Vermont Business Magazine Movement, music, storytelling, and more are among the arts activities available soon to Vermont’s youngest and oldest through programs supported by grants from the Vermont Arts Council.
“Learning in and through the arts is vital to living fulfilled, whole lives for Vermonters of all ages. Arts education experiences help us understand and enrich our lives, each other, and our communities. We’re proud to support innovative programs across Vermont that nurture artistic growth and strengthen social bonds,” said Vermont Arts Council Executive Director Susan Evans McClure.
Since 2021, the Council has led a Creative Aging initiative to address the needs of older Vermonters through meaningful arts learning experiences. This year, 25 organizations received a total of $100,000 in funding through the program. Grants of up to $6,000 will support skill-based instruction alongside opportunities for social engagement and community building in and through the arts for older adults.
Eligible applicants are non-profits with 501(c)(3) status, such as arts organizations, libraries, senior centers, area agencies on aging, or social service organizations.
Among the funded activities for older Vermonters are arts workshops in Wolcott, creative circus arts in Island Pond and Newport, multi-week visual arts programming at senior centers in Burlington, Winooski, and Bellows Falls, and a beginners ukulele program in Vernon.
For more information about Creative Aging grants and full listing of recent grantees, see below or visit https://www.vermontartscouncil.org/grants/find-a-grant/organizations/creative-aging/.
The Council’s Early Childhood Arts Partnership grant program serves Vermont’s youngest learners, connecting preschool learning sites with Vermont arts organizations and Vermont teaching artists to develop the foundation for lifelong arts learning. This year, eight organizations received a total of $35,000 in funding. Grants of up to $6,000 will support early education programs with direct opportunities to help children and families gain an appreciation for the arts and be better prepared for school.
Eligible applicants are non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, such as arts organizations, Head Start centers, or social service organizations as well as public schools/districts with preschools.
Among the funded projects are hands-on art, music, and movement classes at 17 area Head Start classrooms in Windham County, professional development workshops for early childhood educators in Caledonia County, art and nature exploration in Middlebury, and pre-school music education with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra.
For more information about Early Childhood Arts Partnership grants and full listing of recent grantees, visit https://www.vermontartscouncil.org/grants/find-a-grant/organizations/early-childhood-arts-partnership/.
FY26 Animating Infrastructure Grants
Brattleboro Words Project, Brattleboro
$15,000 to support the fabrication and installation of a permanent, hand carved interactive mural for the Brattleboro Words Trail at the new Amtrak station
Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, Inc., Burlington
$5,000 to support the design of a mural on the Healthy Roots Collaborative warehouse along the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail in Sheldon celebrating Northwest Vermont’s agricultural roots
City of Essex Junction, Essex Junction
$5,000 to support the design of a mural for the existing southeast-facing wall of the city’s fire department
City of Rutland, Rutland City
$5,000 to support the design of murals on pillars on the first level of the Rutland Transit Center
Downstreet Housing and Community Development, Barre
$15,000 to support the fabrication and installation of a mosaic centered on a stairway that connects the Granite City apartments to the community
Richard Kemp Center, Burlington
$15,000 to support the fabrication and installation of a community mural featuring untold stories from the African Diaspora on an exterior wall at the center
Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union, Brandon
$15,000 to support the fabrication and installation of a school and community-based mural at Neshobe Elementary School
SEABA Exhibitions Inc., Burlington
$5,000 to support the design of murals on two walls at the South End Arts District by the entrance to the alleyway onto Pine Street
Town of Johnson, Johnson
$8,500 to support the fabrication and installation of four site-specific metal sculptures on the main street
Town of Topsham, East Topsham
$5,000 to design a sculpture for a planned accessible sculpture garden/seating area in the space in front of the West Topsham Community Hall
FY26 Art in State Buildings Commissions
Vermont Superior Windsor Courthouse, White River Junction
Noa Younse, Richmond, $42,000
FY26 Artist Development Grants
Wilder Alison, South Burlington
$2,000 to support attendance at a two-week artist residency at Mothership Tangier in Morocco to study natural dyeing techniques
Shoshannah Boray, Burlington
$792.19 to support attendance as a finalist at TheWorks Festival in Memphis, TN
Allison Brown, Essex Junction
