AGP Executive Report

Arts & Community: Hinesburg journalist Geoffrey Gevalt won the $10,000 Herb Lockwood arts prize, recognized for decades of arts leadership and the Young Writers Project. Local Culture: The Londonderry Arts and Historical Society hosts its annual meeting June 25 with a maple sugaring program and opens a new exhibit, “The Art and Artifacts of Sugaring,” running into mid-October. Outdoor Access: Vermont Parks Forever announced 2026 Park Access Fund grantees, expanding free state-park days for groups including youth programs, BIPOC communities, people with disabilities, and mental health clients. Vermont Arts on the Big Stage: “It Will Be Different For You,” a Pride Month documentary short about Olympian Lea Davison, launches June 22, spotlighting identity, risk, and inclusion in women’s mountain biking. Beauty & Vermont Business: Burlington-based certified organic makeup brand Ogee is set to launch on Sephora.com June 22, with select in-store rollout in October. Youth Spotlight: Vermont 4-Hers advance after State Communications Day, with winners in performing arts, poetry slam, and fashion revue. Sports & Pride: World Cup fever hits the Pacific Northwest as fans pack stadiums and streets for U.S. matches.

Beauty & Retail: Burlington’s certified-organic makeup brand Ogee is heading to Sephora.com June 22, with select in-store rollout in October. Whiskey & Vermont Pride: Lost Lantern launched “The United States of Bourbon,” a blend built from one distillery per state. Parks & Community Access: Vermont Parks Forever named 2026 Park Access Fund grantees, expanding free state-park days for groups including youth programs, BIPOC communities, and people with disabilities. Film & Pride: “It Will Be Different For You,” a new short documentary about Lea Davison, explores identity, risk, love, and inclusion in women’s mountain biking. Local Arts & Theater: Vermont Theatre Company is seeking directors for its 2026–27 season, including one-weekend one-acts, a winter downtown production, a 24-hour play-making event, and Shakespeare in the Park. Music Around Vermont: Retreat Farm’s Music Under the Stars returns June 27 with Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra, plus more free summer concert series across central Vermont. Sports Spotlight: Mike Babcock is hired as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, with Vermont ties noted in his coaching path. Revolutionary War Storytelling: A Manchester talk at the Southern Vermont Arts Center spotlights the town’s Revolutionary War role as part of America’s 250th.

America 250 at Shelburne Museum: The Shelburne Museum has opened a new self-guided exhibit, “America 250 at Shelburne Museum,” running through Oct. 25, with works spanning the 18th to early 20th centuries across three themes: “America the Beautiful,” “By the People, for the People,” and “A Patchwork Nation.” Vermont Writers’ Prize: Westford and South Burlington writers took top honors in the 37th annual contest—Emily Rinkema won for prose (“The Apprentice”) and Laura Kujawa won for poetry (“Sugarhouse Steel”), with winners published in Vermont Magazine and receiving $1,250. Neurodivergent care, local spotlight: Montpelier’s All Brains Belong is building a neurodivergent-focused primary care model centered on social connection and mutual aid, with public education and a Brain Club meeting. Outdoor access, statewide: Vermont Parks Forever announced 2026 Park Access Fund grantees, distributing 12,000+ free state-park day passes to groups including youth programs, BIPOC communities, and people with limited mobility. Cycling documentary: A new Pride-month short documentary, “It Will Be Different For You,” explores Lea Davison’s journey from elite mountain biking to advocacy for inclusion and equity. Music & community: Essex Junction artist Saint Silva is releasing “Forager” July 17, built from Vermont field recordings and electronic collage-style production.

Vermont State Parks Access: Vermont Parks Forever named 2026 Park Access Fund grantees, distributing 12,000+ free day passes so foster families, youth programs, people with disabilities, BIPOC communities, new Americans, and mental health clients can get outdoors. Pride in Rutland: The fourth annual Rutland County Pride Festival drew thousands despite rain, with organizers saying “you can’t have rainbows without rain.” Arts & Culture: Shelburne Museum’s new Norman Rockwell exhibit spotlights his Vermont years, while Essex Junction artist Saint Silva turns Vermont soundscapes into a new album. Film & Sport Identity: A new Pride-month documentary short profiles Lea Davison’s mountain biking journey and advocacy for inclusion. Community Health: Montpelier’s All Brains Belong clinic offers neurodivergent-focused primary care built around connection and mutual aid. Local Leadership & Schools: Rutland theater teacher Cathy Archer retires after 40+ years; Rivendell district hires Loretta Cruz as Westshire Elementary principal. Outdoor Conservation: Groups push to add three northern Vermont waterways to the federal Wild and Scenic River System. Summer Events: Here are nine Vermont festivals to check out this summer. Sports Notes: Lake Region’s Adler Lahar and Maeda Urie record at the Vermont State Decathlon; Poultney will forgo the 2026 football season due to low participation.

