Mission and Vision
The Mission
Cultivate and advance the arts and creativity throughout Vermont.
The Vision
The Council is committed to building a Vermont where art, culture, and creativity are at the heart of our communities. Engagement with the arts transforms individual lives, connects people more deeply to each other, energizes the economy, and sustains the vibrant cultural landscape that makes Vermont a great place to live.
Three priorities currently guide the Council’s grant-making and programs:
Expanding Arts Opportunities
Everyone should feel welcome at an art museum, theater, sculpture garden, or concert. We work to expand access to the arts and cultural activities for all people regardless of age, ability, income, race, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, or religion. Examples of programs include:
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.
Artists in Schools Grants enable schools to hire and collaborate with teaching artists in the classroom.
Through the Arts Partnership Program, the Council engages with arts organizations that understand the needs of their own communities and address those needs through the arts.
Cultural Facilities Grants help Vermont nonprofit organizations and municipalities enhance, create, or expand the capacity of an existing building to provide cultural activities for the public.
Head Start Arts Integration Grants offer the proven benefits of arts-integrated learning to Vermont’s most vulnerable students, and strengthen the quality of support for teachers and students in Head Start programs across the state.
Be sure to visit our grants page for all of our grant opportunities.
Energizing the Creative Economy
You probably know a poet, an artisan cheesemaker, a music teacher, or a graphic designer. Maybe you are one. There is growing awareness worldwide of the power and potential of jobs like these, collectively known as the creative economy. Vermont’s creative sector generates 9.3% of all employment, higher than the US average.
The Vermont Creative Network, launched by the Vermont Arts Council in 2015 and formally established by the Vermont Legislature in May 2016, is a broad collective of organizations and individuals working to promote and advance this important sector, thus advancing the state’s positive quality of life and economy.
In 2020, the Vermont Creative Network completed an ambitious statewide study to document the scope and economic impact of the creative sector. Building on the research findings, the Vermont Creative Network launched CreateVT—a vision and action planning process. The final plan incorporates the ideas of thousands of people and serves as a roadmap for growing a robust, inclusive, and resilient creative sector. Explore the CreateVT Action Plan.
Cultivating Creative Placemaking
Creative placemaking celebrates downtowns, villages, or regions through the arts, bringing new energy and inspiration to public spaces. This happens whenever artists and community members come together to re-envision community places and forge a sense of identity and belonging. Examples of programs include:
Art in State Buildings Grants invest in and promote the work of Vermont artists, and are designed to preserve and enrich the state’s cultural landscape for its citizens and visitors.
Animating Infrastructure Grants support community projects that integrate art with infrastructure improvements.
Artists in Schools residencies engage students and teachers in creative placemaking activities.
Be sure to visit our grants page for all of our grant opportunities.