Creative Expo tomorrow and upcoming webinar!

Good morning SMARTies,

Just a quick reminder of tomorrow's Chicago Creative Expo at the Chicago Cultural Center. Do not miss the opportunity to engage with arts service organizations and your colleagues in the field. Also, the Expo is offering a range of workshops and awesome keynote speakers. Attendance to the Expo is FREE. 

March 1-2, 2013

10 am - 4 pm

Chicago Cultural Center

78 E Washington Street

Chicago, IL 60602

Upcoming Webinars

FREE Webinar: How to Write Faster: Tips for Nonprofit Marketers and Fundraisers

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

10:00 am - 11:00 am

Register

Topics that will be covered at the webinar; how to banish writer's block, where to invest your writing time, what to do before you start writing, how to streamline the review process. These tips can be applied to any type of writing that you have to create for your organization. Click here to learn more. 

 

Chicago Creative Expo is near...

Good afternoon SMARTies!

Mark your calendars for next week's Chicago Creative Expo. The Expo connects Chicago's creative community the resources they need to thrive.

Through Keynotes, Workshops, Vendors and more, get professional development expertise from top local and national providers.

Friday March 1 (focused on organizations)
and 
Saturday March 2 (focused on individual artists)
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington Street
Chicago, IL 60602

Admission Free

Take a Free Workshop - there will be more than 30 at the Expo on topics like Fundraising, Copyright, Placemaking, Websites, Kickstarter Campaigns, Board Development and more.

Each workshop is 1 hr. 

Click for more information.

DanceWorks Chicago at the Harris Theater!

Join us for a little afternoon delight and a special Valentine's Day treat when DanceWorks Chicago returns to the stage of the Harris Theater for Eat to the Beat. Dance, music, food trucks, and special drink deals...who could ask for anything more?

Nonprofit Leadership Breakfast Series

Social Media and Generation Y Donors: What Nonprofits Need to Know

Did you know?

The use of mobile technologies and marketing will experience explosive growth in the next 12 months" - State of the Nonprofit Industry 2012

• 98% of nonprofits are on Facebook
• The average value of a Facebook "Like" for a nonprofit is $161.30 over 12 months
• Donations raised through crowdfunding increased approx. 91% last year.

Want to know more, and what it means for your organization? 

Then join us and learn from Cheryl Pearson-McNeil, SVP Public Affairs and Government Relations, Nielsen Company

Breakfast Details

When: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 from 7:30 am to 9:30 am 

Where: Union League Club, 65 W Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604. Visit www.ulcc.org for parking info

Price: $25 per person

Register Now

Workshop: Trends in the Arts Sector: Funder Perspective

Good morning SMARTies,

Here's a great workshop opportunity to hear and learn about the latest trends in the field from local foundation program officers who support arts and cultural nonprofit organizations. You'll learn about funder perspectives regarding best practices and the future direction of the arts sector.

Details
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
9:30 am - 11:30 am
Columbia College Chicago
623 S Wabash Avenue
Hokin Lecture Hall, Rm 109

Price: $45 (NPO budget < $250k) or $65 (for-profit/NPO budget > $250k)
Click to register

Moderator: Deb Hass, Principal Consultant, Serendipity Consulting
Panelists: Marcia Festen, Director, Arts Work Fund and Arthur Pearson, Director - Chicago Program, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

Is Your Arts Organization Ready for On BOARD?

Good afternoon SMARTies,

Is your organization ready for new board members? Are you unsure of how or where to start seeking new board members? If so, the Arts and Business Council's On BOARD program may be your answer.

The Arts and Business Council (A&BC) works with both the organizations and the candidates throughout the process. Interested arts groups complete a comprehensive application and may be interviewed by an A&BC staff member to ensure that your organization is prepared for and committed to the program. Click here for more information.

Current clients of the Arts and Business Council including organizations who have participated in the past may complete the ON BOARD Application. The application deadline to apply for the Spring 2013 session is February 3, 2013.

The fee to participate as an arts group is $200 which is due at the beginning of the program. Organizations can participate frequently in On BOARD and groups that don't receive a placement are automatically eligible to return for the next session to meet a new group of candidates. Click here for more details.

Baroque meets Contemporary

Thanks in part to the wonderful support we’ve received from the SMARTGrowth program, Baroque Band has taken on new projects that challenge us to continue pushing the limits of our art form.

In February, Baroque Band is partnering with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) to present “The 21stCentury Brandenburg Project.” In three concerts at the MCA, we will perform all six of Bach’s beloved Brandenburg Concertos. Six contemporary composers have written works inspired by the Brandenburgs, using identical instrumentation. The result will be a pairing of each Bach piece with its new, 21^st Century “reimagining,” all performed on the instruments of Bach’s era.

Garry Clarke, Baroque Band's founding artistic director

“Period instruments are experiencing a resurgence in popularity – not only among performers, but composers as well. They are drawn to the intimate, voice-like qualities of the instruments, which offer a wholly different sound and aesthetic from modern instruments,” noted Garry Clarke, founding artistic director of Baroque Band.

Support from the Chicago Community Trust’s SMARTGrowth program has helped Baroque Band think strategically, examining ways to reach a broader audience and ensure the continued relevance of its art form. The 21^st Century Brandenburg Project will expose Baroque Band to an entirely new demographic of contemporary music and art fans, while elevating the ensemble’s artistic profile through partnership with a prestigious Chicago institution. Baroque Band’s February performances are part of a new music series at the MCA, on which the esteemed ensembles eighth blackbird and ICE will also appear this season.  

We encourage our fellow SMARTGrowth recipients to join us for one or more of our MCA performances. The MCA is located at 220 E. Chicago Ave. in downtown Chicago. Dates and times of our performances are as follows:

·      Thursday, February 21 at 7:30 PM

·      Saturday, February 23 at 7:30 PM

·      Sunday, February 24 at 3:00 PM

For more information or to reserve tickets, please visit:

http://www.mcachicago.org/performances/now/all/2013/892.

We hope to see many of you there!