Sightlines: Picturing the Battell Wilderness

Paintings by Jill Madden & Photographs by Caleb Kenna

This exhibit features oil and gouache paintings on linen by Jill Madden and photographs by Caleb Kenna capturing colorful sightlines within the Green Mountains of Vermont, particularly the Breadloaf and Battell Wilderness areas. Both artists visit the mountains year round and their work records varied seasonal views of the captivating peaks and valleys so central to the recreational and environmental challenges of Vermont. The exhibit highlights the importance of Middlebury philanthropist Joseph Battell (1839-1915) who donated 35,000 acres of the Green Mountains to Middlebury College, later becoming a core portion of the Green Mountain National Forest.  In 1911, he sold approximately 1,200 acres of virgin forest, including the summit of Camel's Hump to the State of Vermont for $1.

 Inspired by the legacy of Joseph Battell, Jill Madden and Caleb Kenna have an enthusiasm for the outdoors.  Their energy, artistic passion, ability, and devotion to Vermont are evident through their paintings and photographs.  Always adventuresome, Jill frequently heads to the wilderness areas and will pause, for example, while snowshoeing on Mt Horrid, to set up her easel and capture a winter scene.  She is a 1987 graduate of Middlebury College and when not exploring and painting in the Green Mountains, she is refreshed by swimming in the Atlantic Ocean near her Rhode Island childhood home. Caleb has recently undertaken and become an expert in drone photography. Standing on firm ground, holding his drone camera, he positions the camera in the sky, searching out a landscape of perfect light, contour, composition, and color. Raised in Brandon, Vermont, Caleb now resides in Middlebury. He studied at UVM and San Francisco State University. His drone landscape photographs were recently featured in the New York Times and the on-line edition of National Geographic. 

The exhibit includes 8 large photographs by Caleb and 20 paintings by Jill.  The paintings and photographs are available for purchase. Please call the Museum for pricing information. In addition, for reference, three topographical maps help visitors pinpoint the locations of the areas featured in the works of art, i.e. the Breadloaf Quadrangle, the Lincoln Quadrangle, and a larger map siting the Joseph Battell Wilderness, Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, and the Bristol Cliff Wilderness. 

To complement the topographical maps and further aid visitors in discovering and connecting with the wilderness areas, the exhibit features 3D wood-carved landscape models, “Topography You Can Touch,” representing the Breadloaf Quadrangle and the Lincoln Quadrangle, by the company Treeline Terrains, a recent start up by three Middlebury College graduates: Jacob Freedman (Mapmaking & Project Development), Nathaniel Klein (Carpentry & Machining), and Alex Gemme (Technology & Sales). Both wooden models are offered individually in a raffle — tickets are $10 each and can be purchased through the link below or at the Sheldon. Drawing is December 31, 2021. Learn more about Treeline Terrains.

Sightlines Talks:

Gallery Talk with Jill Madden and Caleb Kenna Watch here.

"Breadloaf as a Vital Center”: Bill McKibben, Middlebury College Scholar in Residence in Environmental Studies, discussed his wilderness experiences, the environmental and recreational importance of the mountains, and his admiration for the artistic outdoor explorations of artists Caleb Kenna and Jill Madden. Watch here.

“Joseph Battell: A Life and a Legacy”: A talk by David Bain, Middlebury College Senior Lecturer in English and American Literatures. Watch here.

“Breadloaf Through the Laser Lens”: Middlebury Geology Professor Will Amidon discussed a new technique to visualize landscapes using high-resolution topographic images of Earth’s surface - Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) – which collects data by firing a laser from an aircraft and uses the reflection to estimate land surface elevation. Watch here.

"3D Wood-Carved Maps: Connecting to Place in a New Way”: Jacob Freedman of Treeline Terrains discussed the group’s business designing custom 3D landscapes combining the trio’s unique craftsmanship backgrounds and exploring how tactile models can further efforts toward “inclusive mapping,” helping everyone connect to the places they love. Watch here.