Downtown Montpelier will be hopping on June 5 and 6 as Vermont welcomes the
Creative Communities Exchange (CCX) bi-annual conference to the capital city. More than three hundred people from all over New England will gather to share ideas and discover new ways to enliven their towns. The conference is sold out, but you can
join the wait list.
During the conference, Montpelier Alive is pulling out all the stops to showcase Vermont's creative assets. A two-day celebration--ArtsFest--is free and open to all. Events include an evening party on Langdon street, a pop-up art show in the new Garage Cultural Center, and a special Thursday evening Art Walk. Find out more about
ArtsFest.
Be sure to stop by Vermont Arts Council Spotlight Gallery during the June 6 Art Walk. The gallery will be open until 9 p.m. and features Almost Forgotten, paintings and works on paper by Kate Burnim and Daryl Burtnett.
Open Studio Weekend
It's a rare treat to be invited into an artist's studio. This place of creative production and inspiration reflects the dynamic and intimate process that is used to produce a work of art.
This weekend, there's no need to wait for an invitation! More than one hundred and fifty studios representing two hundred and twenty artists will open their doors during the 2019 Spring Open Studio Weekend on May 25 and 26. Whether your interest is folk art, painting, pottery, or wood carving, there's a studio for you on a downtown street or at the end of a dirt road.
The dance company Kinetic Light will perform
DESCENT on the Flynn MainStage during the upcoming season. (Photo by Jay Newman).
Vermont arts organizations have worked consistently for years to increase access to the arts. Great work has been done; there is always more to do. Progress is all that can be asked.
Burlington's Flynn Center for the Arts has some new programs and services. The current and former directors talk about the ongoing work of the organization; they get to both the why and how of inclusion. Read more in A Thoughtful Invitation, this week's featured story.
In Memoriam: Malcolm Ewen
Weston Playhouse Theatre Company announced that Founding Director Malcolm Ewen passed away after a long battle with cancer. A message from the theater staff stated "Malcolm's love for this theater, its artistry, and its community, are the cornerstone of Weston's work today. His joy and abounding love for the family he created in Weston were infectious. We are profoundly fortunate to have known, loved, and learned from him. Malcolm's joyful spirit is forever woven into the fabric of the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company."
Weston will be dedicating its eighty-third season to Malcolm and honoring him with a celebration of his life later this summer.
Our thoughts are with Malcolm's family, friends, and the Weston Playhouse Theatre community.
Vermont Jazz Center received an FY2019 Arts Impact Grant to support its Emerging Artist Festival.
The deadline for Creation and Arts Impact Grant applications is June 3. Creation Grants support Vermont artists in developing new work. Grant funds may be used for time spent creating work, to purchase materials, or to rent equipment or space for the process.
Arts Impact Grants support projects that add vibrancy to communities by providing equal and abundant access to the arts, and by breaking down barriers to participation.
If you are thinking about applying, our staff is here to help with questions and assistance.
The South End Arts and Business Association (SEABA) in Burlington announced that Christy Mitchell has assumed the role of executive director.
Learn more.
Ten Vermont organizations (including the Opera Company of Middlebury, shown above) will receive grants totaling $724,300 through the Art Works program of the National Endowment for the Arts. Read the press release.
JAG Productions Founder and Producing Artistic Director Jarvis Green will be honored at Vital Communities'
Heroes & Leaders Celebration on May 30 at Dartmouth College.
The Vermont Arts Council is funded, in part, by a grant from theNational Endowment for the Arts, which requires a 1:1 match from the Vermont State Legislature. Council grants, programs, and statewide arts promotion would not be possible without the critical funding provided by these government agencies.