Neurodivergent Care in Montpelier: All Brains Belong is building a different kind of primary care model—centered on social connection and mutual aid—for people who process the world differently, with a Brain Club, trainings, and a book on the way. UVM Athletics Push: Facing a demographic-driven squeeze, UVM is betting big on a $175M athletics upgrade, aiming to create a major indoor events hub and boost student appeal. High School Sports Spotlight: The Free Press opens voting for a spring girls playoffs MVP, after naming an All-Championship Team across softball, lacrosse, tennis, and Ultimate. Fatherhood, Community Style: Burlington’s Dad Guild hosted Father’s Day with food, games, and support for dads and masculine-identifying caregivers. Vermont Agriculture Funding: Vermont secured $31.7M in federal disaster relief for farms and timber losses, with applications expected to open in 2026. Arts & Culture Calendar: Franklin County’s June 22-26 events list highlights what’s happening this week.

Vermont Pride & community arts: St. Albans churches held an annual Pride Praise ecumenical service, drawing about 75 people and centering “God loves you without condition.” Local library politics: Williston’s library expansion bond revote was pushed to November after the selectboard backed a general-election ballot plan. Vermont history in the spotlight: The Vermont Historical Society is curating its “50 for 250” exhibit, choosing artifacts that reflect both everyday life and harder chapters of the state’s past. Music & performance: Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival announced that Hadestown creator Anaïs Mitchell will headline in August, and Vermont’s Make Music Day returns with free events. Sports culture: Vermont Amateur golf qualifiers wrapped up at Neshobe, setting the stage for the Vermont Am championship. Vermont entertainment calendar: Matilda and Three Bears (Chester) hosts a Pride event June 27 with local artists and a Pride fashion show.

AI Power Shift: Sen. Bernie Sanders is pushing a sovereign wealth fund plan that would tax 50% of the stock in major AI firms to fund public payments and programs—while Trump also signals openness to the U.S. taking equity stakes so “the American public” becomes a partner. Vermont History, With Teeth: The Vermont Historical Society’s “50 for 250” exhibit is picking 50 standout artifacts from its 30,000 collection, including items tied to labor conflict and hate, with a July 3 reveal in Montpelier. Juneteenth & Pride on the Calendar: Burlington and other communities are marking Juneteenth with downtown festivals, while Chester’s “Matilda and Three Bears” hosts a Pride celebration June 27 featuring local artists and a fashion show. Music & Film Connections: A VTSU alum is credited on a Taylor Swift track in Toy Story 5, and Vermont’s arts scene keeps rolling with major festival and performance highlights. Sports Local Flavor: The Lowell Spinners notch a 5-3 win on “Irish” Micky Ward Night, and Vermont’s ski season just logged its strongest winter in more than a decade.

America250 & Vermont History: Vermont’s Division for Historic Preservation is inviting people to July 3-4 readings and events at state historic sites, including Declaration of Independence readings at President Chester A. Arthur, Coolidge, Chimney Point, Hubbardton Battlefield and Mount Independence, plus a noon reading at Bennington Battle Monument and a Coolidge-day lineup featuring a Naturalization Ceremony and an F-35 flyover. Vermont Arts & Music: Taconic Music marks its 10th summer season with chamber concerts (June 20, 27; July 11), a Pops Concert July 4 at Southern Vermont Arts Center, and livestreamed Young Artists performances. Opera in the region: Opera North brings “Ballad of Baby Doe” (plus “La Cenerentola” and “Fiddler on the Roof”) to Blow-Me-Down Farm in Cornish, New Hampshire, spotlighting a Vermont stonecutter story. Community & Culture: Lakeville’s “Once Upon a Generation” pairs students with seniors to retell shared local stories through an intergenerational storytelling program. Sports & Outdoors: Vermont ski areas logged their strongest season in more than a decade, with 4.36 million skier visits in 2025-26.

Vermont Ski Scene: Vermont ski areas logged their strongest season in more than a decade, with 4.36 million skier visits in 2025–26—up 4.7% from last winter and 11% above the 10-year average—helped by 194 inches of snowfall and 118 average operating days. Music & Venues: Nectar’s, Burlington’s longtime music hub, is getting a big send-off with a sold-out tribute at Higher Ground featuring 32 local artists who played the club for years. Classical & Opera: Taconic Music marks its 10th summer festival with chamber concerts, a pops night, and livestreams; Opera North brings “Ballad of Baby Doe” to Cornish, NH, with Vermont stonecutter roots. Community Arts: A new graphic novel spotlights one of the earliest documented same-sex couples in the U.S., with Vermont’s Tillie Walden sharing “Charity and Sylvia” in White River Junction. Sports & Culture: Go Skate Day rolls into Waterbury’s new skatepark on July 11, and the Vermont Trapshooting State Championship hits the Montpelier Gun Club this weekend. Local History & Reading: Historic sites are gearing up for July 4 Declaration readings, and Vt. Book Nook profiles Chittenden Public Library’s Joanna Tebbs Young.

