Irene recovery grants workshops; new contemporary art gallery coming to Chester

Workshops set for those seeking Irene recovery grants

Springfield Regional Development Corp. and the Brattleboro Development Credit Corp. have received an additional $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery funds through the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development to assist businesses with “unmet disaster recovery needs” related to Tropical Storm Irene. The two groups have scheduled free, mandatory, workshops in October for those interested in applying for funding through this program.

To date, BDCC and SRDC have facilitated grant awards, ranging from $1,000 to $50,000, to more than 30 businesses in Southern Windsor and Windham counties. To be eligible for potential funding, business applicants need to demonstrate unmet need, which means those items that are a direct result of flooding from Irene that have not yet been addressed through other means, such as FEMA, VEDA or other grants, loans or contributions. Eligible use of funds include repair of structure, repair or replace equipment, creation or retention of jobs, interest rate buy downs on private loans, rent subsidies and lost rental revenue.

This is a competitive process as the documented unmet need greatly outweighs the funding. A selection committee of individuals from each region will determine which businesses will receive funding and the total amount of funds to be granted to each business based on program criteria. There will be two rounds of application with tentative due dates of Nov. 22, 2013 and Feb. 28, 2014. Applications must be complete to be reviewed.

If you are a business that’s still struggling to recover from the effects of Tropical Storm Irene, you are encouraged to attend to learn more about this program and how it may be of assistance. Those interested in submitting an application must attend one of the workshops being provided in partnership with Small Business Development Corp. at either the Brattleboro or Springfield location. SBDC will provide direct assistance in completing the application and helping businesses to include all required materials to have a more competitive application. If a previous applicant is submitting a new application, they do not need to attend the workshop, although they are certainly encouraged to.

Business application workshop schedule:

• Tuesday, Oct. 8th 5-7:30 p.m. – Marlboro College Graduate School, 28 Vernon St., Brattleboro

• Thursday, Oct. 10th 9 – 11:30 a.m. – Howard Dean Education Center, 307 South St., Springfield

• Wednesday, Oct. 16th 9 – 11:30 a.m. – Marlboro College Graduate School, 28 Vernon St., Brattleboro

• Thursday, Oct. 17th 5 – 7:30 p.m. – Howard Dean Education Center, 307 South St., Springfield

The workshops are free of charge, but registration is required. You can register at either www.springfielddevelopment.org or www.brattleborodevelopment.com or by calling either BDCC at 802-257-7732 or SRDC at 802-885-3061.

Feroleto to open contemporary art gallery

Mia Feroleto has announced the opening of her contemporary art gallery at 17 Grafton St., Chester. The Green + Blue Gallery will open its doors by appointment only beginning Oct. 15. In a press release, she says she is considering several available venues within the town as a permanent space.

Intuition by Carmelo Blandino. Click photo for Blandino’s website.

“My consulting at the Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts provided the initial reason for moving here but it is the people of Chester and the energy in the town itself that has encouraged me to make it my home,” she said.

Feroleto curated the current exhibit at, “This is Water,” at VTica by going through her extensive roster of artists both regionally and as far afield as New York City and Montreal.  Artists Karen Gunderson, Don Nice and Lucio Pozzi have been friends of Feroleto’s for almost 30 years.

The Green + Blue Gallery will be representing such artists as Gunderson, Nice and Pozzi as well as Glenn Goldberg, Katherine Bradford, Antonietta Grassi, KK Kozik, Doug Trump, Craig Stockwell and Eric Aho.

Feroleto plans to organize studio visits to local artists as well as a weekend trip to Manhattan to expand the horizons of local collectors.

In her senior year at the College of New Rochelle, Feroleto, trained as a painter,  had a one-woman exhibition of her work at The West Broadway Gallery in SoHo. While at New Rochelle, she received a BFA with departmental honors, the Joseph Mc Goldrick Art Award, a cum laude degree through the Honors Program with a major in painting and printmaking and a minor in philosophy.

She created a series of monotypes that were used as the basis for the final series of collages by artist Romare Bearden, made for his last exhibition in New York City.  “It was a thrill to see that Bearden had maintained my shapes and colors throughout his work,” Feroleto said.  “I felt I had become part of his process.”

“Since the age of 16 when I first began to paint, art, nature and animals have formed the core of my life.  Making my home in Chester will provide the opportunity for me to continue my life-long love affair with all three.”

For more information please contact Mia Feroleto at 802 730 5331 or by email at mia.feroleto@gmail.com.