The Vermont Arts Council was founded in 1964 on a simple and powerful premise: that the arts enrich lives, expand minds, and form a vital thread in the fabric of Vermont community life.
The Council fosters classical, traditional, and emerging forms of artistic expression. It finds enduring ways to make the arts a part of all Vermont communities, bringing inspiration to Vermont citizens and visitors in every corner of the state. It advocates for and supports the arts as a central part of education for all people.
The Council functions as a community partner and a catalyst for artists and organizations. It offers professional development opportunities and technical advice, collects and disseminates arts information, and acts as the state's foremost arts advocate. We are a grass-roots organization with statewide trustees elected from and by its membership. As the only not-for-profit state arts agency in the country, we are uniquely qualified to unite both public and private resources to serve the following mission:
To advance and preserve the arts at the center of Vermont communities.
DIRECTIONS TO THE VERMONT ARTS COUNCIL:
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Take I-89 to exit 8 (Montpelier)
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Turn LEFT onto US-2 / BAILEY AVE EXT
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Turn RIGHT onto STATE ST
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The Council offices are located at 136 State Street, on your right next to the Visitor's Center
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Phone: (802) 828-3291
For over forty years, the Council has provided funds, services, and information to artists, arts organizations, schools, communities and the general public. The Vermont Arts Council is the only designated state agency for the arts in the United States that is also a private, not-for-profit, 501(c) (3), membership organization.
Budget - Our funding comes from the State of Vermont, the National Endowment for the Arts, memberships, and private contributions. Fiscal Year 2008 Budget is $1.65 million. Services (including information and publications for communities, schools, artists, and the general public; publicity and recognition for grantees and awardees; workshops and technical assistance for schools, artists, and arts organizations, and community arts projects) and grants make up 77% of the total.
Funding Sources - Federal funding is 39%, State General funding 33%, Other state funding is 17%, and private funding is 11% of the FY2008 budget.
Partnerships - The Council participates in partnerships with other agencies and organizations at state and local levels as well as with the private sector in education, human services, and economic development. Through our association with the
New England Foundation for the Arts and the
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, the Council maintains regional and national networks to provide additional services and information to the Vermont arts community.
Goals - The Council is committed to the following goals:
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Increasing opportunities for everyone in Vermont to experience and/or participate in the arts.
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Demonstrating and promoting the positive ("public value") benefits of investing in the arts.
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Expanding and sustaining the capacity of the Vermont Arts Council to serve its constituencies.