The Business of Art Conference
where creative people come to connect & learn
Saturday, March 6, 2021
CONFERENCE ITINERARY
Please note: We know it’s hard to choose — all the sessions look so good! All sessions will be recorded via Zoom and shared to participants (barring unforeseen technical problems). Although you will be able to ask questions only in the session which you attend live, you will be able to view or re-watch any session you choose! The conference program is subject to change
Saturday, March 6
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8:00am – 8:45am
CHECK IN with music by Reggie Greenlaw
The conference will be hosted on Zoom. If you don’t already have a Zoom account, please set up a free account prior to conference day. Watch your email for the Zoom links the day before the conference (March 5). On conference day, simply log in using the links. Please check in at least 10 minutes prior to the start time. It takes a little time to admit the participants and make sure everyone’s technology is working.
Enjoy music by Ames singer/songwriter, Reggie Greenlaw (about 8:00 – 8:15am and 8:30am – 8:45am) while you pour your morning beverage.
Reggie Greenlaw is a local treasure. He plays the hammered dulcimer, guitar and mandolin. He’s performed at eclectic venues throughout the midwest, including wineries, bars, celebrations, and renaissance festivals. He has performed solo and played with bands such as Stranger Than Fiction, The Blue Moon Players, and Green Oaks. You can find out more about Reggie at reggiegreenlaw.com
8:30am – 9:00am
WELCOME
Opening remarks to start off your conference day will start about 8:45am.
9:00am – 10:00am
KEYNOTE ADDRESS 1: Creative Leadership and Cultural Renaissance -- Jenie Gao
Artists are leaders who have repeatedly envisioned the future of society, both its wonders and its follies. Pastoral painters inspired the American lawn. Dystopian writers cautioned against the rise of social surveillance. Science fiction creators predicted the future of technology.
However, art is also one of the most difficult fields to make a living in, underfunded during good economic times, and the first to go during a crisis.
Jenie Gao will talk about her work as a full-time artist-entrepreneur, and the path she took to build a mission-focused business and creative practice. She will also share insights as a self-employed business owner during 2020, the year that changed everything, and where our attention should be in our efforts to rebuild.
About Jenie Gao:
Jenie Gao is a full-time artist, creative director, and entrepreneur. She specializes in large-scale projects including murals, public installations, curatorial works, and creative direction. She is an interdisciplinary leader with a professional background in the arts industry, public education, and lean manufacturing, and an advocate for equity for artists and creative labor. As a first generation American, she is a spokesperson for the arts as a path to cultural relevance for a diverse citizenry.
Jenie is an arts ambassador who has served as the Vice President of Wisconsin Visual Artists, Chair of the Biennial at Museum of Wisconsin Art, and Public Art Committee member for Madison Arts Commission. She is a founding member of Arts + Literature Laboratory and Dane Arts Mural Arts, where she has served as a fundraiser and systems builder for the financial longevity of these nonprofits. Jenie is a TEDx Madison speaker and outspoken advocate for the value of the arts in our ecosystems. She is a former artist-in-residence at Proyecto’ace in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Museo de Arte Moderno in Castro, Chile; Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, Madison Public Library, and Artist Campaign School with Fractured Atlas. As a curator, she has produced exhibits at companies like Promega Corporation and AC Hotel Marriott as a way to build bridges between artists and businesses.
Jenie currently runs a 1,700 square foot production studio and has hosted 20 interns since 2018. Through her interdisciplinary work, Jenie has become a visionary leader who knows how to bring together industries, education systems, and cultural representation to create a more equitable ecosystem for everyone.
Learn more about Jenie Gao: website and Tedx Madison
10:00am -11:00am
SESSION A: Losing the Spark: How to reignite the creative spark and over come the "Creative Block" -- Tim Read
We all go through it. We’ve all had to deal with it. We have all been the victim of…THE CREATIVE BLOCK! It’s 3a.m. and you have an 8a.m. deadline and nothing is coming to the surface. The page is blank, the canvas is empty, and the right side of your brain refuses to deliver. What do you do?
Tim Read, illustrator and designer has been through this more times than he would like to admit. Believe it or not a creative block can be beat. Like a villain in some super hero block buster the creative block has a weakness and it’s up to you to find it. Join Tim Read as he shares his story of how he has (on more than one occasion) had to deal with the creative block and what he did to overcome it. It may not be as difficult as it sounds and even more fun than you can imagine.
About the Presenter:
Tim Read has been a freelance illustrator and graphic artist for over 25 years. He is the owner to 5 Fingers Creative and creator of the popular children’s book series “My Very Silly Monster”. Between projects he can can be found teaching classes on comic book creation, drawing, and book design. He travels to schools and libraries to speak to kids about the power of creativity. He lives with his wife and four kids in Ames, IA.