Vermont Arts & Culture: Nectar’s, Burlington’s longtime music hub, is being honored with a sold-out 32-artist tribute at Higher Ground after the venue closed a year ago, with local bands and fans keeping the legacy alive. Queer History in Comics: Tillie Walden’s graphic novel “Charity and Sylvia” spotlights one of the earliest documented same-sex couples in the U.S., with the story rooted in Vermont life 200 years ago. Community Arts & Learning: Next Stage Arts and Weston Theater Company bring free “Schoolhouse Rock Live!” to Putney Central School, turning classic songs into a sing-along education show. Public Art & Memory: A new South Burlington exhibit celebrates Black Vermonters, while Burlington’s Juneteenth block party at the Richard Kemp Center blends spoken word, history displays, and family fun. Sports Spotlight: Vermont’s Kaiden McCarthy is drawing major MLB Draft buzz as a top national prospect, and the Vermont Baseball Coaches Association names 18 players for the Twin State Baseball Classic in White River Junction. Local Events: Waterbury’s Hope Davey Park skatepark gets the spotlight with Go Skate Day on July 11. Arts Funding Recovery: Three years after the Vermont Studio Center flood, FEMA recovery funding helps restart rebuilding and relocation of a key studio in Johnson.

America 250, Vermont-style: The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation is inviting visitors to July 4 readings of the Declaration of Independence at multiple state historic sites, with free admission at President Coolidge’s site plus a planned F-35 flyover and naturalization ceremony. Local arts & summer reading: Fletcher Free Library kicks off its Summer Challenge Program (“Unearth a Story”) June 20, with free events including dinosaur inflatables and a musical performance of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.” Juneteenth in Burlington: City Hall Park and Church Street Marketplace host Juneteenth Burlington 2026 (June 20) with live performances, cultural programming, food vendors, and family-friendly activities. Vermont in the spotlight: South Burlington’s Beta is pushing electric aviation forward, citing Vermont’s community and workforce as key to its rapid growth. Sports on the page: Green Mountain’s Ian Bernier places fifth in the boys Vermont HS decathlon, and Vermont’s spring tennis all-championship team is named. Music & nature fundraiser: Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center’s “Forest of Melody” micromusic festival (June 25) blends regional singer-songwriters with a solstice fundraiser. Big national debate with Vermont ties: Sen. Bernie Sanders unveils an AI sovereign wealth fund plan that would give Americans a public stake and projected $1,000 annual payments.

Vermont Arts & Culture: Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center’s “Forest of Melody” micromusic festival returns June 25, with guided woodland performances by regional singer-songwriters and a fundraiser for the center’s environmental education work. Local Entertainment & Community: Burlington’s Juneteenth Burlington 2026 brings live performances, cultural activities, food vendors, and community engagement to City Hall Park and Church Street Marketplace on June 20 under the theme “Freedom: Yesterday’s Legacy, Today’s Promise, Tomorrow’s Hope.” Music & Film (Vermont tie-in): Vermont State University Lyndon alum Cam Gilfoy lands an assistant mixing engineer credit on Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You,” featured in “Toy Story 5,” a major career milestone after a road-trip leap to Los Angeles. Sports: The annual Hanover Lions Byrne Cup Twin State All-Star Lacrosse Games match top Vermont and New Hampshire graduates on June 20 in Hanover, with proceeds supporting local charities. Business & Jobs: Ocean State Job Lot schedules hiring events in St. Johnsbury for part-time seasonal roles at the Green Mountain Mall. Food & Family: Maple Run Unified School District’s Summer Meal Box Program starts next week in St. Albans, offering seven-day breakfast-and-lunch boxes for kids 18 and under. Tech Policy (Vermont angle): Sen. Bernie Sanders unveils a plan to tax major AI company stock to fund a public sovereign wealth fund, echoing broader debates about who benefits from the AI boom. Civic/Heritage: Vermont’s Historic Preservation Division plans July 3 and July 4 Declaration of Independence readings and events at multiple state historic sites, including free admission and a Naturalization Ceremony at President Coolidge’s site.

