Free art-focused seminars offered to creative community

The first in a series of “webinars” administered by Americans for the Arts will be held at 2 p.m. today in City Hall. The webinars, part of Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District’s initiative to offer entrepreneurial and educational opportunities to the creative community, are free and open to the public.

“This is part of what BEAD is about, to strengthen the arts and cultural community,” said Miah Michaelsen, the city’s assistant economic development director for the arts. “We heard, ‘We need additional learning opportunities,’” she said, adding that this is a good opportunity to provide this service.

Webinars are “90-minute online seminars on a current topic, issue or trend,” according to the Americans for the Arts Web site. “This new media platform enables a high level of interaction with the presenter, other attendees and the content.”

The seminars feature field experts who showcase the best practices and illustrate innovative models.

Susan Sandberg, program coordinator for arts administration at the School of Public Environmental Affairs and member of the city council, attended a webinar on the arts.

“The information was great, and I’m always happy to chat with anyone who’s facing the same dilemmas we all are,” Sandberg said. “It’s a good substitute for anyone interested in learning more about what other arts professionals and arts administrators around the country are doing.”

The webinars offered this year touch on a variety of topics, including “Arts & Civic Engagement: Policies and Actions for Strengthening the 21st Century Community,” “Organizational Planning for Local Arts Agencies,” “Arts Marketing through Web,” “Basics of Budgeting in Local Arts Organizations” and “Fundraising for Local Arts Agencies.”

“This is another great resource for anyone interested in the arts,” Sandberg said.
The webinars are applicable to a variety of people, Michaelsen said. Because they are held locally and don’t require travel, the “bite-sized information” sessions are easy to work into a busy schedule.

For more information on the webinars, go to www.bloomington.in.gov/bead

“We’ll have people on the panel from all over the country,” Michelaelson said. “It’s an opportunity for us to provide access to cutting-edge education.”