Presented by: TheaterEngine (theaterengine.com), Big Heavy World (bigheavyworld.com), & Vermont Dance Alliance (vermontdance.org)

Event Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/smart-artist-series-tickets-78025483321
Host organization photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12U446_h_LLLrH3BkEFgqSemH_wAdlHcc?usp=sharing

Contact: Dominic Spillane, smartartistvt@gmail.com, (802) 222-0287

BURLINGTON October 31 — The “Smart Artist Series,” presented by TheaterEngine, Big Heavy World and the Vermont Dance Alliance will feature three *free* evenings of professional development workshops for artists and creatives from throughout the state. Panels with Q&A will feature experienced regional professionals and topics of “digital marketing basics”, “seeking press exposure”, and fundraising. Following each workshop at 8pm, the hosts invite participants to gather for social networking. The social mixer is hosted by the Chittenden Zone of the Vermont Creative Network.

Dominic Spillane, Founder and CEO of TheaterEngine, said “In order for artists and creative organizations to stay competitive in our complex economy, we have to get together, share information, and share our resources. We hope these workshops provide that opportunity, and that this is the beginning of something bigger.”

The presentations will be held 6-8pm on their respective dates (below) in the Lorraine B. Good room on the second floor of Burlington City Arts, 135 Church Street, Burlington. The informal social mixer will be hosted next door at The Whiskey Room, 173 College Street. Workshops are open to all ages; the social mixer is 21+. Both venues are wheelchair accessible. Light refreshments will be served at the workshops.

Theater Engine, Big Heavy World and the Vermont Dance Alliance are all working to improve the quality of life for Vermont artists, each providing a network and “hub” for Theater artists, Musicians, and Dancers alike. The three organizations are aligned to support and encourage Vermont artists to network and convene, for the purpose of developing a clearer understanding of public needs, and how our work as artists and arts educators, activists and leaders can address these needs and change. These three professional development workshops are a strong effort to help foster a thriving artistic community throughout the state. They are sharing the work of production and organization to provide an opportunity for creatives to learn, engage with one another, and take away tools and “next steps” to improve their access and outreach in our communities.

*(Photo of Death at 105.9FM The Radiator courtesy Big Heavy World)*

James Lockridge, Executive Director of Big Heavy World, said, "Creatives have a chance to add to their skills at these workshops, but also to see the power of collaboration in action. Getting to know your peers opens doors to friendship and to working with them and their unique resources. Everyone who comes will be making their own community bigger and stronger."

The event series is made possible with generous support from sponsors Community Capital of Vermont, Hark | Vermont Web Design and Digital Marketing, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center; Burlington City Arts; Vermont Creative Network, Chittenden Zone; and with media support from 105.9FM The Radiator. Big Heavy World is also supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

*(Photo courtesy Middlebury Dance Dept.)*

Hanna Satterlee, Founder and Director of Vermont Dance Alliance, said, “The VDA tag-line “Bringing Dance to Life” speaks to our vision to spotlight and enhance participation in all dance forms that are represented here in the state. In this exciting partnership with Theater Engine and Big Heavy World, we can expand the vision to help bring all performing arts to life during these three events!! Come to one or more of these evening workshops and socials to meet creatives from throughout the state and learn from professionals in the field; you never know what you might discover about yourself, another artist, or a practice that could help your career.”

EVENT REGISTRATION LINK: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/smart-artist-series-tickets-78025483321

· Workshop 1 - November 19th from 6-8pm: Digital Marketing Basics

Speaker: Kylie Halpin: Director of Digital Marketing at Hark Digital in Burlington.
Speaker: Andy Butterfield (Director of Marketing and Communications at Weston Playhouse)

What digital tools matter to artists and artistic organizations? How can you be sure what’s working and what’s not? Kylie Halpin (Director of Digital Marketing at Hark in Burlington) and Andy Butterfield (Director of Marketing and Communications at Weston Playhouse) will discuss the basics of a digital foundation and how to use online tools to maximize your outreach. They will also talk about when, why, and how to spend money advertising online - and when not to. Participants will leave the workshop armed with immediately impactful action-items and relevant industry data to help inform future decisions.

· Workshop 2 - December 3rd, from 6-8pm: Getting Press: How to be the story

Pamela Polston, Coeditor/Associate Publisher, Seven Days
Mary Engisch, Host/Reporter, Vermont Public Radio
Galen Ettlin, Anchor/Reporter, WCAX

Media experts offer their insight about the most effective approaches to ‘earning press’ in print, radio and television. Pamela Polston is cofounder, coeditor and associate publisher of Seven Days. In 2015, she was inducted into the New England Newspaper Hall of Fame. Mary Engisch is the host and reporter for Weekend Edition Saturday and Weekend Edition Sunday on VPR and a director for Vermont Edition. From 2014-2018 she hosted Art Hounds, a weekly arts calendar segment. Galen Ettlin is an American Emmy-nominated Bilingual TV Anchor/Reporter/Producer, SPJ winner, and GLAAD award nominee. He anchors the Channel 3 News at 5:30 & 11 p.m. for WCAX in Burlington.

