Friends of the Vermont State House

(VT) Friends of the Vermont State House announced it has selected Middlebury, VT  artist Katie Runde to paint a large-scale portrait of important early Vermont educator and minister Alexander Twilight for the Vermont State House. The portrait honors the achievements and character of Twilight, who is believed to be the first American legislator of African descent. Co-commissioned by the Friends of the Vermont State House and the office of State Curator David Schutz, Twilight’s portrait is part of a larger plan to broaden the representation of women and people of color in the State House. “It is the edifice that represents our government, and all Vermonters need to feel connected to it,” said Schutz in a press release statement. The creation of the portrait is expected to take at a least a year to complete.