Notes From Outside the Box
June 2019     
Greetings!
Creative Economy Represents in Vermont

Hundreds of people came to Montpelier last week to take in the arts scene together and to speak of creativity, place, and inclusion. Urban planners, educators, arts administrators, and others gathered for two days for the New England Foundation for the Arts' (NEFA) Creative Communities Exchange in Vermont's capital city.

The biannual conference was held in our state this year for the first time. Cultural venues in town--including the Vermont College of Fine Arts, the Vermont History Center, City Hall Auditorium/Lost Nation Theater, and the Kellogg-Hubbard Library--became workshop centers for two days. People explored topics ranging from coworking spaces for writers and musicians to fiscal sponsorship and from a case study on Abenaki Heritage Weekend to community engagement in cultural planning. The Vermont Creative Network was well-represented when Jody Fried and Amy Cunningham presented a session highlighting recent work of the Network.

One Vermont organization was among the three recipients of NEFA's Creative Economy Awards; Burlington City Arts was recognized for decades of consistent growth, service, and community contribution. Congratulations to them, and thank you to all who gathered to further the sector!
The work of artist-in-residence Maeve D'Arcy of New York City.
Rutland County Steps Into the Mix(er)

The Addison/Rutland VCN zone will hold its first gathering on June 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. at 59-67 Merchants Row in Rutland. This occasion is also the closing reception for the fourteen emerging artists from the United State and Europe currently in residency at 77ART.

Like all VCN zone events, this is free, open to all, and designed to inspire and connect.

For more information, contact zone agent Beth Miller at: bethvtcreativenetwork@gmail.com
Photo by Omar Hakeem.
Design Institute Offers Solutions

The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD)--a National Endowment for the Arts' leadership initiative--tackles critical rural design issues by bringing professionals to communities for multiday workshops. The Institute is now accepting applications from nonprofits, community organizations, and local governments interested in this resource.

CIRD is run in partnership with the Housing Assistance Council and buildingcommunityWORKSHOP. Since its founding in 1991, nearly sixty workshops have been held to enhance the quality of life and economic viability of rural areas through planning, design, and creative placemaking. To date, no Vermont communities have participated.

Applicants must represent communities of fifty thousand people or fewer (every town and city in Vermont qualifies) and have a specific design challenge in mind; the CIRD team realizes that design challenges can evolve. Applications are due July 22 and the programming will occur from September 2019 to December 2020. Visit the CIRD website for a complete details and to apply.
Inspire Vermont's Future Creatives  
 
You may have heard about the changes afoot in Vermont's schools to expand personalized learning. The Flexible Pathways Initiative, created by Act 77 of 2013, has charged Vermont secondary school educators to create environments that offer flexible pathways to graduation as part of a personalized learning planning process for every student in grade seven through twelve.
 
We'd like to help the Agency of Education to develop authentic, practical, and relevant personalized learning plan exemplars for arts and creative pathways, so we are seeking volunteers in the creative sector to share information (by filling out a quick ten-question survey) about their career paths. The information you provide will help both educators and students deepen their understanding around how skills developed in the arts field can enhance student success in multiple careers.
 
Personalized Learning Plans (PLP) provide students the opportunity to reflect upon their learning and shape their future, and enable the adults in their lives to better understand each student as a unique individual. These samples are intended to be used as resources for educators to support students in arts career awareness, exploration, preparation, and training as part of the personalized learning planning.
 
If you are interested in sharing your creative career path, please submit your information through this form. Your personal information is optional and will not be shared with educators nor students, but would be helpful if we have follow-up questions.
Vermont Creative Network
Vermont Arts Council


The Vermont Arts Council is funded, in part, by a grant from the National 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.

null