$1,443 to support attendance at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference
Alexia Buono, Montpelier
$2,000 to support attendance at two conferences: Latinx Dance Educators Alliance NDEO and El Mundo Zurdo
Michael Caduto, Reading
$1,500 to support hiring a producer to manage the premiere full-stage production of “The Gift of the Christmas Cookies”
Lorna Dielentheis, Burlington
$2,000 to support the purchase of an iPad and related accessories
Virginia Driscoll, Bellows Falls
$1,350 to support framing watercolor paintings from the “Passing Fancies” series for public exhibitions
Michelle Dussault, South Newfane
$2,000 to support attendance at a 3-day immersive storytelling retreat
Lushanya Echeverria, Huntington
$2,000 to support travel and accommodations for filming the U.S. segment of “SISTERHOOD”, a global PBS documentary uplifting women and girls leading transformative change
Samantha M. Eckert, Randolph Center
$1,750 to support participation in the NYC Crit Club Canopy Program
Genese Grill, Plainfield
$2,000 to support the purchase of image licenses for use in the first English-language biography of Austrian Modernist Robert Musil for Yale University Press
Mark La Rosa, Montpelier
$1,813 to support the cost of supplies and equipment to print black-and-white photographs and make frames for an upcoming exhibition
Katherine Langlands, Stowe
$1,800 to support costs to rent studio space at Vermont Studio Center
Sarah Laplante, Putney
$2,000 to support hiring a professional framer to frame a series of painting for an upcoming exhibit
Jodi Lawaich, Winooski
$1,026.8 to support working with a professional editor
Edward Lemery, Hardwick
$1,000 to support the purchase of a dust collection system
Katherine Leung, Milton
$2,000 to support hiring a professional audio producer for a podcast exploring Vermont Asian Jewish identity
Jaimes Mayhew, Winooski
$1,015 to support the purchase of an overhead camera mount stand, lights, and a video projector
Holly McLaughlin, Alburgh
$1,189 to support the purchase of sublimation equipment and materials
Melissa Moorhouse, Brandon
$1,200 to support professional recording, mixing, mastering, and editing services for an original song inspired by Vermont’s landscape and cultural history
Emily Mott, Burlington
$1,565 to support the costs of voice instruction and the purchase of equipment to record, edit, and collaborate on a new song project
Gregg Orifici, Halifax
$1,287 to support hiring professional website design services and the costs of website registration and hosting
Tetiana Protasevych, Newport
$2,000 to support the purchase of a camera, lenses, and related accessories
Dan Rabinovitch, Stowe
$2,000 to support rent for workshop space to develop “Loop”, an interactive, community-powered artwork
Jessica Raymond, Wilder
$1,984 to support attendance at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference as an official showcase artist
Talia Roberts, Montgomery Center
$1,070 to support the purchase of artistic materials and equipment for an upcoming exhibition
Pablo Santiago Chin, White River Junction
$1,064 to support travel and documentation costs for recording sessions in New York City and Connecticut with violin and harpsichord experts
Hanna Satterlee, Burlington
$2,000 to support professional editing and post-production services for a new dance film created during a residency with The Paseo Project in Taos, NM
Gina Stevensen, Burlington
$800 to support the costs of professional screenwriting coaching through the Vermont Screenplay Incubator
Kayla Strom, Richmond
$2,000 to support attendance at a residency in Nishiawakura, Japan to study traditional wood-fired kilns
Adrian-John Tans, Woodstock
$1,190.14 to support attendance at the International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, CO
Mitra Urich, Bristol
$2,000 to support attendance at a residency at Vermont Studio Center in Johnson
John Varnes, Marlboro
$2,000 to support participation at New England Center for Circus Arts’ ProTrack Training Program
Diana Whitney, Brattleboro
$1,227 to support attendance at the Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference and Bookfair
FY26 Artists in Schools
Academy School, Brattleboro
$4,000 to support a ten-day mapmaking residency with Mollie Bruke with Academy School fifth-grade students
Barnet School, Barnet
$4,000 to support a ten-day mapmaking residency with Mollie Bruke with Academy School fifth-grade students
Barre Unified Union School District, Barre
$2,300 to support a poetry residency with Rajnii Eddins where students express their unique stories and voices through writing and performance
Burlington High School, Burlington
$3,500 to support a multi-day residency where Full Circle Theater artists will engage students in 9th grade classrooms to analyze, interpret, and re-envision key scenes from Romeo and Juliet to memorize, rehearse, and perform
Burlington Technical Center, Burlington
$4,000 to support a multi-day music-production residency with producers Cooper Rexroad, Terri Ambo, and others
Burlington Technical Center, Burlington
$4,000 to support a ten-day residency with Eben Schumacher to mentor students to develop their understanding and creative production of 3D media
C.P. Smith Elementary, Burlington
