Artists, artisans, and local food growers are particularly invited to attend a Winter Artists Town Meeting potluck at Vermont Institute for Contemporary Arts on Thursday, March 7, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The event, hosted by VTica and the Rockingham Arts and Museum Project (RAMP), aims to bring creative people together to share ideas and a meal.
The groups have hosted quarterly Artists Town Meetings for the past four years. The meetings are informal and open to all.
According to Robert McBride, RAMP's founding director, the event meets an essential need in the creative community.
“The more we know each other and can identify ourselves as a constituency, the more strength and credibility we gain,” he explains.
On the agenda is a discussion of the open studio weekend to be hosted by the Vermont State Crafts Council May 25 and 26. The weekend is geared as an opportunity for artists to share their work and attract customers.
According to McBride, the quarterly Artists Town Meeting meets the needs of what he calls “an ever-growing community of working artists and local growers in our midst, all of whom are contributing greatly to the cultural and economic vitality of our communities.”
“One of RAMP's many roles is to be an advocate for these artists. In order to be effective in that role, RAMP creates and participates in opportunities to hear from local artists and assist them in making community connections that benefit us all,” he says.
RAMP credits the Vermont Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, Sovernet and Chroma for helping to make this meeting possible.
VTica is a nonprofit gallery and school dedicated to uniting the community by “challenging all to awaken and respond to a deeper calling” through the essence of art.