The ‘collective power of artists’: Governor’s Awards presented at SVAC | Entertainment

MANCHESTER — The 2025 Governor’s Art’s Awards were held September 17 at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester.

The ceremony was introduced and hosted by Amelia Wiggins, executive director of the Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC); Susan Evans McClure, executive director of the Vermont Arts Council (VAC); Amy Cunningham, deputy director for the VAC; and Mark Foley, board chair of the VAC.

McClure thanked the community for coming together to celebrate the arts, “It is no small feat to come together,” she said. “The very act of joining in celebration is powerful, and we need our collective power – as artists, as creators, as Vermonters – more than ever. We see, time and again, the power that our sector has to affect positive change in our communities. Through the work of artists – and the work of the artists we’re honoring tonight – you all are bringing our community together. You’re showing us new ways of looking at the world, and you’re helping us remember what being human is all about. This current moment requires courage and connection.“

“Honoring what is special about the arts in Vermont, could not have come at a more vital time,” McClure continued. “And, I’m so honored to be here tonight – with all of you – to do just that.”

McClure then introduced the illuminated awards, “beautiful, handmade works of art, created by Tenzin Chophel – a fourth generation Tibetan metal artist and Vermonter.” The awards were made of crafted brass, metal, wood, and paper, with translucent inks and lights. Four of the awards were silos, but the fifth – representing the Governor’s Award for the honoree – was in the shape of a sugar shack.

VAC Board Chair Foley took the stage and thanked the VAC executive director and team, “You and your team have been navigating some truly extraordinary and challenging conditions over this last year with a determination and grace that we’re all greatly appreciative and thankful for.” He stressed the importance of the arts with data, pointing out that “the arts and culture sector contributes $1.2 billion annually to our state’s GDP, and brings our communities together to learn, to connect, to question, and to celebrate.”

Foley then introduced a brief video message from Senator Peter Welch, with a few connectivity issues. These pauses as the video loaded were interspersed with rather humorous audience affirmations to his last utterances, and good-humored laughter.

Cunningham then introduced the recipients of the first award, the 2025 Arthur Williams Award for Meritorious Service to the Arts, which was awarded to Will, Jennifer, and Alexa Condry of Juniper Creative Arts out of Brandon.

In Cunningham’s introduction, she told the story of her first meeting with Will Condry – in 2019, and on a bus in Mississippi. This was, Cunningham noted, before the creation of the family business – but it was also where she listened to the dreams of Will Condry, and the ideas that he and his wife and their daughter had for a rural arts mural program in the State of Vermont. Cunningham added that, in a “relatively short period of time, Will, Jennifer, and Alexa have built something deeply special together – not just murals, but a practice rooted in care, vision, and healing.”

Taking the stage, the Condrys conceded the microphone to Will, the “designated speaker for the family.” Will Condry spoke about his experiences with young people, and how he felt that creativity had been “stripped out at a young age.” He spoke about wanting to form a business with intention, a business that would work with young people to show them the power of what art could do.

The 2025 Margaret L. (Peggy) Kannenstine Award for Arts Advocacy was awarded next, and the recipient Zon Eastes of Guilford took the stage.

Eastes was described as “an experienced leader and community builder with three decades of organizational management, community organizing, and public advocacy experience in arts and culture.” He came to Vermont in 1982 with degrees in music, and worked as a cellist, conductor, teacher, and coach for nearly 20 years in the Brattleboro, Amherst, Dartmouth, and Keene areas. He served for six years as the director of outreach and advancement at the Vermont Arts Council, and a number of other creative sector organizations. He is currently the music director of Juno Orchestra in Brattleboro and, after serving on the Guilford selectboard, was elected to represent Windham-1 in the Vermont State Legislature in 2024.

McClure noted that Eastes was honored as a Vermonter who was “committed to furthering the arts in a wide range of fields such as accessibility, administration, education, philanthropy, and elected office.” He was introduced by fellow Windham-1 Representative Sara Coffey, who called Eastes a “friend, a former arts colleague, neighbor, and now constituent.”