$4,000 to support the production of a school play during school hours with Very Merry Theatre
Capstone Community Action, Barre
$4,000 to support a ten-day residency with artist Pamela Wilson at Brook Street High School where students will create fabric wall hangings from hand-printed fabric
Charlotte Central School, Charlotte
$2,300 to support a two-day residency with Troy Wunderle
CraftStudies, Inc., White River Junction
$4,000 to support fourteen artist-led pottery and textile sessions with CraftStudies artists for students at White River School
Elm Hill School, Springfield
$4,000 to support a ten-day, nature-art residency with Emily Burkland for early childhood students
Essex Westford School District
$3,900 to support a three-day residency with Jeh Kulu for students in grades 3-5
Ferrisburgh Central School, Ferrisburgh
$4,000 to support a one-week circus arts residency with Troy Wunderle for students in grades preK-5
Ferrisburgh Parent-Teacher Organization
$4,000 to support a one-week circus arts residency with Troy Wunderle for students in grades preK-5
Folsom Education & Community Center, Grand Isle
$4,000 to support a residency with puppeteer Sarah Frechette where students create unique puppets and scripts inspired by interviews with members of the community
Hartford School District
$4,000 to support a ten-week song writing residency at Dothan Brook School where students explore their relationships with each other and with the natural world
Hiawatha Elementary School, Essex Junction
$2,000 to support a five-day circus-arts residency with Troy Wunderle for K-2 students
Integrated Arts Academy, Burlington
$4,000 to support a multi-day, school-wide community printing residency with Shawn Dumont of Iskra Print Collective
Johnson Elementary School, Johnson
$4,000 to support a residency with maker Lucy deLaBruere where students will design games using traditional and digital art techniques
Lamoille North Supervisory Union, Hyde Park
$3,300 to support a multi-day bookmaking residency with Elissa Campbell for elementary-aged students
Main Street Arts, Saxtons River
$3,900 to support five-day, theater-arts residencies at Bellows Falls Middle and Westminster Central Schools for fifth and sixth-grade students
Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District, Jericho
$4,000 to support a nine-day puppet making and performance residency with Barbara Paulson at Richmond Elementary School
Opera Company of Middlebury, Middlebury
$4,000 to support a residency with Sarah Cullins at Champlain Valley Union High School where students will gain key skills and knowledge of opera and perform the opera “Dido and Aeneas”
Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union, Hardwick
$4,000 to support a series of artist residencies during the spring session of WonderKids Afterschool program that will culminate in a community-wide festival bringing students and families across the district together
Shelburne Community School, Shelburne
$4,000 to support a multi-day residency and activities with teaching artists from Burlington Taiko
St. Johnsbury Academy, St. Johnsbury
$1,000 to support students with writing original scripts through a residency with Vermont Young Playwrights teaching artists in multiple creative writing classrooms
Sustainability Academy, Burlington
$2,000 to support a three-day art-making residency with Jen Berger with three schools coordinated by the Sustainability Academy in partnership with the Flynn that will culminate in the annual Trout Parade showcasing large-scale student art
The Mountain School at Winhall, Bondville
$4,000 to support a six-day residency with musicians Ida Mae Specker and Evangelina Leontis
The Schoolhouse Learning Center, Inc., South Burlington
$3,000 to support a five-day residency with three artists from Clemmons Family Farm to study Kwanzaa and the contributions of African Americans to the community and broader culture
Theatre Adventure, Inc., Brattleboro
$3,900 to support residencies at Green Street and Dummerston Schools through performances and workshops with Theatre Adventure troupe members
Thetford Academy, Thetford Center
$1,600 to support a four-day residency in eighth-grade classrooms with graphic storyteller Wayne Carter
Warren School PTO, Warren
$4,000 to support a two-week circus arts residency with Troy Wunderle where students focus on skill gain, working together, increasing their confidence, trying new things, and working as an ensemble
Washington Central Unified Union School District, Montpelier
$4,000 to support a residency for students in grades K-6 with Stuart Paton of Burlington Taiko
Waterford School, Waterford
$4,000 to support students in grades K-8 with devised-theater activities for each grade level with Kailie Larkin
Winooski High School, Winooski
$3,400 to support a ten-day residency with Rajnii Eddins to help prepare students to write and perform poems at the school’s second inaugural Poetry Showcase
Winooski School District, Winooski
$4,000 to support a ten-day residency with Jen Berger in Winooski Schools where students will document their understanding of history by designing and printing unique posters
FY26 Arts Operating Grants
One-year operating grants
BarnArts Center for the Arts, Barnard
