“American Stories,” a new online exhibition that examines the American experience as seen through the collections of Shelburne Museum, launched recently. Drawing inspiration from Shelburne’s vast holdings of American art, architecture and material culture, American Stories is an exhibition in four parts — People, Travel, Home and Community. Part One: People, opened May 14. Subsequent parts are scheduled to be posted every other week on May 28, June 11 and June 25.
“‘American Stories’ offers a window into periods in the nation’s history as interpreted through some of Shelburne’s most familiar and beloved objects ranging from 19th-century portraits of William and Nancy Lawson by William Matthew Prior, hooked rugs by contemporary artist Patty Yoder and even the 1906 steamboat Ticonderoga,” Museum Director Thomas Denenberg said. The exhibition is accompanied by interactive experiences including recorded talks from curators, preservation and conservation insights and educational activities.
“While represented in many forms, from paintings to textiles to a locomotive and steamship, ‘American Stories’ reflects on the ingenuity, creativity and skill of artists and makers that offers a look back while also sending a hopeful message about the future,” said Associate Curator Katie Wood Kirchhoff, who organized the exhibition. 
“American Stories” is the second exclusively online exhibition launched by the museum since temporarily closing due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first, “Color, Pattern, Whimsy, & Scale,” is an exploration of museum founder Electra Havemeyer Webb’s passion for American folk art and her collecting ethos as she assembled one of the earliest and largest collections that would become the foundation for the museum.
Forthcoming exhibitions include Painting at Home with Grandma Moses. 
For links and more information go to shelburnemuseum.org.