SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – As soon as I walked in the door of Gallery at the VAULT, I knew Nina had been there recently. A new order of pottery had taken a multi-level center stage with a single wooden spoon set, just so. Her displays draw your attention to the glass cases of jewelry, the quilted table runners draped in the inner vault, the seasonal displays in the window. Painted sap buckets and welcome signs stand next to jugs of maple syrup. Sculptured wire trees and paintings grace the walls nearby, and glass birds overlook their artful habitats.
Gallery at the VAULT is celebrating its 20th year on 68 Main Street in Springfield. I asked Nina to write her reflections on the founding of VAULT (Visual Art Using Local Talent) for interested readers to read.
Nina and her husband Herb will be moving soon. You are invited to stop into the Vault to write your good wishes in a book they’ll take with them. You are also invited to join Gallery at the VAULT’s 20th Anniversary Virtual Annual Meeting on April 12 at 5 p.m. Sign up on www.galleryvault.org and you’ll be sent the Zoom link.
Thank you Nina and all of the community members who make Springfield the creative, active community that it is.
Written by Diane Kemble, VAULT Board Member.
The following are the aforementioned reflections by Nina Jamison:
Reflections from Nina Jamison, founder, Gallery at the VAULT
How do you measure the success of a project, a business, or a personal goal?
VAULT first opened in December, 2001. That’s 20 years on Main Street. A measure of success for sure, but what were the building blocks that led to success?
In my case, having no experience creating a permanent art venue worked in my favor. I had no negative preconceptions of what wouldn’t work and relied on my vision and enthusiasm and the compelling goal of helping to improve the perception of downtown. In October of 2000, a Main Street art project, “Windows on the Arts,” was created and, with eventual financial help from Springfield Savings and Loan and the Springfield Historical Society, the first Art Window was installed in Furman’s department store.
Start small but think big. “Windows,” was the first building block. A goal was realized and it built confidence.
The second building block is enthusiasm that inspires others. A permanent art space was unlocked at a meeting with Steve Greene who owned 68 Main Street.
The third building block is commitment and the sweat equity of volunteers. Local businesses, which were supportive with in-kind materialsm and people willing to do the unglamorous job of ripping down ceilings and ripping up rugs, were all integral in creating a beautiful venue for art.
In November of 2009, VAULT was honored by Gov. James Douglas with its designation as an official State Craft Center. VAULT was the first new art center to gain this designation since the VT Arts Council initiated the process in 1993.
Faces and titles have changed, but VAULT has stayed true to the original mission – encouraging an appreciation of the visual arts and providing opportunities for learning and participating in the creative process.
I am awed by the continued dedication and creativity of our volunteers.
I am very proud of what I initiated and prouder still of the continued creativity and dedication of VAULT’s staff and volunteers.
Written by Nina Jamison, founder of Gallery at the VAULT.