The Creative Economy

The Creative Economy plays an increasingly important role in Western Massachusetts, in job creation, revenue growth and quality of life. Thanks to the rich array of talent in performing and visual arts, the Creative Economy abounds in our region. This program will highlight two of our best known artists, Josh Simpson and Scott Prior, who will speak about their work and their marketing efforts. The program will also include an opportunity to see the outstanding new studio arts building built this year at the University of Massachusetts.  This program is free and open to UMass faculty, students, staff and alumni; all others, $25.  For more information or to register:  please call the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network at 413.737.6712 x 100 or register online at http://www.msbdc.org/wmass/training.html#creative.

Tuesday • Dec. 9 • 4 - 6:00 p.m. • Studio Arts Building • University of Massachusetts • Amherst • Co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, UMass Arts Extension Service, UMass Art Department and UMass Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts.  The Arts Extension Service's on-campus programs, such as this, are made possible, in part, by the UMass Arts Council.

Arts Extension Service appears on the UMass Online Blog

University Without Walls Announces Online Creative Economy course!

Maren Brown believes in the power of the creative economy to positively transform communities.  The Arts Extension Service (AES), which she leads, is a national leader in creative economy training and research.  The string of creative economy firsts is astonishing:  just last year, AES published the nation’s first workbook on creative economy planning to complement a series of first-in-the-nation training programs on how to create, sustain and evaluate creative economy programs.

UWW's Arts Administration Program Represents a Degree of Progress

Business West
April 14, 2008 by Laura DeMar

What do a mural and a balance sheet have in common? Ask an artist, and he may scratch his head. Ask an accountant, and he’ll probably compare costs of supplies versus profit from the sale of the piece. For some artists, it’s all about their passion for a chosen medium, whether it be theater, paint, glass, or design. But what happens when their creativity becomes something more than just a whim, perhaps even a moneymaker? For some, the idea of balancing the accounting books and figuring out grant applications can be a daunting task, but that’s where the UMass Amherst University Without Walls program comes into play.

With a new Arts Administration focus area, artists and those interested in working for organizations, ranging from museums and nonprofits to personal businesses, can learn how to turn their creativity into a viable, sustainable company and earn a degree they’ve always coveted.

For complete article, please click here Creative Thinking.

Maren Brown and Craig Dreeszen appearing at the ArtsME - conference

Workshops and lectures:

• Maren Brown on Website Design
• Maren Brown on Target Markets
• Maren Brown on Surveys
• Maren Brown on Audience
• Craig Dreeszen on Strategies for Board Development