By Erin Williams, Executive Director, Muncie Arts & Culture Council—
MUNCIE, IN—This month, MuncieArts (munciearts.org) will present a special two-day professional practice seminar for artists who would like to expand their creative practice into working in public art. “Making Public Art Work” will be held on Aug. 13 and 14 at Minnetrista Museum and Gardens, with a virtual keynote lecture by Kristen Giannantonio from the Monument Lab (Philadelphia) on Friday, Aug.12 at 6 p.m..
“Making Public Art Work” is presented in conjunction with the Community Foundation of Randolph County, the Indiana Arts Commission, and the Indiana Small Business Development Center as part of the Next Steps Business Training Series. For the series, each region of Indiana will offer their own free training session with a different theme or focus determined by the region. MuncieArts was asked to host the Region 5 seminar earlier this summer.
MuncieArts decided to focus on the professional practice of public art because “it is a huge field where artists can create a successful business, but it can also be very daunting to get started,” said Erin Williams, Executive Director of MuncieArts. “How do you go from painting on a canvas in your studio to painting a mural on a building? What skills and tools are important for that type of work? What are the best practices? How do you translate the skills you already have into the skills you need? These are all questions that we hear often. We want to help demystify the process so that local and regional artists can feel equipped to apply to public art opportunities.”
The seminar will include two full days of lectures, workshops, and discussions provided by local and national experts working in the field. The event will be in person at Minnetrista Museum and Gardens in Muncie, with some virtual lectures available via livestream on the MuncieArts Facebook page. Participation is free but registration is required and space is limited. Participants can register and learn more at muncieart.org/workit. Recordings of the seminar content will be available virtually this fall on the MuncieArts website.
“We were so excited to be presented with the opportunity to offer more professional practice training options for artists,” said Williams. “It is critical for artists in Delaware County to be able to engage with curators, arts administrators, and other successful entrepreneurs as part of their professional development.”
Throughout the two-day seminar, participants will listen to lectures and engage in discussions on a variety of topics that are central to the process of producing art for the public. These topics include best practices of working with neighborhoods and communities; discussions about the public art curatorial, fabrication, and installation process from for-profit, nonprofit, and city-based administrators, and lectures by professional artists who have made successful careers working in public art in a variety of media and settings.
Participants will also learn important business skills that will help them make the jump to public projects, such as the process of finding and applying for public art calls; navigating contracts, payments, and budgets, and understanding the legal implications of creating public artwork.
“We want to provide a well-rounded, thoughtful experience that will benefit any artist who attends the seminar, even if they already have an arts practice, or are just starting out,” Williams said. “There are a lot of paid, public art opportunities out there and we want to see artists in Muncie and Indiana find professional success doing what they love.”
You can learn more about “Making Public Art Work” and register for the seminar at munciearts.org/workit. In-person registration closes on Thursday, August 11th, or when capacity is reached. For more information about the Next Steps Business Training Series see the Indiana Arts Commission website at www.in.gov/arts/programs-and-services/training/next-steps-trainings/.