$4,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Bella Voce Women’s Chorus, Essex Junction
$4,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Central Vermont Community Radio Corporation, Plainfield
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Epsilon Spires, Brattleboro
$4,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Island Arts, North Hero
$4,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
JAM Junction Arts & Media, White River Junction
$4,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
New England Center for Circus Arts, Brattleboro
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
New England Youth Theatre, Brattleboro
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
ONE Arts, Inc., Burlington
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Opera Company of Middlebury, Middlebury
$4,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Paramount Center, Rutland
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
rePlay Arts, White River Junction
$4,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Rutland Area Art Association, Rutland
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Sage City Symphony Orchestra, Shaftsbury
$4,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Shidaa Projects, Montpelier
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
T.W. Wood Art Gallery, Montpelier
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Telling My Story, Wilder
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
The Civic Standard, Hardwick
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Theatre Adventure, Inc., West Brattleboro
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
TURNmusic, Waterbury Center
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Vermont Studio Center, Inc., Johnson
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Very Merry Theatre, Burlington
$4,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Young Writers Project, Inc., Burlington
$5,000 to support operating and administrative costs for one year
Three-year operating grants
Arts Bus Inc, Randolph
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Brattleboro Music Center, Brattleboro
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Burlington City Arts, Burlington
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Carving Studio and Sculpture Center, West Rutland
$10,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Catamount Film and Arts Co., St. Johnsbury
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Chandler Center for the Arts, Inc., Randolph
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Circus Barn, Inc., Greensboro
$10,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Clemmons Family Farm, Charlotte
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Burlington
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Generator, Inc, Burlington
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Kingdom County Productions, Barnet
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, Winooski
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Mad River Valley Arts, Waitsfield
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Middlebury Community Music Center, Middlebury
$10,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Middlebury Studio School, Middlebury
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Next Stage Arts Project, Inc., Putney
$10,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Northern Stage Company, White River Junction
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
River Arts of Morrisville, Inc., Morrisville
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Rural Arts Collaborative, Greensboro
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
SafeArt, Chelsea
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Sandglass Theater, Bellows Falls
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Scrag Mountain Music, Inc., Marshfield
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Shelburne Craft School, Shelburne
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester
$10,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Spruce Peak Arts, Stowe
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Stone Valley Arts, Poultney
$10,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
The Current, Stowe
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
The Hatch, Inc., Brattleboro
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Town Hall Theater, Inc., Middlebury
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Vermont Arts Exchange, North Bennington
$10,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Vermont International Film Festival, Burlington
$10,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Vermont Jazz Center, Brattleboro
$10,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Vermont Stage Company, Burlington
$10,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Vermont Symphony Orchestra Inc., Burlington
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Vermont Youth Orchestra Association, Colchester
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Waterbury Area MakerSphere Cooperative, Inc., Waterbury
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Weston Theater Company, Weston
