In the latest Art on the Barns installment, using humor, curiosity, and thoughtful observation, Gail Rickards draws on her life in rural New England and time spent at Billings Farm & Museum to explore familiar farm themes. Loose, lively drawings and paintings are translated into cut aluminum composite forms layered with paint and installed across the farm’s buildings.

Together, these works reveal the beauty, discipline, and repetition embedded in the tasks of daily life.

Throughout the site, elements of the farm enter in conversation with the artwork. Trophies, installed outside the cow barn, reflect narratives of dedication, skill, and pride in doing something well. These shiny objects echo the legacy of Billings Farm’s award-winning cows and the accolades displayed in the museum’s Trophy Room, while offering a playful twist that connects these honors to everyday achievements of farm work.

Popcorn bursts into lively forms across the nearby silo that once held corn. Not only does the chaotic energy of popping kernels reference the agricultural history of the landscape where cornfields once grew, it also pays tribute to the nostalgia that popcorn carries – memories shared from one generation to the next.

Visitors can explore these and other installations thoughtfully placed across the farm.