VERMONT STUDIO CENTER INC

FOR 39 YEARS, VERMONT STUDIO CENTER'S (VSC) MISSION HAS BEEN TO FOSTER CREATIVITY THROUGH COMMUNITY, COLLABORATION, AND QUIET REFLECTION. OVER TIME, IT HAS BECOME ONE OF THE LARGEST INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS AND WRITERS' RESIDENCY PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES. IN 2023, VSC WELCOMED 426 RESIDENTS, REPRESENTING JUST 9% OF THE TOTAL APPLICANT POOL. OUR 2023 RESIDENTS TRAVELED FROM 12 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES TO JOIN US FOR 16 SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.THIS YEAR PRESENTED VERMONT STUDIO CENTER WITH HISTORIC CHALLENGES, AS WELL AS REMARKABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH. A DEVASTATING FLOOD IN JULY UNITED STAFF, PAST AND PRESENT RESIDENTS, TRUSTEES, LONGTIME SUPPORTERS, NEIGHBORS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THE SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY ENABLED VSC TO RECOVER AND EMERGE STRONGER AND MORE RESILIENT THAN EVER.ADDITIONALLY, VSC UNDERWENT LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS WITHIN BOTH THE STAFF AND THE BOARD. WITH HOPE SULLIVAN AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND KATE REBERNAK AS BOARD CHAIR, THERE IS NOW A FRESH PERSPECTIVE, SHARED ENTHUSIASM, AND RENEWED ENERGY SURROUNDING OUR MISSION AND VISION FOR THE FUTURE.WITH THE SUPPORT OF NUMEROUS FOUNDATIONS, INDIVIDUALS, INSTITUTIONS, AND CORPORATIONS, VSC AWARDED FULL FELLOWSHIPS TO 92 RESIDENTS AND PARTIAL FELLOWSHIPS TO AN ADDITIONAL 385.THE JULY 2023 FLOOD DAMAGED NEARLY A THIRD OF VSC'S PRINT COLLECTION. MASTER PRINTER SARAH AMOS RETURNED TO WORK WITH STAFF, ARCHIVISTS, AND VOLUNTEERS TO RESTORE THESE VALUABLE PIECES. AFTER MONTHS OF NAVIGATING THE AFTERMATH, THE COMMUNITY CALLED UPON VSC AND SARAH TO SHOWCASE THE WORK, LEADING TO THE PLANNING OF AN EXHIBITION IN 2024 TITLED "COLLABORATION," A SURVEY OF PRINTS FROM THE VSC PRINT ARCHIVE.FOR FOUR DECADES, VSC'S RESIDENCY PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED RESIDENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH GLOBAL CREATIVE COMMUNITIES. WE INVITE VISITING WRITERS AND ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO JOIN US DURING OUR RESIDENCIES TO MENTOR RESIDENTS, PRESENT READINGS, FACILITATE CRAFT TALKS, AND DELIVER PUBLIC LECTURES. IN 2023, THE VISITING ARTIST AND WRITER PROGRAM WELCOMED 16 ARTISTS AND 16 WRITERS TO CAMPUS, ALONG WITH AN ADDITIONAL 10 ARTISTS PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY.THE POPULAR "STUDIOS AT VSC" PROGRAM CONTINUED IN 2023. LAUNCHED IN 2021, THIS PROGRAM OFFERS VERMONT ARTISTS AND WRITERS LONG-TERM STUDIO SPACE AT BELOW-MARKET RENT ON OUR CAMPUS ALONG THE BANKS OF THE GIHON RIVER IN JOHNSON, VT. BENEFITS INCLUDE 24/7 ACCESS TO PRIVATE, LIGHT-FILLED STUDIOS, AS WELL AS SHARED FACILITIES SUCH AS A SCULPTURE SHOP, KILN, LIBRARY, PRINTING PRESSES, AND COMMON SPACES. THE STUDIOS AT VSC SUPPORT THE CREATIVE ECONOMY OF VERMONT, UPLIFT LOCAL ARTISTS, AND ENHANCE OUR ROLE AS AN INCUBATOR FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS.IN SUMMARY, IN 2023, THE VERMONT STUDIO CENTER CONTINUES TO BE A DRIVING FORCE IN THE CREATIVE SECTOR, BOTH INTERNATIONALLY AND WITHIN OUR HOME COMMUNITY.