The goal, says Angela Johnson DeCarlis, new board president, is to create an economic impact through art while making art accessible to everyone. That’s where the Artist Refinery Program, in partnership with MVCC and the ThINCubator, comes into play. The eight-week program, funded by a $10,000 grant from KeyBank and matching funds from MVCC, aims […]
The goal, says Angela Johnson DeCarlis, new board president, is to create an economic impact through art while making art accessible to everyone.
That’s where the Artist Refinery Program, in partnership with MVCC and the ThINCubator, comes into play. The eight-week program, funded by a $10,000 grant from KeyBank and matching funds from MVCC, aims to teach artists how to leverage their passion into a business.
“These people have the talent, passion, and have the interest,” DeCarlis says. The program will give them the business knowledge they need to take those next steps.
Applications for the program closed on May 20 and as of press time, at least half of the 30 available spots were filled. The program started on May 25 and meets for two hours each week. Topics covered will include building a business model, how to price art/services, marketing, branding, technology, business structuring, accounting and taxes, and more.
There is no cost for those selected to participate.
DeCarlis hopes to offer a second session in the fall with that session focusing more on existing art businesses and how to take them to the next level.
She hopes the program will also serve another purpose and open people’s eyes to the legitimacy of art as a business. Whether it’s someone running an Etsy business from their spare bedroom or a professional photographer or musician, all are legitimate businesses that contribute to the economy of the Mohawk Valley.
Art as a whole is a critical component to economic growth, DeCarlis notes.
“When you step into a place that has public art, concerts, vibrancy, you’re going to want to come back,” she says. A rich cultural environment is good for tourism and also plays a key role in helping businesses attract new employees.
The hope is the newly rebranded UMN For the Arts will promote that in the Mohawk Valley’s cultural corridor.
“We have some fun marketing ideas that are going to be coming out,” DeCarlis says. She couldn’t divulge any specifics but teased out, “You’re definitely going to be seeing us all over the place.”
The organization’s new logo, designed by McGrogan Design, features the name on a background that is a topographical map of the region, recognizing the cultural corridor with Utica at the center.
It goes with UMN’s identity statement, “Creating Opportunities. Driving Progress.”
There will be more announcements coming as well as the organization celebrates its 25th year.
Founded as Utica Monday Nite by Lynne Mishalanie with a weekly street festival in Utica, the organization has grown through the years to its current role as advocate and activist for the arts. It also serves as the fiscal sponsor for the Levitt AMP Utica Music Series, a weekly concert series that begins June 20 at Kopernik Park in Utica.