ArtsHub Virtual Summit: How to Recover and Thrive

The ArtsHub Virtual Summit: How to Recover and Thrive welcomes emerging and established artists, performers, arts managers, and those in creative fields to join in a week-long series of virtual interactive workshops, training, and networking sessions, January 10-14, 2022. The ArtsHub Virtual Summit, designed to provide tools to help those working in creative fields recover from the disruption created by the pandemic and learn how to position their business to thrive as the economy recovers, will have daily sessions with guest speakers at 10 AM, 12 Noon, and 6 PM ET.

“You can’t succeed if you can’t be found,” said Lisa Davol, Marketing Manager, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, and ArtsHub project co-coordinator. One of the goals of the new ArtsHub website is to provide a comprehensive list of BIPOC and all other creatives in the region to promote and connect them with each other and with those looking to purchase or hire.” This is being done through a partnership with New England Foundation for the Arts’ (NEFA) CreativeGround database and Dee Schneidmann of NEFA will lead one of the ArtsHub Virtual Summit sessions with a focus on how to get listed in the new ArtsHub online directory and how the listing will increase visibility for artists and their work.

The ArtsHub Virtual Summit sessions were created in response to surveys, focus groups, and conversations with artists and arts leaders. Experts in the field were invited to focus on the concept of “How To” in their disciplines. Program topics include:

• Mark G. Auerbach, Auerbach Public Relations, Longmeadow, MA, Public Relations 101.
• Jeffrey Dreisbach, McCorkle Casting, New York, NY, How To Present Yourself And Your Work .
• Janine Fondon, Bay Path University, Springfield, MA, Make the connection: DEI in the changing world of marketing, engagement, content, and community.
• Andrae Greene, Visual Artist, Springfield, MA, How to Use TikTok to be Seen.
• Daniel Elihu Kramer, Chester Theatre Company, Chester, MA and Kristen Van Ginhoven, WAM Theatre, Lenox, MA, How Small Arts Organizations Can Make Big Imprints.
• Nayana Lafond, Artist, Orange, MA, How Visual Artists can get their Work Into Galleries.
• Ruby Maddox, Direct Your Purpose, Springfield, MA, From Purpose to Vision.
• Burns Maxey, Multimedia Artist, president, CitySpace, Easthampton, MA, Arts Marketing Instructor, UMass Amherst, How to Use Your Data .
• Sean Moloney, Dramatic Health, New York, NY, How to Tell Your Story When Being Interviewed and How to Interview Others.
• Dee Schneidman, New England Foundation for the Arts, Boston, MA, Blair Winans, Rhyme Digital, Easthampton, MA, The ArtsHub, CreativeGround, and You: How to Be Seen and Get Found Online.
• Dawn Spears, Northeast Indigenous Arts Alliance, Ashaway, RI, Working with Indigenous Communities: How to support your local indigenous arts community. Walk through the current landscape for artists, challenges faced, and how the larger outside community can support artists.
• Nancy Wheeler, WheelerConnect, Northampton and Hartford, How to Network and Connect.

The closing session, at noon on Friday, January 14th will focus on Building Momentum, Building the ArtsHub , inviting participants to join committees, give feedback on Phase One of the ArtsHub and share what they want to see in Phase Two, according to Dee Boyle-Clapp, Director of the Arts Extension Service, UMass Amherst and ArtsHub co-coordinator.

“The ArtsHub will be officially launched at the ArtsHub Virtual Summit and includes feature articles on the region’s artists and organizations, resources such as grants and calls for public art, places to post opportunities such as rehearsal space for rent or studio space wanted, arts calendar, and much more. Community Liaisons, Tiana Burnett, Justin Beatty, and DEI Consultant Kent Alexander have been part of the team to help facilitate access to the entirety of artists and creatives,” added Boyle-Clapp.

The fee for the ArtsHub Virtual Summit is $35 for the early bird registration (before January 4th), and $55 thereafter. The fee provides access to all sessions and online access through January. A full schedule of events, session descriptions, presenter bios, and links to register can be found at https://umass.irisregistration.com/Site/ArtsHubSummit.

“Scholarships are available to a limited number of artists and creatives living and working in the four Western Massachusetts counties of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire upon completion of a simple form submitted no later than January 2nd,” said Boyle-Clapp. The form is available at https://umass.irisregistration.com/Form/ArtsHubScholarships.

The ArtsHub was made possible by an initial grant from the Massachusetts Office of Business Development and additional support from the Community Foundation of
Western Massachusetts and New England Public Media. For further information see https://www.umass.edu/aes/artshub.