Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Summit May 9 at Interlochen

Artists, organizations, businesses, and others in the creative sector are invited to participate in the Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Summit Wednesday, May 9, at Interlochen Center for the Arts. This is the third annual regional summit to strengthen relationships, build value for the arts, support cultural economic development, and continue building the ten-county arts and culture network. Panel discussions and breakout sessions will focus on supporting regional artists, advocacy, community engagement, cultural tourism, hands-on tools and strategies, funding, and strengthening support for arts, culture, and creative connections. The event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Interlochen’s Mallory-Towsley Center for Arts Leadership. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:15.

The Summit will include:

• Presentations & interactive discussions with artists, arts and culture administrators, community builders, state arts leaders and participants on arts advocacy, community engagement, best practices and strategies to build the creative sector – locally and regionally;
• Strategies, tools and opportunities to advocate and ‘tell our story’ – individually and collectively – to engage with communities, tourism, business advocates and elected officials;
• Artist presentations and panel addressing issues and opportunities for organizations and communities to support professional artists;
• Hands-on planning to further network goals, initiatives and action steps.

Partial speaker list includes:

• Sarah Triplett, Director of Advocacy, Creative Many Michigan
• Alison Watson, Program Director, Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs
• David Dempsey, Author, Environmental Advocate & FLOW Senior Advisor
• Richard Kooyman, Richard Kooyman Studio & The Providence
• Sarah Bearup-Neal, Artist & Gallery Manager, Glen Arbor Arts Center
• Megan Hildebrandt, Artist & Instructor, Interlochen Center for the Arts
• Dan Lisuk, Artist & President, Leelanau Community Cultural Center
• Teresa Scollon, Poet, Writer & Co-director, NWS Front Street Writers
• Kim Schneider, Travel Writer & Author, 100 Things to Do in Traverse City Before You Die

The cost to attend the Summit is $15 (including continental breakfast and lunch). Registration is available online at: nwm.org/artsummit. For more information, contact Mary Gillett at mgillett03@gmail.com or 231-883-8388.

The 3rd annual Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Summit is supported in part by a grant from Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, and with assistance from Networks Northwest.