Six spring workshops planned to boost artists as entrepreneurs

SUNY Fredonia and the North Shore Arts Alliance (NSAA) are offering a pilot series of workshops to local artists as part of an initiative to establish an Incubator for the Arts in Chautauqua County. The workshop series was made possible by a grant received by the Center for Regional Advancement (CRA) from the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation.

The workshops are part of an arts incubator project, titled “The Chautauqua Partnership for the Arts and a Creative Economy (C-PACE),” designed to facilitate the development of the creative economy, the arts and cultural community, and provide emerging artists and organizations with favorable conditions for growth. The effort was initiated by local artist and former Fredonia village trustee Susan Forrester-Mackay. Last July, SUNY Fredonia and the North Shore Arts Alliance joined forces to develop and implement the arts incubator initiative.

“This workshop series is being offered to local artists to help strengthen our arts community and creative economy,” said Jennifer Koss, president of the North Shore Arts Alliance. “By providing local artists with opportunities to better develop their craft and other skills, we can continue and enhance our efforts to strengthen the local economy and cultural opportunities.”

“The aim of this series is to provide local artists with informative and useful workshops to assist them with professional development,” said Chuck Cornell, director of the Center for Regional Advancement at SUNY Fredonia. “By engaging the community and bringing together university and community resources, we will enhance the arts-based economy in the Western New York region.”

Those interested in participating in one or more of the workshops, offered at no charge, can register online at the websites of the CRA or NSAA www.nsaachautauqua.org, or by contacting Jennifer Colon at 680-6009. Space is limited.

The workshops are as follows:

• “Using Facebook for Your Business: A Hands-On Workshop”
  Thursday, March 22, 7 to 9 p.m., SUNY Fredonia campus, 180 Fenton Hall
  Presenters: Ray Christopher, Chief Executive Officer, Textivia, Inc.
  Jonathan Woolson, University Webmaster, SUNY Fredonia
   
• "Build Your Free Website: A Hands-On Workshop”
  Sunday, March 25, 3 to 4:30 p.m., SUNY Fredonia campus, 106 McEwen Hall
  Presenters: Professors Jason Dilworth and Peter Tucker
  Department of Visual Arts and New Media, SUNY Fredonia
   
• “How to Photograph Your Work: A Hands-On Workshop”
  Saturday, April 21, 1 to 3 p.m., SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator, 214 Central Ave, Dunkirk
  Presenter: James Hoggard, Professional Photographer
   
• “Selling Your Work on Etsy”
  Wednesday, May 2, 7 to 9 p.m., SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator, 214 Central Ave, Dunkirk
  Presenter: Nicole Hohenstein, Artist & Etsy site owner
   
• “Basic Legal Issues for Artists”
  Sunday, May 17, 6 to 8 p.m., SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator, 214 Central Ave, Dunkirk
  Presenter: Donald Michalak, Attorney at Law

As a means of revitalizing communities, the white paper “Creative Placemaking,” an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), advocates community-based efforts to provide “training grounds for area youth; they incubate the next generation of creative workers” and to “nurture entrepreneurs and expand the ranks of self-employed artists and designers who market their creations far afield.”

In line with “Creative Placemaking,” C-PACE is being supported by SUNY Fredonia and the NSAA to create and develop entrepreneurs in the arts; provide opportunities for Fredonia graduates, students, faculty and staff; develop a stronger cultural community; and impact economic development in the region. The principal objective is to advance creative growth by equipping nonprofit cultural groups and arts entrepreneurs with the skills, tools and business environment necessary to meet short- and long-range objectives through an integrated facility and organizational development services.

Since its founding in 1997, the Center for Regional Advancement (CRA) has been a major catalyst for regional collaboration, governance innovations, community outreach and economic development. The mission of the CRA is to engage the intellectual and analytical human resources of SUNY Fredonia to enhance the region's governance and economic development capacity. The North Shore Arts Alliance is a New York not-for-profit organization seeking to foster an environment where art strengthens the community’s image, economic vitality, and quality of life. It is a cooperative marketing, promotional, and membership organization working on behalf of artists in Chautauqua County. NSAA works with local art galleries, arts organizations, festivals and events to help promote and enhance a variety of art related events.