The Courthouse recently underwent renovations that included the installation of permanent artwork through the Vermont Art in State Buildings program, which is administered by the Vermont Arts Council. Artists Donald Saaf and Julia Zanes of Saxtons River, VT were commissioned to create a suite of site specific work which was recently installed. A cast stone relief sculpture, etched glass windows, and a series of five paintings in the main hallways and stairwell have a unifying theme of trees, rivers, and animals that are prevalent, have played a role in local history, and are representative of the natural beauty of Southern Vermont.
Julia Zanes and Donald Saaf were selected from a pool of 29 applicants representing different artistic disciplines including sculpture, painting, glass work, and other art forms. The selection criteria included “. . . high artistic merit and inherent quality of work; and demonstrated experience and ability to work with design professionals, engineers, community leaders, and other artists within a collaborative team context.”
Zanes & Saaf met while working as security guards at The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Donald went on to attend the Museum School in Boston and Julia attended the Art Institute of Chicago. They both received traveling fellowships and lived and worked in Mexico after graduating from art school. Since then they have lived and worked in New Orleans and Nova Scotia before settling in southern Vermont in 1995. They now live in Saxton's River. For the last 18 years they have shown at The Clark Gallery in Lincoln MA., as well as, more recently, the Spheris Gallery in Hanover, The George Marshall Store Gallery in York ME., and Catherine Dianiach Gallery in Brattleboro. In 2006 they had a joint showing at The Brattleboro Museum. Donald is also a musician and has illustrated many children's books. They both occasionally teach children and adults in and around southern Vermont.
The design was reviewed and recommended by a Local Art Selection Committee consisting of the following people:
Merle Miller, Project Manager, Dept. of Buildings & General Services
David Roy, Architect, Wiemann-Lamphere Architects
Judge Kate Hayes, Windham Family Court
Judge Karen Carroll, Windham District Court
Suzanne Borichevsky, Deputy District Court Manager
Greg Worden, Business Owner, Vermont Artisan Designs
Linda Rubinstein, Local Artist & Curator
Kate Anderson, Windham Arts Council, Town of Brattleboro Arts Committee