Learn more about Tim Read: www.timread.com
SESSION B: Work of Art: Pricing -- Adia Morris Swanger (she/her)
About the Presenter:
Adia Morris Swanger is Program Manager of Professional Development at Springboard for the Arts where she manages the Artist Career Consultant roster, teaches business skills workshops for artists, and connects artists to funding opportunities with the Incubator Fiscal Sponsorship program. Adia has been a freelance theatre artist, dancer, choreographer, writer, and educator in the Twin Cities for many years.
Learn more about Adia Morris Swanger here.
11:00am – Noon
SESSION A: Low Effort – High Reward Marketing Strategies -- Kori Heuss
Join me for a discussion based hour where you will walk away with strategies you can implement immediately. We will talk about local and statewide ways to gain exposure as an artist. Bring a calendar and we will create a three month business building plan. You will select the items that apply to your market and willingness to put the work in to grow and hopefully leave the session excited and enthused and ready to grow.
About the Presenter:
Kori Heuss is an innovative communications professional with marketing and business management experience in not-for-profit and corporate environments. An entrepreneur in her soul, she has purchased two companies and started a third. She has a BA in Communication from Iowa State University, a certificate in non-profit management from Colorado College and an executive certification in Graphic and Arts communication from the National Association of Printers and Lithographers.
She owns an award winning full service industrial interior and exterior design company, but you will also find her rearranging her friends furniture whether they have asked or not.
She operates a marketing and consulting firm, but you will also see her questionable sense of humor and writing style.
She has received awards for writing, design and campaigns, but her passion is seeing others grow.
She has worked on prominent campaigns with Fortune 500 companies, but Is happiest pushing the boundaries of marketing and does not believe in a one size fits all approach.
She executes full scale social media and marketing management, but you will find many of her musings on sticky notes scattered on kitchen cabinets.
She has a passion for helping others tell their stories, but also knows that life is exciting enough with no need so sensationalize.
You will find her getting rid of her anxiety by being outdoors, building a construction project or painting or refinishing her latest project in her garage shop. An avid rock hunter, adventurer, outdoorsman and liver of life, listing her hobbies would take days and only elicit boredom in the reader. Believing that all things should be tried and life must be faced head on is at the core of all she does.
Learn about more Kori Heuss: www.heuss.com
SESSION B: Make a Living as an Artist -- Liz Lidgett
Liz will cover topics such as best practices when dealing with potential clients and galleries, diversifying your revenue streams, marketing and other art business tips.
About the Presenter:
Liz Lidgett is an art advisor, writer and gallery owner. As CEO of Liz Lidgett Gallery and Design, she works with people to find the perfect piece of art for their style, space, and budget. Liz also is a contributor for many national publications, working with brands like Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart, and Apartment Therapy. She lives in Des Moines, IA, with her husband, Nick Renkoski, their children, Rocky and Effie, and their ever-expanding art collection.
Learn more about Liz Lidgett: www.lizlidgett.com
Noon – 12:15pm Break
12:15pm – 1:15pm
KEYNOTE ADDRESS 2: Art and Community Ecosystems -- Jenie Gao
What is the role of art and the artist in a community ecosystem?
Artists are often called to a higher, social purpose. Many artists become community organizers, educators, and activists. Other artists donate their work to fundraisers or volunteer for nonprofit causes. Businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities frequently reach out to artists to build excitement for a particular cause. But social issues and systems are complex, and how do we know if what we are doing accomplishes more good than harm?
In this talk, Jenie Gao will pull from her writing, research, and work on the role of art in an ecosystem. She will touch on topics including artists’ equity, racial justice and representation, healthy collaborations and partnerships, and how we can incorporate art responsibly and meaningfully into our communities.
About Jenie Gao:
Jenie Gao is a full-time artist, creative director, and entrepreneur. She specializes in large-scale projects including murals, public installations, curatorial works, and creative direction. She is an interdisciplinary leader with a professional background in the arts industry, public education, and lean manufacturing, and an advocate for equity for artists and creative labor. As a first generation American, she is a spokesperson for the arts as a path to cultural relevance for a diverse citizenry.
Jenie is an arts ambassador who has served as the Vice President of Wisconsin Visual Artists, Chair of the Biennial at Museum of Wisconsin Art, and Public Art Committee member for Madison Arts Commission. She is a founding member of Arts + Literature Laboratory and Dane Arts Mural Arts, where she has served as a fundraiser and systems builder for the financial longevity of these nonprofits. Jenie is a TEDx Madison speaker and outspoken advocate for the value of the arts in our ecosystems. She is a former artist-in-residence at Proyecto’ace in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Museo de Arte Moderno in Castro, Chile; Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, Madison Public Library, and Artist Campaign School with Fractured Atlas. As a curator, she has produced exhibits at companies like Promega Corporation and AC Hotel Marriott as a way to build bridges between artists and businesses.
