8:45 a.m. Registration and Breakfast

9:30 a.m. Welcome

     Paul Weagraff, Director, Delaware Division of the Arts

     J. Mack Wathen, Chair, Delaware State Arts Council

9:45 a.m. Performance

     Rob Waters, Filmmaker & 2018 Individual Artist Fellow, Media Arts: Video/Film

10:15-11:30 a.m. Concurrent Workshops

• Before Disaster Strikes: Be ArtsReady, Jan Newcomb
• Attracting and Keeping the Right Audiences, Bob Harlow
• Financial Wellness for Artists, Elaine Grogan Luttrull
• Removing Barriers Through Authentic Communication, Ceci Dadisman
• Organization and Program Evaluation, Brea Heidelberg
• Board Fiduciary Responsibility and Engagement, Paul Stock

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Lunch & Performance

Performance

     17th Delaware Poets Laureate, Rep. Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha and Al Mills

Remarks

     The Honorable Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secretary of State

12:45-1:30 p.m. Keynote Address

     Can the Arts Uplift Communities?

     Alysia Lee, Founder and Artistic Director, Sister Cities Girlchoir

1:45-3 p.m. Concurrent Workshops

• Civic Engagement 101, Jessica Ball (and invited legislators)
• Attracting and Keeping the Right Audiences, Bob Harlow
• Running a Sustainable Creative Business, Elaine Grogan Luttrull
• Digital Marketing Bootcamp, Ceci Dadisman
• Organization and Program Evaluation, Brea Heidelberg
• Board Fiduciary Responsibility and Engagement, Paul Stock

3-4 p.m. Reception

4 p.m. Governor’s Awards for the Arts

Morning Concurrent Workshops

Before Disaster Strikes: Be ArtsReady
Jan Newcomb, Executive Director, National Coalition for Arts Preparedness & Emergency Response, Corning, NY

Do you have a disaster/crisis plan for your staff, performers, audience, facilities, guest artists and programs, at your home base, performing venue, or studio?  Preparedness makes good sense and expedites prompt resumption of services: speeding up response and recovery; saving time, trouble and expense; minimizing damage; and, replacing chaos with thoughtful actions. A Readiness Plan is a combination of documents, processes, and training that formulates what to do should the unexpected occur.  Learn how ArtsReady 2.0, an easy-to-use, affordable online tool, can help you create an all-hazards and business continuity plan for post crisis sustainability of your organization.

Attracting and Keeping the Right Audiences
Bob Harlow, PhD, Marketing and Research Consultant, NYC

Cultivating new audiences and strengthening bonds with current attendees is a top priority for most arts organizations. Yet even though audience research can help achieve those goals, many arts organizations shy away from it, often citing lack of money, time or skills to carry out the endeavor. This talk will outline key recommendations on how market research can help arts organizations learn about potential audiences to understand barriers preventing their attendance and potential points of engagement; develop more effective promotional materials; and assess progress toward audience-building goals. 

Financial Wellness for Artists
Elaine Grogan Luttrull, Founder, Minerva Financial Arts, NYC

Building healthy financial habits can be a challenge for anyone… And in the arts, we have the added complication of managing cash flow, measuring success in creative and financial terms, and relying on sometimes uncertain sources of income.

In this interactive, hands-on workshop, we’ll cover the five key things creative individuals can do to maintain healthy financial habits. Essentially, those five things boil down to building knowledge, establishing habits (and holding ourselves accountable for those habits), reclaiming control where we can, and knowing what to pay attention to.

Removing Barriers Through Authentic Communication
Ceci Dadisman, Arts Marketer and Nonprofit Communicator, Cleveland, OH

Are you messaging your organization’s events in a way that is compelling? This session will show you how to break down silos and eliminate jargon so you can create meaningful, relevant communications that will resonate with your audience.

We’ll look at case studies from the arts world and beyond, as well as data that will guide you to messaging your organization and events more effectively. You’ll leave this session inspired to up your storytelling game in a way that increases engagement and sales.

