Conflict Resolution

The Museum of the Creative Process

at the Wilburton Inn

River Road • Manchester VT • 800-648-4944

words and images:John Petrocelli

Peripheral vision.  What a useful gift of nature it is for motorcyclists.  How many times have we picked up dangers on wheel, foot or hoof from the corners of our eyes?  This time it was different.  It was one of those small signs we often see on the side of the road usually grouped under the heading "Fuel", "Food" or "Attractions".  This one said something about "Creative Process".  A U turn confirmed it. "The Wilburton Museum of the Creative Process".  I continued down the road, Rte. 7A just south of Manchester, Vermont, but saw no more references to it.

This was during a recent Backroads Fall Foliage trip and I had to meet my in town for lunch soon, so I turned around again to make the appointment. I kept a picture in my mind's eye of a bunch of clever little inventions in glass cases in this "museum".  I was on my way back from visiting Hildene, Abraham Lincoln's son's home, just down the road and had a pleasant conversation with the receptionist, also a rider. After a good lunch at Zoey's in Manchester, I enjoyed a scenic trip back with the boys, still wondering what was in that "museum."

Luckily for me, I was able to return to the same area a few weeks later with my wife on a trip to show her the scenic places I'd visited with the Backroads Group.  This time, we approached Manchester from the north on Rte. 30, west of Rutland.  Maybe it was the time of day, or the wispy clouds, or that segment of my biorythmn, but that route seemed to embody everything wonderful about Vermont roads - rolling hills, farm, forest - wow. This time we went right to the Chamber of Commerce to find out about "my" museum.  Strange but true, the lady there had no idea what I was talking about.  I dropped my wife off at the outlet area and started on my quest.  I'm sure there are those of you who will understand.  A trip back to Hildene to see my new friend, the receptionist-motorcyclist, bore fruit.  "Yeah. This guy that owns the Wilburton Inn up the road has some sort of weird museum on the grounds, I think."  Bingo.  Her directions were perfect and I got there forthwith.  A curving uphill entry road gave me a hint of what was to come.  A small stylized bird sculpture on the roadside stone wall seemed a little out of place.  At the end of the road on the right was the sought after sign - "The Museum of the Creative Process."  But where was the Museum?  There was a covered pool and tennis courts

beyond the sign.  To the left was a beautiful stone building, looking like a wealthy person's home, perhaps an Inn? A closer look revealed unusual sculptures, or just pieces of things, rather nicely arranged, I guess. Beyond the large stone building, I noticed other outbuildings, or bungalows to house additional guests, I presumed.  There were more sculptures, larger, one in stylized geometric shapes; another, three large gold colored majestic figures standing in front of gold colored walls.  Further to the right was what I saw as the primary structure of this grouping.  An open-sided roofed building, kind of like a square gazebo, containing numerous plaques, or storyboards with drawings, symbols and words which I interpreted as explaining the "Creative Process." One of these storyboards depicted scenes from The Wizard of Oz. Really.  In front of this structure was a very large flat stone sculpture of a face that looked like it came directly from Easter Island.  It was now time to find out what this was all about. 

I returned to the large stone building and sure enough, it was the Inn, The Wilburton Inn, owned by the creator of the Museum, I learned.  A small, dark wood entry foyer opened onto an elegant light filled dining room which in turn opened onto a stone terrace offering a vista of rolling hills beyond. To the right was a comfortable looking parlor complete with fireplace and cozy furniture.  A look at the menu confirmed my impression that the Inn was not aimed at the budget traveler.  The pleasant young woman at the desk gave me some basic information, referred me to literature on a table and advised me to check out the website.

So here's the story: The building is about 100 years old, built by the closest friend of Robert Todd Lincoln, who built the adjacent Hildene.  It was later bought by a railroad executive named James Wilbur, who called it Wilburton Hall; it was the largest private estate in Manchester at the time. During World War II, it was leased as a school for children of diplomats and artists who fled from the Nazis.  In 1945 it became a bed and breakfast as the Wilburton Inn.  It was then sold to R.K.O., the communication conglomorate, as a corporate retreat.  In 1987 a Greek psychiatrist, Albert Levis, M.D., bought it.  He is the man who started the Museum and based on his own findings, defines Creativity as being "a measurable conflict resolution process, a natural moral order phenomenon."  So there.  The Museum, thusly, is an exposition of just how this is accomplished.  He uses works of an artist named Henry Gorsky, which he calls The Gorsky Retrospective, follows this with a Sculptural Trail, then The Murals of the Sanctuary of Wisdom and then of course, The 12 Panels of The Wizard of Oz.  It's the Oz story in detail, describing its significant aspects and how it relates to the resolution of conflict.  This was housed in the open gazebo building I mentioned earlier. What's the main theory behind all this?  I'm certainly not fluent in psychospeak, but as I understand it, the Unit of Conflict Resolution goes through six stages, from Stress to Anxiety, to Defense, to a Response from others, then all the way to Roll Reversal and finally Compromise. He gives many examples and explanations of this in terms which I have difficulty  understanding.

As an aside, he shows sculptures which he interprets as showing "the transformation of the role of women from being worshipped as the Goddess to becoming worshippers of the one Male God, from being self righteous to being subservient and pious".  He said it, I didn't. He also describes "the need to reduce the divisive power of women". What a guy.

Dr. Levis purchased another building from 1905 with 10 guest rooms and called it Telion Holon (Aristotle's measuring rod of behavior). It is used as a center for Holistic Studies.  A person can take a one hour guided tour of the Sculpture Trail, or spend one day on a seminar titled "The Scientific Secrets of Living Happily Ever After" (I'd be willing to spend three days to learn that)  to multi-day courses on Creativity and Power Management. 

One can come to learn, or to enjoy the pleasant surroundings and ambiance, or even to scoff.  In my book, it's worth the trip for the experience, regardless of the motivation.