BRATTLEBORO, Vt. - Four Vermont contemporary art organizations are teaming up for the fifth year in a row to award The Vermont Prize. The prize is a collaborative initiative of the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC), Burlington City Arts (BCA), the Hall Art Foundation, and The Current. Its goal is to celebrate and support outstanding visual art being made in Vermont today.
"Artists help us imagine what's possible - something our world needs now more than ever. BCA is proud to come together with our partners in the arts community on The Vermont Prize, and celebrate artists who are asking meaningful questions, taking risks, and shaping the cultural conversation in our state" said BCA Executive Director Doreen Kraft.
The Vermont Prize is awarded to one artist annually. The winner receives $5,000, and their work is showcased and archived at vermontprize.org. The competition is open to individuals as well as collaborating artists currently living and working in Vermont. Artists working in any visual medium are welcome to apply. There is no application fee. The application deadline is March 31, 2026. The winner will be selected based on artistic excellence alone and will be announced by June 30, 2026. To apply, visit vermontprize.org.
Last year's winner of The Vermont Prize was Jonathan Gitelson of Brattleboro, a professor of art and design at Keene State College who works in a variety of mediums, including photography, artist books, video, installation, and public art. In a statement on Gitelson's work, last year's guest juror, Denise Markonish, chief curator at New York's Madison Square Park, said Gitelson "endeavors to look underneath every overturned stone, and in doing so he reveals the poetry, humor, and strangeness of the everyday… He reminds us to always interrogate the world."
Prior winners were Will Kasso Condry (2022) of Brandon, Terry Ekasala (2023) of East Burke, and Sarah Amos (2024) of Enosburg Falls.
The Vermont Prize is juried by one representative from each of the four partner organizations, plus a special guest juror. This year's guest juror is Ben Davis, National Art Critic for Artnet News and author of 9.5 Theses on Art and Class(Haymarket, 2013) and Art in the After-Culture (Haymarket, 2022).
The four other jurors are Maryse Brand, Director of the Hall Art Foundation, Heather Ferrell, Curator and Director of Exhibitions at BCA, Sarah Freeman, Director of Exhibitions at BMAC, and Rachel Moore, Executive Director of The Current.
"We are proud to celebrate and support contemporary artists living and working in Vermont today with The Vermont Prize, while also expanding on popular ideas of what constitutes 'Vermont art'," Brand said.
"Supporting contemporary art and artists is essential to providing for a vibrant and healthy community, and The Vermont Prize recognizes the incredible talent and contributions of artists working within our state," said BCA Executive Director Doreen Kraft.
"The Vermont Prize is a great opportunity for us to see artwork by artists from all over the state," Freeman said. "It is a celebration of the rich artistic talent that is all around us."
"To recognize and support contemporary artists in our state through exposure to curators, critics, and new audiences is so crucial right now," Moore said. "We're proud to be part of this important partnership."
For press inquiries, contact Sarah Weiler at hello@vermontprize.org.
How to Apply
The Vermont Prize opens for submissions on February 1, 2026 at vermontprize.org.
Submissions are due March 31, 2026, 11:59PM
Submissions are accepted from artists living and working in Vermont. Artists working in any medium may apply. There is no submission fee.
Artists who applied to The Vermont Prize in previous years may submit a new application or re-submit a previous one, with or without updates. Details are available at vermontprize.org.
About the Four Partner Organizations
Founded in 1972, the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) is a non-collecting contemporary art museum located in Brattleboro's historic Union Station. An anchor of southern Vermont's vibrant cultural life, BMAC brings exceptional art and artists to Brattleboro and provides a platform for its region's many talented creators. BMAC presents 15-20 exhibitions annually, complemented by 60-70 public programs and extensive educational offerings developed in partnership with area schools and service organizations.
For more than 40 years, Burlington City Arts (BCA) has helped cement Burlington, Vermont's reputation as one of America's most livable cities for the arts. BCA's locations include the BCA Center, a three-level, year-round exhibition space featuring regional, national, and international artists, and BCA Studios, which hosts art classes, camps, and open studio hours in its state-of-the-art facilities. BCA also produces city-wide festivals, events, concerts, films, artist markets, and more. Both a department of the City of Burlington and also a nonprofit organization fueled by the generosity of community members and visitors, BCA is dedicated to supporting artists while expanding access to arts-based education and experiences.
Founded in 2007, the Hall Art Foundation makes available postwar and contemporary art works from its own collection and that of Andrew and Christine Hall for the enjoyment and education of the public. In Reading, Vermont, its campus of converted galleries, situated on a former dairy farm, consists of a 19th-century stone farmhouse, three barns, and a reception center and cafe. The property's five historic buildings make up approximately 6,000 square feet of museum-quality exhibition space, and are surrounded by approximately 400 acres of pastures, hayfields, and extensive woodland. Outdoor sculptures by world-renowned artists are installed throughout the grounds.
The Current is a Center for Contemporary Art. The Current strives to create human connection through contemporary art exhibitions that challenge and inspire. We are committed to supporting the work of diverse artists: from emerging to established artists, from commissions that generate new, original work; to exhibitions that reframe an artist's practice; to experimental residencies. The Current strives to meet artists where their work demands it and to carve out a distinct position in our region's artistic ecology. As a conduit for civic engagement, The Current is the union of an international art gallery and a modern take on a community art center. Through education, programs, and events The Current strives to spark creativity and progressive thought in our members and beyond.