BigTown 2025: Celebrating 25 Years of Community Programming with a Powerful Summer of Art, Film, and Dialogue
ROCHESTER, VT — This year, BigTown proudly marks a major milestone: 25 years of community programming—honoring a quarter-century of creativity, connection, and collaboration in rural central Vermont.
In a time when the sense of community and shared understanding is more important than ever, BigTown celebrates the enduring power of the arts to inspire and unite. Since its founding, BigTown has championed artists, writers, architects, photographers, photojournalists, maverick entrepreneurs, and community leaders—amplifying voices that engage deeply with topics such as climate change, social and environmental justice, biographical and visionary work, community development, war, and scientific discovery.
To commemorate this special anniversary, BigTown is thrilled to collaborate with Kyle Bergman, founder of the Architecture & Design Film Festival, to present three immersive community gatherings this summer. These events will spotlight the themes of community building, activism, and innovation, and are designed to enrich the conversations sparked by BigTown’s summer exhibition, Being Here Now, and the second annual My Place Photography Workshop.
OUTLINE:
Featured Exhibition 2025
BEING HERE NOW A Photographic Look into Our World Today
Exhibition: June 20 – September 14
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 28 | 3 PM
Artists Featured: Jon Brack – Chernobyl. Odette England – Nature is a Photograph
Emmet Gowin – Nevada Test Site. Cassandra Klos – Mars on Earth. James Nachtwey – Deeds of War. April Surgent – Pearl and Hermes Atoll
Immersive Summer Gatherings
FILM / TALK / FOOD
FILM: 3:30 PM
TALK: 5:00 PM
GALLERY OPENINGS: 6:00 PM
FOOD: 6:00 PM
Location: Film screenings at the Rochester High School
Saturday, June 28
Program Theme: Restoration
Film: Strange & Familiar: Architecture on Fogo Island
Talk: April Surgent – Six Months with the Hawaiian Monk Seal
Dinner: Taste of Vermont / In the garden
Saturday, August 2
Program Theme: Rebuilding
Films: Frank Gehry: Building Justice
Talk: Theresa Betancourt – Shadows into Light: A Generation of Child Soldiers Comes of Age
Dinner: Pizza by Chef PJ Lauriello
Saturday, August 30
Program Theme: Innovation
Film: Beyond Zero
Talk: Bill McKibben – Here Comes the Sun (Book Launch and Talk)
Dinner: Food historian, Paula Marcoux with One-Meal-For-All
Join Us for BigTown 2025 help support our fundraising goal of $25,000
Celebrate our 25 years of art, dialogue, and community engagement
Generous friends and patrons of BigTown Projects and BigTown Gallery are helping to support this years programming. If you would like to donate tax-deductible donations may be written to BigTown Project, Inc. the non-profit branch of BigTown Vermont. This will enable the funds raised through ticket sales to go directly towards our end of year goal of $25,000 for next year’s programming.
The suggested ticket price is $50 - $250 — $50 is the base price. Please give as generously as you can.
Thank so much!
Anni Mackay