The Vermillion Cultural Association (VCA) has launched a digital resource to connect artists and arts orgs with the community and each other, including an arts-only events calendar. VCA is hosting an in-person “Welcome to the artsHUB” exploration on Saturday, April 18, from 4-6 p.m. in the First Dakota Coyote Gallery. They will provide a walkthrough of the artsHUB’s features and help creators, organizations, and venue owners create directory profiles.
When VCA stepped into the role of arts council in June 2025, VCA leaders reached back to the lessons from the “Arts & Culture Lighting the Way” visioning sessions the organization hosted in 2022–23 for inspiration on how to expand its mission in ways that meet community needs. The most important takeaway from the conversations was that Vermillion’s arts organizations, artists, and arts-interested audiences that would greatly benefit from a way to connect and communicate. And “arts hub” was proposed as a solution, and VCA has now created it as a digital platform.
The artsHUB offers four avenues of connection and communication: (1) a centralized calendar of Vermillion arts and culture events; (2) a directory of community artists, arts organizations, and event venues; (3) a collection of resources to support arts professionals and organizations; (4) community connection and engagement tools such as a Substack newsletter/blog and a public art map.
The arts-specific calendar can be found at vermculture.org/artshub/calendar. It can also be found through VCDC’s LiveVermillion smartphone app under Play/Events > Community Calendars > artsHUB Calendar. Regional and local partners are welcome to add their own arts and culture events. Some examples include live music, craft workshops, historical presentations, community sharing events (e.g., taverns & pie), gallery receptions, and film screenings or festivals.
VCA receives regular inquiries about artists available for projects or what venues are available to host events. To help the community answer these, the artsHUB includes directories of local working artists, organizations with arts/cultural missions, and venues available for rent. Listings include areas of art focus, organizational services, and rental terms, and contact information. The directories are useful for creating partnerships and are a form of free, passive advertising for all listed orgs and businesses.
Additional “spokes” of the artsHUB—resources and connection—will facilitate storytelling and engagement where artists and organizations can actively collaborate and find support. Ultimately, VCA’s goal is for the artsHUB to evolve beyond a website of listings to showcase collaborations and the relationships that form our community.
VCA would like to thank the USD Humanities Initiative for coordinating an undergraduate internship program that offers students course credit for working with local businesses and organizations. The Humanities Initiative connected VCA with Abigail Zenner, who was instrumental in building the artsHUB databases and curating the calendar. The April 18 “Welcome to the artsHUB” event is also a celebration of Abigail’s dedicated work as her time at VCA ends with the semester.
Explore the artsHUB at www.vermculture.org/artshub.
About the Vermillion Cultural Association
The Vermillion Cultural Association is the community’s local nonprofit arts council dedicated to the inclusion of arts and celebration of culture in everyday life. The VCA independently owns and operates the Coyote Twin Theater and features local artists in the attached Coyote Gallery. For more information and to preview upcoming events, please visit vermculture.org.
