Vermont Village: A Conversation between Art, Water and the Land is a singular artist-built environment that Ed Levine sited outdoors on Back River Road’s South Royalton property. Deeply inspired by nineteenth-century author Henry David Thoreau, whose existential engagement with nature resulted in the book Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Levine spent three decades building a collection of eclectic wood structures throughout the steep and wooded property. The structures, which blur the boundaries between sculpture and architecture, explore different aspects of humanity’s relationship to nature and reflect the vernacular architecture of rural Vermont. The structures appear at home in this wooded landscape, providing enclosures for viewers to contemplate their relationship to nature and to experience their body inside different frames of experience. Some are sited precariously on a steep slope while others are clustered together like a small village at the bottom and top of the property. Many of the sculptures invite viewers inside with doors, windows, rooms and seating and many of them are activated by water in humorous and surprising ways.

Ed Levine’s sculptural village will be open to the public at no charge with guided tours available during summer months starting in 2026. 

Unlock the magic of ‘Vermont Village’ with Author and Harpo Foundation Board Member, Meg Ostrum.