Frame of Mind: A Guide to Burlington Art Galleries 

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• Luke Awtry
• Soapbox Arts

Soapbox Arts

266 Pine St., Suite 119, Burlington, soapboxarts.com

Gallerist and curator Patricia Trafton (pictured) opened Soapbox Arts in the spring of 2019 with one main goal: to connect first-time and longtime collectors alike with engaging new voices in contemporary art. In the South End's newly revamped Soda Plant, the white-cube gallery offers consultations, virtual artwork placements, in-home trials and even payment plans to help buyers find the perfect fit. Exhibitions have included works by painters Charlie Hudson and Wylie Garcia, ceramic artist Alex Kovacs, and photographer Jacob Hessler.

BCA Center

135 Church St., Burlington, burlingtoncityarts.org

Born from an arts council founded in 1981 by then-mayor Bernie Sanders, this multilevel gallery was once a firehouse. The center hosts art classes, live performances and changing contemporary shows — recent ones featured artworks inspired by whale innards and robot-human relationships. Gallery admission is always free!

Champlain College Art Gallery

375 Maple St., Burlington,  artgallery.champlain.edu

With gallery director Dana Heffern at the helm, this college-run art space offers innovative exhibits featuring regional and national artists. Plenty of locals show here, too, including students working in fine arts as well as audio and graphic design.

Fleming Museum of Art

61 Colchester Ave., Burlington, flemingmuseum.org

Open since 1931, this University of Vermont museum draws on its collection of 24,000 items for permanent installations of art and anthropological artifacts. Temporary exhibitions have explored everything from miniature dioramas to the career of Vermont queer cartoon hero Alison Bechdel.

Karma Bird House Gallery

47 Maple St., Burlington, karmabirdhouse.co

You never quite know what you're going to get here: Prints, paintings or cardboard pinball game systems are a few possibilities. KBHG shares space with coffee shop Maglianero Café — so you can get caffeinated and cultured all at the same time.

New City Galerie

132 Church St., Burlington, newcitygalerie.org

Modest in square footage but provocative in the scope of its shows, this downtown gallery highlights contemporary work by Vermont and Vermont-connected artists. Intimate concerts, film screenings and poetry readings add to the diminutive venue's vibrancy.

SEABA Center

40 Sears Ln., Burlington, seaba.com

The home base for the South End Arts and Business Association hosts rotating exhibitions by Vermont artists working in Burlington's South End Arts District. Located in the Generator maker space and led by new executive director Christy Mitchell, it's also HQ for the annual art-stravaganza the South End Art Hop.