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
Yellow Barn, Inc., Putney
$11,000 to support operating and administrative costs for three years
FY26 Arts Project Grants
Aldrich Public Library, Barre
$4,000 to support an Artist in Residence in the Teen Lounge for the 2025/2026 school year
Alice M. Ward Memorial Library, Canaan
$1,000 to support a performance by the duo Hungry Town
AMPERSAND, East Montpelier
$4,000 to support two concerts of early vocal chamber music
ANIMAL Dance, Springfield
$3,720 to support Dance Nights, a series of dance workshops for the public
Art in the Neighborhood, Brattleboro
$4,000 to support two experienced teaching artists to collaborate on a visual art project involving the process of cyanotype printing and the practice of poetry
Bennington County Multicultural Community Center, Bennington
$4,000 to support four bi-monthly art or craft activities at the Arts Space and an associated public program hosted by an artist partner
Bristol CORE, Bristol
$4,000 to support a town-wide, inclusive, walkable celebration of poetry in Bristol for National Poetry Month
Bully No More Foundation Ltd, Newport Center
$4,000 to support presentation of a student production of the musical Bully No More! in one elementary school
Burlington Technical Center, Burlington
$4,000 to support a student-run afterschool program for high school students to actively engage in viewing, analysis, and discussion of filmmaking
Cabot Arts, Inc., Cabot
$4,000 to support the 6th annual Cabot Village 12th Night Celebration
Counterpoint Chorus, Inc., Montpelier
$3,000 to support a series of free choral concerts reflecting on the Covid-19 pandemic, to be performed in five towns around the region
H.O.P.E. Works Inc., Burlington
$2,120 to support two five-week long art-therapy based sessions for survivors of sexual violence called The Art of Healing
Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, Middlebury
$4,000 to support the exhibit of Vermont Female Farmers, a powerful visual and narrative exploration of women in Vermont’s agricultural landscape
Heritage Winooski Mill Museum, Winooski
$4,000 to support a series of knitting workshops for refugee women from East Africa living in the Burlington area
Interaction, Brattleboro
$4,000 to support the making of a restorative justice-themed quilt by the men incarcerated at the Southern State Correctional Facility and to exhibit the quilt in the community
Junction Dance Festival, Inc., Corinth
$4,000 to support the 2026 Junction Dance Festival
Manchester Community Library, Manchester Center
$4,000 to support a Taconic Music event at the library
Montpelier Alive, Montpelier
$4,000 to support the Illumination Celebration, Lantern Parade, and Block Party
Montpelier Community Justice Center, Montpelier
$4,000 to support establishing an acting/storytelling program for incarcerated men at Vermont’s Northern State Correctional Facility
New Music On The Point, Leicester
$3,000 to support a 24-hour event surrounding Lake Dunmore with a series of five musical events at various locations
Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, Richmond
$4,000 to support workshops and a robust community art project at the annual NOFA-VT Winter Conference
Retreat Farm, Brattleboro
$3,720 to support a jazz concert series in partnership with Vermont Jazz Center
River Gallery School, Brattleboro
$4,000 to support the third annual visit of Lama Tenzin Yignyen to Brattleboro for the creation of the Sand Mandala of Compassion
RIVET, Burlington
$3,720 to support the Mosaics of Marks, Words, Material Exhibition and Atelier
Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary, East Barre
$3,720 to support youth art workshops to create a weather-resistant mural
Senior Solutions, Springfield
$4,000 to support music therapy for adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
Sundog Poetry Center, Inc., Williston
$4,000 to support a cross-disciplinary program Environmental Poetry in the Time of Climate Crisis
Threshold Collaborative Inc, North Bennington
$4,000 to support the production of a theatrical reading of works by inmates at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility at the Center for Advancement of Public Action
Worcester Historical Society, Worcester
$2,500 to support the 3rd annual Worcester Arts Festival
FY2026 Creation Grants
Willy Appelman, Dorset
$5,000 to support the development, rehearsal, and production of a comedic solo show
Laura Campbell, Worcester
$5,000 to support the creation of the short film “SQUIRREL”
Kevin Chap, Stockbridge
$5,000 to support the creation of a new episode of “Wild Foods” for PBS
Brian Collier, Hinesburg
$5,000 to support the creation of new interdisciplinary artwork about native bees
janet e. dandridge, Warren
$5,000 to support the creation of a photo-based multimedia experience tentatively titled “true portrait”
Hannah Dennison, Chelsea
$5,000 to support the creation of “Forest” a site-specific dance/theatre piece
Linda Diak, Chester
$5,000 to support the creation of art quilts that raise awareness of the impact of human activity on the animal kingdom
Clare Dolan, Glover
$5,000 to support the creation of a new exhibition celebrating the history and significance of the chair titled “Deep Seated”
