Art on Main is celebrating our first anniversary in our new Main Street location--and it has been an amazing year! Visitors are up, sales are up, and community support is also. Thanks to support from our 2007 Community Members, grants from the Fieldstone Foundation and the Sandy Gullikson Fund, and the success of the great new space, we are working toward connecting artists with their communities in more ways than ever.

This year we will be offering a Spring Full of the Arts. Our annual high school Emerging Artists Exhibit in March will once again showcase talented five town area youth. In April, members of the community from ages 2 to 102 will have a chance to share their creativity with the public in our new Community Art Show. Our first-ever Spring Artist Demonstration Series will give folks the chance to watch artists at work in the Gallery, leading up to a full day of demonstrations and other activities during Open Studio Weekend May 24-25. Also on the schedule are a Benefit Dinner at the Bobcat Café and an April 11 concert by Montpelier musicians Mark LeGrand &Sarah Munro at the Bristol Bakery.

We are also actively pursuing our mission to support artists in their efforts to make a living and to become an integral part of our community. This spring, we are offering our exhibitors and other artists in the area two professional development workshops on the business side of a creative profession.

We invite you to join us in growing as an organization and supporting the work of the many creative professionals among us. For a donation of twenty-five dollars you can support our efforts and become an Art on Main Community Member. With this membership you will receive a member card good through March 2009 that will allow you to receive discounts at a variety of area businesses who share your support for the arts and for their community. A membership with Art on Main combined with a real effort to shop locally lays a foundation for strong communities.

We are blessed to be part of a region filled with creative people working in the arts. From established professionals building careers in painting or pottery, eager students and young artists looking for a first chance in the art world, or our neighbors who ply their craft between farm chores or after a day in front of the classroom. As we look to integrate the arts into the community, your support can help us make this happen. Please send in your Art on Main Community Membership today!