Walking through the streets of Burlington, VT, you will encounter many wonderful things. However, one of the most spectacular sights is the artwork that is scattered throughout my town. This is why I put together a series of books of photographs, interviews, and commentary about the street art I see so often. Stay tuned and check back here on this post to see the latest.
-Carolyn Bates
Travel around Burlington, Vermont, and experience the paintings of mural artists past and present.
One of the organizations donated to will be Magicians Without Borders.
What Readers Are Saying
“Carolyn thank you so much for your book, it is fantastic! The photography is beautiful and I loved each write-up about the artists. This book has extra special meaning because it has a chapter and dedication to Gina. That alone made this an exceptional gift. Thank you with all my heart.”
— Evyl
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“This week’s Friday review is of local interest but deserves general attention. It’s a collection of amazing murals all over the city of Burlington, VT. It will introduce you to a whole cadre of new artists, and brighten your appreciation of public art. Many of these murals, for a range of reasons, no longer exist. So there’s an ephemeral quality that makes the art poignant. Artfully curated, photographed, and produced by Carolyn Bates.”
— Stephen Kiernan (originally posted on Facebook)
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“Thank you for little gift, focusing the essential spirit of VT! The copper has a delightful conversion with the colors of the photo, Muted Wind.”
— Denis Versweyveld
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“I’ve enjoyed your books. I love learning something about the artist. I’ve always loved stories.”
— Elizabeth Shattuck, Artist
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“Carolyn Bates, the incredible Vermont photographer, has two new beautiful books ready for your coffee table! And Volume 3 will soon be available! I simply had to write a ditty and let you know how to order them.
If you like books with lots of pictures,
Here’s what you should do:
Buy the STREET MURALS of BURLINGTON books,
Get Volumes 1 and 2.
Each page is a work of art,
Each page has a wonderful story—
Each book is filled with the splendid photography
Of Carolyn Bates in all of its glory.
And when you finish Volumes 1 and 2,
You’re bound to shout out with glee,
”That was a wonderful journey,
I can hardly wait for Volume 3!”
— Jerry Johnson, Vermont Author
In the Press
Preservation Burlington: The Murals of Burlington
Co-hosts Ron Wanamaker and Liisa Reimann chat with guest Carolyn Bates about her new books on “The Murals of Burlington”.
More information: preservationburlington.org
Carolyn Bates Interview with Present Time
Present Time at WBTV LP, 99.3 FM • June 27, 2024
Carolyn Bates entered the field of professional photography in the 1960s when women were vastly underrepresented. Listen to Carolyn’s story about her journey and her unrelenting efforts to ply her craft!
Listen to the Interview: https://soundcloud.com/user-229718180/carolyn-bates-photographer
Art is at the heart of the community in Burlington, Vermont
WCVB Boston • Updated: 8:20 PM EST Feb 20, 2024
Drive along I-89 from Burlington to Montpelier and find countless venues to enjoy art, live music, food, and fashion.
Read More >
Photographer Carolyn Bates Fills a Trio of Books With Images of Burlington Murals
By Amy Lilly • Published December 20, 2023 • Seven Days
Burlington residents pass murals daily: the yellow snakeskin-like design on the façade of Old Gold on Cherry Street; the wind-whipped sailing scene on the Lyman Building at Perkins Pier; the Buddha face on Burlington Electric Department’s storage building on Pine Street. These are only a few of the public artworks visible on walls all over town.
Watch all three STREET MURALS OF BURLINGTON Book Talks!
Watch the three books talks about Street Murals of Burlington, presented by Carolyn Bates. Carolyn talks with Kathryn Wiegers, Ron Hernandez, Elizabeth Antoinette Emmett, and Jamie Bedard. All of these artists appear in the volumes of the books.
Art Broken: A Mural Defaced, Then Cleaned Up, in the Old North End
Posted By Sally Pollak on Tue, Mar 30, 2021 at 4:28 PM • Seven Days
… Burlington photographer Carolyn Bates said that “tagging” isn’t the correct term to describe the graffiti on Shull’s work; she called it “malicious destruction.” …
Read the full article on the Seven Days Website >>
Art Review: Tony Shull, Sequoia Salon
By Pamela Polston • Published April 28, 2021 • Seven Days
… A recreation of that last mural is part of a Shull retrospective currently on view — by appointment — at Sequoia Salon on Kilburn Street. Organized by local photographer Carolyn Bates, the exhibit features original paintings and prints, with the latter available for purchase.
Bates was working on a book about Burlington murals when she met Shull; he was her first interviewee. This spring, when she learned he was sick, Bates shifted gears. “This project has taken on its own life,” she said of the Shull exhibit. …
Read the full article on the Seven Days Website >>
Obituary: Tony Shull, 1945-2021
Burlington artist, musician and creative spirit was known for his colorful murals
Published April 23, 2021 at 6:00 a.m. | Updated May 18, 2021 at 2:33 p.m.
Burlington artist, musician and creative spirit Tony Shull left this world surrounded by love on April 9, 2021, after a brief illness.
Born August 31, 1945, in Minnesota to expatriate Vermonters Chester and Frances (McCarthy) Shull, Tony grew up largely in Burlington and lived in various places around Vermont, Wyoming, the Southwest, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with Burlington as his primary hometown. He was a true child of his generation, unfettered by convention and one of a kind.
… His work hung in numerous shows around Burlington over the decades and was featured in publications including Vermont Life and Seven Days; a book on his work by photographer Carolyn Bates is forthcoming. For every painting he actually sold, he bartered or gave away scores more — if you counted Tony as a friend, chances are that at least one totem of his unique spirit occupies space in your home. …