“[Margaret L. (Peggy) Kannenstine] reminded us all that the arts are not just enrichment, but are essential to the life of our state, and this award honors a Vermonter who embodies that same spirit – whose vision, leadership, and service ensure that the arts continue to flourish for all,” added Coffey, in recognition of the work of Eastes. “It is rare to find someone who combines artistry, advocacy, and leadership so seamlessly. Vermont has been profoundly impacted and enriched by Zon’s vision, his dedication, and his unshakable belief in the value for the arts.”

Eastes said that he just “stumbled into Vermont” but that “it did some magic” to him. Here in Vermont he stayed, making a life that was full of opportunity, “One of the many magics that I discovered in Vermont is the openness in this state – the sense of willingness to share, the sense of a notion of collaboration and agreement about what it means to be human, and the wellness of community.” Eastes added that he felt “so inspired” when he looked at the collective work of previous and current winners of the awards, “I want to thank everyone that has led before, and will keep going forward in their personal journeys in the arts.”

The recipient of the 2025 Ellen McCulloch-Lovell Award in Arts Education was Troy Wunderle of Chester. The award honors the work of “an arts educator, teaching artist, or administrator whose work has substantially deepened student engagement in the arts.” Wunderle – with expertise in circus programming, training, and entertainment – has spent nearly 30 years teaching circus residencies. His work has touched over 100,000 students, and has been recognized nationally.

He was introduced by Rob Mermin, author, educator, founder of Vermont’s Circus Smirkus – and colleague and friend to Wunderle.

“When I first started trying to teach circus arts in Vermont back in the early 80s, I approached the Arts Council to get a grant to be a teaching artist. I was turned down,” began Mermin, laughing. “Circus was not considered an art form. Finally, I got some grants from the Arts Council. Then, came Troy Wunderle.”

Wunderle, a “proud native Vermonter,” recalled that had just graduated from college, “I went to college in Baltimore Maryland College of Art, got a degree in graphic design, and then impressed my parents and ran away to clown college.” It was there, Wunderle said, that he met Mermin – and the two hit it off, and began to do circus residencies together in Vermont.

“I can think of nobody else in the State of Vermont who is more deserving of this award for being a teaching artist,” said Mermin, with showmanship. “In fact, nobody deserves this better than Troy in the whole country – the whole planet. I can imagine, a couple of decades from now, Troy going to Mars and teaching circus residencies to little Martian kids. So, thank you for all your work, Troy.”

After briefly addressing the audience, Wunderle provided the crowd with just a taste of the circus shenanigans that he has spent years teaching throughout the state. In a seemingly impromptu performance, he had the crowd roaring with laughter. He balanced atop a friend’s shoulders and interacted with a clown on stilts – and then began to juggle circus pins.

“Never follow the circus act,” said McClure, as she retook the stage to introduced the winner of the 2025 Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts, Sue Higby of Barre, and turned the microphone over to Janet Van Fleet of Studio Place Arts in Barre.

“Well,” said Van Fleet, referencing the act that came before her, “Sue and I are not going to do that.” Van Fleet spoke about how much tireless work and dedication Sue Higby had devoted to Studio Place Arts – through the “mud, filth, mold, and goo” of “at least a dozen incidents with basement flooding at the location.”

“It’s probably safe to say that shoveling mud was not in the job description of executive director, a role that she has had since 2003 – nor is disaster clean up among the qualifications for the Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts,” Van Fleet said. “But, Sue Higby’s pluckiness, work ethic, and willingness to literally get her hands dirty is matched by her energetic devotion to Studio Place Arts, to the artists who work and exhibit there, and to the greater community.”

Van Fleet went on to note how Higby had expanded the offerings at the location, including the development of an artist in residence program, “On most days, Sue is the gallery greeter, too – a welcoming, informative tour guide and cheerleader for the artists on view. She’s a passionate advocate for art outside the gallery, as well – namely, the granite sculptures downtown.”

“Without Sue’s leadership,” Van Fleet said, “Studio Place Arts would not exist in all likelihood – much less, be the incredible center for creativity that it is in Central Vermont.”

“The remarks about mud and goo describe just some of our time at [Studio Place Arts],” said Higby, in acceptance of the award, but went on to add there were numerous other obstacles. We selected Barre for its outstanding art history, but we were often viewed as a long shot. We were an improbable group to take on the renovation of an 1880s historic building damaged by a major fire, and the creation of a new art center – from scratch.”

