Activating Democracy

Educating students on what it means to participate in a democracy by understanding and engaging with our governance systems.

Art and Public Action

Supporting artists as change agents through the vital role they play in shaping thriving and sustainable communities.

Environment and Public Action

Building healthy environments through developing and enhancing sustainable water, energy, and food systems.

Human Rights and Peacebuilding

Working to resolve conflict, build peace, and establish a just and equitable society through local, national, and global partnerships.

Building Regenerative and Resilient Communities

A new initiative that focuses on innovation and imagination for systems design in our communities.

CAPA is housed in a state-of-the-art facility designed by award-winning architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. It blends the studio of the artist, the laboratory of the scientist, the think tank of the policymaker, and the town square of the citizen.

CAPA is a 15,000-square-feet complex of three buildings nestled along the central meadow of Bennington’s campus.

The 80-seat conference room, the Symposium, was modeled after the United Nations to facilitate discussion and deliberation.

CAPA has two classrooms, called Design Labs, designed for collaborative work.