405 PINE STREET – BUILDING COMMUNITY AND THE ARTS – BURLINGTON CITY ARTS FOUNDATION

We believe that access to the arts makes our community stronger.

BCA Studios at 405 Pine Street hosts state-of-the-art facilities for clay, print, photography, jewelry, and painting in an easily accessible South End location. From providing artists with space to incubate their small businesses to introducing the next generation of visionaries and leaders to fundamental concepts in our camps, classes, and workshops, BCA Studios are a critical resource to help nourish the strong arts community we all know and love.

BCA’s current programs are at capacity and have long waiting lists. We need to expand at 405 Pine Street to meet today’s needs as well as to anticipate tomorrow’s. In addition to creating more opportunities for low-income residents, expansion of art space at 405 Pine Street will increase access to affordable, quality programs for all community members.

Repurposing a Warehouse

This project transforms an industrial warehouse into a forward-thinking community center that will:

• Serve more children and families by expanding our existing camps, classes, and workshops
• Preserve rapidly disappearing affordable space for working artists
• Increase access to the arts for low-income, BIPOC, and immigrant communities
• Generate economic opportunity
• Showcase the integration of art and energy-efficient design

Supporting Children and Families

Today, BCA Studios typically serve more than 1,900 ADULTS and 1,700 YOUTH. An expanded 405 Pine will provide arts-based learning programs to more than 7,200 people a year.

In Burlington, 25% of residents live below the poverty level, and 28% of students speak a language other than English at home. BCA program participants align with these demographics. More than 25% of participants identify as low income, and a greater percentage identify as BIPOC individuals than Burlington’s census demographics.

Nourishing a Strong Community

Burlington has been losing art spaces that have traditionally supported low-income residents and communities of color.
A key part of the expansion will be the new community and event space, available for use at subsidized rates. Reaching immigrant populations is a priority for BCA programming. Able to accommodate up to 250 people, the Community Room at 405 will feature large, flexible space that includes a fully equipped kitchen, providing a place for families and children to gather and make art or music or dance together, as well as a state-of-the-art video and sound system, internet, and power for event-grade equipment, adjacent to a flexible-use outdoor patio and performance stage.

Vermont’s Creative Economy

Located in a federally designated low-income opportunity zone, 405 Pine will add jobs ranging from entry level to highly skilled that are accessible for low income and immigrant populations, within walking distance of Burlington’s diverse South End neighborhoods. This project will expand access to the infrastructure—like kilns and pottery wheels, printmaking equipment, traditional and digital photography processing equipment, and photo studio—and programs that bolster job readiness and employability and help employees develop hard and soft skills. 405 Pine will also function as a point of entry for accessing other services needed to find, retain, and advance living-wage work for small businesses, including a growing number of BIPOC small businesses in our region.

Art and Energy: Building the Future

405 Pine Street integrates environmental sustainability into every aspect of design, construction, and programming. Designed in concert with Burlington’s 2030 Climate Action Plan, this project will transform a brownfield site into vibrant community space, increase onsite stormwater management and reduce runoff into Lake Champlain, and transition the building from fossil fuel to electric.
When complete, the community-defining art center at 405 Pine Street will embody the City of
Burlington’s commitment to environmental responsibility and will contribute to its transformation from industrial past to sustainable future.

“Our child adores BCA camps. Maybe more importantly, they are amazing for her growing independence. The counselor/camper ratio and the nature of art allow her to be independent in a way that she can’t usually be in school. BCA camps are a growth opportunity for her!”
— Summer Camp 2021, parent

“The redevelopment of 405 Pine Street offers
Burlington City Arts a tremendous opportunity to increase the volume of, and access to, space to support Vermont’s creative economy.”
— Mags and Steve Conant
Artist and art educator; South End business owner