State arts agencies develop strategic plans that articulate their missions and guide their work. Each plan is informed by public input gathered from stakeholders inside and outside of the arts sector, with special care taken to reach populations with limited access to the arts. This high degree of public engagement is a hallmark of state…
The COVID-19 pandemic sparked significant growth in online arts participation. Even as audiences return to live events, cultural organizations are continuing to use digital platforms to deepen community engagement and make arts programs more accessible to the public. The Vermont Arts Council has launched a new initiative to support continued innovation and expansion in this…
Multiple state arts agencies (SAAs) are offering virtual arts exhibitions to increase visibility for artists and expand public access to their works. While some SAAs have conducted virtual exhibitions in the past, this approach took on new significance during the COVID-19 pandemic, when physical access to exhibition venues was restricted. SAAs are finding virtual exhibitions…
A growing body of research demonstrates the power of the creative economy as a catalyst for growth and change, particularly in rural places and in times of crisis and recovery. To harness this power for the benefit of the entire state, the Vermont Creative Network—a collective of organizations, businesses and individuals that is backed by…
Through the course of 2020, state arts agencies (SAAs) across the nation distributed relief funds and retooled their ongoing grant programs to support cultural organizations and artists during COVID-19. The National Endowment for the Arts Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act allocation made relief funding possible for all states and jurisdictions, and SAAs…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act included $150 billion in federal funding assistance for states and localities. These dollars (separate from funds distributed through the National Endowment for the Arts) are available to help state and county governments address unanticipated costs of COVID-19. States may elect to use some of the funds…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included $75 million in COVID-19 relief funds to be distributed through the National Endowment for the Arts. To achieve broad and inclusive access to federal funds, Congress requires 40% of the Arts Endowment’s grant budget to be allocated to state arts agencies and regional arts organizations—a…
As part of its commitment to increase access to quality arts education for low-income families, the Vermont Arts Council (VAC) designed a grant program to support classroom based arts activities that benefit at-risk children in kindergarten and preschools. Through its Head Start Arts Integration Grant, VAC funds partnerships between arts organizations and Vermont’s seven Head…
The Vermont Arts Council contributed three questions to this year’s Vermonter Poll to learn how often its constituents participate in cultural activities, whether they support integrating the arts in K-12 public education and how much they value the arts as an important element of life in their community. The annual statewide telephone survey, first deployed…
The Vermont Creative Network is a new project of the Vermont Arts Council (VAC) that aims to cultivate Vermont’s creative sector and, as a result, to improve quality of life, boost local economies and strengthen the fiber of communities. Germinated in October 2014 and formally launched in November 2015 as part of VAC’s 50th anniversary,…
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