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As "America's Most Livable City for the Arts," Burlington is home
to an extraordinary range of artists, performing arts 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 performances 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. Michaels' Playhouse presents a
variety of state 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-Colombian art in
addition to special exhibits.
At the heart of most things artistic and creative in downtown is Burlington
City Arts. Its mission is to sustain and enhance the cultural life
of the community - whether through public art programs in neighborhoods and
parks, art classes for preschool children, special grants to local artists, or a
special event celebrating the creative talents in our community. Through
programs, services and advocacy endeavors, 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 commitment
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.
Burlington is home to one of Vermont's largest and most impressive public
libraries. The Fletcher Free
Library has been operating since 1973 on College Street. 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.
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