ELECTRICAL UNION SPONSORS WORK-THEMED GRANITE CITY ART EXHIBIT
South Burlington, Vt. – (Aug. 20, 2009) – The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 300 and its members at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant recently announced support for “Working It Out,” a five-week art exhibit at Barre’s Studio Place Arts.
Housed in SPA’s main gallery at 199 N. Main St., “Working It Out” features pieces that depict work and the tools people use for their jobs. There are paintings and photographs of laborers spreading cement and digging sewer pipes, electrical workers fixing power lines, farm workers tilling the field, and women in the kitchen. Sculptures made from antique wrenches, clay toolboxes, and a sculpture of a desk job gone sideways round out the display.
“Workers are the foundation of society,” said IBEW Local 300 Business Manager Jeffrey Wimette. “Barre is a union town that has been a pillar of Vermont’s organized labor movement since the beginning. Backing this event shows our appreciation for the brothers and sisters who give it their all on the job every day.”
IBEW Local 300 is not the only labor group in the mix, as Working Vermont – a coalition of the state’s unions – also contributed to “Working It Out.” The exhibit features several artists, including Angelo Arnold, Lillian Aye, Tom Batey, John Brickels, Heidi Broner, Robert Brunelle, Jr., Phillip Godenschwager, Mark Heitzman, Wendy James, Jeneane Lunn, Helen Rabin, Jack Rowell, Michael Smith, R.G. Solbert, Robert J. Towne and H. Keith Wagner.
“We’re truly pleased to have support from the region’s labor unions for an art exhibit that elevates the importance of work,” said SPA Executive Director Sue Higby.
“Working It Out” runs through September 19. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and Noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday. SPA, a nonprofit visual arts center, can be reached at (802) 479-7069 or info@studioplacearts.com.