This year marks the centennial of state parks in Vermont: Mount Philo State Park in Charlotte was established in 1924, and 54 more protected areas for swimming, hiking and camping were added in the century that followed. In collaboration with Green Mountain artists and Vermont Parks Forever, Burlington boutique Common Deer is celebrating the milestone with a series of prints that highlight these natural wonders.
The project, titled the Vermont Parks Collection, currently includes 27 prints depicting wild beauty up and down the state. There's a plan to hit every park in Vermont, but Common Deer owner Sarah Beal is in no rush — she wants to allow artists time to create meaningful works. The collection launched in 2019, guided by Beal's goal to "help locals celebrate outdoor spaces." Contributing artists include Casey Callahan, Dylan Fant, Elisa Järnefelt and Phoebe Lo.
Teaming up with local artists and organizations allows Beal to give back to the state that patronizes her storefront. To date, the parks collection has paid Vermont artists more than $20,000, Beal said, and donated roughly $10,000 to Vermont Parks Forever, which supports state parks.
"The prints gave us the opportunity to work with a lot of artists and get to a place-based celebration," Beal said.
The initial prints each capture a single park, while three recent releases commemorate the 100th anniversary. Spending time in the parks is a necessity for the artists — whether they work on a park they know or take the project as a sign for a road trip.
Burlington artist Dean Liebau, an avid nature enthusiast, said his piece on Groton's Stillwater State Park was "a good opportunity for me to get down there." Indeed, he captured his road trip experience in a vintage-looking print of a station wagon stacked with a canoe and parked by the lake. It features a woodsy color palette and detailed line work.
Stylistic and creative freedom is important to Beal; she hopes to showcase the unique talent of each participating artist. As such, Common Deer purposely does not give much direction.
"It's not often that you get that free rein," Liebau noted appreciatively.
When Tyler Elise Blinderman of Morrisville received a list of available parks from Common Deer, she was excited to spot Elmore State Park. "I hopped on that one because I had a very personal experience with it," she explained. Blinderman's print features her signature typography and whimsical style, embracing a mix of iconic and what she called "hidden" references. Those who have visited Elmore will immediately know the fire tower, but only those very familiar will recognize the balanced glacial rock formation that sits along the trail.
Beal hopes these personal touches speak to a wide variety of Vermonters, who each have their own relationship with a favorite park or two. She noted that some customers follow the collection and are excited to see what's next.
Liebau and Blinderman each contributed an anniversary print. Liebau's depicts Vermont fauna looking toward the sky, harkening back to a year of exciting celestial events: the April eclipse, this summer's auroras borealis. Blinderman's design features a Nalgene water bottle covered with stickers from state parks across the state.
Highlighting 100 years of Vermont State Parks furthers what Common Deer has been working on for the past five years — appreciation for Vermont's natural spaces and the people who love them.