The Quarry Project. Photo by Julia Barstow.

Vermont Arts Exchange, Vermont Folklife Center, and choreographer Hannah Dennison are all committed to arts programming that is deeply engaged with community. That dedication is fundamental to the Special Project Grants they received last week. Each project exemplifies the Council's new strategic goals to expand access to the arts, inspire creative placemaking, and energize Vermont's creative economy.

" These outstanding projects reflect both the Council's strategic priorities and our commitment to building a Vermont where art and creativity are at the heart of our communities," said Executive Director Karen Mittelman. 

Learn more about these projects:

The TLC Project, Vermont Arts Exchange, North Bennington

Bhutanese Nepali Artists and Communities Outreach Project, Vermont Folklife Center, Middlebury

The Quarry Project, Hannah Dennison

 

Three members of Vermont's creative sector were chosen for the National Arts Strategies (NAS) Creative Community Fellows New England Cohort. NAS's launch of the regionally-focused Creative Community Fellows New England is made possible by the generous support of The Barr Foundation, which has underwritten the fellows' participation costs.

Ceilidh Galloway-Kane, Jesse Kreitzer, and Gowri Savoor earned spots in the 2018 program through a highly competitive process. Supported, in part, by the Vermont Arts Council, they will join 22 other fellows to work with NAS, faculty partners, mentors, and each other to "embrace their authentic leadership capacities, examine their partnerships and strategy, and craft processes for deepening their connection to the community."

 

Congratulations Ceilidh, Jesse, and Gowri! We look forward to the knowledge and wisdom this experience will bring to you and to Vermont.

 

Find out more about the Creative Community Fellows New England Cohort.   

 

Ceilidh Galloway-Kane, Jesse Kreitzer, Gowri Savoor

	The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Vergennes was the recipient of an FY2018 Arts Impact Grant.

Is your organization working to expand inclusivity and break down barriers to participation? Then consider applying for an Arts Impact Grant. These grants support nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and schools in their efforts to add vibrancy to Vermont communities by providing equal and abundant access to the arts. The deadline for applications is June 14.

"So the young women set out designing and cutting patterns. They were hunched over sewing and singing along to the radio. A shoe box of little ceramic arms, legs, and heads sat on the table awaiting to be one with itself."

This is the way Matthew Perry described the beginning days of TLC. The project is still about young women and patterns, but it has moved beyond dolls. Growth is on the drawing board now, and may be helped by a Special Project Grant from the Arts Council. Read more about it in this week's Featured Story, " TLC: Something to Hold On To."