GetSmART! Start Your Arts Business in Arkansas

The Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of Arkansas Heritage, a division of the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. The Arkansas Arts Council expands cultural and educational opportunities by investing in Arkansas museums, theaters, symphonies and other providers of artistic programming. The Arts Council provides funding for artist residencies in schools and after-school/summer programs through its Arts in Education program. By administering federal, state and private funds and providing technical and financial assistance to arts organizations, schools and artists, the Arkansas Arts Council helps ensure that the arts will continue to enrich the lives of all Arkansans for generations to come.

Arkansas Arts Council

For creatives seeking to start or grow a business in the arts

The Studio Downtown

GetSmART! Learning Series

GetSmART! Learning Series workshops and webinars offer business and professional development for creatives and arts organizations.

Starting a business is a journey, so let us show you the path to your goal and how to avoid common pitfalls. This workshop will help artists and creatives to start and grow a successful art business.Join Nick Stevens, with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center for a highly practical, resource-rich session that will guide you through each step of the startup process, from idea to opening. We’ll supply you with essential tools and knowledge to launch and run your business while also answering your questions along the way, including tips for business planning, branding, funding and more.Other topics discussed will be:<ul><li>Funding opportunities, including microloans</li><li>Legal business structures</li><li>Regulations, licensing, and tax requirements</li><li>Common pitfalls and key issues that affect your success</li></ul>The hour-and-a-half presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with artists Faye Hedera, Maximiliano Dominguez and Bryan Massey.Refreshments are provided by the Central Arkansas Collective. The event is free, but RSVPs are required. This event is a partnership with the Creative Institute of Central Arkansas, the Central Arkansas Collective, the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, and the Arkansas Arts Council.

About the facilitatorNick Stevens joined the ASBTDC team in January 2024 as the Education and Events Specialist. With a background in the nonprofit/NGO sector, Nick has experience in marketing, education and training, strategic planning, and partnership building.He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Central Arkansas and a master’s degree in public service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. He is certified in Experiential Learning by the Institute for Experiential Learning.Nick has deep roots in Central Arkansas and a steadfast dedication to serving the community. Prior to joining ASBTDC, Nick co-founded the Creative Institute of Central Arkansas and helped facilitate the formation of the Arkansas Farm to School Network and the Central Arkansas Collective.

