he Bennington Museum, small and off the beaten track in southwestern Vermont, doesn't have much money. But it proves again and again the value of imagination and grit in making good things happen. Its smart, engaging show “From Crash to Creativity” considers an era from Vermont history that few people know. Understanding how this tiny, isolated state weathered the Great Depression involves a leap beyond a world of green mountains, quaint villages, and maple syrup.
Far from a happy Brigadoon with cows, Vermont suffered mightily. It soon defied its creed of rugged self-reliance and dived into the alphabet soup we call the New Deal. The art the show presents and contextualizes is as solid and sensible as Vermont itself, and as quirky.
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