Miciah Gault, Montpelier
$5,000 to support the creation of a new collection of literary ghost stories
Natasha Haverty, Dummerston
$5,000 to support the production of a live storytelling show about motherhood
Patty Hudak, Underhill
$5,000 to support the creation of a print installation using laser-cut woodblocks
Myles Jewell, Burlington
$5,000 to support the creation of a live musical score for a feature documentary
Elliott Katz, Burlington
$3,500 to support the creation of a site-specific installation which transforms the historic ticket booth gallery at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center into a poignant reflection on heritage, migration, and self-invention
Hayley Morris, Warren
$5,000 to support the creation of a micro-short clay-on-glass stop-motion film
Carolyn Orosz, Middlebury
$5,000 to support the creation of a full-length poetry collection titled “Not Long for This World”
Jessie Owens, Jeffersonville
$5,000 to support the creation of an immersive performance experience titled “Stories of Spirit and Spirits”
Edwin Owusu, Colchester
$3,500 to support the creation of “Sankofa: Songs of Return,” a six-track musical recording project fusing Ghanaian American vocals with percussion and textures from the African diaspora
Samantha Patnaude, Charlotte
$5,000 to support studio recordings of original songs, including “The People”—a song which touches on homelessness, drug abuse, and domestic violence among immigrants in our community and culture
Maria Pugnetti, Brattleboro
$4,000 to support the creation of animation, scenic art, and shadow puppetry for an original intermedia shadow theater performance for youth and adults, “The Buried Moon”
Jon Roberts, Burlington
$5,000 to support the creation of sculptures honoring collective resilience
Avi Salloway, Burlington
$5,000 to support the creation of a five-song EP and a music video of “All the Rivers”
Julian Segar-Reid, Burlington
$5,000 to support recording and video production for the album “It Was You”
Brett Ann Stanciu, Hardwick
$5,000 to support the creation of the novel “Save Town Hall”
Brendan Taaffe, Vernon
$5,000 to support the creation of an interdisciplinary work titled “The Bucolics Project”
Van Dora Williams, Colchester
$5,000 to support principal photography for a documentary
Lida Winfield, Middlebury
$5,000 to support the creation of an immersive event, “The Moving Dialogue Project”, examining how movement and creativity shape political discourse.
FY26 Creative Aging Grants
Age Well, Colchester
$4,450 to support a singing program that benefits people with memory loss and their caregivers
Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg
$3,000 to support a program for older adults focused on creative expression and social connection
Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury
$5,761 to support free ongoing dance classes for senior citizens at Catamount Arts and to do outreach into the NEK community
Center for Solace, Brattleboro
$4,000 to support a Hospice Healing Arts Program that teaches art and writing projects designed to promote resilience and peace during grief
Central Vermont Council on Aging, Barre
$4,000 to support continued learning and connection opportunities through Zoom sessions with artists
Central Vermont Medical Center, Berlin
$1,661 to support creating handbound Legacy Books working with senior residents to craft legacy statements using personal photos and words
Chittenden Community Television, Burlington
$5,500 to support workshops for older adults centered on collaborative storytelling and hands-on media making
Chittenden County Senior Citizens Alliance, Burlington
$3,335 to support a series of painting workshops led by artist Julio Desmont culminating in a celebratory gathering and opening art show
Craftsbury Community Care Center, Craftsbury
$5,500 to support a weekly series of intergenerational arts sessions boosting joy, memory, and focus to seniors, sparking lasting social and cognitive benefits
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Burlington
$3,000 to support Movement for Parkinson’s, a dance and community support program for people with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders
Franklin Arts Department Inc, Franklin
$2,500 to support free art classes for older adults in a social setting in the center of Franklin
Friends of Vernon Center, Vernon
$3,000 to support Ukulele for Beginners a program that teaches seniors to play a ukulele with no previous music experience
Garden Path Elder Living, Brattleboro
$4,500 to support a creative, socially engaged arts residency with Bradley House Vaudeville
Greater Barton Arts Inc., Barton
$3,800 to support an art series for seniors including painting, mixed media and visual journaling to inspire creativity and connection
Heritage Winooski Mill Museum, Winooski
$4,500 to support a series of weaving workshops for older adults to develop both creative and technical weaving skills
Lamoille Neighbors, Inc., Hyde Park
$5,000 to support a variety of arts-based workshops for adults over 60 that enable creative growth, social engagement, intellectual stimulation, and personal enrichment
Main Street Arts, Saxtons River
