It’s so important to have a group of yeasayers when you are exploring your soul through creation. Art has always been key to my survival. I know by creating more entry points into community through artistry, we will build a richer experience for everyone. 

My life on the road has given me so many ideas in terms of how we can connect to each other through intention and creation. We have an accountability to creativity that can sometimes get lost in the minutiae of daily life, and the process of creation can be isolating. Growing our community of creatives and sparking a culturevation is what this is all about. The bliss I feel in the unifying sensation between performer and witness is something I want to share. I want to watch our kids come to their truth through their art. I want to create more spaces for our oddballs and weirdos, so they get to experience adoration for their work, just like I have. 

Art is an integral part to our community infrastructure and is often the first pillar to be knocked down. It is a crucial pillar in the fabric of vibrant communities. GPF will be dedicated to supporting existing arts and culture programs, along with building our own programmatic outreach 

We all have a role to play in bringing this work to life, whether that is a meeting place, an open studio, sharing what we’re making with each other, working on these things together. I witnessed how we showed up for each other as neighbors time and time again, throughout the pandemic and last year with the catastrophic flooding. I want to create that same activation and response for our artists.

Let’s summon culture in a way that sustains our souls, too. Let’s insist that art is one of the pillars of our state that is held in high regard, that it is in fact an essential part of being alive - that’s what I want Grand Point Foundation to do for Vermont. 

-Grace Potter