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VAE's Mission since 1994...

To strengthen communities and neighborhoods through the arts and to bring art, art education, exhibition and performance opportunities to people of all ages, abilities and income.

History of the Sage Street Mill and VAE

The old mill at the end of Sage Street in North Bennington has been home to several industries since the late 1800s including the EZ Waist Cuff & Collar Factory. It also manufactured buttons, mirrors, wooden toy carts and furniture. After the days of wooden furniture it became a machine shop producing stainless steel ball valves and even parts for the Patriot Missle.

Since 1993 it has been home to Vermont Arts Exchange), a non profit arts and community development organization. Co- founded by Matthew Perry and Patricia Pedreira in 1994, VAE began the transformation of the run-down old factory into a creative oasis and an energetic force that contributes to the commercial, social and cultural life of the village. VAE's mission is to strengthen neighborhoods and communities through the arts.

"Making the arts accessible enhances the quality of life in our communities and neighborhoods and contributes to a healthy economy" said VAE Executive Director Patricia Pedreira. The arts served as a catalyst to convert a derelict property into a working community asset. The arts are also an exceptional tool in reaching special-need populations such youth-at-risk and elders who are struggling with dementia," said Artistic Director Matthew Perry.

VAE's studio-based programs include paper making, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, drawing, painting, writing, music and dance. A quarterly brochure promotes art classes and workshops for teens and adults as well as after-school sessions and vacation art camps for children. Free programs for teens are also offered, as well as exhibition opportunities here at the Mill Gallery and at Stark Hose Firehouse Gallery (in downtown Bennington). These 2 VAE sites also act as performance venues with the Sage Street Mill being home to the popular Basement Music Series.

Through outreach and private contract work, VAE staff and artists work in the studios with mainstream youth as well as youth-at-risk in residential homes or special school programs. VAE provides art programs offsite to reach local elders, children and their families in housing communities, private schools and Head Start children. Artist residencies in local private and public schools are supported through its ongoing Arts in Education partnerships.

In 1998 VAE responded to the need for affordable living and working space for artists by creating the Vermont Arts Housing & Preservation Partnership Project.

Most everyone agrees that art is good for the community, but community art goes beyond art exhibits or classes. It's about bringing art to those who can't afford an art lesson or even get out of their homes. Integrating and weaving the arts into our lives and neighborhoods creates a strong, vibrant, healthy community and economy.

Founders

The Vermont Arts Exchange (VAE), was founded in 1992 and incorporated as a 501-C non-profit in 1994 by Patricia Pedreira and Matthew Perry.

Patricia Pedreira, Executive Director: Patricia Pedreira received her B.A. in painting from Marlboro College and her M.A. from Lesley College in Expressive Arts Therapy. As an art therapist in the Boston area, she created multi-disciplinary arts programming for several community mental health agencies as well as established an arts-in-therapy program for an outpatient clinic in Newton, Mass. In 1992, Patricia moved to North Bennington, VT and co-founded The Vermont Arts Exchange (VAE), an arts and community development organization that provides studio-based arts education, performances and exhibit opportunities for people of all ages and incomes. Located at The Sage Street Mill in North Bennington, VAE is dedicated to bringing arts programming to people of all ages, incomes, and ability levels. A catalyst for the historic preservation of the Mill, and a community wide clean-up of Paran Creek, the Vermont Arts Exchange has become known throughout the State for its' community development initiatives that place the arts at the center of economic development, historic preservation, and neighborhood revitalization efforts through private and public partnerships. In 1996, Patricia's leadership was recognized with an arts fellowship award from the NEFA Building Community Through Culture Initiative. Patricia has served on the board of the Vermont Arts Council, as a committee member of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) Culture in Community Fund and as an advisor to the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Cultural Economic Development program.

In 2004, Patricia organized a consortium of arts and healthcare organizations and developed The Healing Arts: New Pathways To Health, a regional arts and healing partnership project that utilizes the arts as a key tool to improve the health of people living with chronic psychiatric and physical illnesses and disabilities at hub healthcare sites throughout New England.

Her work has been recognized with awards from groups that include: The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), The Better Bennington Corporation, The Preservation Trust of Vermont and the Sunrise Family Resource Center.

Patricia is inspired by opportunities to work with people from different disciplines and sectors to include the arts in projects that have a positive impact on people, places, and neighborhoods. "My most rewarding work has been on local and regional projects that engage citizens and youth, and bring together varied partners from the arts, housing, community development, finance and healthcare fields to improve community health."

Matthew Perry: Artistic Director: After graduating from Swain School of Design with a BFA in Graphic Design, Matthew established his own graphic design and illustration studio. His artwork has appeared in several regional and national publications. In 1989, Matthew created the cartoon strip "Cyrus & Ida", which appears weekly in the Vermont News Guide. His paintings and sculptures are inspired by his surroundings whether in Vermont or through his travels in Europe, Brazil and Central America where he also has exhibited in group and solo shows.

In 1992, Matthew co-founded the Vermont Arts Exchange and began teaching art to individuals in his Sage Street Mill studio. While leading art workshops with youth at risk and elders during the same period, all of the work eventually formed under its new umbrella, VAE. Matthew has also taken part in numerous school and community arts residencies throughout the Northeast and in England working with troubled teens, the elderly, local schools and the general community. As VAE Artistic Director, Matthew oversees VAE's year-round arts outreach programs, exhibitions at the Stark Hose Firehouse Gallery and the Mill Gallery and performances such as the Basement Music Series. He has facilitated several mentoring and training programs for artists and presented at many conferences on community arts and integrating arts into health care settings. His work through VAE has been recognized with awards from the Better Bennington Corporation, The Preservation Trust of Vermont and the Sunrise Family Resource Center.

