College of Western Idaho (CWI) welcomed a collection of visual and performing arts professionals to campus on Friday, April 14, for an afternoon of expert insight into the world of art and business. The event, presented by the CWI Business and Art departments featured keynote speaker, Drew Lorona, Co-Director of the Treefort Music Festival. Twenty-two local artists, entrepreneurs, and arts educators came together to present a variety of panel discussions on “Organizing and Exhibiting Art”, “Marketing Yourself”, “The World of Non-Profit Arts Organizations”, and “The Business of Art”. Over 200 people attended, as students were given an opportunity to learn more about the challenges and rewards of being a practicing artist and gained some invaluable advice about how to get started in an art career.
We are hoping this is the first of many collaborations between the arts and business departments and look forward to our next event.