Jessica, who lives on a small suburban plot in South Burlington, was inspired to curate a show about gardens based on her own experience in Burlington as well as that of many locals. On her property, she grows vegetables, fruit trees and shrubs, and enjoys numerous perennial gardens that she has planted over the last four and a half years. “I remember when friends of mine from down South visited last July and we were driving them around the area, they kept exclaiming about all the gardens around here – even on corners of the busy roads,” recalls Jessica. “I think our connection to nature, to the land – wild or cultivated – is something that Vermonters appreciate and value.”

 Gregg Blasdel, "Carp" (2018), aquatint etching, 24" x 18"

 Sara Katz, "Cactus Flowered" (2022), oil on board, 24" x 18"

Coming in mid-September is a new show featuring three artists from South Burlington: painter Michael Strauss, photographer Jeffrey Pascoe, and Gin Ferrara, who works in mixed media. The show, called South Burlington Showcase, will run through December. When it comes to selecting artists to display at the Gallery, Jessica notes it’s a mix of artists reaching out to her, responding to open calls, and artists she knows or meets along the way. “These three all responded to an open call for artists that the Public Art Committee put out a few months ago, but I have worked in the arts for years in the region and know many, many artists,” says Jessica, referring to the upcoming South Burlington Showcase show. “For [In the Garden], I approached the artists in response to a theme I wanted to present.”