North Bennington Outdoor Sculpture Show

North Bennington Outdoor Sculpture Show

  • North Bennington Outdoor Sculpture Show

    Outdoor sculpture & community engagement in North Bennington Vermont since 1997!

  • Sculptor with wooden folk art figures outdoors

    Outdoor sculpture & community engagement in North Bennington Vermont since 1997!

  • Outdoor sculpture & community engagement in North Bennington Vermont since 1997!

    Outdoor sculpture & community engagement in North Bennington Vermont since 1997!

Yellow wooden sculpture with blue details in front of autumn trees with orange and green leaves.

Outdoor Sculptures Throughout Bennington

The North Bennington Outdoor Sculpture Show (NBOSS) has been celebrating the creative, inclusive, and democratic spirit of outdoor sculpture since 1997.

Rooted in its grassroots beginnings, NBOSS has always been organized and led by dedicated volunteers, local artists, and regional art leaders and curators. Each year, the show highlights the work of local and regional artists throughout the Village of North Bennington, Downtown Bennington and at the Bennington Museum. Artist applications open at the start of the year and close in mid-April.

The Opening Reception, free and open to all, is held on the last Saturday in June at 48 Main Street in North Bennington, Vermont. This festive outdoor gathering is not only the official opening of the exhibition but also a lively community party, celebrating public art and the creative spirit of North Bennington.

A large excavator lifting a heavy stone sculpture onto a flatbed trailer. Two people are guiding the sculpture, which is secured with straps. The scene takes place outdoors, surrounded by trees.

You’re Invited!

NBOSS 2025

Sculptures, Hotdogs & PBR since 1997

Saturday, June 28
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

48 Main Street, North Bennington, VT 05257

This event is accessible, free and open to the public.

Two women observing a wooden sculpture on a pedestal in an outdoor setting with greenery and artistic installations in the background, as seen through a blurred foreground frame.
An outdoor barbecue gathering with a person grilling hot dogs on a grill. The grill is filled with hot dogs, and there are buns on a table nearby. The person, wearing a blue baseball cap and a light blue hoodie, is smiling at the camera and holding a hot dog with tongs. Several people are in the background under a white canopy tent.
Band performing live on outdoor stage, with guitarist, double bass player, and other musicians under a tent.

NBOSS Party & Opening Reception

  • Colorfully painted school bus with Vermont Arts Exchange logo and artwork on the body; windows are partially open with fringed curtains inside. Located in North Bennington, Vermont.

    VAE Campus

  • Two people observing a large outdoor art installation resembling a partially buried, oversized globe topped with a structure similar to a house roof, set in a grassy area with trees in the background.

    Sculpture Tours

  • Three people outside, two smiling and one with a hat, engaging in conversation near a brick sculpture in a park setting.

    Artist Meet-and-Greet

  • Musician playing double bass in outdoor band setting

    Live Music

  • Person grilling hot dogs on an outdoor barbecue with people socializing in the background.

    Local Food and Beverages

  • Community Celebration

  • A group of people enjoying an outdoor event, with two adults and several children holding hands in a circle. The adults are wearing casual clothing, and the children seem to be having fun. Other people are in the background, some sitting and others standing, with a tent and building visible.

    Family Friendly

  • Outdoor event with people walking on grass and a dirt path among trees, tents, and colorful sculptures, including a large green bottle and a metal structure.

    SAVE THE DATE!

28 years of NBOSS!

Historical documentary by the Bennington Museum

Meet the Curator

NBOSS Collaborators, Sponsors & Supporters

What our Community is Saying

β€œThis is my third time to show in NBOSS. I am amazed at the energy and the wonderful setting for NBOSS and especially for Joe's generous way of working...and great organizing.

What I find most wonderful is that public space is being used for this event and works well within the community. It is a large undertaking and adds a very good reason (along with many other reasons) to make sure to get to Bennington during Summer and early Fall season.”

β€” Charlet Davenport, participating sculptor from Woodstock VT

β€œI look forward to the North Bennington Sculpture show every year! It is a wonderful exhibition and a sublime example of how art connects and creates community.”

β€” S.M. North Bennington Resident and attendee

β€œI often say that the North Bennington Outdoor Sculpture show is one of my favorite cultural summer events in Vermont.

Even though the opening is a local event, people from other places would want to come and take part in it because there is such a sense of community, but that community isn’t defined by geographic boundaries. It’s just you, being there and taking part in it. I would say that anybody who enjoys the arts would be willing to make the trip here and also see a multitude of other sculpture and art venues, all within a one-hour radius.”

β€” Jamie Franklin, Curator at The Bennington Museum