This session will focus on a tactical approach for organizations of all budget sizes, and attendees will walk away with actionable knowledge about:

• The importance of authenticity in communications
• What barriers audiences see in attending arts events
• Methods brands are using to deepen engagement through communications

Organization & Program Evaluation: Data-Informed Storytelling
Brea Heidelberg, Assistant Professor & Associate Program Director, Drexel University

This session will provide participants with an overview of evaluation processes that can be used when making decisions, seeking funding, and telling the organization’s story. This session assumes that participants already value the evaluation process, but may be wary of what seems to be an overly academic or intimidating process. This session will help participants determine SMART evaluation questions, what types of data to collect, and how to put it all together for a variety of stakeholders. Participants will get the chance to practice their new skills as a group before being unleashed to evaluate their own organizations, programs, and partnerships.

Board Fiduciary Responsibility and Engagement
Paul Stock, Vice President, Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, Wilmington

This workshop will explore the fiduciary responsibilities of a board member and include a facilitated discussion reviewing scenarios and fulfillment of those responsibilities.  The workshop will also include a second facilitated discussion about board engagement – what it looks like and how to increase it.

Keynote Address

Can the Arts Uplift Communities?
Alysia Lee, Sister Cities Girlchoir

Inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema, Alysia Lee launched a girl empowerment choral academy, Sister Cities Girlchoir, in 2012. Starting with a dozen young women, the girlchoir movement grew to serve hundreds of girls across three cities: Philadelphia, Camden, and Baltimore. Armed with a clear vision for community building, a set of dedicated stakeholders, and the power of the arts — SCG has made a lasting impact on the lives of the girls and families they serve. Alysia will explore a case study for artists and arts organizations seeking to build stronger community roots and elevate the creativity and innovation of their neighbors.

Afternoon Concurrent Workshops

Civic Engagement 101
Jessica Ball, Director, Delaware Arts Alliance, Wilmington, (and invited legislators)

This session will outline best practices for effective arts advocacy while also informing about the appropriations process. Participants will learn about the importance of advocacy and gain skills on educating officials about the value of a strong arts sector. Included will be an overview of the process of public arts funding in Delaware, when and how to connect and engage with public officials, and how to get involved in advocating for the arts with the Delaware Arts Alliance.

Attracting and Keeping the Right Audiences
Bob Harlow, PhD, Marketing and Research Consultant, NYC

Cultivating new audiences and strengthening bonds with current attendees is a top priority for most arts organizations. Yet even though audience research can help achieve those goals, many arts organizations shy away from it, often citing lack of money, time or skills to carry out the endeavor. This talk will outline key recommendations on how market research can help arts organizations learn about potential audiences to understand barriers preventing their attendance and potential points of engagement; develop more effective promotional materials; and assess progress toward audience-building goals.

Running a Sustainable Creative Business
Elaine Grogan Luttrull, Founder, Minerva Financial Arts, NYC

Once you know what you do and who you serve, running a sustainable business comes down to managing the financial side of your business effectively. And managing the financial side of a creative business rarely means spending less money. Instead, it often means re-examining the sources of income for the business.

In this interactive, hands-on session, we’ll review the portfolio career framework for identifying (and prioritizing) various sources of income based on your strengths… And opportunities to use those strengths in support of your creative career. We’ll also cover the 4-C approach to setting appropriate rates for your work or time.

Digital Marketing Bootcamp
Ceci Dadisman, Arts Marketer and Nonprofit Communicator, Cleveland, OH

This hands-on session will equip you with strategies and methodology on how to best utilize digital marketing at your organization. We’ll delve into how arts organizations can create a well-rounded and achievable plan for success. You’ll learn what platforms have the highest return, how to use them, and how to track the results.

Topics we’ll cover include:

• Email marketing
• Social media best practices
• Social media advertising
• Messaging optimization and segmentation
• Website optimization

This session will provide concrete and achievable takeaways that you can implement right away at your organization.

Board Fiduciary Responsibility and Engagement
Paul Stock, Vice President, Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, Wilmington

This workshop will explore the fiduciary responsibilities of a board member and include a facilitated discussion reviewing scenarios and fulfillment of those responsibilities.  The workshop will also include a second facilitated discussion about board engagement – what it looks like and how to increase it.

Organization & Program Evaluation: Data-Informed Storytelling
Brea Heidelberg, Assistant Professor & Associate Program Director, Drexel University

This session will provide participants with an overview of evaluation processes that can be used when making decisions, seeking funding, and telling the organization’s story. This session assumes that participants already value the evaluation process, but may be wary of what seems to be an overly academic or intimidating process. This session will help participants determine SMART evaluation questions, what types of data to collect, and how to put it all together for a variety of stakeholders. Participants will get the chance to practice their new skills as a group before being unleashed to evaluate their own organizations, programs, and partnerships.

