IAC Press Release

For Immediate Release: May 20, 2009

Contact: Jeff Morgan
Public Relations
515.281.3858
Jeff.Morgan@iowa.gov


IAC presents “No More Starving Artists II” conference June 20

Topics include marketing, business tools, social media, emergency preparedness

(DES MOINES, Iowa) — The Iowa Arts Council will present the “No More Starving Artists II” conference next month for visual, performing and literary artists wanting to discuss marketing, business tools, social media and emergency preparedness.

The conference will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 20, 2009, at the Des Moines Social Club, 1408 Locust St., in Des Moines. Cost to attend is $30 and includes lunch. Register at www.Iowatix.com or call 515-281-4657 for more information.

“Artists from all over the state have asked for help in these areas, and we are responding by offering this conference,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Cyndi Pederson said. “Iowa artists make a significant impact on Iowa’s quality of life, and they create thousands of jobs, generate millions of dollars in revenue, and attract highly-educated workers and companies with good-paying jobs to our state. What’s good for Iowa artists is good for Iowa.”

No More Starving Artists II will feature the following workshops:

Marketing for Artists Staff from Springboard for the Arts of St. Paul, Minn., will lead this session, which identifies the right audience for artistic output, positioning, and developing marketing strategies and a marketing plan geared for that audience.

Pricing Your Work: Getting Paid for What You Do While many artists excel at the design and production of their work, they feel far less confident when it comes to deciding a price. Most want to be compensated fairly, but what does that mean? Too often, a number is plucked out of the air because it feels right. In this workshop, discuss what to consider when “doing the math” for people who are producing products and for those providing services. Presented by Springboard for the Arts.

Building Your Brand – Mike Wagner will talk about branding basics and steps for building a unique brand.

Expanding Your Digital Footprint with Social Media Hillary Brown from Lava Row will discuss techniques and tactics for success with social media.

Emergency Preparedness – Craig Nutt from the Craft Emergency Relief Fund will interview disaster-affected Iowa artists about their recent experiences. Nutt and other insurance experts will discuss emergency preparedness and introduce a new recovery toolkit CERF will release this fall.

IAC offered the first “No More Starving Artists” conference in June 2007.

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 The Iowa Arts Council is a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and works to enrich the quality of life for Iowans through support of the arts. Funding for the Iowa Arts Council and its programs is provided by the state of Iowa and the National Endowment for the Arts. More information at www.iowaartscouncil.org.