First ‘Central Oregon Arts Summit’ planned
The Arts & Culture Alliance of Central Oregon is partnering with the Oregon Arts Commission to produce the first Central Oregon Arts Summit on Monday, Oct. 6, at the Riverhouse Convention Center in Bend.
This marks the first regional arts summit organized by the Arts Commission, which fosters an environment for artists, administrators and community members to come together for provocative learning exchanges that spark new insights and connections to their work. The Commission has previously hosted annual statewide art summits in Portland.
“Feedback from our statewide arts summits held in Portland revealed there was an opportunity to better address specific regional needs by presenting smaller, geographically focused summits,” said David Huff, the commission’s assistant director. “We chose to begin a new model with Central Oregon due to its commitment to cultural tourism and diverse array of arts organizations and partnerships.”
The 2014 regional summit, “Exploring Connections,” will highlight the state of the arts in Central Oregon, with breakout sessions on: public value of the arts; art in health care; cultural tourism; Oregon’s art ecology; creative place making; and art in business.
The summit is open to individual artists, arts supporters, arts-related businesses and volunteers, as well as staff and board members of nonprofit organizations.
The Central Oregon Art Summit’s keynote speaker, Doug Borwick, is the author of “Building Communities, Not Audiences: The Future of the Arts in the U.S.”
Borwick will discuss the idea that arts organizations need to become deeply connected with their communities, and will provide new ways of looking at the arts as a powerful force for building better communities and improving the lives of all.
As one of the country’s leading advocates for the arts and community engagement, Borwick has served as keynote speaker and workshop presenter at conferences across the U.S. and Canada as well as in Beijing and Singapore.
Following the Central Oregon Arts Summit, attendees are invited to a free reception at the Deschutes Public Library from 5 to 6:30 p.m. where they can enjoy a local craft brew, meet funders, visit with other nonprofit leaders and artists, and learn more about the Foundation Center’s grant information network.
The Oregon Arts Commission, housed in Business Oregon, was established in 1967 to foster the arts in Oregon and ensure their excellence. Recognizing the impact the arts have on Central Oregon and the economy, the Arts & Culture Alliance was formed in May of 2010.
The Arts & Culture Alliance realizes the impact the arts have on Central Oregon and the economy. The ACA understands the need for collaboration and networking; their shared purpose in working together to promote the arts and supporting each other establishes a collective voice.
The partnership with the Arts Commission celebrates the ACA’s recent non-profit status, which will enable the ACA to pursue additional collaborations to better meet its mission to promote Central Oregon as a cultural destination and to promote and strengthen collaboration within the art and culture community.
Central Oregon Arts Summit
Monday, October 6
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Riverhouse Convention Center
$50 registration (fee includes box lunch)
($40 for ACA or NAO members. Call Michelle Solley at 541.508.8785 for ACA membership information.)
Arts & Culture Alliance Members:
2nd Street Theater; Art in Public Places; Art in the High Desert; Arts, Beautification & Culture Commission, Arts Central, Atelier 6000, Bella Acappella Harmony, Bend Chamber of Commerce, Bend Dance Project, BendFilm, Caldera, Cascade Arts & Entertainment, Cascade Chorale, Cascades Theatrical Co., Central Oregon Mastersingers, Central Oregon Symphony Association, COCC Barber Library Rotunda Gallery, Des Chutes Historical Museum, Deschutes Public Library, High Desert Chamber Music, High Desert Journal, Les Schwab Amphitheater, Lubbesmeyer Studio, Mockingbird Gallery, Museum at Warm Springs, Redmond Community Concert Association, Roundhouse Foundation, Sisters Folk Festival, Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, Sunriver Music Festival, Sunriver Stars Community Theater, Terpsichorean Dance Studio, The Nature of Words & Tower Theatre Foundation.
Membership is open to creative arts practitioners, non-profits, businesses, artists, groups, and organizations that focus on the arts. Please visit www.artsandculstureco.org, www.facebook.com/ArtsCultureAlliance, or contact Michelle Solley for more information: michelledsolley@gmail.com.
