Home › Featured Stories › Featured ›
VPR Conversation on the Arts
Can Vermont’s Art Scene Become Its Own Tourist Attraction?
VPR’s Mary Williams speaks with the Arts Council’s Executive Director, Alex Aldrich
Vermont is known for its sweeping vistas, colorful foliage and ski resorts. Tourists come for these attractions, helping to boost the local economy. But Alex Aldrich, executive director of the Vermont Arts Council, wants Vermont to also become a tourist attraction for its vibrant art scene.

“The arts really are a very under-appreciated reason to come to Vermont … there are people who like to buy ice cream and teddy bears, all of which are great. But we want the arts to be just as appreciated and serve as a destination for travelers from out of state,” Aldrich says.
The Vermont Arts Council has connected with a variety of libraries and schools throughout the state to create the Vermont Creative Network. They network and identify opportunities in the arts that they can take on in an informal way. Aldrich explains, “If you think about the farm-to-plate network and what it’s done for localvores, local foods and artisanal foods, we want to do the same thing for culture.”