Jenie currently runs a 1,700 square foot production studio and has hosted 20 interns since 2018. Through her interdisciplinary work, Jenie has become a visionary leader who knows how to bring together industries, education systems, and cultural representation to create a more equitable ecosystem for everyone.
Learn more about Jenie Gao: website and Tedx Madison
1:15pm – 2:15pm
SESSION A: Can You See It When No One Else Does? Vision to Reality -- Juliana Jones
Faith and fear are both based on the belief in something you can’t see. What if you had so much faith that you are willing to put the cart before the horse and forge out toward your goal before you know the how?
About the Presenter:
Juliana Jones is an up-and-coming Midwest artist in central Iowa who is known for creating 3-dimensional worlds from 2-dimensional paper. She is also a wife, mother, and website developer.
In art school, she trained and experimented in many different mediums to express her creativity, from drawing, painting, and sculpting to computer graphics, web development, and 3D animation. As a military brat, she has traveled all over the United States, Japan and Europe. Her life experiences are woven into the art that she creates today. She uses a combination of
mediums, textures, genres and cultures. She hopes that her art evokes an emotion in people.
“My desire is to capture a moment in time, connect to an experience, or stir up an emotion, and ultimately to shine a light in this world. I want to inspire people to always let their light shine bright.”
For more information about Juliana Jones: www.jewelstarz.com
SESSION B: Tax, Financial and Accounting Issues for Artists -- David Bright
This talk will consider tax, financial, and accounting issues relevant to artists, including appraisals, donation agreements, deductions, and other topics specific to their field.
About the Presenter:
Dave Bright practices in the areas of real estate, land use and real estate development; business transactions; franchising and distribution; nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations; estate planning and probate; and art and museum law. Dave has earned Martindale-Hubbell’s top “AV” Peer Review Rating. He is the author of the Iowa section of the American Bar Association’s “Franchise Desk Book” and regularly contributes to the American Bar Association’s “Year In Review” publication.
Dave is a frequent speaker at colleges and universities, local businesses, and continuing education events on topics that include business formation, estate planning, nonprofit and tax-exempt governance, and art and museum law. He is active in the Iowa City community through volunteering and board service. He presently serves on the boards of the Bur Oak Land Trust, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art (President), Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation (Past-President), Iowa Volunteer Lawyers for the
Arts (President) and YMCA Camp Wapsie (Chair).
Learn more about Iowa Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts here.
2:15pm – 3:15pm
SESSION A: Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Artists -- Jimmy Longoria
Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys artists!
Award winning Chicano Artist Jimmy Longoria shares wisdom on managing an art career through the best of times and the most challenging of times.
About the Presenter:
Jimmy Longoria is the only Chicano to be awarded a Bush Foundation Artist Fellowship in Fine Art, and is the only Minnesotan to have art in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Mexican Art.
His commitment to giving back to our community led Target Corporation to label him “Someone We’d Like You to Meet” in a national campaign, and choose his art to represent all Hispanic Art for a Hispanic Association on
Corporate Responsibility symposium, a national gathering of Fortune 100 corporate executives. The McKnight Foundation honored him with a Virginia McKnight Binger Award in Human Service, and he received Ordway’s “Sally
Award” for his artistic vision of giving back to the community. Jimmy is the only Latino artist to receive the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Living the Dream” Award from the City of Minneapolis.
Jimmy’s art hangs in the corporate offices of 3M Global Headquarters, Target Corporation and the offices or homes of United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor; Former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development Julian Castro; Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison; collector and actor Cheech Marin; and prominent Minnesota Senators and Representatives, as well as museums, schools, private and corporate collections across the country.
Learn more about Jimmy Longolia: www.jimmylongoria.com
SESSION B: "Artreprenuership" at Iowa State University -- Jennifer Drinkwater, Karen Kerns, Ingrid Lilligren, Ana Luz & Dave Biedenbach
This interactive session will provide an opportunity for participants to engage with a panel of Iowa State University faculty and staff that are involved in various aspects of the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Each panelists will have a unique perspective to how they participate in and provide support for the art entrepreneurship community – perspectives from a “practicing artrepreneur,” an entrepreneur ambassador, a teacher and active art exhibitor, and a small business counselor.
An audience from a variety of backgrounds and aspirations are invited to join the discussion. Although each of the panelists are affiliated with Iowa State, each has their own personal experience outside of academia which they will share during the session.
Audience members may submit questions to the panel.
