The Grist Mill Studios (GM) is an artists’ collective and studio, made up of six artists who share space in a former grist mill in East Calais, VT. We collaborate to manage our facilities, plan events, and develop the Grist Mill into a community arts center and a vital resource in a rural village. Our goals are:

1. To create autonomous space for artists.These studios are affordable and open to anybody who wishes to create art, regardless of experience, formal education, or other qualifications. These studios are also a democracy: we reach decisions through discussion and consensus-building.
2. To create economic opportunities for independent producers, from painters to musicians to bakers to healers. Our markets are a democratic opportunity for any interested vendor to sell products and meet new customers and partners. 
3. To foster community in a rural area. Currently, East Calais lacks a gathering space, so we hope to use our facility, and the surrounding greenspace, to bring the community together. A new general store will open later in 2024, and we will collaborate with the store to host events and revitalize downtown East Calais.
4. To use our art and collective power to elevate marginalized voices and promote justice. Our public events are an opportunity to cut through racial, socio-economic, and political divides, providing market access to independent artists who might be excluded from larger and more exclusive markets.