Creative Chicago Expo 2009 Podcasts

The 2009 Expo was held on April 12. Over 5,000 visitors attend the Expo, taking advantage of a new series of mini-consulting appointments (the "Consult-a-thon") and a wide array of workshops on topics ranging from "Art Festival How-Tos" to "Forming a Nonprofit." Click on the links below to listen.

Meet your Arts Service Agencies (1, 2, 3)
Ra Joy, Illinois Arts Alliance, Moderator. Panelists: Deb Clapp, League of Chicago Theaters, Laura Harper, Chicago Artists Coalition and Ryan Jewel of the Independent Feature Project.
Learn about the services and resources available to artists and organizations from new leadership at the Chicago Artists Coalition, the Independent Feature Project and the League of Chicago Theaters. Moderated by Ra Joy of the Illinois Arts Alliance.

Winning Public Art Commissions (1, 2)
Lynn Basa, artist, educator and author of The Artists Guide to Public Art: How to Find and Win Commissions
Many artists today make all or part of their living as artists through public art commissions. This session will help you learn the first steps in navigating the public art system by covering where to find commission opportunities, the steps that go into applying for them, and tips on increasing your chances of winning. Audience questions will determine what topics are covered for half of the session, so come prepared. Lynn Basa is a full-time artist who has completed large-scale public art commissions around the country, most recently a 220' diameter terrazzo floor design for the new Indianapolis International Airport. She teaches a class on public art professional practices at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Business Licensing Basics
Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP)
Understand the basics of business licensing in Chicago that are especially relevant to creatives. Whether you are street performer, the owner of a theater or art gallery, learn which city policies and regulations apply to you, and how to get the process started

Cultivating Individual Donors (1, 2)
Robert Alpaugh, Campbell & Company (former Director of Institutional Advancement Victory Gardens, former ED, Joffrey Ballet)
This session will focus on how to maintain levels of philanthropy in recession, and provide a practical guide to surviving the current funding and economic roller coaster. Also gain perspective on where we are and where we might be going as well as practical tips to keeping your donor constituency close and engaged.

Strategic Planning for Non-profits (1, 2)
Arts and Business Council of Chicago
A Guide to Surviving the Roller Coaster

Capital for your Creative Industry (1, 2)
Jason Felger, Executive Vice President, Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center
Perspective on where we are and where we might be going as well as practical tips to keeping your donor constituency close and engaged.

Marketing For the Cash Strapped
Adam Thurman, Marketing Director Court Theatre and independent arts consultant, Mission Paradox
At this point you probably know that if you want your art to be seen by more then your friends and family you need to have a bit of marketing skill. This workshop is designed to help anyone, no matter how much (or how little) time and money they have, to become a smarter more effective marketer.

Art Festival How-Tos (1, 2, 3)
Amy Amdur, Amdur Productions Inc
Everything you need to know about getting into the big art fair shows but were afraid to ask by the people who produce the shows. Get expert advice on the ins and outs of juries, how to make your work stand out, insight on booth designs that work and how to do pricing of your work to and maximize sales at the fests.

Forming a Non-Profit (1, 2)
William Rattner, Executive Director, Lawyers for the Creative Arts
An overview of the pros and cons to starting a NFP and operating issues to be aware of. Learn about the incorporation process and how to obtain and maintain 501(c)(3) tax exempt status

Chicago Artists Resource Demo
Sara Schnadt, Mechelle Moe, Eiren Caffall, Britton Bertran and Rachel Thorne Germond of CAR
Learn what’s new in the Chicago Artists Resource web site and how to really use it for all aspects of your career or business.

Affordable Housing in Chicago
Chicago Department of Community Development
Looking for your first home? The Chicago Department of Housing will explain City-sponsored affordable housing and artist live/work options that are available for homebuyers and the steps to make use of them.

Re-Building Your Credit Score
Illinois Association of Mortgage Professionals
For those who have experienced problems with their credit and want to rebuild it with an eye toward getting a mortgage, this workshop covers the essentials that you need to know.

Time Management for Artists (1, 2)
Bruce Winston, Communication Society, LLC and International Academy of Design and Technology

Reaching New Audiences (1, 2, 3)
Diana Pando, Community Media Workshop; Katherine Raz, Community Manager, The House Theatre of Chicago, Sarah Ward, Executive Director, South Chicago Art Center, and Andre Guichard, Guichard Arts Gallery
We all have our loyalists: the folks who come to every opening, year-over-year subscribers, listeners from birth, and so on. We love them! But what specific approaches can we take to get new folks to come through the door, then keep them? Our panelists will share their insights on how they've been able to do just that--and the continuing challenges of reaching out to new patrons.

Finding Live/Work Space
Melissa Stanley, Niche Realty
With seven years of experience helping artists find live/work space in Chicago, Ms. Stanley understands the unique needs that artists have when looking for space. This year's focus will be on the current condition of the real estate market and how artists can purchase foreclosures and short sales. She will discuss market conditions, history of the current crisis, explanation of terms, and the pros and cons of purchasing foreclosures and short sales. This seminar will give artist the tools then need to aquire space in this new market.

Building a Board of Directors
Executive Service Corps
Learn about why your organization needs an effective Board of Directors, and how to build or strengthen the board you already have. Who should attend: staff and board members of creative/cultural non-profits.

Tips for Successful Grant Applications
Paul Botts, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
This session focuses on top practical suggestions of what no to do when seeking grants, given by a veteran grant-seeker as well as current grant-maker.

Health Insurance Advice for Artists (1, 2)
Future of Music Coalition
This session focuses on finding health insurance for creatives of all types, from small organizations to the self employed.

Fiscal Sponsorship
Dianne Debicella, Director of Fiscal Sponsorship, Fractured Atlas
This presentation is designed for emerging individual artists and arts organizations to address the crucial issue of raising money to support their creative endeavors. This presentation will be a complete overview of the fundraising process and will address such issues as: How do arts organizations in the US fund their operations? Who gives money to the arts, why do they give it, who gets the money and how do I find it? What are the differences between individual and institutional giving? What is fiscal sponsorship and how can it help me? What do I need to submit a grant proposal?

Benchmarking 101
Debra Natanshon, CEO, The Center for What Works (a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to performance measurement and benchmarking for the social sector.)
Participants will be introduced to an overview of measurement including distinctions between planning, evaluation and benchmarking. We will offer a user-friendly tool and examples of performing arts outcomes. The workshop is useful as a way to assess the viability of your mission and vision by identifying realistic ways to measure results toward them. Effective measurement is a critical component of building a healthy and stable organization. Learn through examples of a researched set of particular, actionable, realistic, and timely performing arts outcomes and indicators to model for implementation in your organization.

Space Development Starter Kit
Illinois Facility Fund
This workshop is ideal for nonprofits that have made the leap from donated or borrowed space to rented space, and are now ready to invest in a more permanent home. IFF will provide an overview of the initial planning steps: from a readiness assessment to evaluating project feasibility to site search and acquisition. Drawing on examples from its work with arts and culture groups of various sizes, IFF will share considerations essential to project success and key pitfalls to avoid as you begin planning for a permanent home for your organization.

Be an Arts Entrepreneur (1, 2)
Columbia College Chicago Arts Entrepreneurship Center
This session on starting an arts based business will focus on what artist entrepreneurs have to consider before starting a business from testing the feasibility of their business idea to planning their business.