2025 Sessions
Keynote: From Uncertainty to Agency: The Artist’s Call to Action
At a time when the arts face profound challenges and opportunities, Danielle Brazell will open the Business of Art Symposium with an urgent and hopeful vision for the future of creative communities. Drawing on her experience as a national leader in cultural policy, arts administration, and advocacy, she will speak to the resilience and ingenuity of artists navigating uncertainty, and the power of creativity to shape more inclusive and sustainable futures. This keynote will set the tone for the day—calling us to imagine boldly, act collectively, and re-commit to the essential role of the arts in civic life.
Creative Futures in a Circular Economy: Make Change, Make Money, Make Less Waste
Shira Lane
As California rolls out Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws like SB 54 and SB 707, new budgets open for reuse, refill, repair, and education. That creates real opportunities for artists and makers—as storytellers, fabricators, experience designers, educators, and community activators. In this practical session, Shira Lane (Atrium 916) translates policy into plain language and shows how to position creative work where the funding flows—across producers/PROs, local governments, and mission-aligned partners. We’ll cover project types that qualify (installations, pop-ups, campaigns, workshops, product lines), how to frame outcomes (waste reduced, behavior change, community reach), and examples from successful circular pilots. You’ll leave knowing the roles creatives can play, how to package the work—and who pays.
Free Resources all Artists Should Know About
Kellie Cutler, Kyle Winters, and Diana Arbex
Are you in the know, being seen, connected, feeling supported? Join Nevada County Arts Council staff for an overview of key resources, including the how-tos of the community arts calendar, our artist calls and newsletters, and not one, not two, but three artist directories. Learn about monthly meetups for artists, and, if you have a public studio or a gallery space, how to join our map. At this session, we'll also share upcoming grant opportunities, and how to position yourself on our social media radar. This is a practical walk through you won’t want to miss!
Digital Artistry Unleashed: Elevating Your Instagram Presence and Media Connections
Patrick Storm
Instagram is more than a showcase—it’s a professional canvas for building community and connecting with the media. Led by creative strategist Patrick Storm, this workshop dives into strategies for curating a compelling online presence, from wall posts and reels to stories that tell your artistic journey. Participants will learn how to engage followers authentically, craft a cohesive visual identity, and initiate meaningful connections with reporters and media outlets, turning social media into a powerful professional tool.
Sell Out? Models for Sustaining Life as an Artist
Kevin Byrd
Making art is one thing. Making a living from it is another. This session offers a candid survey of how artists today sustain their practice, from direct sales and gallery representation to teaching, commissions, grants, and newer digital platforms. We’ll explore the pros and cons of each model, discuss real-world strategies for building income streams, and confront the myths that hold many artists back.
Collaborating with AI in Your Creative Practice
Yvonne Fang
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the creative landscape, offering new tools for experimentation and collaboration. Artist and technologist Yvonne Fang will demonstrate workflows that integrate AI into art-making, from real-time image generation to AI-assisted storytelling in immersive environments. Drawing on her teaching experience at Stanford and California College of the Arts, Fang will guide participants in experimenting with prompt engineering and co-creative tools, showing how AI can enhance artistic voice while expanding possibilities for creative practice.
Relax with Tax for Artists and Creative Freelancers
Kiersten Taylor Duerr
Taxes don’t have to be stressful—especially for creatives. In this session, tax accountant and musician Kiersten Taylor Duerr combines her teaching background and accounting expertise to make financial literacy accessible. She will demystify self-employment taxes, deductions, and income tracking while introducing tools and strategies to stay organized. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of forms like Schedule C, as well as practical habits to reduce stress and maximize financial confidence as independent artists.
Portfolio Reviews with Piper J Gallery and Ridgeline Gallery
Piper Johnson
All day long in the Lobby, artists will have the rare opportunity for one-on-one portfolio reviews with gallerist and art consultant Piper Johnson, founder of Piper J Gallery and Ridgeline Gallery in Truckee. In these focused sessions, participants will receive 15 minutes of direct, candid feedback from a commercial gallerist’s perspective—learning how to curate a cohesive, marketable body of work, highlight their strongest pieces, and make a lasting first impression with galleries and collectors. Whether you are emerging, mid-career, or established, this is a chance to refine your portfolio, gain insider insights into what gallerists are looking for, and walk away with actionable advice to propel your career forward.
