Blue and white mural textured with recycled objects, Alissa Faber's Peer Public Art Project
Image
community fund

Community Fund

The BCA Community Fund was created to foster a robust, healthy, creative community, to encourage social innovation through the arts, and to support artists and organizations that contribute to the public good through a competitive grant process.

Applications for the 2023 Community Fund for individual Artists ended on May 22. However, the applications for Arts Organizations has been extended to June 5 at noon. This year, the community fund will offer two different grant tracks, supporting both individuals & artist groups as well as small arts organizations.

Before you apply, browse examples of the individual artist/artist group and small arts organization applications and their criteria.

Contact Colin Storrs, Public Art and Grants Program Manager, at cstorrs@burlingtoncityarts.org with questions.

FUNDED PROJECTS

COMMUNITY FUND DETAILS (EXPAND / COLLAPSE)
Image
artist market

The BTV Market

The BTV Market puts local artists, makers, and entrepreneurs directly in touch with consumers, supporting Vermont's creative economy while bringing vibrancy and a unique shopping experience to downtown Burlington.

 

The BTV Market, an outdoor market experience in the heart of downtown Burlington, brings together an eclectic collection of local artists and makers in City Hall Park. With seasonal iterations, the BTV Market runs every Saturday in summer, June 3 - September 30 2023. The BTV Winter Market runs Fridays - Sundays in late November and December (2023 dates TBD). 

Please email Market Manager, Andrew Bacher, at abacher@burlingtonvt.gov with any questions.

Summer and Winter BTV Markets (expand / collapse)
Image
A photo of a man silhouetted against a wooden sculpture that he is setting ablaze. Highlight 2022 Bright Ideas Project Powered by VSECU

The Bright Ideas Project

Share your brilliance with BTV through the Bright Ideas project! When you pitch your original event idea for Highlight, Burlington's New Year's Eve festival, you could receive up to $10,000 of funding to make your vision a reality. On NYE we bring our community together with events that will support, celebrate, and share what’s important to you. Whether you are passionate about the arts, community, the environment, culture, education, food, or more, we want to hear from you! In-person happenings of all shapes and sizes will be considered, so help us Highlight the creativity of our Vermont community.  Applications for the 2022 Bright Ideas Project are currently closed. Head to highlight.community to learn more about this year's selections and email hello@highlight.community with any questions.

 

Art Sales and Leasing Program

BCA’s Art Sales & Leasing program provides Vermont artists with opportunities for increased exposure and sales through external exhibitions in public and private locations. BCA handles all aspects of installation and receives a 40% commission on work sold. Clients may purchase or choose to lease artwork for their public spaces using our non-juried, online artist database to explore participating artists. All artwork is insured for the duration of the exhibition by the hosting venue. Participation in this program is non-exclusive, and we encourage artists to explore and foster many options for exhibition, representation, and sales.

Image: Sandy Sokoloff, Archangel Haniel, 2019, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 60

Joining our database may connect you to your next exhibition or sale! To get started, please download the following forms: ApplicationConditions of LoanW-9 Form. Submit them to Kate Ashman, and she will be in touch make sure you have everything you need to get up and running! For more information, please contact Kate Ashman at kashman@burlingtoncityarts.org.

Join Our Database (expand / collapse)
Image
Travis Shilling

Gallery Submission

The BCA Center is Vermont’s premiere showcase for contemporary artists working in all media including but not limited to painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation and performance. Thoughtful consideration and equal representation is given to artists with strong connections to Vermont and the region. The BCA Center is equally dedicated to exhibiting artists of national and international scope so as to foster dialogue, promote an exchange of ideas, and to highlight current tendencies in contemporary art between the local art community and those residing elsewhere. BCA presents six to eight Main Gallery exhibitions each year, which range from thematic, group exhibitions to single artist exhibitions. 

  1. Please submit all submissions through email. All submissions can be sent to: Heather Ferrell, Curator and Director of Exhibitions, hferrell@burlingtoncityarts.org. Please include the following as attachments:
     
    • A resume, bio, or curriculum vitae.
    • An artist statement about your practice and/or proposed body of work or installation.
    • PDF files of exhibition catalogues, press or other pertinent bibliographic material
    • 5-10 JPEG images, sized to be viewed at a screen resolution of 72 dpi (file names should begin with the artist’s name and be numbered in the order in which you wish them to be viewed (i.e. “vanessagerman01.jpg, vanessagermon02.jpg,…”). 


