BRATTLEBORO — Art in the Neighborhood, a Brattleboro-based nonprofit, recently received an Arts Impact grant from the Vermont Arts Council.
Arts Impact Grants are “designed to support nonprofit organizations in making art experiences equitable and accessible to marginal communities,” according to the Arts Council.
The grant will support a project titled “Image to Page: Poetry, Art, and Books.” Noted poet Verandah Porche will work with students at Westgate Housing, Ledgewood Heights, and Moore Court to create poems and stories through a method of shared narrative. Students will then create books for their writings.
The purpose of the project is to enhance verbal fluency and enrich language for students in these communities.
Mollie S. Burke, executive director of Art in the Neighborhood, said in a news release that her organization is “extremely grateful for the support of the Vermont Arts Council, and for its emphasis on making the arts accessible to all. Art can empower and enrich the lives of children with multiple challenges. And, by extension, this improves the greater community.”
Since 2008, Art in the Neighborhood has been providing tuition-free art classes to Brattleboro children in low-income housing communities. To learn more, visit www.artintheneighborhood.com or www.vermontartscouncil.org.