Shelburne Museum Showcases Student Artwork
Students from Hinesburg Community School, the King Street Center, and the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington displayed artwork
Kindergarten and first-grade students saw their artwork displayed in a professional gallery setting as Shelburne Museum hosted a special exhibition celebrating participants in the Olivia & Leslie Foundation Art + Math Program – an initiative designed to foster creativity, confidence, and social-emotional development at an early age.
The exhibition, held May 15-17, drew families, educators, and community members to the museum, culminating in a student reception on Saturday, May 16. During the event, young artists received certificates and experienced their work presented as part of a fully curated exhibition – an opportunity rarely available to students so early in their education.
Now in its third year, the program reached a significant milestone with its expansion beyond Hinesburg Community School into Burlington through new partnerships with King Street Center and the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington – two organizations serving historically underserved students. In the 2025-2026 school year, 124 children in the area participated in the program.
A true gallery experience, Shelburne Museum transformed its space with installed partitions and professionally hung artwork, giving students the opportunity to view their artwork, as they would in a formal exhibition.
“We believe that when young artists see their work displayed in a professional exhibition, it not only honors their achievements but inspires them to continue creating, take pride in their ideas, and expand their creativity,” said Tom Denenberg, the John Wilmerding Director of Shelburne Museum. “We applaud the Olivia & Leslie Foundation for nurturing this spirit and for connecting science, technology, art, and math in ways that align with the museum’s educational mission.”
The Olivia & Leslie Art + Math Program is a six-session curriculum that integrates visual arts with foundational math concepts such as geometry, symmetry, and spatial reasoning. Through studio-style lessons led by trained teaching artists, the program strengthens early academic skills while also nurturing curiosity, problem-solving, and emotional development during a critical stage of childhood.
“At a moment when so much attention is focused on AI and the relationship between technology and what it means to be human, it is more important than ever to help children connect with their creativity and imagination early in life,” said Chris Kuenne, founder of the Olivia & Leslie Foundation and a long-time resident of Vermont. “Art provides that opportunity through the tactile experience of making, discovering, and learning. For young children, having parents, teachers, and communities encourage their imagination and celebrate their creativity can have a lasting impact on their confidence, curiosity, and sense of possibility.”
The foundation was founded by Kuenne, a successful entrepreneur, and his sons, Peter, William, and Matthew. It is dedicated to the artistic legacy of Kuenne’s daughter and the boys’ sister, Olivia Kuenne, who died tragically at the age of six in 1997, and his wife and the boys’ mother, Leslie Keunne, who died in 2019.