NVRH Gray Gallery Welcomes Mixed Media Artist Matt Bassett

ST. JOHNSBURY, VT. (September 27, 2024) – Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) is excited to announce mixed media artist Matt Bassett’s exhibit, DOG WARS – Return of the Canine,” is now on display in the Gray Gallery. This series of paintings and mixed media sculptures combines two of Bassett’s inspirations, Star Wars and dogs, and will run until November 20, 2024.

Bassett is a Vermont artist specializing in Pop/Street Art style paintings using multi-layer hand cut stencils & spray enamel. His usual subject matter is a cross section of pop culture, including Star Wars, 80’s movies, Saturday morning cartoons and various dogs of the short snout variety.

Bassett grew up in Danville, VT. As an only child, he quickly realized he could amuse himself with things he constructed using cardboard tubes and empty boxes. This soon grew into an obsession, collecting items that would normally be thrown away.

“Sometimes there’s a very fine line between collecting materials for art projects and being classified as a hoarder,” Bassett said.

Bassett tries to use everyday items that would normally be overlooked, turning the recognizable into the unrecognizable. Hardware stores, thrift shops, lawn sales & “FREE” piles are a treasure trove of materials for future projects. In addition to lamp building, Basset has created a series of assemblage sculptures he has dubbed “ReBots,” which are robotic creations using recycled & repurposed items.

The Gray Gallery is located on the hospital’s main floor. The exhibit is on display until November 20, 2024. A portion of the proceeds benefit the NVRH ARTs program. For more information, contact Associate Director of Philanthropy and Art Gallery Curator Jennifer Layn at j.layn@nvrh.org or 802-748-7313.