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MONTPELIER, VT— The Vermont Creative Network is advocating in the Vermont Legislature for an economic recovery package that invests $17.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for cultural non-profits and creative businesses, a sector profoundly jeopardized by the pandemic.
Companion bills in the House and Senate, co-sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Jerome and Sen. Alison Clarkson, with an additional 27 co-signers, would support a Creative Economy Recovery Program to include:
- $10 million in Creative Economy Grants for organizations and businesses that sustained substantial losses due to Covid or who continue to operate at limited capacity
- $4 million to help nonprofit cultural organizations with facility adaptions, for example, to purchase air-purification systems and hand-sanitizer dispensers, assess and upgrade HVAC systems, or to expand outdoor seating
- $2 million for transitional costs required to implement safe public programming, such as touchless ticketing, online sales platforms, and Covid-related health and safety protocols
The grants could reach over 200 creative businesses and cultural organizations in Vermont to help them rebuild and recover and to ensure the viability of these important community institutions. Grant recipients would include museums, theaters, galleries, studios, performing arts venues, and other cultural organizations, as well as other creative sector businesses.
Recovery is expensive. In order to welcome audiences back, for example, theaters and museums are hiring more front-line staff to conduct vaccine-card checks, purchasing masks for performers, crew, and staff; and investing in deep-cleaning between events or tent rentals to create outdoor venues.
The recovery package also sets aside $750,000 for Creative Spaces Grants to revitalize vacant retail or office spaces through art and culture, such as events, workshops, studios or exhibitions. Grants would provide rental income to landlords while enabling artists or creative businesses to thrive and in turn sparking energy in towns and villages.
The recovery package also includes $500,000 to support statewide and regional marketing of arts and cultural events, venues, and creative sector businesses, and $250,000 to sustain and build the Vermont Creative Network in order to implement the CreateVT Action Plan.
Vermont’s creative sector lost more than 8,000 jobs and more than $216 million in sales from April to July 2020 during the first year of the pandemic, according to a Brookings Institution study. In a more recent analysis, the 197 cultural organizations that applied for the Council’s most recent Covid-relief grants reported $36 million in lost revenue from April 2020 to mid-2021.
Vermont is scheduled to receive more than $1.25 billion in coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funding from ARPA.
Last session, the legislature provided support to these organizations, but the financial picture for Vermont’s cultural organizations continues to be dire, especially now, while Omicron is discouraging people from gathering in theaters, museums, and community centers.
“COVID has shown us how important the arts are to rural and urban communities throughout Vermont -- it is vital that we support this sector of our economy,” said Jerome. “We know that creative businesses, performing arts venues and cultural organizations drive economic growth, build stronger communities, and draw new residents. The pandemic has dramatically jeopardized the economic viability of the arts throughout the state, and we need to help.”
“These businesses were the first to close to protect public health and will be among the last to reopen. Many are still struggling, and the future remains uncertain,” said Clarkson. “Support for the creative sector is an investment in Vermont’s future.”
An example of a Vermont town that has benefited from the creative sector is Rutland. Through a coordinated effort by the local Chamber of Commerce, downtown businesses and community groups, a growing list of murals, now nearing 20, and marble sculptures, currently nine with another six already committed, has transformed the streetscape and walkability of the community. New online apps and maps send foot traffic winding through the streets, visiting retail shops, and eating in local restaurants.
“Public art is a foundational strategy for attracting new small businesses and visitors to Rutland’s downtown,” said Rutland business owner Mark Foley in his testimony before the Tourism Caucus in support of the bill.
“We routinely see families and other visitors going from piece to piece taking photos with and enjoying this incredible art. Local restaurants and shops have seen significant increases in day traffic over the last two years, and credit this public art as a primary driver,” he noted.
The Senate bill (S.202) is currently in the Senate Economic Development, House and General Affairs, and the House bill (H.624) is in the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development.
For more information about the recovery package, visit https://www.vermontartscouncil.org/vermont-creative-futures-act
About the Vermont Creative Network
The Vermont Creative Network is a broad collective of organizations, businesses, and individuals working to advance Vermont’s creative sector. Authorized by the Vermont Legislature in 2016, the VCN is an initiative of the Vermont Arts Council. Learn more at www.vermontcreativenetwork.org
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