About the Presenters:
Panelists:
Jennifer Drinkwater: Assistant Professor, Art and Visual Culture, ISU College of Design; Community Art Specialist, ISU Extension and Outreach; founder of The What’s Good Project
Karen Kerns: Entrepreneur in Residence, President’s Initiative for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Iowa State University
Ingrid Lilligren: Professor, Art and Visual Culture (Ceramics), ISU College of Design
Ana Luz: Associate Teaching Professor, Industrial/Interdisciplinary Design, ISU College of Design; Innovation and Entrepreneurship interim director; founder of DownsideUp and MisfitNoodles
Dave Biedenbach: Regional Director, America’s Small Business Development Center at Iowa State University
3:15pm – 4:15pm
Interactive / Maker Sessions — 4 options; select at registration (kit extra)
SESSION A: Botanical Zendoodle -- Sara Merritt
Explore the meditative art form known as Zendoodle along with local artist and botanical garden educator Sara Merritt. Settle and redirect your mind through intentional doodling with additional emphasis on botanical shapes and designs. Start with a short meditation, then practice some grounding exercises while noting inspiration from patterns in the natural world. Feel free to bring your own houseplants to the table for a closer look as Sara leads you through basic starting doodles, and into more intricate patterns as we draw from nature together in pursuit of focus and calm. Kit includes pens perfect for doodling.
About the Presenter:
Sara Merritt works full time developing educational programming for Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University. She is also an artist, professional belly dancer, and educator with over 20 years’ experience teaching a range of programs from painting and problem-solving to martial arts, belly dance, science communication, and more. She holds a B.A. in Art, Sexuality and Aesthetic Perception from UMass-Amherst, an MFA in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute, and an Informal Learning in Museums Professional Certificate from Oregon State University. Sara is consistently drawn to the connections between things and people, the intricacies of visual patterning, and the spectrum of perception – especially as an exploration through distortion. She believes absolutely and equally in the transformative powers of visual expression and informal education.
Learn more about Sara Merritt: www.saramerritt.com
SESSION B: The Art of Tea -- Kristin Roach
With a formal background in painting, it makes sense that Kristin M Roach’s approach to tea blending has more in common with abstract art than food science. In this interactive workshop, Kristin will guide you through blending by taste so you too can discover your own signature blend. Create your tea along with Little Woods owner using the Tea Mixology Kit. Each kit includes one base tea (pick from regular or caffeine free black tea), 3 botanicals for mixing, and your own tea mixology booklet.
About the Presenter:
Kristin Roach uses scientific data and cast-off materials to create drawings, paintings, and immersive installations about her backyard and body ecology. She most well-known for the Junk Mail Migration series of paintings, her downtown Ames business Little Woods, and her book Mend it Better. Kristin completed her BFA in Oil Painting & Fibers at Northern Illinois University with a minor in art history in 2008. Born in Rock Island, Illinois, Kristin currently lives and works in Ames, Iowa. Visit her website to purchase originals, prints, and zines at www.kristinMroach.com.
Learn more about Kristin Roach: www.kristinMroach.com
SESSION C: Needle Felted Succulents -- Sarah Cady
Needle felting is a fun and cathartic craft that is easy to learn. With wool roving and a barbed needle, we will shape wool “fluff” into 3D objects. In this class, we will learn basic needle felting techniques and start work on one succulent. Your kit includes enough material for three succulents, and inspiration and instructions for you to finish the remaining succulents on your own.
About the Presenter:
Sarah Cady is a full-time scientist and part-time maker and fiber artist. She has taught knitting, needle felting, and fabric dyeing at the ISU Memorial Union Workspace for the last 10 years. With her background in chemistry and mathematics, she finds inspiration in the different fibers and colors that can be found in nature, and in the geometry and topology that finds its way into knitting patterns. In addition to crafting, Sarah currently serves on the Parks and Recreation Commission for the City of Ames, and she loves spending time in Ames’ urban woods with her dog, Buddy, and husband, Kelly.
SESSION D: Dance Like No One is Looking -- Valerie Williams
Dance Like No One is Looking (except your computer). Enjoy a “moving” experience and have lots of fun! With the help of Isadora software and Valerie Williams’ programing, your movement will control sound and video projections. You can dance along with Valerie in the privacy of your own home via Zoom, or you can make your own dances with Valerie’s programing. You will receive a USB flash drive with detailed instructions for setting up Isadora in your own computer, along with everything you’ll need to dance along with Valerie. No dance experience is needed.
About the Presenter:
Hosted by the Ames Community Arts Council and the Octagon Center for the Arts, the Business of Art Conference is being supported in part by the City of Ames Commission on the Arts (COTA) and the Iowa Arts Council’s Art Project Grant. Funding for the Art Project Grant is made possible by an annual appropriation from the Iowa Legislature to the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and by the National Endowment for the Arts.
