Davis Studio has 30 days to raise $30,000

We Need Your Help

A successful fundraiser before September 10th will qualify Davis Studio to receive a generous matching grant from the state of Vermont. We need your help to transform our front entrance into a safer, more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible entryway. Good design is accessible design.

The Project

The project will replace the front porch, which is badly in need of repair, and also add a beautiful ADA-compliant ramp for those in our community with mobility challenges.

Our Story

Davis Studio has been bringing joy-filled arts experiences to students of all ages since 2003. Since our inception, more than 29,000 people have attended classes, camps and community events. In this past year, we served over 1,500 students of all ages including preschoolers, elementary school students, teens, adults and seniors. Thousands of young students have developed confidence along with a life-long love of the arts, and thousands of adults have re-ignited their creativity and found community. Davis Studio has reached an important milestone and will be celebrating 20 years in business on September 10th.

Our home on Shelburne Road was built in 1929 and one big challenge is that the front entrance is not accessible to students and visitors who use wheelchairs. It is also difficult or impossible for many in our community who use a walker or cane.

As part of the design for entrance replacement, we feel it is essential to add an ADA-accessible ramp. It is an important part of our mission to be a welcoming and inviting place for everyone in our community of all ages and all abilities. This improvement will make a significant positive impact by providing a safe way for our friends who have a mobility disability to enter Davis Studio with respect, dignity and inclusion.

Our Studio has always run on very narrow margins, so to do this on our own would cost much more than we can afford. However, we have the rare opportunity to receive a matching Education Facilities Grant through the State of Vermont in partnership with the City of South Burlington for up to $25,000.

Matching Funds Available

In order to access these funds, it is required that we show we have the support of our wider community by raising a minimum match of $25,000 before September 10th. We would consider this the most amazing 20th birthday present ever and we would be so honored by your support!

If we do not raise $25,000 before this date, we will not be eligible for the full amount of the grant. We are asking for an additional $5000 for a total raise of $30,000 to go towards covering the numerous additional expenses of this project including the project design fees, permitting fees, fundraising processing costs, and the landscaping plantings necessary to bring this project to full completion.

Supporter’s Stories

“The community at Davis Studio has supported my creativity, well-being, and healing for many years now. I have a severe progressive spinal condition that has significantly impacted my mobility. Studying art at the studio allows me to be so deeply immersed in creativity that my focus is on the process and experience rather than on my pain and physical challenges. As my mobility needs have progressed from handrails to walkers to a power wheelchair, my visits to the studio now require a fully equipped ramp and accessible entrance. It would mean so much to me and to others with physical challenges to have an accessible front entrance to a community space where we are welcomed to express our wholeness.”

Maureen Cleveland-Ryan

“Our seven-year-old son had a serious accident that resulted in severe restrictions to his mobility to enable successful healing. The staff at Davis Studio was more than willing to accommodate his limited range of motion and worked with us and the other kids to integrate him seamlessly into the camp. He loved it! He knew one friend at the start and left with six or seven good friends. The only aspect of the camp that was problematic was the entry point to the building. While there is ramp access at the back of the building, we had to ring a bell and wait until someone let us in. Then we had to navigate through a class of older kids with our son in a wheelchair feeling extremely self-conscious. It was an unfortunate way to have the one opportunity to introduce himself causing him to feel dependent and “different” from his peers. Our experience was due to an accident, but that feeling of being separated is no doubt challenging for anyone with mobility issues. Having the same entry point with independent access like all the other kids will make a big difference in creating a welcoming and equitable start point to a positive and uplifting art experience.”

Paul & Susie Dickin

"Davis Studio is a beacon of creativity, collaboration, and belonging in our community. At Inclusive Arts Vermont, we've been fortunate to partner with them on multiple occasions and have witnessed their commitment to growth, capacity-building, and accessibility. They strive to make their arts education offerings experiences where all participants can fully explore their creative selves while developing their skills as artists. We're so proud they're taking this next step in making their work even more accessible to all Vermonters!"

Kat Redniss – Development Director, Inclusive Arts Vermont

Thank you!!

Thank you for believing in and supporting Davis Studio for the past twenty years. We couldn’t be more grateful for our incredible community.

With gratitude, warmth and deep affection,

Teresa Davis