2. Submissions may reference websites for additional information. 

3. If submitting time-based media, please include a web link to Vimeo or YouTube. 

4. If your submission is project-based, please take into account the size and parameters of the gallery space and include a projected, itemized budget as well as any technical or equipment requirements. 

5. The BCA will notify you of the status of your submission within 6-8 weeks of its receipt. 

6. Please do not submit original works of art or physical portfolio submissions. Burlington City Arts cannot be responsible for returning unsolicited works of art or physical submissions. 

Thank you for your interest in the BCA Center.

Submission Guidelines (Expand/Collapse)
Image
A photograph of Herb Lockwood, a light skinned man with a silver beard and hair sitting at a mixing board, in front of a microphone

The Herb Lockwood Prize

The Herb Lockwood Prize was created to reward the pinnacle of arts leadership in the state of Vermont. The prize recognizes artists who produce significant work in the areas of visual arts, music, writing, drama, dance, film, and fine woodworking, while also having a beneficent influence on the Vermont community. An anonymous committee selects one recipient each year; there is no application process. Herb Lockwood was an inspirational figure in the Burlington arts and music scene in the 1980s. Learn more: herblockwoodprize.org.

 

 

 

Image
A monotype of a necklace composed of long, brown leather fringe with a beaded collar on a mottled beige background.

Diane Gabriel Visual Artist Award 

The Diane Gabriel Visual Artist Award was established in 2021 by the family of Diane Gabriel (1947-2017), one of Vermont’s most celebrated artists and educators. This award is given on an annual basis to emerging Vermont-based artists. The award encourages experimentation and supports an artist’s creative development, especially those artists interested in initiating innovative ideas, exploring new media, or better establishing their art-making practice. The award is valued at $2,500 and includes a cash stipend, complimentary class registration, and/or use of the BCA Studio. The Diane Gabriel Visual Artist Award is made possible by Eben Cahan, Lorraine Gabriel Sherman, Robert Sherman, and Mark Stoler. Applications for the 2023 award are now closed and the winner will be announced Friday, May 19 at 6 pm at the BCA Center. Contact Curatorial Assistant and Gallery Coordinator, Jacquie O'Brien at jobrien@burlingtoncityarts.org with questions.

 Image: Diane Gabriel, Untitled (Necklace)

2023, Luna Shen As a first-generation American, Luna Shen’s explorations of identity are shaped by home, place, and authenticity. They work in diverse materials and gestures that articulate their personal navigation between locations and culturally accepted binaries such as here/there or native/alien. Shen’s multimedia work seeks to build visual worlds that act as a bridge between everyday life and dreamscapes.

2022, Misuk Weaver

Misuk Weaver constructs three-dimensional multi-media artworks from discarded, found, or upcycled materials and ceramics. Focusing on the essence of the materials, Weaver challenges perceptions to address themes of scarcity, culture, and gender, informed by her identity as a first-generation Korean-American immigrant.

2021, Crystal Stokes

Based in central Vermont, Crystal Stokes works primarily in portraiture as she explores the intersection of photography and painting. Capturing moments that may otherwise go unnoticed, Stokes combines keen observation with dramatic contrasts of light and dark to investigate the beauty of the world.

Past Awardees (Expand/Collapse)
Image
BCA Elevation Grant in yellow and blue ombréd text over an image of a person's feet, wearing dark oxford shoes, stepping on a guitar pedal with drums visible in the background and a purple filter over the image

Elevation Grant

A pilot program for 2022, the BCA Elevation Grant is designed to support regional artists and artist groups with grants between $500 and $5,000. The grant will help artists address the basic challenges of artmaking with the flexibility of funds that may be used at any stage of the creative process. The Elevation Grant is a one-year pilot program that will bridge support for artists as other pandemic-related funding sources reach their end. The Elevation Grant application period is now closed.

Applications for the 2022 Elevation Grant application are currently closed. Contact Colin Storrs, Public Art & Grants Program Manager, at cstorrs@burlingtoncityarts.org, with additional questions.

FUNDED PROJECTS

BCA is interested in hearing your thoughts and ideas to identify gaps in arts needs. Submit your comments HERE to help shape future BCA grant opportunities. 

ELEVATION GRANT DETAILS (EXPAND / COLLAPSE)