Burlington
is home to an extraordinary range of artists, performing art
venues, museums, galleries, and regional theater companies.
Whether you are interested in theater, music, the visual arts
or film, there is something for everyone in Vermont's Queen
City.
The
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Vermont's premier performing
arts facility presents a broad range of internationally acclaimed
activities including performance and workshops featuring dance,
jazz, Broadway musicals, multi-media events, and popular and
classical music. It recently completed a $4 million renovation
and restoration. The UVM Lane Series also hosts a full season
of performance art both on campus and in the community, focusing
primarily on opera and classical music. The Vermont Symphony
Orchestra, the oldest state orchestra in the country, calls
Burlington home. Each year St. Michael's Playhouse presents
a variety of stage performances from musicals to mysteries.
World-class
museums are located throughout the Burlington area. The Shelburne
Museum houses one of the largest collections of Americana in
the country. More than 80,000 objects are displayed in thirty-seven
period homes and structures. The Ethan Allen Homestead, located
in the middle of a 284-acre public park, offers an orientation
center, historical exhibits, heirloom gardens and landscaping,
and a glimpse of what life was like during the Revolutionary
War. The Robert Hull Fleming Museum, on the University of Vermont
campus, has large permanent collections of Native American,
oriental and pre-Columbian art in addition to special exhibits.
At
the heart of most things artistic and creative in downtown is
Burlington City Arts. It's mission is to sustain and enhance
the cultural life of the community - whether through public
art programs in neighborhoods and parks, art classes for pre-school
children, special grants to local artists, or a special event
celebrating the creative talents in our community. Through programs,
services and advocacy endeavours, City Arts fosters economic
development and helps all members of the community unlock their
creative potential.
In
addition to many existing programs, their newest adventure is
a committment to the visual arts, embodied by the Firehouse
Center for the Visual Arts. Located in the historic Ethan Allen
Engine Company on Church Street, the Firehouse is being transformed
(with over $2 million in renovations) into a five-story, multi-use
visual arts center, brimming with classes, workshops, exhibitions,
and more.
Under
the stewardship of Burlington City Arts, Memorial Auditorium
hosts a variety of activities throughout the year including
family programming, a country concert series, and rock and pop
concerts. City Arts, partnering with Frog Hollow Crafts Center,
has established a print and clay studio at Memorial Auditorium.
Memorial is also home to a dance studio and a small club named
242 Main. Several other clubs around the community host live
jazz, blues, reggae, and rock throughout the year.
In
all, the abundance of galleries, museums, and theaters adds
to Burlington's "Big City" feel. They allow residents
to enjoy the cultural benefits of a large urban setting, while
avoiding the problems normally associated with these areas.
Burlington
is home to one of Vermont's largest and most impressive public
libraries. The Fletcher Free Library has been operating since
1873 on College Stereet. It is housed in a Carnegie library
building that is included in the National Register of Historic
Sites. In addition to its collection of more than 100,000 books
and other library materials, the Fletcher boasts two art galleries
and three public meeting rooms. The University of Vermont's
Bailey Howe Library, which has more than one million books,
is available to residents and business people doing research.
Tel
: (802) 846-9508