The Southern Vermont Arts Center is seeking entries for "Vermont Artists, Past and Future," a statewide art contest for middle and high school students in Vermont. More than $5,000 in scholarship grants will be awarded to first through third place winners in painting, sculpture and photography. An exhibition of work by the 100 finalists will be on view with outstanding examples from the Arts Center’s permanent collection in the Wilson Museum at the Arts Center from May 22 - June 23.

Link to full article

The Healing Arts: New Pathways to Health, in conjunction with Vermont Arts Exchange (VAE) and United Counseling Service of Bennington County (UCS), presents "The Atwood Artists Group Annual Show," opening with a reception in VAE’s Mill Gallery, in the Sage Street Mill, on Thursday, March 4, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. This exhibit, presented in partnership with United Counseling Service of Bennington County (UCS), will be on view in the Mill Gallery through this summer. The Atwood Artists are a group of about 12 adults who work weekly in VAE’s art studios through UCS’s day service program. "The artists exhibiting are all faced with various physical and mental challenges in their lives," says VAE Artistic Director and teacher Matthew Perry. "Each week they gather with great enthusiasm to make art and the amount of work being produced is astonishing."

Link to full article

About 25 years ago, artist Peter Schumann and his theater company, Bread and Puppet, took to the streets of northern Vermont in a school bus. They weren't on the road to perform one of the puppet shows for which the troupe is known. They were out and about hawking art from their school bus, what Schumann calls "cheap art." "We started as a protest against skyrocketing art prices," Schumann said. "It was a street gallery."

Link to full article

Whether you're for or against the continued operation of Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon, there is a way you can share your opinion with others in a respectful manner. That way is through art, said Judy Zemel, a local artist who, with other artists, is hosting an all-day event on Saturday, March 6, at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden to give people the opportunity to express their beliefs in a unique way. The project is called "Art Energy" and the topic of the event is "What will it be like whenever Vermont Yankee does close down," said Zemel.

Link to full article

Lawrence Inglee, 36, who spent his formative years in Rutland and Springfield, is one of the producers of "The Messenger," a feature film nominated Tuesday for two Academy Awards — best original screenplay and best supporting actor for Woody Harrelson. The movie stars Ben Foster as a soldier assigned to a unit that notifies the families of soldiers who have just been killed. Harrelson plays Foster's superior officer.

Link to full article

A show of art titled "Artists of GRACE 2010" opened in the cafeteria of the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier on Friday and will run through March 1. GRACE (Grassroots Art and Community Effort), a not-for-profit organization based in Hardwick, Vermont, provides programs that discover, develop and promote self-taught artists.

Link to full article

Art of Action is a multi-faceted art project funded by philanthropist Lyman Orton, owner and proprietor of the Vermont Country Store in Weston. The exhibit recently closed after a six-week run at Burlington International Airport; another will open Monday at the Staart Gallery in St. Albans.

Link to full article

The Henry Sheldon Museum has received a $9460.00 Cultural Facilities Grant from the Vermont Arts Council to make its front entrance wheelchair accessible. The project will complete the Museum’s recent reopening of its historic front door entrance by making it welcoming to all its visitors.

Link to full article

Governor James H Douglas and the Vermont Arts Council are pleased to announce Eric Bass and Ines Zeller Bass as the 2010 recipients of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. The founders of Sandglass Theater in Putney, VT will be honored in a public ceremony at the State House on Thursday, February 11, 2010 beginning at 7:00 PM.  The free event will include a performance by Sandglass Theater and friends. 

Link to full article

The Vermont Arts Council will offer a new business training workshop for artists. Breaking into Business is a two-part session on marketing and business planning specifically tailored to the needs of artists. The sessions will be offered at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland in February and at River Arts in Morrisville in April. Upon completion of the program, artists will be eligible to apply for special council funding to implement some aspect of their business plan.

Link to full article

The Vermont Film Commission as an engine of economic development? Not the first thought that comes to mind when thinking of an entity that supports creativity, but once Joe Bookchin starts to talk, it begins to make sense. “People see filmmaking as an artistic endeavor,” he says, “but for me it’s all about creating jobs.” The former director of the fi lm program at Burlington College, Bookchin took the position in Montpelier as the commission’s executive director in 2007, facing a rapidly evolving industry. “The nature of media as we know it is changing,” he says.

Link to full article

The Vermont Arts Endowment Fund and the Concert Artists Fund, two component funds of the Vermont Community Foundation, announced that together they have awarded a total of $99,381 to 16 organizations and individuals across the state. “The arts are an integral part of our economy and our culture. We are honored to support artists ranging from Mira Niagolova to Bob DeCormier’s Counterpoint Chorus,” said Peter Espenshade of the Foundation.

Link to full article

In a year tough year for nonprofit arts organizations in Vermont — many have faced severe financial challenges, and have made significant cuts in staffing and programs — the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe is counting its blessings. It has managed to fill the year with high-quality exhibitions and unique creative experiences for students and visitors.

Link to full article

The Addison Eagle reports that "42 Vermont arts organizations have receieved a total of $606,000 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)." Governor Jim Douglas explains, "The ARRA is designed to jumpstart the economy, create and protect jobs, and invest in key priorities. Like other jobs, art jobs help individuals and families pay household expenses, put children through college and achieve financial stability." Link to the article below for a full list of these organizations and grant amounts by county.

Link to article

Vermont Public Radio reports that the Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) has "created a new endowment fund to help protect the orchestra's future." So far, the VSO has "raised $2.6 million and wants to raise a total of $3.5 million." VSO Executive Director Alan Jordan commented, "[Our endowment fund will] allow us to weather storms like we're seeing right now, the economic challenges that we face. It also allows us to take some risk with growth, to reach more communities across Vermont, to expand our Symphony Kids education programs and to ensure that the symphony is there for the next 75 years and beyond.'' During the 2007-2008 season, the VSO performed in 161 communities.

Link to article