Keynote Speaker

Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Alysia Lee is an artist, arts educator, teaching artist and arts advocate, with a broad perspective of the arts ecosystem. Alysia’s work has received national recognition for advancing access, equity, visibility, representation, and power-sharing between artists, organizations, and communities. Key to her method is leadership development, building strong partnerships, and intersectional approaches to engagement while centering artistic excellence, creativity, social justice, and multiculturalism.

She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Sister Cities Girlchoir (SCG), an El Sistema-inspired, girl empowerment, choral academy with programming in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. Lee provided strategic oversight of the program growth from the 12-participant pilot to 400+ membership. SCG celebrates seven seasons building communities of music makers that empower girls to occupy their unique position in creating a better world. SCG has performed for audiences at Carnegie Hall, The Smithsonian Institute, The Kimmel Center, Citizens Bank Park, National Constitution Center, The Barnes Foundation, New Jersey Performing Arts Center and throughout their local communities. The girls cherish their past performances with The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Opera Philadelphia, Temple University, Anna Crusis Women’s Choir, The Philadelphia Singers, Westminster Choir College, El Sistema New Jersey, Greater South Jersey Chorus, and many local youth choirs.

Workshop Leaders

Jessica Ball is the Executive Director of the Delaware Arts Alliance. She is in charge of coordinating state and federal advocacy efforts on behalf of Delaware’s arts and culture sector. Jessica believes in the ability of the arts and creativity to foster positive change in communities. Her work focuses on equipping and empowering citizens to be effective advocates for the arts and arts education.

Jessica spent the first part of her career in the fields of design and architecture. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design with dual master’s degrees in Historic Preservation and Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning. Jessica is a visual artist who draws and paints cityscapes as well as an artisan making personal and home accessories. Her diverse background gives her perspective on the importance of the arts and their impact on people and the built environment.

Ceci Dadisman is a multi-faceted arts administration professional with more than 10 years of experience successfully marketing the arts and nonprofits. Currently the Digital Marketing Manager at FORM, she is nationally recognized as a leader in digital marketing and specializes in multichannel communications campaigns.

A frequent public speaker, Ceci’s recent and upcoming engagements feature national conference appearances at NTEN, Museums and the Web, National Arts Marketing Project, Arts Midwest, American Alliance of Museums, OPERA America, and Chorus America in addition to many other local and regional events. Known for her easy-going and vernacular style, she creates open learning environments with an emphasis on information sharing and useful takeaways. Ceci was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from West Virginia University. She currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Bob Harlow, PhD, uses survey and qualitative research to help organizations more deeply understand and engage key target audiences. He has held senior and management positions at IBM and market research consulting groups such as Yankelovich Partners, working with marketing managers and senior executives at some of the world’s largest companies and leading nonprofit organizations. He currently leads his own market research consulting organization. Bob has written hundreds of surveys and conducted hundreds of focus groups and interviews with broad audiences in 30 countries. He has more than a dozen scholarly publications in social psychology and research methods, and was the principal investigator for The Wallace Foundation Studies in Building Arts Audiences, for which he authored several longitudinal case studies and audience-development guidebooks. He has a PhD from Princeton University in social psychology and completed the postdoctoral program in quantitative analysis at New York University’s Stern School of Business and Graduate School of Arts and Science.

Brea M. Heidelberg is an arts management educator, consultant, and researcher. She is currently Assistant Professor & Program Director of the Entertainment & Arts Management Program at Drexel University. She has served the field as a board member of the Association of Arts Administration Educators, where she served as Vice President and Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, and as a member of the editorial board of the American Journal of Arts Management.

Dr. Heidelberg earned her PhD in Arts Administration, Education and Policy from The Ohio State University and a MS in Human Resource Development from Villanova University. She is the Founder and Principal of ISO Arts Consulting – a firm offering equity trainings, program and organizational evaluation, and workforce solutions. Her research interests include professional development for arts administrators, human resource development in arts and cultural institutions, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts, arts advocacy rhetoric, and cultural management in the African diaspora.

