A Weekend With "Grandma" - Moses, That Is

12:00AM / Thursday, March 16, 2006

Bennington, Vt.- The Bennington Museum is pleased to present "Exploring the Art of Grandma Moses" as a 2006 Family Workshop Series. The series will kick off this Saturday, March 18th from 1:00-3:00 p.m..

During the workshop, entire families will be encouraged to explore the country's largest collection of Grandma Moses artwork while learning about the life and techniques of the artist. Children will have an opportunity to create a Moses-style piece of art to take home.

There are ten workshops altogether, ranging from such topics as antique toys to the history of Bennington. A full listing of workshops is available at the museum's www.benningtonmuseum.org website.

Each workshop is designed for children ages 6 and up and their grown-up friends to enjoy. They are fun, hands-on, and educational for kids and adults alike.

All workshops are scheduled for Saturday afternoons, from 1:00-3:00 p.m.. They are free for members and $5 per person for non-members.

Space is limited, so pre-registration is required. For more information call the Bennington Museum Programs Coordinator at 802-447-1571.

Social Activist Shows Films at the Bennington Museum

The seventh installment of the Vermont Film Series at the Bennington Museum showcases a remarkably dedicated filmmaker who has dedicated her life to activism.

Robin Lloyd's determination to bring social issues to life is what has driven her to create films. Two of these, "Haiti's Piggy Bank," and "Creating Another World: A People's Agenda for Land, Labor, and Water" will be shown at the museum on Friday March 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ada Paresky Education Center. Admission is $5.

"Haiti's Piggy Bank" focuses on the tragedy that befell the Haitian people after the United States forced them to kill their pig population due to swine flu.

The Haitians depended heavily on their pigs as they were considered an important economic asset. Pigs paid for the future. Without a pig population, Haiti, already a country in poverty, faced an economic low they hadn't seen in years. The documentary shows the story of an American non-profit organization, Grassroots International, joining the National Peasant Movement of Papaye, to reintroduce the Creole pig to Haiti.

"Creating Another World: the Fight for Labor, Land and Water Rights" was filmed at the World Social Forum in 2003, and around the world.

On her way to the third Social Forum (2003), Lloyd interviewed members of the Landless Peasant movement, and identified three basic rights that were of concern to people around the world: a right to land, a right to a living wage, and water rights.

This film examines the growth and actions of the World Social Forum in Latin America, which has drawn thousands of grassroots activists to organize under the banner motto "Another World is Possible".

Robin Lloyd is the director of Green Valley Media, a non-profit film and video production company founded to bring out awareness of social issues. She has been making films for over 25 years and has worked closely with other organizations involved in advocacy.

Lloyd is also the publisher of Toward Freedom, an international news journal, and also a founding member of the Peace and Justice Center in Burlington, Vermont. Her dpcumentaries are shown inside and outside of the classroom.

Lloyd will be present at the showing to discuss her films, career, and life as a social activist.

Museum officials are hopeful that this series emerges as an annual event that affords opportunity for Vermont's brilliant and independent contingent of filmmakers to celebrate with the public the state's outstanding contribution to this art form.

The Bennington Museum is located at 75 Main St. (Route 9) one mile west of the intersection of Routes 7 and 9 in downtown Bennington, Vermont. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. For more information, visit the website at www.benningtonmuseum.org.