$5,761 to support quality multidisciplinary arts classes for seniors in Windham and Windsor County
Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging, St. Johnsbury
$4,000 to support Under the Big Top, creative circus arts workshops for older Vermonters in Island Pond and Newport
Reading-West Windsor Aging in Place, Brownsville
$480 to support a monthly one-hour class with lesson plans by Finnie Trimpi to teach the fundamental concepts of art
River Gallery School of Art, Inc., Brattleboro
$5,000 to support art and book exploration classes for seniors at Brooks Memorial Library in partnership with Garden Path Elder Living
Rural Arts Collaborative, Greensboro
$5,500 to support elders engaging in lively art exchanges with local youth, artists, and community members
Shelburne Craft School, Shelburne
$4,450 to support one in-person course, one online course, four alumni meet-ups as well as training someone to teach Weaving Your Story in order to expand offerings in the future
South Londonderry Library Association, Inc., South Londonderry
$2,700 to support a series of sessions for older adults to discover the power of writing personal stories and creative joy through bookmaking
Town of Wolcott, Wolcott
$3,233 to support a variety of arts workshops to the seniors in the Wolcott community to brighten the isolation of long winter months
Vermont Arts Exchange, North Bennington
$5,369 to support the successful art program in partnership with adult day service organization Bennington Project Independence
FY26 Cultural Facilities Grants
Bread and Puppet Theater, Glover
$24,650 to support the update of electrical infrastructure in the theater, museum, and artist spaces
Canaan Naturally Connected, Inc., Canaan
$30,000 to support electrical system and fire safety system upgrades in the Community Center
East Putney Community Club, Putney
$4,413 to support storm window installation
Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall, Northfield
$25,602 to support the installation of fresh air ventilation and purification systems
Friends of the Fletcher Free Library, Burlington
$13,030 to support equipment and acoustic panel installation in the Fletcher Room
Goethe Community Trust, Inc., Burlington
$30,000 to support the installation of an accessible lift
Montgomery Center for the Arts, Montgomery Center
$18,051 to support the installation of an accessible bathroom
Monument Arts & Cultural Center, Bennington
$21,362 to support the installation of a main pump for an aging sprinkler system
Norwich Community Collaborative Inc., Norwich
$30,000 to support the installation of heat pumps
Shelburne Museum, Inc., Shelburne
$19,457 to support the purchase and installation of energy efficient picture lights
Sheldon Historical Society, Sheldon
$9,000 to support the installation of a heat exchanger for climate stabilization
Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester
$30,000 to support an upgrade to lighting, add floor speakers, and assisted listening devices
St. Johnsbury Academy, St. Johnsbury
$30,000 to support the purchase a new lift for South Church Hall
Town of Brookline, Brookline
$12,100 to support insulation of walls, ceiling, and floor of the Brookline Meeting House Vestry
Town of Sudbury, Sudbury
$30,000 to support energy efficiency upgrades
Valley Players, Waitsfield
$12,000 to support replacement of aging theatrical lights with LED lights
FY26 Early Childhood Arts Partnership Grants
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro
$5,300 to support teaching artists to deliver hands-on art and music and movement sessions in 17 area Head Start classrooms
Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury
$5,000 to support five professional development workshops, both in person and virtual, for early childhood educators and a PreK family engagement workshop
Creative Preschool Inc., South Strafford
$4,200 to support embedded music and arts experiences for children six weeks through Kindergarten and educator development to effectively engage with arts to support learning
Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro
$3,000 to support paying teaching artists for teaching specialized cardboard art workshops to local school groups and families
Mary Hogan Elementary School, Middlebury
$3,700 to support a deeper inquiry into the blending of art and nature, building our knowledge and sharing our art experiences
River Arts of Morrisville, Inc., Morrisville
$4,250 to support Kinder Arts Discovering the World of Art, an early childhood visual arts program exploring creativity and art history
Vermont Arts Exchange, North Bennington
$5,300 to support high-quality arts experiences to students that develop skills, enhance learning that engage the whole child, and allow for increased learning readiness
Vermont Symphony Orchestra Inc., Burlington
$4,250 to support early childhood music education through the First Steps in Music program for preschoolers
America 250th Special Grants
Addison County
- Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (Vergennes): $5,000 to support “Collections Corner” programs focused on Lake Champlain’s Revolutionary War history through guided, interactive programs that ensure this important history is interpreted while exhibit upgrades are underway.
