The Water’s Fine 

Sharon Shapiro | Charlottesville, Virginia, USA 

Recreation is a source of community. In Addison County, Vermont, seasonal communities form around Basin Harbor in Ferrisburgh or at the camps around Lake Dunmore. Historically, the mountain resorts at Breadloaf or Silver Lake drew visitors each summer. Middlebury College’s Snow Bowl draws people in the winter. Sharon Shapiro, whose artwork often explores themes of recreation, was drawn to historic postcards that show recreational communities on Lake Dunmore. She wrote: “I chose several images from the Stewart-Swift Research Center to create The Water’s Fine, consisting of two fractured figures in the foreground and several groups of young boys swimming and canoeing in the lake. Each of the three images of Lake Dunmore reflects the rich history of being a popular destination for summer travelers.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Vermont’s large and pristine lakes (such as Lake Dunmore in Addison County) were easily reachable by train and coach routes. Being a bit further South, Lake Dunmore was attractive to wealthy New York and Philadelphia visitors. The central image is a photo of a larger group of bathers enjoying the water. By selecting two people in the photo and splintering the image into strips of paper, I infused an element of mystery and ambiguity into the piece.” “In 1910, Camp Keewaydin Dunmore for boys was established, which is one of the oldest and most respected summer camps in America. I chose the images of the young men enjoying watersports in the lake to signify community—and camaraderie, the latter being an ongoing theme in my work.