Dear Friends,

Last year, Governor Phil Scott proclaimed the second week of May as Inclusion Week, reiterating Vermont's commitment to welcoming all people. The Governor also established a Proclamation of Inclusion, making clear that the state condemns discrimination in all forms.

The Vermont Arts Council is proud to support Vermont's Week of Inclusion, this year from May 9-13. 

Vermont can be a hub of innovation and creativity if we embrace collaboration and inclusion. The CreateVT Action Plan is the Vermont Creative Network's vision for the creative sector. It recognizes that creative expression thrives on diverse ideas and perspectives and acknowledges that Vermont must address past injustices and present inequities if we are to move forward together.

Arts organizations—especially those that are predominantly white—have a deep responsibility to stand against hatred and racial injustice. We often say the arts promote empathy, that a great painting, sculpture, or poem has the power to lift us above our divisions and inspire us to transcend our personal point of view, to stand in the shoes of another. Now is the time to be true to those values.

Here at the Arts Council, we are working to mobilize our collective energies toward the broader anti-racist transformation of Vermont. Building upon our decades of leadership promoting accessibility in Vermont's arts and culture spaces, we believe that focusing our attention on anti-racism and continuing our work on accessibility are the most powerful ways we begin to make true our vision that “everyone in Vermont has access to the arts and creativity in their lives, education, and communities.” You can read about our Inclusion-Diversity-Equity-Accessibility (IDEA) goals and progress toward achieving them at our IDEA web page.

In other Vermont efforts to uplift inclusion, towns and organizations across Vermont are adopting and operationalizing the Vermont Declaration of Inclusion. One of the earliest adopters was the Town of Milton, which is hosting its inaugural Inclusion Festival on Saturday, May 7, with music, dancing, storytelling, and other forms of art.

Also next week, Abundant Sun will host two events:

• On Monday, May, 9, at 1 p.m., join in conversation about the Declaration with its architect Al Wakefield, along with Ted Brady, executive director of Vermont League of Cities and Towns; Xusana Davis, executive director of VT Racial Equity; and Don Turner, town manager of Milton. Read more and register. 
• On Tuesday, May 10, at 8:30 a.m., I will be moderating a discussion with Abundant Sun CEO Jude Smith Rachele and data scientist Andrew Wakelin as they reveal some important and hopeful findings of The State of Inclusion and Belonging in Vermont: Research Report. Read more and register.

Join us in helping build a more welcoming Vermont!

With thanks,