Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Arts And Cultural Economy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Vermont Arts Council urges state support to stabilize creative economy amid federal uncertainty
Summary
Susan Evans McClure, executive director of the Vermont Arts Council, told the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee that the council is asking the legislature to protect matching funds and pursue small investments in business training and film infrastructure to sustain Vermont’s creative sector.
Susan Evans McClure, executive director of the Vermont Arts Council, told the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee on Jan. 28 that the council is asking the legislature to secure state matching funds, expand business training for artists, and consider a small investment in film and creative media infrastructure to help stabilize Vermont’s creative economy.
McClure told committee members that federal and pandemic-era relief have been crucial to keeping arts businesses and nonprofits operating. "The legislature awarded $9,000,000 in ARPA funds to the Arts council to distribute to the creative sector in 2022," she said, and added that recipients reported the grants "saved their business" or allowed them to keep serving students and remain open.
The council presented economic data to the panel to explain why it views the arts as part of the state's economic infrastructure. Citing federal data and sector studies, McClure said the arts and culture sector contributes roughly $120,000,000 annually to Vermont’s economy and supports a little more than 10,000 jobs. She also said Americans for the Arts found about 1,400,000 attendees at nonprofit arts and cultural events in Vermont in 2022; 25% were local to the county where events occurred and 75% traveled from outside the county. McClure said average attendee-related spending was about $30 for local attendees and about $52 for nonlocal attendees.
McClure summarized the Arts Council’s grantmaking and programs: in fiscal 2024 the council awarded roughly $3,247,000 in grants to 31 individual artists and 235 organizations and businesses across every Vermont county. She described two state-administered programs the council manages: the Cultural Facilities Grant Program (capital grants to nonprofits and municipalities for creative facilities) and the Art in State Buildings program, a partnership with Buildings and General Services that commissions public art for state construction projects.
The council also highlighted workforce and business-development work. McClure described a recent partnership with Assets for Artists and with USDA Rural Development funding that allowed free business training for Vermont artists; 76 Vermont artists participated in the most recent session. She said the council is pursuing regional convenings, peer networks, and cohort-based trainings to help individual artists and small arts organizations build accounting and marketing capacity.
On film and creative media, McClure said Vermont currently offers no state financial production incentives and that the council is proposing a modest, targeted investment to build a centralized resource — a public database of local media talent, equipment and permitting guidance — so small businesses and local producers can more easily book services in-state.
McClure also reported a fresh federal development that could affect funding flows: she said a White House memo announced a temporary freeze on federal assistance, and that the council is monitoring potential impacts. She told the committee the council expects an NEA federal allocation in the range of $1,070,000 next year and urged that the legislature be prepared to provide the required 1:1 state match if federal amounts decline.
Committee members asked about grant review processes, outreach, and outcomes tracking. McClure described an open application process with review panels of discipline specialists, grants officers who assist applicants, and outreach such as a new monthly "Resource Roundup" and a planned statewide grants roadshow. She said the council is working with partners — including the Vermont Small Business Law Center and the division for historic preservation — to connect applicants to additional funding and technical assistance.
McClure closed by noting Creative Sector Day at the Statehouse on Feb. 12 and said the council will continue to emphasize stability for small arts organizations, training for artists as small-business owners, and targeted investments that link creative work to local economic development.
