The Vermont Arts Council is making waves in the local arts and culture community, recently unveiling a significant investment to support a diverse array of organizations across the state. Through a robust grant program, the Council is empowering Vermont’s creative sector, ensuring that arts experiences remain accessible and impactful for people of all backgrounds.
Nurturing Vermont’s Creative Ecosystem
In a time when the arts have faced immense challenges, the Vermont Arts Council’s latest round of funding provides a much-needed lifeline. “Support for arts projects that bring people together and funding for unrestricted operating grants that allow organizations to fulfill their missions are essential for a thriving creative sector,” explained Vermont Arts Council Executive Director Susan Evans McClure. “We are proud to support Vermont’s cultural organizations as they work to strengthen the wellbeing of our communities through shared arts experiences.”
The Council’s recent grant announcements encompass two key programs: Arts Operating Grants and Arts Project Grants. These funding opportunities are designed to uplift Vermont’s vibrant arts landscape, fostering creativity, connection, and community impact.
Sustaining Organizational Excellence
The Arts Operating Grants offer unrestricted, general operating funds to arts organizations that provide year-round, high-quality programming and services aligned with the Council’s mission. This critical support empowers these cultural institutions to continue fulfilling their vital roles within Vermont’s communities.
“Without the generous support provided through the arts grant, our mentorship program would not have the ability to engage our wider school community in our work and our learning,” shared Dave Paarlberg-Kvam, a teacher at the Sustainability Academy in Burlington. This elementary school was awarded an Arts Project grant to support a research-based art installation and public event exploring the connections between the Vermont dairy industry and the school’s students and families.
The Arts Operating Grants program awarded a total of $420,000 in funding to 60 organizations across the state – the highest amount ever distributed, thanks in part to an anonymous fundholder of the Vermont Community Foundation. These three-year and one-year grants range from $3,000 to $9,000 per year, providing a stable foundation for arts groups to thrive.
Catalyzing Community-Driven Projects
Complementing the Operating Grants, the Arts Project Grants program supports nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and schools in their efforts to bring vibrancy to Vermont communities. These awards, ranging from $2,500 to $4,000, fund projects that enhance access to the arts, reimagine public spaces, strengthen community identity, and address the impacts of recent flooding.
One such project, led by the Retreat Farm in Brattleboro, will use its Arts Project grant to support a live jazz concert series, fostering shared experiences and cultural enrichment. Meanwhile, the Sustainability Academy in Burlington will leverage its grant to create an art installation and public event exploring the Vermont dairy industry’s connections to the school and its families.
“Arts Project Grants support nonprofits, municipalities, and schools in their efforts to add vibrancy to Vermont communities through projects that provide equal and abundant access to the arts and cultural activities,” said McClure. “It also includes projects that re-envision public spaces, strengthen community identity through the arts, and address issues related to the impact of recent flooding.”
Investing in Vermont’s Creative Future
The Vermont Arts Council’s grant programs are made possible through a dynamic partnership with the Vermont Community Foundation, as well as support from the State of Vermont and the National Endowment for the Arts. This collaborative approach ensures that the state’s creative sector receives the resources and investment it needs to thrive.
“Our partnership with the Vermont Community Foundation enables us to make arts and cultural experiences more accessible to people of every age and background, to uplift more voices, and to bring communities together,” explained McClure. “It also allows us to invest in the creative practices of Vermont artists, helping them in reaching new heights.”
Over the past four years, the Vermont Community Foundation has granted $315,000 to the Vermont Arts Council from the Foundation’s Vermont Arts Endowment Fund and Arts Recovery Fund, including $56,000 in the latest round of funding. Additionally, individual donors have contributed approximately $1,118,000 to the Arts Council through donor-advised funds at the Vermont Community Foundation.
“Across Vermont communities, there’s an uptick in energy when art gets made and creative events bring people together,” said Dan Smith, president and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation. “You can just feel it. People feel connected, and local restaurants and other businesses benefit. A sense of possibility emerges in a way that boosts spirits. Partnership is at the heart of our work, and we are grateful to work with the Vermont Arts Council in supporting individual artists and the amazing impact they have on the state.”
Empowering Vermont’s Creative Visionaries
The Vermont Arts Council’s grant programs don’t just support arts organizations; they also provide crucial funding for individual artists and creative visionaries. The Creation Grants, for example, enable artists and artist groups to bring their bold ideas to life, fostering new works in a wide range of mediums.
“The grant was pivotal in making this project I have been working on for four years come to reality,” shared Erika Senft Miller, a multimedia artist from Colchester. “Not only did it buoy this project financially but also psychologically. Knowing that the Vermont Arts Council deemed this project worthy gave me also a huge emotional and mental lift.”
Senft Miller’s Creation Grant supported the creation of multisensory storytelling elements for her immersive experience, “Net Works,” exploring themes of wildlife rehabilitation, women’s mental health, chronic pain, and family ancestry.
This year, the Vermont Arts Council received a record 225 Creation Grant applications, with funding requests totaling over $1 million. Thanks to additional support from the Vermont Community Foundation’s Arts Endowment Fund, the Council was able to increase the individual award amount to $5,000, empowering 22 artists to bring their visions to life.
Strengthening Vermont’s Creative Sector
The Vermont Arts Council’s grant programs are more than just financial support; they represent a deep investment in the state’s creative ecosystem. By nurturing arts organizations, funding community-driven projects, and empowering individual artists, the Council is cultivating a vibrant, resilient, and accessible arts landscape that enriches the lives of all Vermonters.
As the Vermont Arts Council continues to expand its reach and impact, the future of the state’s creative sector looks brighter than ever. Through collaborative partnerships, innovative programming, and a steadfast commitment to the arts, the Council is ensuring that the transformative power of creativity remains a cornerstone of Vermont’s cultural identity.
