For Immediate Release: May 10, 2007
Contact: Jeff Morgan
Public Relations
515.281.3858
Jeff.Morgan@iowa.gov
IAC’s “No More Starving Artists” conference set for June 2
Expanded grant writing seminar offered June 1 in conjunction with conference
(DES MOINES, Iowa)—The Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, will present “No More Starving Artists” June 2, a conference to help Iowa artists learn how to negotiate and write contracts, and how to work with the media.
“No More Starving Artists” will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 2 at the State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust Street in Des Moines’ Historic East Village. Registration is $25 through www.iowatix.com and includes lunch and a series of workshops. Contact IAC’s Sarah Ekstrand at sarah.ekstrand@iowa.gov or 515-281-4657 for more information. Workshops will include:
- Kids Menu: Being successful as a teaching artist and working the field of arts education
- Got Art?: Branding and marketing yourself and your work
- Hunting & Gathering: Hear from your peers on how to find and create your own opportunities
“Many artists across the state have asked us for help in these areas, and we’re delighted to present this conference to address those needs,” DCA Director Cyndi Pederson said. “As more artists learn to negotiate contracts and generate exposure for their works, their impact on Iowa’s creative economy will continue to grow because they make significant contributions in creating a vibrant cultural environment in Iowa. That’s what inspires creative workers to stay or relocate to Iowa and they, in turn, become the resources many businesses are seeking when deciding to expand or relocate to Iowa. What’s good for Iowa artists is good for Iowa’s economy.”
Conference participants can also attend a free expanded grant writing seminar 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 1 at the State Historical Building. Participants should come prepared with concrete ideas for a grant, a 50-word project description, budget ideas, an outline or draft of narrative questions, writing materials or a laptop computer – the State Historical Building offers free wifi connection to the Internet. Visit the IAC Web site at www.iowaartscouncil.org and look for a “Register for a grant writing workshop” link under “Quick Clicks” to register.
“The grant writing seminar will show artists that they don’t need to be a professional grant writer to write an Iowa Arts Council grant,” Pederson said. “This is much more than our basic grant writing workshop. They’ll go through the basic grant information in the morning, break for lunch and spend the afternoon writing, reading and providing feedback to each other. Participants should leave the seminar with at least a draft for an IAC grant.”
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs is responsible for developing the state’s interest in the areas of the arts, history and other cultural matters with the advice and assistance from its two divisions, the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council. DCA preserves, researches, interprets and promotes an awareness and understanding of local, state and regional history and stimulates and encourages the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts and public interest and participation in them. It implements tourism-related art and history projects as directed by the General Assembly and designs a comprehensive, statewide, long-range plan with the assistance of the Iowa Arts Council to develop the arts in Iowa. More information about DCA is available at www.culturalaffairs.org.
The Iowa Arts Council is a division of DCA and works to enrich the quality of life and learning in Iowa communities by encouraging excellence in the arts through leadership, grants and technical assistance. Funding for IAC and its programs is provided by the State of Iowa and the National Endowment for the Arts. Please visit www.iowaartscouncil.org for more information.