The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), in coordination with NEIWPCC, has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Artist-in-Residence (AiR) programs. This opportunity will support development of Artist-in-Residence programs in 2026 that recruit artists to use scientific data, cultural trends, or historical facts to interpret natural resources in the Lake Champlain Basin.
Grants of up to $40,000 will be awarded, with a total of approximately $80,000 in funding available. The LCBP anticipates granting multiple awards from this opportunity to support work in New York and Vermont. A subsequent RFP will be issued later this fall to solicit proposals for work in Quebec.
The projects awarded from this opportunity will support artists to inspire and inform citizens about the lake environment, cultural heritage, or social concerns using a variety of creative media. They will continue the goals of current Artist-in-Residence programs supported by the LCBP.
Current Artists in Residence are working to share untold stories of the Lake Champlain Basin and its cultural heritage.
Burlington City Arts led a public art residency and apprenticeship program to support the creation of a mural exploring the environmental, cultural, and industrial history of the Burlington Waterfront Barge Canal. The project highlighted the site’s transformation from an industrial hub and EPA Superfund site to a reclaimed natural ecosystem, incorporating scientific data and historical perspectives.
John Brown Lives! in Lake Placid, New York, is collaborating with the folk music duo Magpie on the Waterways to Freedom residency program. The program will be offered to three regional schools and engage students in the region’s complex and interconnected freedom history.
“We are excited to see the culmination of these artists’ work across the Lake Champlain watershed,” said Dr. Eric Howe, Director of the LCBP. “By engaging multiple modes of inquiry—scientific, cultural, and historical—artists in residence continue to bring awareness to yet untold stories of people and ecosystems within our region. Their outreach bolsters broad efforts to inform the public and inspire residents and visitors alike to take action for Lake Champlain.”
Applicants will submit full proposals that will be evaluated through a competitive selection process. Grant award recipients will be selected from the pool of full proposals.
Proposals are due at 5:00 PM on October 13, 2025. Projects are targeted to begin work in February 2026 and must be completed by December 2026. The proposal guidelines, list of eligible entities, submission requirements, and an electronic submission application link are available on the LCBP website at lcbp.org/grants.
For more information about this Request for Proposals, please contact Jim Brangan of the Lake Champlain Basin Program at (802) 372-3213 or jbrangan@lcbp.org.
The Lake Champlain Basin Program coordinates and funds efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources. The program works in partnership with federal agencies, state and provincial agencies from New York, Vermont, and Québec, local communities, businesses, and citizen groups. NEIWPCC—a regional commission that helps the states of the Northeast preserve and advance water quality—serves as the primary program administrator of LCBP at the request of the Lake Champlain Steering Committee and administers the program’s personnel, finances, and contracts. NEIWPCC is a program partner of LCBP. For further information, contact the Lake Champlain Basin Program, 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, VT at (802) 372-3213 / (800) 468-5227 or visit https://www.lcbp.org/.