· Workshop 3 - December 17th from 6-8pm: Artist Funding

Amanda Rafuse - Fundraising & Community Building Consultant
A seasoned artist/administrator and practicing theater artist with more than twenty years of experience. Successfully strategized and led capital campaigns for four organizations in Minnesota and Vermont, raising $16.7MM for new facilities. Secured solid financial foundations for each organization and strengthened economic, cultural, and educational value of communities. Assessed needs and developed fundraising and communications strategies for more than a dozen non-profit organizations. Developed contributed income and donor strategies at Northern Stage leading to a five year growth in philanthropy by 100%, representing 50% of the current $3.9MM budget. (amandalrafuse@gmail.com)
Alice Dodge - VT Center For Arts and Learning
Alice Dodge is the executive director of the Center for Arts and Learning in Montpelier. She is a working visual artist, and is a member of the Front collective gallery in Montpelier. She has been a grant writer for the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, and for Midway Contemporary Art in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she also ran a contemporary art library. She received her MFA in 2007 from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. (cal-vt.org)
Abbey Salomon - Loan Officer at Community Capital of Vermont
Abbey comes to Community Capital with almost a decade of consumer credit counseling expertise, and additional skill in working with customers, accounting, defining processes and systems, and training and supervising employees. An advocate for women, Abbey’s experience with small business defines her passion for entrepreneurship and community opportunity. (communitycapitalvt.org)
Dominique Gustin - Vermont Arts Council
Dominique works with the programs team, managing grant-making opportunities and support services for individual artists. Her goal is to provide the best possible support for Vermont’s dynamic artistic community. Dominique has been a working artist for more than twenty years. She also has been employed for special events at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, as a recording engineer on the Santa Cruz boardwalk, as a musician, maker, designer, and in numerous roles in theater, dance, and performance art. She was executive director at River Arts in Morrisville, gaining experience in arts programming, community engagement, public art, and exhibitions. Her educational background is in arts and education, having attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Johnson State College. (vermontartscouncil.org)
Smart Artist Hosts - Hanna Satterlee: Founder and Director of the Vermont Dance Alliance, James Lockridge: Founder and director of Big Heavy World, and Dominic Spillane: Founder of TheaterEngine.

Learn where to get funding as an artist or artistic organization. Grants, loans, memberships, sponsors, and fundraisers. What are the different opportunities for artist funding? What works for individual artists and what works for organizations? Hear from a group of experts with experience getting funding or granting funding to artists and creative organizations.

All workshops held at Burlington City Arts, 135 Church Street, Burlington. For more information contact Dominic Spillane, smartartistvt@gmail.com, (802) 222-0287.

ABOUT OUR HOSTS:

TheaterEngine (theaterengine.com): TheaterEngine’s mission is to make the performing arts a more accessible entertainment choice for people everywhere, while also creating a digital infrastructure of artists, production companies, venues and performing arts resources that will make the creation of live performance easier for everyone. Contact Dominic Spillane, dspillane@theaterengine.com, theaterengine.com

Big Heavy World (bigheavyworld.com): Big Heavy World is an independent nonprofit music development office working to archive and promote the original music of Vermont. With a crew of volunteers it publishes information about Vermont’s music industry, archives thousands of Vermont-made recordings, photographs and artifacts, and operates 105.9FM, a radio station highlighting the region’s creative community. Contact James Lockridge, jim@bigheavyworld.com, bigheavyworld.com

Vermont Dance Alliance (vermontdance.org): The Vermont Dance Alliance is a foundation for Vermont dancers and a public platform for dance in Vermont. The alliance cultivates deeper relationships between its members, and helps to foster a thriving artistic community throughout the state. Contact Hanna Satterlee, info@vermontdance.org, vermontdance.org

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS:

Vermont Creative Network, Chittenden Zone (vermontartscouncil.org): The VCN is a broad collective of organizations, businesses, and individuals working to advance Vermont's creative sector, organized into six regions including Chittenden County. It was established by the Vermont Legislature in May 2016 as an initiative of the Vermont Arts Council. For information visit vermontartscouncil.org.

HARK | Vermont Web Design and Digital Marketing (hark.bz): Ranging from full scale web design and e-commerce implementations to corporate branding solutions and microsites, Hark has always delivered creative, impactful solutions for the most challenging design and marketing projects. For more information, visit hark.bz

Community Capital of Vermont (communitycapitalvt.org): At Community Capital, we provide flexible financing to Vermonters with excellent ideas, and the courage and resourcefulness to grow small businesses. We offer small or microbusiness loans to people statewide who do not otherwise have access to capital. Through our Business Advisory Services program, we ensure borrowers’ success through technical assistance in the areas of marketing and business operations. Community Capital supports early stage and microentrepreneurs as they build sales, experience and credit.

Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center (mainstreetlanding.com): The Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center is a unique and beautiful venue on the Burlington waterfront. We have a variety of spaces available for daily rentals, as well as a full calendar of public events! At Main Street Landing we strive to promote ecological integrity, economic security, empowerment and responsibility, and social well-being.

THE RADIATOR | 105.9FM (bigheavyworld.com/1059fm-shows): 'The Radiator' is a nonprofit listener-supported media center generating and transmitting programming that fosters community awareness and civic engagement; encourages and promotes the creative public of the Burlington area; and provides a platform for multigenerational technical education and personal empowerment.

BURLINGTON CITY ARTS (burlingtoncityarts.org): Burlington City Arts (BCA) has served the cultural and artistic needs of the Greater Burlington area for more than 30 years. Our vision is to fuse a dynamic relationship between the arts and community, to nurture creativity and imagination, and to ignite a passion for learning through the arts.

Free 'Smart Artist' Workshop Series Launches!