Bennington County
- Bennington Museum: $5,000 to support a re-location, re-interpretation, and exhibit expansion relating to the Revolutionary War in Bennington and the surrounding region in honor of the 250th anniversary of American Independence.
Chittenden County
- Carpenter Carse Library (Hinesburg): $4,800 to support a collaborative art project designed to allow participants and observers to engage with ideas around what it means to be an American at this time in history. What do we value? What do we celebrate? What do we fight for? Who are we?
- Vermont Symphony Orchestra (Burlington): $10,000 to support a new symphonic work by Composer Clarice Assad commemorating Charity Bryant (1777-1851) and Sylvia Drake (1784-1858) of Weybridge, Vermont, one of the earliest documented same-sex couples in early America.
Orange County
- Brian J. Boland Foundation (Thetford): $5,000 to support Thetford’s celebration of Vermont’s Semiquincentennial. Each of Thetford’s eight villages will highlight its past, present, and future, with a culminating celebration in Thetford Center.
- Town of Newbury: $5,000 to support projects, events, and festivities to celebrate the 250th founding of the United States of America in 2026. The theme of their celebrations is “Resilience in Newbury: Past, Present, and Future.”
- Opera Vermont at the Chandler Music Hall (Randolph): $5,000 to support operas of prominent African American composer, William Grant Still, with a performance of “A Bayou Legend” (the first opera by an African American composer to be produced in Vermont) at Chandler Music Hall.
Orleans County
- Old Stone House Museum and Historic Village (Brownington): $5,000 to support the celebration of their centennial through oral histories and creating an educational video around the theme “Neighbor to Neighbor,” capturing how Orleans County residents have supported one another through good times and bad.
Rutland County
- Fair Haven Historical Society: $5,000 to support a series of events that share the story of Matthew Lyon, one of the founders of Fair Haven, who was the first person prosecuted under the Alien and Sedition Act of 1798 for publishing disparaging remarks about President John Adams.
Washington County
- Town of Cabot: $575 mini-grant to the Town of Cabot for a showing of Jay Craven’s film Lost Nation.
Statewide
- Roadside Vermont: Exploring Vermont’s History through Narrative Audio Storytelling: $5,000 to create short narrative audio stories about Vermont’s 1,000 roadside historical markers, monuments, and plaques scattered across Vermont. The project will engage with the peculiar, confounding, and surprising story of what it means to be a Vermonter.
- Interpreting the Exhibition: “Parley and Protocol, War and Peace”: $5,000 to the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association to support an exhibit that explores Abenaki life during the colonial and Revolutionary era, highlighting diplomacy, divided loyalties, and daily survival. Abenaki scholars will shape interpretive content to share with museum audiences.
About the Vermont Arts Council
The Vermont Arts Council envisions a Vermont where all people have access to the arts and creativity in their lives, education, and communities. Engagement with the arts transforms individuals, connects us more deeply to each other, energizes the economy, and sustains the vibrant cultural landscape that makes Vermont a great place to live. Since 1965, the Council has been the state's primary provider of funding, advocacy, and information for the arts in Vermont. Learn more at www.vermontartscouncil.org
1.13.2026. MONTPELIER, VT—Vermont Arts Council.
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