Registration for the 2018 Tennessee Arts & Arts Education Conference is open
From Ann Brown, Suzanne Lynch and Nieya Murray, Conference Co-Chairs –
Presented by the TN Arts Commission and hosted by the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts at Austin Peay State University, the 2018 Tennessee Arts & Arts Education Conference, Design Thinking: A Pathway to Innovation in the Arts will bring together arts administrators, educators and artists for a full two days of learning, collaborative work and networking around the theme of Design Thinking.
We are excited to share this year’s schedule. There will be 10+ sparkplug sessions designed to jumpstart your professional development or spark interest in a variety of topics as well as 10+ Design Thinking sessions, which are Sparkplug-inspired sessions with a Design Thinking emphasis. All of these sessions will be repeated across the two days.
The conference features two Mindbenders Plenary Sessions. The first plenary will be a plated lunch on Wednesday, June 20 at 11:00 a.m. with design strategist and hybrid thinker, Natalie Nixon. There will also be a performance honoring African-American Music Appreciation Month by jazz singer Connye Florance. The second plenary will be on Thursday, June 21 at 11:00 a.m. with design expert, visual strategist and innovationist Dan Goods.
The conference will offer educators opportunities to build skills and develop new classroom curriculum. Sessions include: Experience an Arts Integrated Learning Unit by Dr. Janice Crews; Unpacking the New Tennessee Fine Arts Standards with Dr. Brad Foust and Amanda Galbraith; and Train the Trainer: Think Like a Design Thinker by Mary Kim.
Arts administrators will find practical skills and tools needed for daily work in arts management with sessions such as: For the Love of Your Program: Spicing Up Evaluations by Laurie Melnik; Fieldwork Methods for Arts and Culture Organizations with Liza Blair, Jeff Kollath and Dr. Bradley Hanson; and Linear vs. Non-Linear Thinking or How to Tell your Story so that People Notice by Leslie Haines.
Individual artists will also find sessions to help them develop and build careers with sessions that include: Improv for Everyone by Talon Beeson; a Tax Session for Artists by the Arts and Business Council of Greater Nashville; and Building Your Creative Resume by R.L. Gibson.
The conference brings back the popular arts experiences where attendees can learn a new arts skill and complete a finished piece of art. These sessions include: Virtual Reality Art by Scott Raymond; Traditional Tennessee Square Dance with Louis Frazor and Daniel Rothwell; and The Art of Letterpress by Jana Gilbert.
Register to see the complete schedule and choose your sessions before they fill up. Also, don’t forget to apply for a Special Opportunities Grant to assist with allowable expenses for attending the conference.
See you in Clarksville!
