Stowe’s art scene is bigger than you’d expect from a small mountain town. In the village, The Current, formerly the Helen Day Art Center, brings contemporary exhibitions to Stowe with free admission, and each summer its Exposed exhibition places outdoor sculpture throughout town, so you may find a piece of art waiting around the next corner. Nearby galleries showcase painters and sculptors from Vermont and beyond: Green Mountain Fine Art Gallery fills a historic 1828 building with regional landscapes, Edgewater Gallery sits beside the Stowe Community Church, and Robert Paul Galleries makes an easy detour off the Stowe Recreation Path. A little farther along, West Branch Gallery & Sculpture Park sets large-scale sculpture across its grounds for you to explore at your own pace.
Most of Stowe’s galleries are within about 10 minutes of Topnotch, and several sit close enough together in the village to explore on foot in a single afternoon. Exhibitions change throughout the year, so check each gallery’s website for current shows before you go. Then head back to Topnotch and settle the friendly debate over which piece should come home with you.