Tag: Vermont Creative Network

Vermont’s three most northeastern counties, named the Northeast Kingdom (NEK) back in 1949, make up the state’s most rural and least wealthy region. Therefore, perhaps more than any other region, the Kingdom has had to rely on an unusually rich—some might call it quirky—type of ingenuity and craftsmanship within an equally rich natural environment that is treasured and protected. These factors made the perfect backdrop for an influx of well-educated back-to-the-landers in the 1970s. Leaving 9-5 jobs in the cities and migrating to Vermont, they brought communal and environmental values and artisanal skills that matched and built upon those of many of the long-term Vermont residents. All this gave rise to the Kingdom's creative sector. Read More

A month after I arrived in Vermont I found myself driving on snowy back roads to a meeting in the Northeast Kingdom. Forty-five people gathered on this freezing cold night in the basement of a Unitarian church to explore the idea of a new incubator space in Greensboro. Participants in small brainstorming groups envisioned the potential of such a space for artists, entrepreneurs, and students in the community. Our group included people from more than a dozen towns, and I was struck by the wide range of backgrounds represented: graphic designers, high school and college teachers, the owner of a hair studio, an IT professional, a retired businessman, a glass artist, an agricultural policy expert, and a librarian. The excitement in the room was captured by a high school student who turned to his mom and said, “This is cool.” Read More

What do you think? Do you have an interest in Vermont’s future? In the cultural assets of your community? Are you a stakeholder? Are you a community builder? Help frame the Vermont Creative Network, an interconnected engine of statewide people, places, and resources. The Vermont Creative Network will serve to … Read More

The State Arts Action Network, a program of Americans for the Arts, recently wrote about the Council's Zon Eastes and his role in Vermont Arts 2015. Here is the article as it appeared in their newsletter, The SAANbox. Read More