The National Endowment for the Arts announced its spring grants on June 14. Because, despite concerns, the organization continues to function. And while President Trump has made his feelings for the NEA clear, the 2017 budget he signed on May 5 actually included a 2 million dollar increase for the arts. Vermonters are set to benefit from the moolah flowing out of Washington, D.C., to a variety of programs.

The Vermont Arts Council gets $708,900 through the Partnership Agreement program, which will be turned into grants for various Vermont organizations and individuals. That's up from $705,425 last fiscal year and $698,907 the year before.

Through the Our Town grant program, which focuses on placemaking projects to revitalize neighborhoods, Next Stage Arts in Putney is getting a hefty chunk of change — $50,000. The sum will support Putneyfest, a celebration of Vermont history, arts and culture.

The last Vermont organization to benefit from an Our Town grant was the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, which received $25,000 for a project related to the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. It was meant to highlight underutilized transportation methods through music and visual art. Burlington City Arts also received $100,000 through that grant to fund artist participation in PlanBTV South End in 2014.

Last but not least, six other organizations are receiving sums ranging from $10,000 to $35,000 through the Art Works program, the NEA's largest grant-making category. Those are New Music on the Point in Brandon, the New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro, Burlington City Arts, the Flynn Center, the Jazz Festival (through its fiscal sponsor, BCA), and the Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury.

Check out the full NEA grantee list here.