MANCHESTER, VT .- Southern Vermont Arts Center’s Wilson Museum opens a compelling new exhibition, Lineages: Artists Are Never Alone, on October 5 with a sneak peek event the prior evening. Featuring the work of eleven contemporary artists, the exhibition and supporting programming will take viewers behind the art to reveal the inspirational forces that drive the artists and their creations.

“Although artists may work in solitude, they draw from countless influences, and their works of art are products of a multitude of experiences and inspirations. In this show, we celebrate these often-unseen, but nevertheless powerful and consequential, influences,” said Alison Crites, exhibition co-curator and SVAC’s Manager of Exhibitions & Interpretive Engagement. “We are thrilled to highlight a wide range of two- and three-dimensional artworks from a group of artists whose talents and perspectives combine to create an incredible, enriching art experience for our visitors.”

Co-curator and participating artist Anthony Surratt added, “As artists, we all have distinct styles and points of view. However, when you commingle, compare and overlap our respective artistic lineages, you see clearly that, through creative expression, we are all interconnected. Artists truly are never alone.”

Hailing from throughout Vermont and the Northeast, the exhibition’s artists are Susan Abbott, Michael Abrams, B. Amore, Negina Azimi, Samantha Eckert, Terry Findeisen, Harlan Mack, Suzette Marie Martin, Marcie Scudder, Judith Seligson and Anthony Surratt.

SVAC will offer several programs to highlight the artists, their work, and their creative lineages throughout the nearly five-month run of the exhibition, which closes February 23, 2025. The first program is a panel discussion, “Our Artistic Lineages,” in which five of the participating artists will discuss their creative influences, whether familial, mystical, ancient or modern. The panel will be part of a special event on Friday, October 4, beginning at 6 p.m. in SVAC’s Arkell Pavilion, followed by a sneak peek of the exhibition in Wilson Museum. Event attendance will be complimentary with paid admission to SVAC. The formal opening reception, free to the public, is Saturday, October 5, from 2-4 p.m.

Over the subsequent months, many of the exhibiting artists will give talks about the influences behind their work or offer hands-on workshops. The first will feature Johnson, Vermont-based artist Harlan Mack in a virtual program on October 10 at 5:30 p.m. On October 24, artists Samantha Eckert and Susan Abbott will discuss their work during an in-person program at SVAC.