(NECN: Jack Thurston, Montpelier, Vt.) - The Vt. Supreme Court in Montpelier has a serious-looking exterior, to match the serious business that goes on inside. But inside, the walls are often upbeat, thanks to the Hon. Marilyn Skoglund.
"I never hang nudes. I never hang controversial subjects," she told New England Cable News.
The Vt. Supreme Court Justice has organized art shows inside the court building for well over a decade. Skoglund studied sculpture and taught photography before her career in law, and puts together six or so exhibits a year.
"The public should be using its public buildings more," she said.
Wednesday, the latest to person to show his work in the space visited the court. He is the President Pro Tem of the U.S. Senate, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
"I bring a camera with me everywhere I go," he said.
Leahy's position in the Senate means he often witnesses big moments no one else can see from the same angle. He is not shy about snapping photos, despite what he suggested some may mistakenly see as a limitation of his.
Politics
"When you're born blind in one eye, photography is something you can do," Leahy explained. "You only need one eye for it. It's like target shooting."
Leahy pointed to one shot in the show as one of his favorites. It captured the late Democrat from Massachusetts, Sen. Ted Kennedy, with his then-Rhode Island Congressman son, Patrick.
"This photo actually went worldwide," Leahy said. "Ted thanked me several times for it."
The exhibit of Sen. Leahy's photos includes 52 shots, and is on view Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Vt. Supreme Court on State Street in Montpelier.
