre programming, and the upcoming screening of “Vincent Van Gogh: A New Way of Seeing.”