Income Strategies for Artists
Allison Wyper
Artists thrive on creativity—but sustainability requires multiple income streams. In this workshop, arts entrepreneur and Rhizomatic Arts founder Allison Wyper will help participants identify innovative income strategies that extend beyond sales and grants. Drawing on her experience as a Business of Art Master Facilitator and international performance artist, she will share models for consultancy, membership programs, collaborations, and resource-sharing. Participants will gain tools to diversify their earnings, reduce reliance on single sources, and build careers rooted in both resilience and imagination.
Yes, AND… How to Become the Creative Everyone Wants to Work With
Judy Merrick
Great collaborators get called back. In this high-energy workshop, award-winning actress and improv teacher Judy Merrick will show artists how the principle of “Yes, AND…” can transform your professional relationships. Through interactive exercises rooted in improvisation, participants will practice listening, adaptability, and trust—the skills that turn good artists into great partners. You’ll walk away with new confidence, sharper instincts, and a reputation-ready toolkit for thriving in collaborations and professional networks. This session is designed to help you become the kind of artist others seek out again and again, and one set on career success.
Grantwriting for Artists & Arts Organizations: A Two-Part Series
Jenny Darlington-Person and Eliza Tudor
Funding is essential to sustaining creative work, and this two-part series pairs insider knowledge with hands-on practice:
Grantwriting Part 1 — From Vision to Proposal
This hands-on session walks participants through the fundamentals of preparing proposals, structuring budgets, and using AI-assisted editing tools to refine your language. You’ll leave with practical exercises, templates, and a clearer sense of how to organize and present your ideas effectively.
Grantwriting Part 2 — Insights from the Experts
Building on that foundation, Jenny Darlington-Person, Executive Director of the Arts Council of Placer County, and Eliza Tudor, Executive Director of Nevada County Arts Council, will share their expertise as seasoned fundraisers and grant writers. In this highly participatory Q&A, they will discuss what funders look for, how to avoid common mistakes, and how to build lasting relationships in the funding landscape. Bring your questions!
Demo Lab: 15 Minutes that Level up your Track
Pancho Tomaselli
Running as a four-hour rolling clinic, Berklee-trained bassist/producer Pancho Tomaselli (WAR, Tower of Power, Eric Burdon, PHILM) is offering one-on-one sessions giving you 15 focused minutes with to sharpen your demo’s strongest opportunities—arrangement, groove and low-end, performance, song form, tone, and mix notes—so your track moves from “interesting” to “industry-ready.” Whether you attend with a demo, or there simply to observe, you’ll leave with a concise next-steps sheet (top three fixes + targeted production tips) and practical suggestions for release readiness and career momentum. Bring 1–2 recordings (MP3/WAV on phone/laptop/USB), headphones, and optional stems or instrument; all genres and ages welcome. Sign-ups open at Registration (first-come, first-served) and slots run continuously throughout the day. Grounded in Pancho’s belief that music is a bridge and that learning thrives in a space of trust and belonging—and informed by funk, jazz, Latin rhythms, and global traditions—this clinic is crafted to meet you where you are and elevate what’s already in your sound.
The 2-minute Lunchtime Spotlight—your Open Mic!
Facilitated by Meghan Joy "MOJO" O'Keefe
During lunch we invite you to take to the mic to share news, information, needs, shoutouts, successes, partnership opportunities, and more. Limited to two minutes per person (this will be timed!).
Literary Arts Panel: Writing, Sustainability, and Creative Practice
Karen Terrey, Dean Rader, Mary Volmer and Leta McCollough Seletzky
If you are leading (or want to lead) a professional life in the literary arts or creative economy, join us in a conversation infused in curiosity and practical strategies. The panel members have been chosen for their thoughtful voice and expertise in their fields within the literary arts. We will share meaningful dialogue and skills regarding recent influences on the sustainability of living as and being a writer. Some of the questions asked will touch on the challenges to writers today of budget cuts and political climate, ethics and use of Generative AI, evolving views on Humanities, the variety of writerly roles, and the value of writing.
Fuel for the Future
Brandon "GR8" Greathouse
To close out the Business of Art Symposium, we gather once more in community—participants, speakers, and leaders side by side—to celebrate the ideas, insights, and connections sparked throughout the day. Guided by Brandon “GR8” Greathouse’s signature energy and charisma, this session is both a reflection and a rallying cry: a chance to affirm what you’ve learned, recognize the confidence you’ve gained, and envision the next steps for your creative career. Expect to leave not only motivated and inspired, but ready to carry the momentum of this day into a future filled with new possibilities.