Museum of the Creative Process
Here's something you won't find at other Vermont inns - a museum dedicated to understanding how we transform pain into creativity, conflict into art, and stress into meaning. Dr. Albert Levis purchased The Wilburton in 1987 not just to run an inn, but to create a space where psychology, art, science, and morality converge. His Museum of the Creative Process explores how creativity serves as humanity's universal language for resolving conflict - both personal and global.The museum spans two locations: sculpture trails winding through
The Wilburton's 30-acre grounds (free, self-guided, accessible anytime during your stay) and the Moral Science Project training center in Manchester Village. Reader's Digest named it the #1 free thing to do in Vermont. Boston.com ranks it among the state's top 10 museums. But the real recognition comes from guests who wander the sculpture trail, pause at installations that speak to their own emotional journeys, and discover why Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein called this place "magical." This isn't art for art's sake - it's art as insight, creativity as healing, and beauty as understanding.
Dr. Albert Levis's Vision
The Theory Behind the Art
Dr. Albert Levis - a Yale-trained psychiatrist with over 40 years of clinical experience - brings conceptual rigor to creativity, exploring not just what art makes us feel, but how we change through the process of being creative. While Freud believed the unconscious was driven by needs for sexuality and power, Levis asserts that the mind is oriented toward resolving conflict, transforming energy from discord to resolution.
The Museum of the Creative Process illustrates how art reflects the unconscious mind's universal need for conflict resolution. According to Levis's Formal Theory of Behavior, we can learn about how we each uniquely resolve conflict by being creative - through making art, studying stories, examining cultural myths, and observing how creativity manifests across civilizations. The museum is both research center and learning forum, bridging art and science to gain insight into human relations and interpersonal conflict.
The Sculpture Trail at The Wilburton
Art Woven Through Our Grounds
The sculpture trail winds through The Wilburton's 30 acres, offering self-guided exploration of rotating installations and permanent collections. Wander woodland paths where sculptures emerge between trees. Cross meadows where art installations frame mountain views. Discover pieces in unexpected places - that's intentional. The trail integrates creativity with nature, making art discovery part of your daily walks rather than a separate museum visit requiring driving and admission fees.
Current exhibits include The Greek and Mexican Gods and The Silver Fence by Vermont artist Piper Strong. New installations rotate regularly, ensuring repeat visitors always encounter fresh perspectives. Trail maps are available at the front desk, or simply wander - getting lost among art and nature is part of the experience. The trail is free for all Wilburton guests and open dawn to dusk daily.
Four Permanent Exhibits
Collections That Explore Universal Patterns
The Gorski Retrospective: The Science of the Process
A collection of 100 canvases by renowned abstract expressionist Henry Gorski, exploring how the creative process manifests in visual art across decades of work.
The Sculptural Trail: The Quantification of the Process
Outdoor installations examining conflict resolution patterns across cultures. Dr. Levis created these pieces exploring his own journey - from childhood stress as a Holocaust survivor through teenage response, adult anxiety and defense, to late-life acceptance of reversal and compromise.
The Metaphoria Murals: The Universality of the Process
Exhibits illustrating how conflict resolution patterns evolved cross-culturally in ancient Mexico, Greece, Asia, and Judea - demonstrating that creativity's psychological properties transcend individual cultures and time periods.
The Panels of the Wizard of Oz: The Integrative Potential of the Process
Examining how L. Frank Baum's beloved story reflects universal conflict resolution patterns, making psychological insight accessible through familiar narrative.
Each exhibit demonstrates how stories, myths, and visual art all follow similar patterns of transforming conflict into resolution.
Guided Tours with Dr. Levis
Experience the Museum with Its Curator
Join Dr. Albert Levis for guided tours through the museum exhibits every Saturday 10:30-11:30am. These aren't passive gallery walks - they're conversations about psychology, creativity, conflict resolution, and how art helps us understand ourselves and each other. Dr. Levis brings decades of clinical experience and infectious enthusiasm to each tour, making complex psychological concepts accessible through the art surrounding you.
Tours are free but reservations are required due to limited capacity. Call (802) 362-2500 to reserve your spot. Tours meet at The Wilburton and explore both sculpture trail installations and indoor exhibits.
Workshops and Training Programs
From Observation to Application
Beyond viewing art, the Museum offers workshops applying these insights to personal growth and professional development:
Creativity for Self Discovery Program: Weekend workshops filled with art, analysis, and creative exploration. Create your own art through guided exercises, then discover your personal conflict resolution patterns. Open to general audiences - no artistic experience required. Free online program available at museumofthecreativeprocess.com.
Power Management Emotional Education Workshop: Six-week sessions ($150) combining weekly presentations exploring psychology, sociology, mythology, and conflict resolution with group therapy and sharing. Take art-based psychological tests and gain insights for enhanced effectiveness in work, family, and relationships. Led by Dr. Albert and Dr. Max Levis at The Moral Science Project, 3814 Main Street, Manchester Village.
Psycho-Education Program: Two-weekend program restructuring traditional therapy concepts, focusing on self-learning and personal growth rather than therapist/patient dynamics. For those seeking deeper psychological insight through creativity.
Space is limited. Call 802-379-6350 to register or email moralscience@hotmail.com.
The Moral Science Project in Manchester Village
The Moral Science Project at 3814 Main Street (across from the Taconic Hotel) serves as the practical training center for Dr. Levis's concepts. This 4-acre sculpture park in the heart of Manchester Village brings art to the community with six installations exploring Levis's personal journey and universal conflict resolution patterns.
The center offers hands-on workshops, the Moral Monopoly card game demonstrating integration of moral paradigms, and Conflict Analysis self-assessments helping you understand your own patterns. Unlike The Wilburton's outdoor sculpture trail, the Moral Science Project provides structured learning environments where psychological concepts become practical tools for personal and professional development.
Exhibits are free and open by appointment. Call 802-379-6350 to schedule your visit.
Academic Recognition
A Forum for Scholars and Scientists
The Museum of the Creative Process has welcomed workshops and retreats from colleges and universities including Bennington, Skidmore, Harvard, and St. Michael's. As both research center and learning forum, the museum bridges academic psychology with practical application, attracting artists, scholars, scientists, and poets seeking to understand creativity's role in human development.
Private group tours are available for academic institutions, psychology programs, and educational organizations. Contact moralscience@hotmail.com to arrange specialized tours tailored to your group's interests and educational objectives.
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