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 THE 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 121 INDIVIDUALS AND 217 ORGANIZATIONS IN EVERY COUNTY AND 121 TOWNS ACROSS VERMONT. PUBLIC ART PROGRAMS INCLUDED 7 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. GRANT-SEEKER WORKSHOPS WERE HELD AT LOCATIONS ACROSS THE STATE AND ONLINE. ONE-TIME FUNDING FROM THE STATE ENABLED THE ARTS COUNCIL TO OFFER A NEW DIGITAL CAPACITY PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTED GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE VERMONT CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. 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 VCN'S CENTRAL WORK WAS COMPLETION OF AN ACTION PLAN FOR VERMONT'S CREATIVE ECONOMY AND NETWORKING EVENTS. THE COUNCIL ALSO CONTINUED TO SERVE AS A FOUNDING PARTNER IN VERMONT'S FIRST STATEWIDE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS NETWORK FOR CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS.

SEE SCHEDULE OARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS PROVIDE GRANTS AND SERVICES TO PROMOTE HIGH QUALITY ARTS EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING IN AND THROUGH THE ARTS. 25 GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO SCHOOLS AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING 5 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. MORE THAN 4,000 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN A STATEWIDE POETRY RECITATION CONTEST FOR HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS. THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES 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 PRESENTATION 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. IN RESPONSE TO INCREASED NEED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, GRANTS IN THIS CATEGORY WERE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED THIS YEAR, WITH 93 GRANTS AWARDED TO ARTISTS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND 23 GRANTS TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS' CREATIVE PROJECTS. GRANT-SEEKER WORKSHOPS, LOCAL ARTS NETWORKING MEETINGS AND OTHER WORKSHOPS WERE HELD. WHILE THE SCULPTURE GARDEN REMAINED OPEN, THE PHYSICAL SPOTLIGHT GALLERY REMAINED CLOSED, BUT GALLERY EXHIBITIONS AND INTERVIEWS FEATURING THE WORK OF VERMONT ARTISTS WERE PRESENTED ONLINE.