SHELBURNE, VT.- The Perry Center for Native American Art will be devoted to the exhibition and care of the Museum’s collection of more than 500 Indigenous items from 389 Tribal Nations. In planning for the Perry Center, Shelburne Museum was intentional in collaborating with Tribal Nations and culture bearers whose works are represented in the collection. The result is a building and integrated landscape design that honors the traditional stewards of the site and is referential to the many cultures whose items will be housed in the Center.
The Perry Center for Native American Art is planned to be an 11,200 square-foot, highly sustainable structure designed to serve as a welcoming space for Tribal members and scholars to study and engage with the collection and that will reimagine the museum experience for all visitors.
The Perry Center is being designed by Annum Architects of Boston and Two Row Architect of Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation, joining together firms with depth of experience in both major museum and Indigenous projects. Landscape design is by Reed Hilderbrand of Cambridge, Massachusetts, a practice with extensive experience designing landscapes that seamlessly integrate with architecture.
Integral to the project is collaboration with over 50 Indigenous partners, who advised on cultural protocols and design considerations and care and conservation of the collection. In addition, insight and guidance about the building and landscape design were taken from listening sessions—a series of Talking Circles—led by Indigenous-owned Two Row Architect that included leadership and culture bearers of the local Abenaki, the traditional stewards of the site, along with Tribal Nations represented in the Museum’s collection of more than 500 items.
Plans call for construction to begin in spring of 2025.
Design Features
The design of the Perry Center for Native American Art building is influenced by traditional Native American structures, and the landscape surrounding the Center is intentionally integrated into the overall design of the building. The building itself is curvilinear referencing Indigenous building types. The interior is responsive to the changing elevation of the landscape with a floor that gently ramps down on the north end, allowing for visitors to move onto the upper landscape terrace without requiring stairs.
Features of the Perry Center that reflect the needs of Indigenous cultures include:
• an east-facing entrance in alignment with values in many Indigenous cultures including Abenaki;
• an orientation space with an oculus or skylight that lets light into the space and serves as a connection to the sky above, an important consideration in many cultures;
• a housing area designed for collection care with a separate room designed for visiting Tribal members or researchers to view items and conduct cultural practices, either in person or virtually;
• lawn landscape terrace with a gathering circle, formed of local stone;
• visible rainwater features acknowledging the importance of water in many cultures as a component of all living things.
The Landscape
The Perry Center will nestle on the forest’s edge, visible as visitors first enter the Museum campus and across from the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education. Considerations for the landscape design include:
• preserving as many existing trees as possible including a cluster of cedars that hold meaning in Abenaki culture;
• planting native tree species with habitat value and medicinal properties, as well as adaptability to climate change. In addition to oaks and pines, the plant palette will include birches, American hornbeam, and shadbush, among others;
• reusing soil removed for the new building to shape terraces with spaces for gathering, places for art installation, future garden areas, and moments for private reflection;
• collecting rainwater from the roof and feeding it through a system of planted, stone-rimmed swales to a sweetgrass garden at the base of the ridge, a recognition of the importance of water as a universal, infinite component of all living things, constantly in cycle.
Design and Construction Team
Design of the Perry Center for Native American Art is headed up by a collaboration between Annum Architects and Two Row Architect; together, Annum and Two Row represent a 100% minority- and Native-owned design team.
The design and construction team includes:
• Architect: Annum Architects, Boston, Massachusetts;
• Architect: Two Row Architect, Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation;
• Landscape Architect: Reed Hilderbrand, Cambridge, Massachusetts; New Haven, Connecticut;
• Civil Engineering: Civil Engineering Associates, South Burlington, Vermont;
• Construction Management: PC Construction, South Burlington, Vermont.
