NEWFANE — During November, the Crowell Gallery at Moore Free Library, 23 West St., hosts the wildlife photography of Dara Carleton in an exhibit she calls “The Peace of Wild Things” after the Wendell Berry poem of the same name.
Carleton will be on hand at the gallery on Thursday, Nov. 5 and Thursday, Nov. 19, from 1 to 3 p.m., to talk about her photos, taken at local lakes and streams from her kayak. Her work offers a glimpse into the lives found in the meadows and woodlands of southern Vermont.
“I offer these as a brief distraction from what is going on in the world right now,” she wrote in her artist statement. “This is the time to try to see the beauty in the world and enjoy the peace of the wild things. When I need to fill my soul and calm my brain, I go out onto the water and listen to the chatter of eagles, the songs of small birds, and the sounds of animals.
Quoting Berry, she said she “'rest[s] in the grace of the world, and am free.' When I'm out taking photos, I am immersing myself in nature and appreciating everything I see. Every worry and thought leaves me, and I am alone with these incredible creatures. I come into the peace of wild things.”
Carleton has a bachelor's degree in art and has been involved with photography since the age of 10. She has had several solo exhibits and showings locally and has won awards for her work, including recognition by New Hampshire Audubon.
She monitors several bald eagle nests annually and has volunteered for both New Hampshire and Vermont Audubon.
Born in New York, Carleton moved to Vermont in 2012 to be with her husband, Tom. They live in a log cabin in Brookline, along with her camera, her kayak, and a visiting family of raccoons.
Library and gallery hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 to 5 p.m., Wednesdays and Fridays, 2 to 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.