May 15, 2026 – May 10, 2027
In its third year, Art on the Barns is a bold outdoor exhibition of contemporary artworks installed across buildings of a working dairy farm. Playful, reflective, and layered with meaning, the installation draws from the routines and patterns of everyday work, creating visual touchpoints that connect the artwork to the surrounding landscape.
The act of mowing fields, cutting paths and shaping the land mirrors the artist’s process of drawing and painting. In both farming and artmaking, labor becomes a contemplative space shaped by movement, attention, and the satisfaction of work completed.
Join us for an artist reception on Thursday, May 28 from 5:30PM – 7:30PM! Meet artist Gail Rickards and tour this playful exhibition. Each viewing station will pair wine and cheese with the art to complete the sensory experience. Advance registration is required. RSVP here.
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. TROPHY ROOM, 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.
On SILOS, 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.
About the Artist
Gail Rickards received her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston and now lives and works in New Hampshire. Her practice includes drawing, painting, and small sculptural objects that explore personal narrative through the lens of rural life.
Rickards has presented solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group and juried shows throughout New England, New York, and Chicago. Her work has been included in exhibitions at Kishka Gallery in White River Junction, VT; The Artists Living Room in Brooklyn, NY; Pillar Gallery & Projects in Concord, NH; Cove Street Arts in Portland, ME: Pictor Gallery in New York City, NY; and AVA Gallery in Lebanon, NH.
Her work is held in private collections. Learn more at gailrickards.com and on Instagram @grickardsstudio.