Immersive Summer Gatherings
Film / Talk / Food Series
In collaboration with the Architecture & Design Film Festival
COMMUNITY BUILDING
This ticketed evening event kicks off the 25th Anniversary of our Community Programming and marks the opening of our new exhibition:
FILM: Strange and Familiar: Architecture on Fogo Island
TALK: Artist April Surgent
GALLERY OPENING: BEING HERE NOW: A Photographic Look at Our World Today
FOOD: Taste of Vermont, in the garden
Join us for an unforgettable evening of film, conversation, and shared food—part of our Summer FILM/ TALK / FOOD series and a celebration of those who lead by example to create lasting change. Whether in hometowns or far-off ecosystems, this night honors the creativity, commitment, and compassion that help reshape our world.
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Minimum ticket price is $50. This is a fundraiser for our 25th Year of Community Programming — if you can pay more (as much as $200), we would greatly appreciate your generous support.
Thank you!
Bring your curiosity. Leave inspired!
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FILM | 3:30 PM
Strange and Familiar: Architecture on Fogo Island
2014 | 54 min | Canada
When the fishing industry collapsed on Fogo Island, a radical vision emerged. Architect Todd Saunders and social entrepreneur Zita Cobb blended cultural heritage with cutting-edge design, creating architecture that would spark a renaissance in this remote Newfoundland community.
“Captures a bold architecture project that embraces the excitement of living on the edge…”
— Architecture & Design Film Festival
TALK | 5:00 PM
April Surgent
In 2016, artist April Surgent joined NOAA’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, living on the remote Pearl & Hermes Atoll for six months. As a field biologist and artist-in-residence, she collected conservation data and created powerful new work exploring the fragile connections between humanity and the environment.
GALLERY OPENING | 6:00 PM
BEING HERE NOW: A Photographic Look at Our World Today
This exhibition brings together six visionary photographers whose work captures urgent realities of our time—from war zones and nuclear test sites to ecological frontiers and imagined futures.
Featuring James Nachtwey (Deeds of War), Emmet Gowin (Nevada Test Site), and Jon Brack (Chernobyl), alongside groundbreaking work by Odette England (Nature is a Photograph), April Surgent (Pearl and Hermes Atoll), and Cassandra Klos (Mars on Earth, in collaboration with NASA).
FOOD | 6:00 PM
Taste of Vermont
Join us for a bountiful grazing table featuring the best of Vermont’s seasonal foods.
Featuring Foley Brothers Brewing (Beer and wine available for purchase on site)
Enjoy great food, lively discussion, and community spirit—keep building your community
EVENT INFORMATION
Parking: Rochester High School
Film: Rochester High School
Talk: BigTown Gallery
Food & Dialogue: BigTown Gallery - 99 North Main Street, Rochester VT
Want to give more?
Tax-deductible donations can be made to:
BigTown Projects, Inc. – a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit