Vermont Arts Council outlines economic case for arts, asks legislature for $1,000,072 to match NEA funds

SUSAN EDWARD MOORE, Executive Director, Vermont Arts Council, told the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee that the creative sector contributed roughly $1.2 billion to Vermont’s economy in 2022 and supports more than 10,000 jobs.

The council asked the legislature to include $1,000,072 in state funding for the arts—an amount the Arts Council said is the total ask now sitting in the governor’s budget and intended to match expected NEA funds. Moore told the committee the NEA requires a dollar-for-dollar state match for its grants and that the state match remains central to bringing federal arts dollars into Vermont.

Moore said the Arts Council awarded just over $3,200,000 in FY 2024 to individuals and organizations across every county, including support that came through the Creative Futures COVID relief funding. “Overwhelmingly, people [grantees are] saying this money was what allowed me to pay my taxes. This money allowed me to serve my customers. This money allowed me to grow the programming I was doing,” Moore said, summarizing grantee reporting on how the relief funds sustained organizations through the pandemic.

The Arts Council described three main roles it plays: grantmaking (state, federal and private funds), convening and training for the creative sector, and administering two state programs funded through the capital bill—the Cultural Facilities Grant Program and the Art in State Buildings Program. The council reported it funded about 45% of applications over the past five years, noting demand exceeds available resources.

Committee members asked about NEA changes and any restrictive grant language posted on the NEA website. Moore said the NEA has altered some program lines and posted language about compliance with executive orders; she described those changes as currently “words on paper” and said the Arts Council and its legal counsel are monitoring developments and contingency-planning with national partners.

The council also described non-grant programs and supports: a USDA-funded business training partnership (Assets for Artists) that served 76 Vermont artists, the Vermont Creative Network established by the legislature in 2016, and an Arts, Culture, Disaster, and Resilience Network that coordinates emergency response and conservation assistance for at-risk collections after flooding. Moore described the Arts Council’s role during recent flooding as a clearinghouse that helped deploy conservators to affected collections and assisted with FEMA processes.

Moore said the council is an unusual model nationwide: it operates as the state arts agency while functioning as an independent nonprofit and relies on state and NEA funds plus private fundraising. She urged continued state funding even amid federal uncertainty: “If that federal money decreases, there is still tremendous need for the same level of support from the state and potentially more,” she said.

The presentation closed with committee members and council staff noting the arts sector’s links to tourism, downtown revitalization and workforce development and the need to sustain capacity in partner organizations—regional development corporations, Vermont Small Business Development Center and legal aid providers—that artists are often referred to for business or legal assistance.

Moore and Arts Council staff said final NEA award amounts were not yet confirmed and that the $1,000,072 request reflects NEA guidance prior to January 20 and the council’s planning assumptions.