<h3>About the panelists:</h3>Maximiliano Dominguez is a creative entrepreneur, fashion designer, interdisciplinary artist, and community organizer. His visual arts exhibitions include “Rose Garden: Life in Bloom” which was a multisensory experience dedicated to passion, pain, beauty and human enlightenment. He is the creative entrepreneur and founder of La Rosa Collective, Rose Garden Market &amp; Co., Forever Thrifted Vintage Market, La Rosa Antigua, and RAIZ.As a creative entrepreneur, Dominguez uses his creative ventures to create social change, equity and opportunity in his community and has connected all disparate works by creating successful branding techniques. He was chosen as a future leader for change in 2022.Dominguez is also an arts supporter, organizer and educator. He developed and presented an educational model to help youth and adults develop ideas for business, brand and social impact. He has been a public speaker for ArtLinks, the statewide arts conference, CACHE in Northwest Arkansas, and a Spanish-language business workshop series dedicated to the arts offered via the Arkansas Arts Council and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He is a trained facilitator for Mid-America Arts Alliance, a regional arts organization.Faye Hedera is an American visual artist and advocate. She creates portraits with a primary focus on womanhood and an exploration of female resilience, power and intuition. Vibrant color and intimate perspective draw the viewer in, allowing them to experience an interior world that is constantly evolving.Faye recently completed the <a href="https://www.thv11.com/video/life/heartwarming/100-faces-of-conway-art-exhibit-officially-opens/91-4fdf87f1-5342-4c30-8e90-8445b2b6348b" title="https://www.thv11.com/video/life/heartwarming/100-faces-of-conway-art-exhibit-officially-opens/91-4fdf87f1-5342-4c30-8e90-8445b2b6348b" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">‘100 Faces of Conway’</a> project. It is her hope that her work will bring people together on common ground, helping them forge new connections and honor the people who live next door. As acting president of <a href="https://www.centralarcollective.com/" title="https://www.centralarcollective.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Central Arkansas Collective</a> she is working within her community to support professional artists and provide a space for them to show their work.In 2024, she released an original children’s book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lovely-Fruit-Fairies-Faye-Hedera/dp/B0CTG788ZG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=I619FRM1YDPY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rKCAeocKVp4nWZkDRX_PU9Rq_5AedISBFbglD3Hezmy4BrkNtENtCrHCZJB7lLiEtZaCR2PXSFuxxd9MLQ9G4qse9OXE-PgV9Wv4hQ6BKCUp8MU4PfKqb84Cg2nwXEBYrkKi3307y2paepbLRLsLenfQK3p65kQ4HxCM8O_JJAwQPGEHeS-KWfg8TzHh7OboWUgUEnCQWrl22HMvR5xlAEmEGn7AlkpMbQCBGwexd0w.8C_MZJ7V-OdAFHVD_sx7PqRGzKiCqJzWTxKqIju-f9A&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+lovely+fruit+fairies&qid=1710179250&sprefix=the+lovely+fruit+fairies%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1" title="https://www.amazon.com/Lovely-Fruit-Fairies-Faye-Hedera/dp/B0CTG788ZG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=I619FRM1YDPY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rKCAeocKVp4nWZkDRX_PU9Rq_5AedISBFbglD3Hezmy4BrkNtENtCrHCZJB7lLiEtZaCR2PXSFuxxd9MLQ9G4qse9OXE-PgV9Wv4hQ6BKCUp8MU4PfKqb84Cg2nwXEBYrkKi3307y2paepbLRLsLenfQK3p65kQ4HxCM8O_JJAwQPGEHeS-KWfg8TzHh7OboWUgUEnCQWrl22HMvR5xlAEmEGn7AlkpMbQCBGwexd0w.8C_MZJ7V-OdAFHVD_sx7PqRGzKiCqJzWTxKqIju-f9A&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+lovely+fruit+fairies&qid=1710179250&sprefix=the+lovely+fruit+fairies%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Lovely Fruit Fairies, </a>that features children with disabilities. She is featured on Conway Corporation’s Channel 5 in a monthly television series called <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=mEfTs4wE8wc" title="https://youtube.com/watch?v=mEfTs4wE8wc" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Meet The Conwegians: Humans at the Heart of our City.</a>She is in the process of directing a feature length documentary film about Functional Neurological Disorder in collaboration with <a href="https://www.documentaries.org/films/" title="https://www.documentaries.org/films/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Center for Independent Documentaries</a>.Dr. Bryan Winfred Massey, Sr., is the Chair and a professor of art/sculpture at the University of Central Arkansas. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina; his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in sculpture at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge; and his Doctor of Education (EdD) degree in Higher Education and Administration at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.Dr. Massey is primarily a stone carver. He works with a variation of stones from alabaster, soapstone, limestone, marble and granite. He also casts in iron, bronze and aluminum, as well as fabricating carbon and stainless steel for incorporating with many of his stone works.Dr. Massey began his career figuratively but now works with both the figurative and abstract. His combinations of stone and steel elevated his work to a higher level and dimension. In October of 2006, he was awarded the Governor’s Award Individual Artist of the Year from the Arkansas Arts Council and received the 2007 Faculty Excellence Award for Research Scholarship and Creativity Award at the University of Central Arkansas. His sculpture, Father Forgive Them, was selected as one of the top ten Best of Show awards at the 2009 during the National Arkansas Sculpture Guild’s Little Rock Show and Sale at the River Market. It was also awarded a Purchase Award and is now a permanent part of the Robinson Center Music Hall’s corporate collection. In 2012, he received the sculpture commission to complete his stone sculpture, Nautilus, in the Vogel-Schwartz Sculpture Garden located off the Arkansas River in downtown Little Rock as part of the city’s permanent collection.Dr. Massey was awarded the Charles Hook Award in 2019 at The National Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art &amp; Practices (NACCCIAP) given to the artists that has shown commitment in teaching and learning about contemporary practices in Cast Iron Art. His sculpture The Sentinel, Standing Guard was installed in 2023 at the SLOSS Furnaces, a National Historic Site in Birmingham due to the postponement of the 2021 conference because of the Pandemic. He most recently exhibited in the National Cast Iron Exhibition, Branching Out (February 18- September 8, 2024,) at the Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, featured his cast iron sculpture, Three Sista’s, and two wall mounted cast iron African Masks. He was a part of the MidSouth Sculpture Alliance (MSA), Board of Directors Exhibition in Birmingham at the MSA Conference (November 6-10, 2024). His Eye of the Elephant’s Trunk was a part of the exhibition. Dr. Massey exhibits regionally, nationally, and internationally as well as work on commissions for organizations and private clients. His most recent commissions are a set of large outdoor bronze Praying Hands (North Little Rock, AR, 2024) and stainless-steel Fire (Little Rock, AR, 2024). His work, Black Masks of Africa, is inspired by his travels to England, Dakar and The Gambia in West Africa.

