Arts News for April 2021—Covid-19 Edition
Arts, Cultural Venues Begin to Reopen Further Under State's Guidance
All Vermont business sectors are set to move to “Universal Guidance” on May 1, according to the Governor’s reopening plan announced in early April. Universal Guidance includes five guidelines: stay home if sick, wear a mask, ensure six-feet of physical distance, practice good hygiene, and think before you travel.
 
Event organizers can now plan for indoor and outdoor event and gathering sizes to increase gradually starting May 1 and further increased starting June 1, based on the venue size and the number of vaccinated and unvaccinated guests. Starting May 1, contact tracing logs will no longer be needed for events and gatherings, and an event venue may host multiple maximum groupings through the day if the groups do not interact with one another. For example, a craft fair could schedule multiple different groups throughout the day to come to a show as long as they staggered the arrivals and ensured all members of a group departed before the second group entered.
 
Outdoor events and gatherings remain strongly preferred.
 
Effective July 4, no state gathering limit is anticipated and Universal Guidance will no longer be mandatory, but strongly encouraged.
 
Check out our the Arts Council’s Reopening and Recovery Guide for more resources for arts and cultural organizations as they navigate the road ahead.
Submit Your Nominations for the 2021 Vermont Arts Awards
The Arts Council is open to nominations for the 2021 Vermont Arts Awards. Honor an artist or organization you love by nominating them for one of five awards: The Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts, the Ellen McCulloch-Lovell Award in Arts Education, the Margaret L. (Peggy) Kannenstine Award for Arts Advocacy, and the Arthur Williams Award for Meritorious Service to the Arts.

SVOG Reopens Application Portal
The long-awaited Small Business Administration’s Shuttered Venue Operating Grants (SVOG) have now reopened. The program includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance. Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.


Arts Council Secures New Funding for Creative Aging
The Council in partnership with the Central Vermont Council on Aging has received a $23,000 award from the National Assembly of State Art Agencies and Aroha Philanthropies to advance creative programming for older adults.

With the new funding, the VAC will partner with CVCOA to build the awareness, the relationships, and skills among teaching artists, staff and volunteers for creative aging programming to flourish.

Between the Lines: Poetry Moments for Vermonters, by Vermonters
To celebrate the 25th annual National Poetry Month, the Arts Council, Vermont Humanities, and Vermont Public Radio partnered to bring poetry moments by Vermonters to the airwaves.

Throughout the month of April, VPR has been airing short recordings of original poetry by Vermonters between regular broadcast hours. Submissions are now closed, but an archive of all the recordings is available online.
Pat Musick Explores the Future in New Spotlight Gallery Exhibit
On view in our virtual Spotlight Gallery from May 3 through August 31, 2021, is Exploring Technology: An Artist and an Astronaut Look at the Future. A virtual artist talk will be held Thursday, June 17 at 7 p.m.

The exhibit was conceived when artist Pat Musick lay on the top of a hill and watched Skylab 4 arc across the skies above her. Six years later she would marry the Skylab 4 commander, astronaut Jerry Carr, generating 40 years of creativity as Musick responded to the unique world view that the space program gave to us.

Obituary: Amy Blanchard Darley, 1954-2021
We at the Vermont Arts Council mourn the unexpected passing of Amy Blanchard Darley, a passionate environmental educator and teaching artist who once served as coordinator for the Council's Artists in Schools program. She was a beloved member of the Vermont arts community and will be dearly missed.

Vermont Creative Network News
Celebrate the Launch of Vermont's New Creative Sector Action Plan
Three years. Thousands of people and ideas. One bold new vision and plan for Vermont's creative sector. Join us for the launch party from 2-3:30 p.m., Monday May 3, 2021!⁠
Join your fellow leaders and do-ers in government, business, and the creative sector together for the unveiling of CreateVT -- a vision and roadmap for a thriving, creative Vermont.⁠ The CreateVT Action Plan was produced over the course of three years, with input, resources and support from many of you. The values embodied in the Plan reflect the commitment of thousands of Vermonters to a state that thrives through creative expression, inclusivity, and innovation.⁠

Creative Zone Profiles: Four-County
Meet Russ Bennett
Artist and builder Russ Bennett has always been motivated by helping create a better society. He works on breaking down the social structure so that art can create community and conversation. “Society understands money,” says Russ, explaining the recent regeneration of Middlesex, VT where economic development and art have intersected to recreate a community hub. For 42 years Russ has worked in contracting, design and art with these values and beliefs. Read Russ' profile.

This Creative Zone profile was produced in spring 2020 by students in the University of Vermont's Department of Community Development and Applied Economics. Read more zone profiles on the Vermont Creative Network website.
Arts Council Grant Opportunities
Arts Impact Grants
Arts Impact Grants support nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and schools in their efforts to add vibrancy to Vermont communities by providing equal and abundant access to the arts. To further support our creative sector, the Arts Impact Grant program is also expanding this round to include small operating grants to arts organizations.

