The Art and Beauty of Winter in Vermont

UVM Student and VT State Park Photography Intern Olympia Bowker: "Sense of Place - Winter in Vermont". Now on Display at La Brioche Bakery & Cafe in Montepelier

For the next several weeks, Olympia Bowker's photographs will be on display in the popular NECI cafe, La Brioche, at the corner of Main Street and East State Street in Montpelier.

Olympia completed an internship with Vermont State Parks as part of her Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Science at the University of Vermont. Her work on "sense of place" and how photography can capture the beauty we all see and interpret, can be found in her photographic documentation project entitled, Vermont in Winter: The Season of Subtle Splendor. It is Olympia’s hope that her images and captions illustrate “sense of place” as well as help to promote recreational enjoyment of the outdoors for Vermont State Parks.

Abstract from Olympia’s work:

For humans to have an ethical relation to land, there must be love, respect, admiration and a high regard for its value. This relationship is created by interaction between humans and a natural environment. By connecting with one’s own surroundings, an individual bridges the gap that exists in today’s modern society between man and nature. This connection results in a range of benefits; there is a greater and more intimate awareness of human impacts on the environment—thus leading to the implementation of more ecologically beneficial land-use practices and effective land conservation, and for humans there are mental health benefits, such as hindering the onset of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in children.

The Vermont State Parks are parcels of land that are exempt from commercial and residential development, preserving their acreage for human recreation and ecological preservation. Through a photography internship with the Vermont State Parks, I visited six of the fifty-two state parks found within Vermont to photograph the land and visitors. When finished, a photographic display of 14 images, illustrating place and people connecting with it, was exhibited in both the Vermont State House in Montpelier and the Environmental Building (the Bittersweet) at the University of Vermont.

Stop in to enjoy her work as well as fresh pastries and a coffee!

Learn more about Vermont State Parks Internships

PS - Another of Olympia's photos is featured on our facebook and twitter pages.