Juneteenth in Burlington: The City of Burlington’s Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging is hosting Juneteenth Burlington 2026 on June 20 (1–9 p.m.) at City Hall Park and Church Street Marketplace, with live performances, food vendors, and family-friendly activities under the theme “Freedom: Yesterday’s Legacy, Today’s Promise, Tomorrow’s Hope.” Middlebury arts buzz: Anaïs Mitchell, Addison County native and creator of Hadestown, headlines the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival opening night Aug. 26, hosting a Vermont premiere of the live-capture Hadestown film. Theater in Bennington: Bennington Theater’s Much Ado About Nothing (A Revolutionary Tale) brings Shakespeare to colonial Vermont, with a review highlighting its sharp wit and local twist. Make Music Day Vermont: Randolph leads the statewide June 21 celebration with dozens of free sets, including Spencer Lewis and Friends (Bethel Bandstand) plus multiple stops across Randolph and Windsor. Sports & community spotlight: Vermont Wild hosts “She Means Business Night” June 20 at Applejack Stadium, pairing women’s business owners with a sports bra donation drive. Local leadership in sports: Sarah Roy is elected president of the Vermont Basketball Coaches Association, stepping into the role after a standout coaching run at North Country. Historic sites for July 4: Vermont’s Division for Historic Preservation plans Declaration of Independence readings across state historic sites, plus free admission at President Coolidge State Historic Site and a Naturalization Ceremony.

Arts & Community Events: Arts in the Barn is hosting “Threshold,” new paintings by Cheryl McAlister, July 10–12, with a Friday opening reception. Live Music: Make Music Day Vermont is rolling out dozens of free performances statewide, including Randolph’s big day of pop-up sets. Theater: Bennington Theater’s “Much Ado About Nothing (A Revolutionary Tale)” swaps Shakespeare’s Messina into colonial Vermont for a colonial-flavored comedy. Film Debut: Vermont Suitcase Films’ feature “New Clothes” screens June 19 at Next Stage Arts in Putney. Sports & Inclusion: Burr and Burton Unified basketball will represent Vermont at the Special Olympics in Minnesota (June 20–26). Local Sports Leadership: Sarah Roy was elected president of the Vermont Basketball Coaches Association. Women in Sports: Vermont Wild’s “She Means Business Night” (June 20) spotlights women business owners with a sports bra donation drive. Nature & Learning: Athens Brick Meetinghouse hosts a free Nature Fest June 20 with live native caterpillar programming. Food & Health: Gluten-free businesses are creating safer, more welcoming spaces for people with celiac disease. Local Business Moves: DFA will idle its St. Albans milk plant and close the St. Albans Creamery & Supply store Aug. 17, affecting about 80 employees.

Independence Day at Vermont’s historic sites: The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation is inviting visitors to Declaration of Independence readings at multiple State Historic Sites on July 4, with free admission at President Coolidge’s site plus an F-35 flyover and a naturalization ceremony; a July 3 evening concert at President Coolidge’s location and another Declaration reading are also planned. Local libraries go electric: Cobleigh Public Library in Lyndonville unveiled Vermont’s first fully electric bookmobile, cutting gas costs while keeping its routes for kids, daycares, and seniors. Arts & literature in North Bennington: Shirley Jackson Day returns for its 20th year with an art show, live music, and a tribute exhibition at The Left Bank. Community music in West Brattleboro: Bonnyvale’s Forest of Melody micromusic festival and solstice fundraiser brings roaming performances across its trails on June 25. Sports spotlight: RunVermont released results from the 2026 M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon, including new course-record performances and Olympic Trials qualifiers. Vermont culture on the move: The Vermont Renaissance Faire returns June 27–28 with more than 175 artisans and performers, plus a special guest from Highlander. Endless Mountains Adventure Race: The 2026 Endless Mountains Adventure Race kicks off June 22–27 with the largest field yet—38 teams—heading through Vermont’s South Shires. Vermont blues loss: Hinesburg guitarist Dennis Willmott, a longtime blues scene builder and co-founder of the Vermont Blues Society, has died.

Arts & Activism: The Kennedy Center’s board-ordered removal of Trump’s name is reversed after a judge ruled it illegal, with fired staff and advocates calling it a “rule of law” win amid broader arts shakeups. Music & Community: Vermontitude spotlights Rock Against Racism Vermont’s benefit for Families First at Valley Craft Ales (June 19). Food & Awards: The James Beard Awards went to Kalaya (outstanding restaurant) and Michael Tusk (outstanding chef), with Vermont connections noted across the winners list. Local Arts Calendar: Next Stage Arts screens Vermont Suitcase Films’ debut feature “New Clothes” (June 19, Putney). Festivals: The 10th Annual Vermont Renaissance Faire returns June 27–28 at Champlain Valley Exposition with 175+ artisans and special guest Adrian Paul. Juneteenth: Vermont events include Bennington’s Merchants Park celebration and Burlington’s Richard Kemp Center block party. Sports: ESPN updates 76-team early NCAA bracketology, including Vermont in the projected field. Historic Preservation: The John Woodruff Simpson Memorial Library in East Craftsbury earns Vermont’s 2026 Preservation Excellence Award. Sports & Running: RunVermont’s Vermont City Marathon highlights Ryan Smith’s course record and Olympic Trials qualifiers.