Vermont communities are encouraged to take a look at Animating Infrastructure—a pilot program developed to foster collaborative partnerships between communities and artists. From bike racks and solar panels to a new bridge or community bike path, the program aims to support the successful integration of public art in existing or proposed infrastructure improvement projects.

The Vermont Arts Council will hold several sessions to help potential applicants understand the vision and the requirements of the program. Read more about the program and the sessions on the Animating Infrastructure program page.

San Francisco, Barcelona, Vermont, Bali, and Mali are all mentioned in Art Costa's statement for this body of work. Costa merges the design of Balinese masks with the design of American Buicks. The result: wildly engaging 3-D masks with automotive references.

Visit the Council Monday-Friday between 8:30 and 4:30 to see the beautiful Buicks. You can meet the artist during Montpelier's August 1 Art Walk, 4:00-7:00 p.m.

On June 30, 1965, the Vermont Legislature passed Act 170, which designated the Vermont Council on the Arts, Inc. as "the state agency to formulate and apply for grants-in-aid to the state under the National Arts and Culture Act of 1964 and any amendments thereto." The Council continues its distinction as the only state arts agency in the U.S. that is also a private, nonprofit, membership organization. Thus, 2015 is the 50th anniversary of public funding for the arts in Vermont and of the Vermont Arts Council.

The Council worked closely with House and Senate Leadership as well as the Legislative Arts Caucus to create a resolution designating calendar year 2015 as the official “Year of the Arts” in Vermont. The resolution was read in the House Chamber of the Vermont State House on May 1, 2014.

See the complete resolution here.

CreativeGround, an online directory developed by the New England Foundation for the Arts, will become the Vermont Arts Council's arts directory by mid-July, 2014. CreativeGround offers robust listings with the capacity for uploading high-quality images, videos, and references as well as the ability to reach a wider audience.

Search and explore the 30,000 profiles already in the directory, including artists of all disciplines, cultural nonprofits like libraries and theaters, and creative businesses like recording studios and design agencies, then get listed by adding or updating a profile for your creative enterprise.
 
Questions? Contact any of the Council’s program staff (Michele Bailey, Ben Doyle, or Sonia Rae).

Join the Vermont Public Radio project, "Art Hounds!"
Art Hounds creates the opportunity for you to rave about each others' work on the radio and shine a light on the arts scene in your community. All you have to do is click here and let VPR know about a concert, performance, exhibit or event that you want to rave about and recommend. No event is too small or too large to be considered. It can be happening this week, this month or all season - in Vermont, the Upper Valley, New York or Quebec.

The only stipulation is that it can't be your own work or work you're professionally, financially or personally associated with in any way. Use this form to tell VPR who you are and post your recommendation. It can be an art exhibit, a local theater production, a dance performance, CD release or a festival. And you can call the VPR Art Hounds hotline at (802) 778-9585 to record your suggestions, too! Each week, VPR will select nominations to be recorded for air.

Hear Art Hounds on Thursday afternoon at 4:50 as part of VPR's weekly arts segment and again on Friday mornings at 7:55, during "Morning Edition." You can also find the episode information each week at VPR.net.

Publicize your events by listing them in the Vermont Arts Calendar. The Vermont Arts Calendar is not only a FREE way of reaching thousands of people, but it also gets your events distributed to dozens of publications in the Northeast and throughout the country. To get the broadest exposure for your event you should list no later than six weeks before the event. Click here for more information about the Arts Calendar, or to enter your event.

Have you checked out our online classifieds recently?  We like to think of it as a sort of a "craigslist" for the arts in Vermont.  You can both search and list information on jobs, calls to artists and workshops.  There's a section for materials available or wanted, and another for studio space.  The listings are always changing so check it out today.