Elaine Grogan Luttrull, CPA-PFS, AFC^® is the founder of Minerva Financial Arts, a company devoted to building financial literacy and empowerment in creative individuals and organizations. Her workshops and presentations have been featured nationally by the DeVos Institute of Arts Management, Americans for the Arts, the Arts & Business Council of New York, the College Art Association, Playwrights of New York, the Lark Play Development Center, Theatre Communications Group, the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory of Music, Rhode Island School of Design, the Ohio Art League, the Ohio Arts Council, the Indiana Arts Commission, the Kentucky Arts Council, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the City of Bloomington, the Broward County Cultural Division, and the Foundation Center.

Elaine teaches at the Columbus College of Art & Design, where she served as the Department Head for Business & Entrepreneurship from 2014-2018. Previously, Elaine served as the Director of Financial Analysis for The Juilliard School and in the Transaction Advisory Services practice of Ernst & Young in New York.

Jan Newcomb has had a 30+ year career in arts management and education. Prior to becoming Executive Director of National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness & Emergency Response and the Performing Arts Coordinator for the Performing Arts Readiness Project in 2017, Jan directed eight arts organizations including Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, four arts councils, a community arts center, and served as Director of Grants at the SC Arts Commission. In 2009, Jan began consulting on leadership transition and development for arts organizations, including Long Wharf Theatre, Lexington Philharmonic, Miami Summer Music Festival, South Arts, and others. In 2015, she designed and was asked to direct the MA in Leadership in the Arts & Entertainment Industries Program at NYIT in Manhattan.  Jan works virtually out of her home in Corning, NY and holds a BA in Music, Hood College; MA in Dance, from The George Washington University.

Paul Stock is the Executive Vice President of the Excellence Academy at Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement.  His career spans more than 25 years in senior management positions in for-profit and nonprofit organizations.  He has operations and quality management experience having run a direct fulfillment program supplying custom configured computers for Hewlett Packard to their enterprise customers in the United States.  Paul is lean, six sigma certified and has extensive process development and improvement experience as a consultant and employee.  Additionally, he has organizational development expertise, is a certified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator practitioner and served as a coach and leadership development instructor at Prison Fellowship’s Leadership Development Institute.  He taught strategic planning for Prison Fellowship’s Eastern Region where he served as Executive Director for the Mid-Atlantic Region for seven years.  Paul developed the Good to Great Strategic Planning model for DANA’s 2015 DANA Fellowship Program. Paul has worked with and developed local boards in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.  Stock received his B.A. from the University of Virginia and a Masters of Divinity and Masters of Theology from Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois.

Artists

Filmmaker and Wilmington native Rob Waters started making films when he was 10 shooting with a camcorder. When the digital media revolution made equipment and post-production more affordable, he made his first “real” short in 2010.  He is a 2018 Division Fellow and a full-time filmmaker with his Sussex County production company, W Films.

Identical twins Al Mills and Rep. Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha, known as The Twin Poets, are social workers, award-winning spoken word poets, nonprofit administrators, and community activists. They were appointed as the 17th Poets Laureate of the State of Delaware in December 2015.

The Big Draw Festival, presented by the Mispillion Art League, is offering expressive drawing activities throughout the day.

Anyone working in, or interested in, the arts should attend! This includes artists; organization staff, board and volunteers; community leaders; program planners, educators; local and state officials; and arts patrons.

Where will the Summit be held?

The Summit will take place at the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino conveniently located on Route 13 at 1131 North DuPont Highway. The center is within easy driving distance of Wilmington, Delaware beach resorts, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Salisbury, MD.

What are the registration details and deadlines?
Please complete the online registration forms and submit payment electronically. Registration must be completed by the deadline of October 22 (early bird deadline is October 7). Note: If paying by intergovernmental voucher or check, contact Dana Wise, Delaware Division of the Arts by fax: 302-577-6561, or by e-mail: Dana.wise@delaware.gov to make payment arrangements.

Registrations submitted without payment are incomplete and cannot be processed.

What if I need to cancel my plans to attend?

Your registration fee will be refunded if you notify the Delaware Division of the Arts in writing of your cancellation. Notice must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, 2019. Send your cancellation request to Dana Wise, Delaware Division of the Arts by fax: 302-577-6561, or by e-mail: Dana.wise@delaware.gov.

Who sponsors this event?

The Arts Summit is produced and sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency committed to cultivating and supporting the arts in Delaware. This event is also made possible, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.