Higby noted that, to begin with, they were a group of women with no real estate experience. Many of them were new to Vermont, or to the area, “We faced numerous natural disasters over the past 25 years, and we also faced man-made obstacles – quite literally – to our success. We have prevailed.” Higby then invited those who have not yet been to Studio Place Arts in Barre, to visit, and that she looked forward to continuing her work at the location.

Dona Ann McAdams, winner of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the highest honor presented to an artist by the state of Vermont, was introduced by John Killacky.

“I’m the luckiest person in this room because Dona Ann McAdams is my friend,” Killacky began. “You don’t often get to be friends with your heroes, and she’s one of my heroes. With 50 years of her remarkable career, she’s still capturing indelible images of art, politics, and community.”

Killacky spoke to McAdams’ skill and ethics as an artist, and to her bodies of work that have led to recognitions, but also to her compassion and “profound empathy.” He spoke of her career and her books, and of how she has continually immersed herself in each experience, and promoted the work of others. “This is what Dona does. She embeds herself in communities,” said Killacky. “She invites us as the viewers in the particularity of place, and the innate humanity of the people she captures.”

In a film presented by Killacky, McAdams began, “When you go back in time, when you dig deep into your work, you’re often surprised. What was once an exposure – 250 at 8 – is now a historical moment of a person, place, or thing. But, is that enough? Doesn’t what’s in the frame need to be a good photograph as well? Time is marked in silver; time is captured. Time is on your side, or is it? Time does not heal all wounds. Time captured in light keeps those wounds fresh – like the day you made them, like the day you got them.”

She spoke about her trusty Leica camera, and of having it on hand always to capture those moments in time, “When I go out to photograph, I don’t really go out to photograph. I go out to do my day. And, if I’m going someplace, I have my camera with me,” McAdams said. “I’m not interested in setting things up. I’m more interested in discovering, in having the unfolding happen before me as I walk through whatever activity I might be doing – whatever my day brings.”

And then, McAdams did what she does best – she immortalized the moment. She pulled out her trusty Leica, remarked on the poor lighting conditions, and snapped a photo of the audience.

“While the arts face national cuts in funding, Vermont is investing boldly,” said SVAC Executive Director Cunningham, who noted that generous donations have assisted the organization to double scholarship funding, promote programming for neurodivergent and bilingual families, host free family concerts, and begin construction on a new “landmark” building that will be opening in June of 2026.

“This landmark project will showcase the preeminent ‘For the Love of Vermont Collection’ and a vibrant contemporary art exhibition program – and we are so thrilled to share that our inaugural feature artist in the Van Degna Gallery will be tonight’s honoree, Dona Ann McAdams. Here at SVAC, the arts truly are thriving, and this community knows that they are vital to our way of life and to our future, as we celebrate the artists and educators here tonight,” continued Cunningham. “And, I look forward to strengthening Vermont’s creative sector and community together.”

The next Governor’s Awards for the Arts, organized by the Vermont Arts Council, will be held in 2027. In the past, the recognitions had been awarded annually. However, in 2024, the Vermont Arts Council introduced a new event, the Creative Sector Convening – a conference open to the arts community. The new event is expected to be held once again in 2026.

The VAC, in association with the governor’s office, has been recognizing “outstanding individual and organizational contributions to the arts in Vermont with a variety of awards” since 1967. The VAC is the primary source of funding for the arts in the State of Vermont, with an essential role in “cultivating and advancing art and creativity through the state.”

The governor, who normally attends the events, was not present at the 2025 awards ceremony.

To learn more about the awards and the Vermont Arts Council, visit vermontartscouncil.org/programs/arts-awards. To view the 2025 Governor’s Arts Awards in its entirety, visit youtube.com/watch?v=sf7nOeZdWYM, courtesy of Greater Northshire Access Television (GNAT).

Further information on the artists in receipt of awards at the 2025 Governor’s Arts Awards can be found on their websites at junipercreativearts.com, zoneastesvt.com, bigtopadventures.com, studioplacearts.com, and donaannmcadams.com.