Vermont Council On The Arts Inc

ADVANCE AND PRESERVE THE ARTS AT THE CENTER OF VERMONT COMMUNITIES.

SEE SCHEDULE OCOMMUNITY ARTS PROGRAMS PROVIDE GRANTS AND SERVICES TO STRENGTHEN VERMONT COMMUNITIES THROUGH ARTS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, AND TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE POSITIVE ROLE PLAYED BY ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO 85 INDIVIDUALS AND 201 ORGANIZATIONS IN EVERY COUNTY AND 100 TOWNS ACROSS VERMONT. PUBLIC ART PROGRAMS INCLUDED 6 ANIMATING INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS THAT SUPPORTED PROJECTS INTEGRATING ART INTO COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE. CULTURAL FACILITIES GRANTS ENABLED 16 CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE CRITICAL UPGRADES TO EXISTING BUILDINGS OR TO MAKE PUBLIC ARTS FACILITIES SAFE, ACCESSIBLE, AND WELCOMING TO PATRONS WITH DISABILITIES. UNPRECEDENTED ONE-TIME FUNDING FROM THE STATE ENABLED THE ARTS COUNCIL TO OFFER THE CREATIVE FUTURES GRANT PROGRAM FOR CREATIVE SECTOR ENTITIES THAT SUSTAINED ECONOMIC HARM DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.THE VERMONT CREATIVE NETWORK (VCN), A COALITION OF INDIVIDUAL CREATIVES, LOCAL AND REGIONAL PLANNERS AND POLICYMAKERS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS, AND CULTURAL AND NONPROFIT LEADERS FORMED IN 2016, CONVENED STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS TO ADVANCE VERMONT'S CREATIVE ECONOMY. THE COUNCIL ALSO CONTINUED TO SERVE AS A FOUNDING PARTNER IN VERMONT'S FIRST STATEWIDE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS NETWORK FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURAL SECTOR.

SEE SCHEDULE OARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS PROVIDE GRANTS AND SERVICES TO PROMOTE HIGH QUALITY ARTS EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING IN AND THROUGH THE ARTS. 31 GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO SCHOOLS AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING 7 HEAD START PARTNERSHIP GRANTS TO BRING ARTS-INTEGRATED LEARNING TO VERMONT'S MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS. OPERATING GRANTS AWARDED IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SEE 4A) ALSO SERVE STUDENTS BY SUPPORTING ARTS EDUCATION IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE COUNCIL AWARDED 8 GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING ARTS PROGRAMMING TO OLDER ADULTS THROUGH THE NEW CREATIVE AGING INITIATIVE. PROVIDING MORE THAN 2,500 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN A STATEWIDE POETRY RECITATION CONTEST FOR HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS. ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS INCLUDE OUTREACH TO RURAL, UNDERSERVED SCHOOLS, AND SUPPORT PROVIDED TO TEACHING ARTISTS, INCLUDING MAINTENANCE OF A STATEWIDE TEACHING ARTIST ROSTER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS.

SEE SCHEDULE OARTS CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS PROVIDE GRANTS AND SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF VERMONT ARTISTS AND TO PROVIDE GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CREATION AND PRESENTATION OF EXCELLENT WORK. GRANTS IN THESE CATEGORIES HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS, PARTIALLY IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC, WITH 45 GRANTS AWARDED TO ARTISTS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND 25 GRANTS TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS' CREATIVE PROJECTS. GRANT-SEEKER WORKSHOPS, LOCAL ARTS NETWORKING MEETINGS AND OTHER WORKSHOPS WERE HELD. IN ADDITION, THE COUNCIL OPENED A NEW EXHIBITION IN THE SCULPTURE GARDEN, "ELEMENTS OF SHELTER, AND INSTALLED ONE VIRTUAL AND ONE IN-PERSON EXHIBITION IN OUR SPOTLIGHT GALLERY.