National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa has announced that the NC Entrepreneurship Center (NCEC) at UNCG is one of 886 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. The grant will support the Southern Entrepreneurship in the Arts (SEA) Conference to be held on Feb. 21, 2015.
The SEA Conference is a one-day, regional conference supporting professional development for emerging artists. SEA connects students and artists from community and university populations, providing them with the entrepreneurial strategies and resources necessary to take artists from survival to success. Conference sessions are led by successful artists in the fields of visual, performing, literary and media arts. Subject matter experts also lead sessions on basic business skills and planning to help emerging artists become self-supporting and successful in their careers. Over the past five years, the event has engaged over 1,200 creative professionals and students and featured more than 125 regional and national speakers, such as Roy Underhill, Beverly McIver, Dennis Quaintance, Jim Gallucci, Ben Owen III, Bill Mangum and Stephen Robinson.
“The SEA Conference helps artists develop skills to evolve their passion into a profitable endeavor,” said NCEC Director and conference co-chair Justin Streuli. “Our goal is for artists to leave the conference with the know-how to establish a full-time business using their art, without having to support themselves with another job.”
Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic Development Bryan Toney added, “The conference embodies the UNCG commitment to building vibrant communities, providing valuable knowledge and connections to creative professionals and arts organizations throughout the Southeastern United States.”
Reposted from UNCG News & Features