BRATTLEBORO — In conjunction with her solo exhibition, “Quest for Eagles,” at Brooks Memorial Library, the library will host an artist talk with Vermont wildlife photographer Dara Carleton on Tuesday, March 26, at 7 p.m.
Topics will include information about local bald eagles: where to find them, how to identify them, how to photograph them, what equipment to use, and how to use it.
A photography presentation will accompany the talk, and all are invited to this free and informative discussion. Questions are welcome and encouraged.
Carleton said her fascination with bald eagles started with a trip to Alaska in 2016.
“The trip was for my husband's birthday, but I gained a gift along the way too,” she writes in her artist statement. “The diverse wildlife was breathtaking, and sparked a new excitement for me. I brought my new appreciation for nature back home to Vermont and rekindled my passion for photography.”
To her surprise, she said “there were several active bald eagle nests close to Brattleboro. I grabbed my camera and started to kayak along the Connecticut River. I was able to photograph the eagles, their nests, their young, and even identified a few through images of their leg bands. I was on a quest for eagles with my camera and kayak, and I haven't stopped since.”
Originally from Long Island, Carleton has a degree in fine art and a background in painting and photography. Over the years, she was commissioned to do several murals in Massachusetts and South Carolina, has exhibited in several galleries in Massachusetts and New York, and recently participated in a group exhibit at the Vermont Center for Photography.
She now lives in Brookline with her husband, her kayak, and her camera.