Studio Place Art — or SPA — is a community center for the visual arts that has operated in central Vermont for more than seven years. SPA has become an important regional resource for art making, learning, and exhibition. SPA is committed to reaching out to bring all members of the community into its facility to become creators of art through involvement in classes, workshops, lectures, and studio experiences, and to view original art exhibits in galleries on all three floors of our historic building (exhibits are free to the public).

SPA is well known for its collegial atmosphere and its friendly instructors and participants. We attract people from a variety of backgrounds and capabilities. SPA offers a wide selection of workshops and classes in a large classroom on the first floor.

The SPA art center includes the Studio Place Arts Gallery , classroom for art instruction , and studios rented on a yearly basis by individual artists and arts groups. SPA has two staff members:

Executive Director, Sue Higby
Administrative Associate, Claire Fitts

The SPA building, which once considered a “spot blight” in downtown Barre and nearly torn down 10 years ago, is now a vibrant arts center. The presence of SPA on Main Street in downtown Barre has helped to spur on new interest and new businesses in our community.

SPA depends on annual contributions from businesses, private foundations, and community members for its operations. SPA has no public funding sources, no major endowment, no multi-year grants from large, private foundations, and no contributions from the United Way . SPA receives donations, for example, from hundreds of members and individual donors. SPA welcomes community involvement and encourages membership in SPA. 

The following lists include recent generous business and private foundation supporters.

Thank You for Your Support

Palette Patrons

Barre Rotary Club

Ben & Jerry's Homemade/Unilever

Community National Bank

Mass Mutual Financial Group/The Marsh Agency

National Life Group

Rock of Ages Corp.

The Times Argus

Trow & Holden Co.

Art Angels

Capitol Copy

Coca-Cola Company

Barre Electric & Lighting Supply

Barre Granite Associataion

Capital Candy Co., Inc.

Concept II

Drawing Board

Green Mt. Orthopaedic Surgery

Key Bank

Kimball & Storrow

Northfield Savings Bank

Rubin, Kidney, Myers & DeWolfe

Sean & Nora's

Simply Subs

Stone's Service Station

Vermont Mutual Insurance

Vermont State Employees Credit Union

Washington Electric Co-op, Inc.

Major Grants

Central Vermont Council on Aging

Mark & Carol Hyman Fund

Madeline C. Kinzel Foundation

Sid & Cecelia Lance Family Foundation

LLH/LHM Foundation

Robert Fleming and Jane Howe Patrick Foundation

Vermont Community Foundation

We look forward to your involvement in and support of SPA!