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Qualifying improvements include bringing public buildings into compliance with fire codes, supporting the installation of new HVAC or ventilation systems, and increasing accessibility through elevators, assistive listening systems, and ramps, among others.
One funded project this year is the construction and installation of custom exhibit cases and associated lighting for displaying American Abenaki artifacts at the Vermont Indigenous Heritage Center, located at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum in Burlington. The project is part of a larger building renovation to create space and build capacity for the Center. The proposed project will be designed not only as a museum, but as an indoor place for ceremonial and educational gatherings. For years, the Abenaki leadership has needed a safe, four-season place for indigenous gatherings and ceremony surrounded by ancestral patrimony. The upgraded space will enhance community gatherings, ceremonies, educational programs, and workshops.
Three towns will receive support – Chelsea’s town hall, for a new furnace; Moretown’s town hall, to support exterior improvements and functionality and replace exit and emergency lights; and the Town of Sharon’s Historical Society Museum, for an accessible ramp.
The grant program is part of the Building Communities Grant Programs established by the Vermont Legislature to help communities preserve important historic buildings and enhance community facilities. The Council partners with the Historical Society and the Division for Historic Preservation to administer the program. A panel of experts in historic preservation, architecture, and other building and accessibility expertise determines award recipients.
Since the program began 20 years ago, grants totaling $4 million have enabled over 340 arts and cultural institutions across Vermont to make essential improvements to their buildings.
Grant funds also support local Vermont contractors, such as electricians, plumbers, and construction crews, who are typically hired to complete the projects. Since 2014, when the Council began collecting data, more than three-quarters of contractors hired were in Vermont, for a total of more than $4 million.
“The role of art and creativity in building community resilience and recovery has never been clearer,” said Vermont Arts Council Executive Director Karen Mittelman. “The pandemic has brought home how critical it is for Vermont to invest not only in roads, bridges, and water systems, but also our town halls, theaters, museums, and cultural heritage centers. The Arts Council is proud to partner with the state to make these critical investments in Vermont’s cultural infrastructure.”
For more information about the Cultural Facilities program, visit https://www.vermontartscouncil.org/grants/organizations/cultural-facilities
FY2023 Cultural Facilities Grant Recipients:
Barre Historical Society
$30,000 to support the installation of an upgraded accessible lift for the second floor of the Old Labor Hall
Bethany United Church of Christ, Montpelier
$11,405 to support the installation of theater and gallery lighting in performance and gallery spaces
Dorset Players
$11,837 to support the installation of a wireless intercom system
Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall, Northfield Falls
$26,949 to support the installation of a vertical platform lift
Goethe Community Trust, Burlington
$7,198 to support the installation of a new HVAC system
Kimball Public Library, Randolph
$24,913 to support improvements to the HVAC and climate control systems
Ruth Stone House, Goshen
$18,538 to support the installation of a new heating system
Saint Albans Museum
$4,192 to support installation of dehumidifiers in the basement collection storage area
St. Johnsbury Athenaeum
$19,414 to support the installation of an audio/visual and assistive listening system on the second floor
Thetford Library Federation
$24,913 to support the installation of an accessible lift
Town Hall Theater, Middlebury
$30,000 to support securing a new sound system that integrates with current assistive listening devices
Town of Chelsea
$22,100 to support the installation of a new furnace
Town of Moretown
$1,848 to support the replacement of all exit and emergency lights, repair the exterior rear door, and replace the exterior side door
Town of Sharon
$17,320 to support the installation of an accessible ramp
Windsor Public Library
$30,000 to support the installation of an accessible lift
Winooski Valley Park District and Vermont Indigenous Heritage Center, Burlington
$30,000 to support the construction and installation of custom exhibit cases and lighting displays of American Abenaki artifacts at the Indigenous Heritage Center
About the Vermont Arts Council
The Vermont Arts Council envisions a Vermont where all people have access to the arts and creativity in their lives, education, and communities. Engagement with the arts transforms individuals, connects us more deeply to each other, energizes the economy, and sustains the vibrant cultural landscape that makes Vermont a great place to live. Since 1965, the Council has been the state's primary provider of funding, advocacy, and information for the arts in Vermont. Learn more at www.vermontartscouncil.org
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