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The Vermont Crafts Council is participating on a committee of the Vermont State Craft Center Overview Commission, whose task is to make recommendations for changes to the executive order that governs the Vermont State Craft Center designation. You can read the current executive order at this URL: http://tinyurl.com/cdst8.
BACKGROUND
The Vermont State Craft Center Overview Commission came into being in 1993 through the work of a group of people invited by the Governor's Office and the Vermont Arts Council to develop parameters about what a Vermont State Craft Center should look like. After several public meetings around the state, their recommendations were given to Governor Howard Dean and his version of it was endorsed by the legislature. This document is what is referred to by the "executive order."
The executive order called for the Vermont State Craft Center Overview Commission (VSCCOC) to be created. The commission's job was to carry out the executive order. This group developed the application and review procedures being used today.
The VSCCOC has begun to meet again and has taken up two tasks which are proceeding simultaneously. One is the evaluation of the two existing state craft centers, Frog Hollow and Windsor, against the parameters laid out in the current VSCCOC guidelines. Comments on this review will be called for in the near future.
The other task is revising the executive order at the request of the Governor's Office. The Governor's office is asking, in light of the fact that no applicants have come forward to become state craft centers in the thirteen years since the designation was made available, whether the designation has any value to the crafts community and what that value is.
It questions the benefit of a designation that is used by only two organizations, when the intention was to foster a network of entities that supported Vermont crafts through education and exhibition.
A subcommittee of the commission, Martha Fitch, Director of the Vermont Crafts Council, Greg Worden of Vermont Artisan Designs, Jennifer Boyer of Thistle Hill Pottery (a non VSCCOC member), Luann Dillon, Secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Affairs, and Cathy Herlihy, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Tourism and Marketing, are working on revising the executive order.
In forming our recommendation to the VSCCOC, we are focusing on changes to the guidelines that would allow more entities to receive the Vermont State Craft Center designation. After we hear from the community at large, we will submit our suggestions to the whole VSCCOC which will discuss the topic and come up with a final recommendation to the governor's office.
IMPORTANT DETAILS
The VSCCOC will be reviewing the existing state craft centers based on their current contracts. The changes to the executive order now being considered, will not be in effect during their next review.
The discussion about changing the executive order is separate from the internal discussions going on inside Frog Hollow, having to do with reform within the organization or pertaining to their upcoming review.
OPEN FOR DISCUSSION - OUR QUESTIONS
The list of qualifications to be a Vermont State Craft Center are many, but among them are the following. The committee believes these comprise a difficult threshold for other organizations to cross, and we are questioning retaining them in the executive order.
The organization wishing the designation:
1. Will be a non-profit 501 (c)3 organization.
This is a federal designation reserved for organizations who serve the public good and are charitable, religious, or educational in nature. Many corporations, businesses, and other funders will only donate or grant money to 501 (c)3 designated organizations. These organizations must be run by a board and can legally avoid paying certain kinds of taxes.
Our committee had these questions:
If the mission behind this requirement, is to ensure that the designated entity is serving the public good, are there other ways to ensure this? What specifically is "the public good" served by a Vermont State Craft Center, and can an organization that is not a non-profit, serve the public good in this way? If so, what are the conditions for this service?
2. Will have an active crafts education program for children, adults and crafts professionals on site.
Our committee had this question:
If the mission behind this requirement is to create opportunities for hands on crafts education for individuals, are there other ways to meet this requirement besides having classes on site? What are the conditions for an effective, off-site craft education program?
POSSIBLE CHANGES
The committee will make numerous updates to the executive order (name changes, references to past dates, etc.) that will not change the function of the order (not here detailed).
The committee is considering these changes to the function of the order.
1. Under Attachment #1, educational criteria, eliminate the first sentence and change the second to read as follows:
A craft entity seeking state craft center designation, must manifest a clear and substantive commitment to craft education by acknowledged professionals by offering some or all of the following. Add to the list that follows:
4. A local, comprehensive, current, resource list of area providers of craft education.
2. Attachment #1, Legal and Fiscal criteria (a.). Eliminate the requirement to be a 501 (c)3 federal nonprofit organization.
3. Add to Attachment #1 under criteria, language that details criteria for work exhibited by and at the Vermont State Craft Centers, that could encompass the following:
a. The requirement to exhibit primarily Vermont crafts, with an exception to a percentage (to be determined) of crafts from bordering states to which the applicant is located in close (to be specified) proximity.
b. Language defining original work and a requirement regarding limitations on certain types of copies.
c. Language describing whether, and how much, fine art should be exhibited at a Vermont State Craft Center.
4. Under governance criteria, change a. to the following:
When a board of directors governs the organization, it shall have not less than 30% representation of craft professionals.
5. Under review procedure, item a. eliminate the last two sentences and amend the first sentence to read "New applicants will file a narrative report on their ability and willingness to meet the criteria for designation."
6. Under review procedure, item b., eliminate the last sentence which requires existing organizations to submit their latest audited financial statements during a review.
THREE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
The state entities involved with the VSCCOC are considering three options. Based on the committee's recommendations and their consideration, they will choose one of the following:
1. Get rid of the executive order and the designation after having determined that there is little real value in the designation for the crafts community as a whole.
2. Change the designation to make it possible for other entities to meet the designation.
3. Keep the executive order the way it is with no changes.
Public input about on any part of the executive order is encouraged. Please attend a public meeting or submit comments online through the following survey.
Thursday 9/22, 5:30 - 7:30 at the Chaffee Center For the Visual Arts,16 S. Main St. (Rte 7), Rutland.
Tuesday 9/27, 4 - 6 at Brattleboro Savings & Loan Community Room, 221 Main St. (the entrance is at the back door after 5 p.m. Ring the bell.) Brattleboro.
Thursday 9/29, 1:00 - 3:00 at the Agency of Commerce and Community Affairs Conference Room 6th floor, National Life Building, Montpelier. Take exit 8 on I-89. Take a right onto National Life Drive at the first set of lights. Take a left into the National Life parking area and park in front of the credit union entrance, located halfway down the building. You will need to sign in before going up to the 6th floor.
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