Deadline: June 11, 2021
Register for a Grantseeker Workshop on May 6, 2021 at 1:30.
Artist Development Grants
Artist Development Grants help artists at all stages in their careers pursue professional development, master new skills, improve their businesses, and more.

Deadline: May 10, 2021
Cultural Facilities Grants
Cultural Facilities Grants help Vermont nonprofit organizations and municipalities enhance the capacity of an existing building to provide cultural activities for the public.

Deadline: June 7, 2021
Features
Council Staff Picks: Meaningful Art
In an extremely challenging year, art in its many forms has helped to carry us through. What local art has been meaningful or inspiring to you during the pandemic? We've been sharing Council staff picks of meaningful Vermont art on social media, and we want to hear your picks, too.⁠

Check out our staff picks on Instagram or Facebook, and post your own with the hashtag #VACmeaningfulart!
Art in the Time of Covid: Swan&Stone Millinery
"Very early on in the pandemic, we reached out to our closest artist friends to get together virtually and commiserate. At first we just shared cocktails and held tight to each other’s company. Rather quickly, though, cocktail hours turned into strategy sessions, and it dawned on us how much stronger we were collectively."

—Nora Swan and Samantha Stone of Swan&Stone Millinery

Read the latest installment of Art in the Time of Covid, our Q&A series exploring Vermont creatives' responses to the pandemic.
I am a Vermont Artist: Veronica Stevens
"The interplay of reality and fantasy permeates my drawings. Utilizing every color in the rainbow, I combine real life elements with abstract and geometric shapes, thereby creating my own version of reality."

—Veronica Stevens

Read Veronica's interview, and visit Veronica's online gallery in our I AM... 2021 exhibit.
I AM... 2021 Concludes with Talk on Art and Business
The third and final artist talk for the I AM…2021 exhibit was held April 15. “The Business of Creativity: Getting Our Work Into the World” brought artists together to speak about how they approach business operations, outreach, project management, and more. View a recording of the event.

The I AM... 2021 exhibit is viewable on our website through April 30. Explore the online gallery.
Arts Briefs
Save the date! May 26-27 is the Summit on the Future of Vermont, a virtual gathering for Vermonters to consider “The Vermont Proposition” – a set of bold and transformational goals and actions for the state’s economy, environment and people. Register for the summit.
CERF+ and the Vermont Arts & Culture Disaster and Recovery Network are offering a free workshop on May 26 and 27 for Vermont artists on preparing for an emergency during an emergency. Register for the workshop.
Stowe Arts and Culture Council has been named an official board of the Town of Stowe. Created in 2014, SACC supports the Stowe arts community through partnerships and events like Stowe Arts Week. Learn more about the Stowe Arts and Culture Council.
New Arts Experiences
New England Center for Circus Arts
Online
April 30 - May 9
Vermont International Film Festival
Online
May 5 - 9
ArtistTree Community Arts Center
Online
May 14 - 15
Explore with the Passport Program from Vermont Curators Group
The statewide cultural conversation continues virtually or in-person as 50 Vermont museums & galleries reflect on how the year 2020 has changed our world forever, with a passport program and prizes to reward your exploration.

Find out more at VermontCuratorsGroup.com.
Hall Art Foundation
Reading
In-person
Opens May 15
Brandon Artists Guild
Brandon
In-person
Opens May 7
Catamount Arts
St. Johnsbury
Outdoors
Through May 28
Grass Roots Arts & Community Effort
Hardwick
In-person
Through July 29
Recent Classifieds
Posted: April 14, 2021
Category: Job Postings
End Date: May 1, 2021

Posted: April 8, 2021
Category: Job Postings
End Date: May 8, 2021

Posted: February 23, 2021
Categories: Calls to Artists, Classes/Conferences/Webinars, Everything Else
End Date: May 31, 2021
Submit Listings to Our Arts Calendar and Classifieds
Are you organizing an exhibit, concert, class, or other arts event? Do you need to list an ad for space, residencies, or a call for submissions? Submit your event listing to our calendar, or submit a classified ad listing.

Listings are free and seen by thousands of people throughout and beyond Vermont. Once submitted, eligible listings are reviewed, categorized, and published within two business days. Council staff may contact you for more information.
Subscribe to Our Featured Stories
Who knows the Green Mountain arts scene better than the Vermont Arts Council? Our Featured Stories blog offers a deeper dive into Vermont's vibrant and diverse art world with interviews, feature articles, and special series like I am a Vermont Artist. Click the button below to receive new posts in your inbox.
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.
Vermont Arts Council | 802.828.3291