2006 VAE Board of Directors

Bob Howe, President

Philip Beekman, Treasurer-Clerk

Patricia Pedreira, Executive Director, co-founder

Matthew Perry, Artistic Director, co-founder

VAE Artist/Instructors
(a sampling)

Stella Ehrich studied painting and drawing for seven years in Florence with professor Signorina Nerina Simi. She holds a masters degree in painting from Bennington College. She has taught at Bennington College, Williams College, and the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts.

Michelle Pearson is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer actively working in many communities throughout her home state of North Carolina. She has made dances with people of all ages and histories including veterans, veterinarians, inmates, retired nuns, politicians, preschoolers and professional dancers. She has danced professionally with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange from 93-97 and moved into the position of Artistic Associate with the company from 98-03. Before joining Lerman's company, Michelle danced with the Doris Humphrey Repertory Company and the American Dance Ensemble in NYC. Michelle fronted the Massachussettes Cultural Council's Elder Arts Initiative and Artist Mentored Project from 1999-2003. Currently, she is a member of Raleigh's Even Exchange Dance Theater and enjoys many collaborative efforts with colleagues near and far. Her work has been presented at Dance Place, the American Dance Festival, Meredith College, BTI Kennedy Theater, and at Arts Together, Inc. Most recently, she has been on faculty at Arts Together, Saint Mary's School, the American Dance Festival, and Meredith College. Michelle is a North Carolina Choreographic Fellow and holds a B.F.A. in dance from East Carolina University where she was the recipient of the University Award, ECU's most prestigious undergrad recognition.

Arline Mayer has a bachelor's degree in visual arts from Bennington College. She has taught and exhibited ceramics throughout New England.

Andrew Davis is a visual artist currently teaching in the Berkshires and at VAE. Andrew comes from the big state of California where he taught, exhibited and worked in galleries and organizations doing arts administration. Back east, Andrew continues to focus on art education to people of all ages and abilities as well as pursuing his own work which includes the performing arts.

Ann Webster-Lang is an artist, educator and mother. She holds both a BFA and a MFA in graphic design from Rhode Island school of Design and is currently designs mixed-media art jewelry. Ann has taught all age groups & populations from toddler to adult.

Michael Wingfield is an accomplished performer and teacher with more than 25 years of experience in Afro-Caribbean percussive arts and culture. In addition to his solo work he directs the Afro-Caribbean percussion ensemble Cabildo that performs widely across New England. His performance credits include such notables as Flora Purim and Airto, Sun ra, Richie Havens and Herman Johnson.

Peggy Rambach is the author of Fighting Gravity, a novel published by Steerforth Press, and a collection of stories entitled When the Animals Leave, published by Ampersand Press. She is also the editor of three grant-supported anthologies of writing from the Vietnamese and Cambodian community in Lawrence Massachusetts. She has written for the Boston Globe Magazine and the Boston Globe Book Section and was twice awarded Massachusetts Cultural Council Individual Artist Grant in Fiction, was the recipient in 1994 of the St. Botolph Foundation Grant in Literature, was a Fellow at the MacDowell and Yaddo Artist Colonies and named a 2005 Literacy Champion by the Massachusetts Literacy Foundation. Ms. Rambach has taught writing and literature for over twenty years. As a Massachusetts Cultural Council Arts and Healing Roster artist, she has taught workshops at Tewksbury Hospital and the Wellness Community of Greater Boston, and was recently awarded a grant from the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center to expand her artist residencies in healthcare facilities and edit an anthology of patient/caregiver stories. She holds a BA from Tufts University in English Literature, an MA in Creative Writing from the University of New Hampshire, and an MFA from Vermont College.

Renee Bouchard has been teaching at VAE since 2007 working with youth-at-risk, elders and teaching community art classes in drawing and painting. She has shown her work in New England, Montana, Idaho, Florida, Washington D.C., and New York City. In June 2006 she will have a solo exhibition of her abstract representational oil paintings at the Southern Vermont Art Center, in Manchester. She has received honors from Stephan Bennett Phillips of the Phillips Collection, the Boise Museum of Art, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, and at the New York New England New Talent exhibition in Amherst, MA. She is a recipient of the Robert Rauschenberg Power of Art Grant, for art teachers working with exceptional learners.

How YOU Can Support VAE!

Some of VAE funding comes through grants & fees but we rely greatly upon your monetary donations. If you would like to support the work of VAE, donations are gladly accepted. We accept of checks, credit cards, gifts of stock and grants from individuals, foundations, businesses and corporations. If you are interested in learning more on how to support our work, please contact Executive Director, Patricia Pedreira at VAE.

Each year many children cannot attend our Vacation Art Camps due to income restrictions in their family. If you'd like to send a child to one of our half-day or full day (week long) camps, please consider buying a "Campership" . For more information, please contact Matthew Perry, Artistic Director at VAE.

VAE also welcomes donations in the form of supplies, equipment or furniture. We strongly believe that "one man's trash is another man's treasure". Please contact Matthew Perry, if you'd like to donate something you think we'd find useful. Your gift(s) are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Volunteering at VAE

Volunteers are the best!
Join our volunteer team in one of many capacities.

Artist/Instructor in a class
Assist an Artist/Instructor in a class
Gallery sitter
Office help
Studio help
Phone Reception
Distribution of poster, brochures, etc.
Basement Music Series set-up, ticket takers
Events & Exhibitions
Facility work, grounds, painting
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