About our VenueThe Studio Downtown is a coworking space where businesses and remote workers avoid distractions, impress clients, and get more done in a community you love. Our 10,000 square feet space is located in Downtown Conway, featuring, globally inspired textiles, snacks for all dietary restrictions, and seating for all shapes and sizes.

About Central Arkansas CollectiveThe Collective provides excellent changing exhibitions of visual art, preeminent visiting artist presentations, and ongoing arts events that enrich the Central Arkansas region. Exhibits, artist talks, and events are free. The public is invited. The Collective will premiere its first exhibition of 2025 in its new gallery space in The Studio in downtown Conway. For more information, please visit <a href="https://www.centralarcollective.com/" title="https://www.centralarcollective.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.centralarcollective.com/</a>.

About the Creative Institute of Central ArkansasCreative Institute’s goal is to be inclusive on purpose so that students and instructors are lifting each other up while making Arkansas a thriving creative hub that attracts and produces diverse, nationally competitive talent. The nonprofit organization supports creative education, events and community-creating enterprises. Its <a href="https://www.creativeinstitutear.org/experience" title="https://www.creativeinstitutear.org/experience" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Emerging Talent Program</a> trains young adults and works with artists to transform Downtown Conway into an arts and culture destination throughout the year. Learn more at <a href="https://www.creativeinstitutear.org/" title="https://www.creativeinstitutear.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.creativeinstitutear.org/</a>.

About the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development CenterThe ASBTDC, a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, UA Little Rock and other institutions of higher education in Arkansas, assists aspiring and established business owners. Unique among Arkansas economic development organizations, ASBTDC serves businesses from any county in Arkansas, in any industry sector, and at any stage of business development. Learn more at <a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fasbtdc.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cscarlet.sims%40arkansas.gov%7Cf50b6dc79aae4d303ed208dd0802b369%7C5ec1d8f0cb624000b3278e63b0547048%7C0%7C0%7C638675529882923360%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5GWrSYsX9QITwA07O3soxSBnwKNMmzQk82m86zPBSO0%3D&reserved=0" title="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fasbtdc.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cscarlet.sims%40arkansas.gov%7Cf50b6dc79aae4d303ed208dd0802b369%7C5ec1d8f0cb624000b3278e63b0547048%7C0%7C0%7C638675529882923360%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5GWrSYsX9QITwA07O3soxSBnwKNMmzQk82m86zPBSO0%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://asbtdc.org/</a>.

Agenda

Business expert and consultant Nick Stevens with ASBTDC will talk about steps to take to start your arts business. 

Start Your Arts Business

Professional artists working in diverse genres will talk about what worked and what didn't for their art career, professional journey and arts businesses. 

Panel: Conversations with Professional Artists

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