A collaboration between organizations in and near Hamilton County will offer a new series of professional development classes and workshops for artists and arts leaders. Beginning this month, Nickel Plate Arts, Conner Prairie, the Da Vinci Pursuit, Fishers Arts Council, the Ignite Studio at Hamilton East Public Library–Fishers, and Hamilton County Tourism will begin to offer courses specifically designed for area creatives to grow their skills in basic small business skill-building, professional skill-building, artist skill-building and other areas of professional development.
The first class from March 18 to 20 will feature Conner Prairie’s award-winning techniques for engaging and delighting. In this three-day workshop, Conner Prairie staff will lead artists through conversations and exercises that will help artists engage patrons in conversation and activities that allow those patrons to better understand and value their work. Following this offering is a design innovation workshop on April 14 hosted by Da Vinci Pursuit, Fishers Arts Council’s Artist Skill Set Experience Talks (ASSET) Artist Lecture Series from April through October, and more classes and workshops to be announced later in the year.
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Local arts leaders see a strong need for this learning series. According to Nickel Plate Arts Executive Director Ailithir McGill, “This series runs the gamut of professional development topics, from how to legally start a small art business, to basic social media tips, all the way up to how to be a part of city planning projects! By tying together all of the groups and organizations that have resources for artists, this series also offers artists a robust network of people and organizations who are eager to help them.”
Fishers Arts Council Treasurer Les Reinhardt offered her thoughts on these artist training courses: “Artists are entrepreneurs, just like any small business. And like any small business, they need to have basic business skills in order to stay competitive and realize their full potential. Understanding the how and why of branding and marketing, valuing and pricing, and networking can be a lot to take on, and we want to be there to help.”
Sarah Buckner, Destination Development Manager for Hamilton County Tourism added, “Supporting the artists and makers in Hamilton County to learn and grow in their crafts will help the growth and vibrance of our region’s creative economy.”
To learn more about upcoming Art of Business classes and workshops, visit bit.ly/hcartseducation.