Island: A Symposium

Geologist David Howell, archeologist Gail Golec, and architect Dan Scully return for an expanded conversation about the Island in downtown Bellows Falls, Vermont. They will delve into the Island’s geological formations, archaeological history, and architectural transformations. Scully will also share the inspiration behind the design of the Bellows Falls Waypoint Center, highlighting how the Island’s unique character influenced the building itself.

Robert McBride, Bellows Falls resident and founder of the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project, will moderate the talk, guiding this engaging exploration. A follow-up to the January 25, 2025 event “Island: A Conversation,” this gathering offers a closer look at Bellows Falls’s unique 30-acre shelf of bedrock and its evolving story.

Originally a peninsula bounded on three sides by the Connecticut River, the Island became an island in 1802, when the construction of a canal bypassing the Great Falls was completed, severing it from the mainland. Once a gathering, ceremonial, and burial place for the Indigenous inhabitants of the region, the Island has been defined by human manipulation for centuries. Railroads, resort hotels, farm machinery, armament manufacturers, paper mills, and busy roadways have all come and gone. Today, the Island quietly awaits its next chapter.

This event and its precursor emerged from the BMAC exhibition Susan Mikula: ISLAND.

Photos and videos may be taken during this event for use in BMAC promotional materials.

• Space is limited; advance registration required.

For accessibility questions and requests, email office@brattleboromuseum.org or call 802-257-0124 x101.