Heidi Broner pictures the world with such attention to detail that you’d be forgiven for mistaking her acrylic paintings for photographs. With her facility for accuracy, it’s clear the Calais artist could paint anything — which makes what she chooses to highlight even more important. A retrospective exhibition at the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery brings together canvases from her “At Work” series depicting everyday people at physical jobs: fixing power lines, repairing roads, directing traffic, shoeing horses. They toil alongside wilder scenes of rugged coastlines, craggy cliffs and ocean birds, all of which feel more fantastical but no less realistic. Throughout her work, clarity serves Broner’s compositions well. Strong geometries frame her figures within the context of their activities. Reflections create believable depth. Color draws the eye exactly where she wants it with an orange traffic cone, a yellow shirt, an azure sky. Each picture tells you exactly why the places and people you’re looking at deserve focus and respect.
‘Heidi Broner: Animal, Mineral’ On view through September 25 at the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery. Reception Friday, August 7, 4:30-7 p.m., with artist remarks at 6 p.m.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Photo Finish”
This article appears in August 5 • 2026.
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