Residents of Hartland, Manchester, and South Burlington have joined the Council board of trustees. Sabrina Brown, Greg Cutler, and Major Jackson were confirmed at the May 4 annual meeting. Each will contribute a wealth of skills and experience, as well as a passion for the arts, to their work on the board.

Jo Sabel Courtney, Reeve Lindbergh, Nicole Nelson, Gail Nunziata, and Edmond Strainchamps were elected to second terms. Gail Nunziata was appointed chair, replacing Bob Stannard, whom we thank for his leadership of the Council for the past two years.

Congratulations to these new trustees and thanks to all board members for their dedication and service to the arts in Vermont.

Sabrina Brown, Greg Cutler, Major Jackson

Temperatures are climbing. Green shoots are appearing. Trees are beginning to bud. The exhibit in the Council's Sculpture Garden is awakening, too . The team of artists and dancers that has collaborated on "SiteTime: Cordwood" will gather on Friday, May 11 for "Breathing," the next stage in the evolving two-year public art project.

During the performance, the four-cord Slump Pile will be deconstructed, then reconstructed in a different form. Curator Michael Zebrowski explained, " The labor required for moving the wood will be executed during the two-hour event to reference the rhythmic breathing cycle in general and reference the awakening of the trees from dormancy over the winter."
Learn more.

In 2016, 73 students participated in an intensive month-long residency launched by Northern Stage in White River Junction. The program brought professional artists into area schools to help students experience the power of acting and performing the words of William Shakespeare.

Just two years later, the program - now called BridgeUP: Theater in the Schools -  is bringing 16 teaching artists into 8 area schools and is serving nearly 300 students. Outreach is focused on school districts where the arts are needed most.

The program is "the heartbeat of Northern Stage," according to Producing Artistic Director Carol Dunne. "We have literally watched students find gifts they did not know they have."

Get the details.

Learn more about Dianne. 

 
May in Vermont means glorious sunshine, greening hillsides, and a collective yearning to just get out there. From the NEK to Brattleboro, art galleries are opening their doors to the heady spring breezes while breweries are setting up cornhole on the lawn. It's the perfect time to embark on an arts and craft beer tour, and the Council has some suggestions. Find them in this week's featured story, " Drink in the Arts."