Happy New Year and happy Vermont Arts 2016! The Vermont Arts Calendar is already brimming with #VTarts2016 events. Between today and January 31, there are more than 25 opportunities to enjoy the arts. Check the Arts Calendar for events happening in your community.

If you are involved with an arts organization, presenter, venue, gallery, or festival, be sure to enter your events in the Vermont Arts Calendar and request Vermont Arts 2016 designation (which guarantees additional promotion for your event).

Show your support of the arts in Vermont by proudly displaying the Vermont Arts 2016 window sticker. Don't have one yet? Request a Vermont Arts 2016 window sticker.

The 2016 Breaking into Business workshop will be held Saturday and Sunday, February 6 and 7 in Swanton. Additional information and registration details are available on the Breaking into Business page of our website.

Registration ends January 20, so don't delay!

For the past two years, the Council has partnered with the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) to develop standards to ensure that Vermont students have the opportunity to develop creative abilities and critical thinking skills.

On February 16, the State Board of Education will consider a joint Arts Council and AOE proposal to adopt the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS).

To learn more about NCAS and how you can advocate for their adoption, read "Arts to the Core" by Erika Lowe, Council arts education program manager.

Many believe that access to learning in, about, and through the arts is vital. Sometimes, it's hard to say why. Learning about art does not necessarily make someone an artist, but it can strengthen skills in problem solving, creativity, and communication. This week we tell the story of one resourceful student, Madina Arbow. Read " Anchored in Art."