BRATTLEBORO-Arts Council of Windham County (ACWC) recently announced the grantees for this year's Brattleboro Town Arts Fund (TAF) program.
Twelve community-focused creative projects were selected from a competitive field of proposals received in this fifth year of the TAF program.
According to a ACWC news release, TAF "promotes the development and presentation of creative projects that contribute positively to the greater community and to the vibrancy and diversity of Brattleboro's arts and cultural landscape. TAF projects explore social and quality-of-life issues in the community, are collaborative in nature, expand accessibility and visibility for underrepresented artists and audiences, and highlight Brattleboro's unique assets and qualities."
This year's application cycle continues the shift ACWC made in 2021 in response to the COVID-19 crisis by soliciting proposals for relatively low-cost ($1,000 to $3,000) creative projects the council says "aim to build connections and share joy, solidarity, and solace in the Brattleboro community."
Over the past five years, TAF has received more than 150 grant applications and funded 53 creative initiatives, representing a range of local artists, organizations, projects, and creative potential.
"We are grateful to everyone who applied to the program this year. The number and range of proposals we see every year, speaks to the wealth of creative energy in our community, and the shared desire to uplift and connect with neighbors through art and creative practice." said ACWC chair and vice-chair Sharon Fantl and Chrissy Lee. "We're thrilled to support this year's grantees and to see new works, conversations, and visions emerge from these initiatives."
The 2024 TAF grantees, as described by ACWC, are:
• Warlé: Exploring LGBTQ+ Caregiving and Community (Andrew Ingall) - Using storytelling, archival documents, photography, and original artifacts, Warlé is a dance-theater event that conjures the lives of two remarkable Windham County residents who were partners in life and in business for 58 years. Featuring a multimedia performance and a beginner's queer tango lesson, Warlé sparks wonder and imagination about our ancestries, and generates conversations about care for LGBTQ+ elders and other marginalized communities.
• Printing Tangrams together at First Proof (Felipe Fontes Delfino) - In this interactive, free community workshop, participants learn about Tangram puzzles and design and create their own unique Tangram puzzle prints. This hands-on experience will exercise creativity and problem-solving skills while connecting with those who share a passion for art and puzzles.
• Joyful Noise: Vermont Village School Children's Lion Dance Troupe (Vermont Village School) - The Vermont Village School reimagines school as a liberatory space for people of color. The school is creating a children's lion dance troupe that will spread "joyful noise" throughout Brattleboro next winter. The dance troupe will work with schools and organizations to bring this vital Lunar New Year tradition to the area through free public performances.
• The Inside Scoop: Mindful Spoon-carving Workshops (Out in the Open)-Participants learn to carve a wooden spoon alongside other rural LGBTQ+ people using hand tools and enjoy the meditative nature of creating something slowly with their hands. The program culminates in a Springtime 2025 art show among the trees from whence the spoons came.
• A Course in Happiness (Djeli Celestia)-A Course in Happiness workshops offer participants the tips, tricks, and techniques to generate happiness. Following an eight-part process that combines writing, mindfulness, game play, and discussion, participants will gain the tools and toys necessary for making their own happiness, while possibly discovering that happiness is the gateway to something greater.
• The healing power in Tai Chi movement (Cai Xi Silver) - Cai Xi brings to our community her cultural tradition from China, practicing tai chi with the principles of yin and yang balance combined with the Five-Animal Qigong movements. This simple self-help technique "opens bodily meridian lines and strengthens one's immune systems." Artist/Chef/Educator Cai practices Chinese Five Element cooking and tai chi movement as a form of holistic living. Join Cai for ongoing Tai Chi Fridays, 9 to 10 a.m., at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.
• Trail Magic (Amber Paris) - Trail Magic is a collaboratively created, semi-permanent fiber-based installation that invites participants to express why the Retreat trail system is an important asset in our community. Appreciation voiced for this preserved space in the heart of Brattleboro will be woven into these stories as a nature-based public quilt installation.
• Spark Street Mural Project (Downtown Brattleboro Alliance)-Electrical boxes keep our downtown running. They aren't always attractive or inspiring, but they could be! Downtown Brattleboro Alliance will seek proposals for mini-murals to transform three electrical boxes in town. Three artists will be selected and provided funding and materials to create their mural designs.
• Marooned! A Space Comedy School Show Initiative (Sandglass Theater) - Sandglass Theater's Puppets in the Green Mountains Festival presents Alex & Olmstead's Marooned! A Space Comedy, an adventure addressing modern-day themes of isolation and courage. Alex & Olmstead use various forms of puppetry in this hilarious performance celebrating the power of laughter in unexpected places. TAF will underwrite free tickets for 300 students for a school performance of Marooned.
• No Notes (Julia Tadlock, Fresh Show Films) - No Notes (working title) is an original feature-length screenplay written by local artist and arts organizer Julia Tadlock, which is slated to be shot, edited, and produced in collaboration with Fresh Show Films later this year. The screenplay, set in Brattleboro, showcases local artists and artistry in several media, including acting, directing, filmmaking, fine art, and music.
• Wildlife Tales of Green Street (Artlords) - Wildlife Tales of Green Street is a mural project intended to transform Green Street into "a colorful tapestry showcasing the diverse wildlife of Vermont." Through captivating characters and scenes, the mural will celebrate the community's connection to nature while inviting viewers of all ages to appreciate and engage with local wildlife. This project aims to inspire and uplift residents and visitors alike, fostering a sense of pride in the town's natural beauty and heritage.
• Forest of Fashion: Science and Sustainability (Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center) - Building on BEEC's annual event, The Forest of Mystery, The Forest of Fashion will explore the nexus of science, style, sustainability, self-expression and community. During this one-day event, attendees will enjoy a walk through BEEC's woods while taking in a live fashion show along the trail. The garments will be created by local schools, community organizations, and local artists and designers, expressing their "Bratt Style" and the intersection of science and sustainability.
Arts Council plans to open the next application cycle for the TAF program in early 2025. Updates about TAF projects and opportunities can be found at artswindhamcounty.org/taf and @artswindhamcounty on Facebook and Instagram.
The Brattleboro Town Arts Fund is a program of the Arts Council of Windham County and made possible by support from the town of Brattleboro. To support this program and TAF's capacity to fund future community projects, go to artswindhamcounty.org/donate.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.