With a population of only 600,000, Vermont seems to exist outside the confines of the United States, as if it were its own country. Living is different here. Much is rural, traffic on the interstate is sparse and noise pollution is minimal—where I live, it is nonexistent. Vermont was the first state in the union to outlaw slavery in its constitution and the first state to legalize same-sex marriage through legislation. It has no commercial billboards, and its high-quality granite was used in building the New York Public Library and the UN.

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All of this makes Vermont unique, as does as a once-a-year cultural phenomenon—the ephemeral art gallery in the partially deconstructed Kents’ Corner site. For the past sixteen years, Art at the Kent has showcased the work of Vermont artists in the historic house every September for only one month. The exhibition is unique, and the building where the art is shown is a wholly different kind of work of art.

I have been attending Art at the Kent for years, and each time, I am enthralled by how the curators magically transform the space into a living, breathing experience. This is not a white-walled gallery or a hushed museum; this is a vibrating, intimate and alive space. The rooms are small and require a labyrinthine meander through doors and passageways, up and down narrow stairways. There are brick........

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