For Community News Service, a VTSU-Castleton internship, for Rutland Herald
CASTLETON — Vermont State University Castleton 2025 graduate Julie Griffith has a house full of art from her undergrad years and has been toying with the idea of donating some of it to an organization and making it about community.
“Art is a very huge conduit to positivity in the community,” Griffith said. “I think we especially struggle financially because of where we live; we are permanent residents of a seasonal utopia, and that can be really challenging.”
On Oct. 10, from noon to 5 p.m., 11 artists will hold a reception at Kaleidoscope Art Supply, located at 37 Center St. in Rutland, to benefit a nonprofit organization, No Empty Bowls.
“There’s no better thing than animals and art, so that’s what we’re going to be about, Griffith said.
No Empty Bowls works together as a family to help serve families in Washington and Warren Counties in New York, as well as Rutland County in Vermont, helping primarily with cat and dog food.
“We decided to take on the pet food problem and said, ‘What if we could help people keep their pets, keep their companion animals, and not have to face surrender?’” group member Matt Reardon said.
Griffith said she contacted No Empty Bowls, hoping to put together a group art show with donations going to the organization.
“I reached out to other artists I knew and asked them if they wanted to participate, and it was all just a step-by-step process,” she said.
Finding a venue and food were the next big steps in Griffith’s event planning. Reaching out to the media was a big part of that step.
“And now, here we are,” she said.
The event will be held in an upstairs gallery, with hopes of setting up a tent outside on the street to offer people the opportunity to be outside and hang out.
“I’m picturing in my mind a very chill vibe,” Griffith said. “Just a bunch of artists hanging out, enjoying themselves, talking, and being together.”
Along with reception foods and No Empty Bowls officials on-site, many different forms of art will be displayed, including photography, blacksmithing, sculpture art, paintings, and drawings by artists from all over.
“I think art shows like this one are particularly good at building community and will often attract a more diverse audience than might attend a solo exhibit for a single artist,” said Phil Whitman, associate professor of art at VTSU Castleton.
Many VTSU artists are also involved with the event, which Griffith finds to be reconnecting.
“I love the community piece, bouncing ideas off one another, being with each other, and the performance factor of showing in a group show,” Griffith said
Whitman helped Griffith with ideas for the show and is also going to have some works featured.
“His advice to me as a studio artist was to participate in group shows,” Griffith said.
She said he explained to her that the way to become successful as an artist, is you end up networking and people actually notice your work in a group show.
Whitman said he is happy to donate to supporting his former student, Griffith, whom he describes as having infectious enthusiasm that draws people together.
“It’s actually giving me the opportunity to create a new pet-focused painting,” Whitman said.
Griffith said her biggest fear is that nobody will come, reflecting on her time working at the Castleton Bank Gallery in Rutland, which had very limited hours and limited traffic. It was hard, she said, when they had receptions for an artist, and sometimes it would only be the art teachers, she herself, the artists, and a few other people.
“Art has a job to do. Each piece has a positive impact it can make because people connect with it in different ways. I think it should be out in the world, not stored up somewhere in a room,” Griffith said.
Reardon expressed his feelings about community, too, and explained how every donation gets them closer to their goal of helping prevent pets from going hungry and said no donation is too small and spreading the word about who they are is so beneficial too.
“As often said, ‘it takes a village,’ and in this case, we rely on the support of the community to help us in our mission,” Reardon said.
Griffith said she didn’t even know Kaleidoscope Arts Supply owner Raven Crispino before the start of putting together the event and said Crispino’s doing it totally from the heart.
“It’s all part of a bigger journey of getting your art out there,” Griffith said. “I really just love human connection, and I feel like that’s been sort of lost in our digital times, so I’m hoping it’s going to be another fun day enjoying culture.”