EXCITING NEWS – New ArtsBuild program coordinator!

I would like to introduce and welcome Carole Spelic who will be taking over as the new ArtsBuild program coordinator at the end of this month. I first met Carole at the very first ArtsBuild listening session back in May 2004 and have appreciated her involvement and enthusiasm as a participant ever since.

Carole is a paper mache' artist and musician (along with many other talents) and is a co-owner along with her partner Richard Moninski of the Green Lantern Studio and Gallery in Mineral Point. Carole's vast experience and creativity will be a great asset to the ArtsBuild program.

THANKS!

Thank you to all who have shared their encouragement regarding the new adventures I am undertaking. The past four years with ArtsBuild have been such a positive experience for me - creating great opportunities to meet and get to know so many artists and arts leaders across the region. Please feel free to stay in contact with me at kealin@mhtc.net or 608-348-2417 or visit me on Main Street in Platteville at the Driftless Market – opening in June!

ARTSBUILD NETWORKING RETREATS A SUCCESS!

Last week wrapped up the last of the ArtsBuild Regional Arts Networking Retreats. These retreats were a great success and will be followed by many great opportunities for relevant workshops and other networking opportunities throughout the region.

Along with getting to know each other and learning more about local, regional and statewide resources—participants had the opportunity to brainstorm on the topic of, "That’s a great idea! How are we going to make it happen?" We broke into groups to discuss the projects we would like to see or were already moving forward—then we brainstormed strategies on how to make them a reality by utilizing creative marketing ideas, identifying area resources and developing new and unique partnerships.

Thank you to the artists and community arts leaders who were able to attend the retreats—and also to Laura Brown/Crawford County Extension, Sarah Burgert/Green County Extension, Pam Ritchie/Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization, Barb Nelson/Monroe Main Street Program, Richard Daniels/Monroe Arts Center, Anita Huffman/Blackhawk Technical College, Terry Tackett, Lynn Zelker, and Jackie Krupke with Green County SmART Communities, Kathleen Hein/Prairie du Chien City Council and Main Street Design Committee, Jennifer Edge/Shakespeare on the Edge project, Anne Katz/Arts Wisconsin, Karen Goeschko/Wisconsin Arts Board, Marian Maciej-Hiner/UW-Platteville Office of Continuing Education and the Alliant Energy Foundation for making the first part of the "ArtsBuild Community Arts & Regional Vision" project such a collaborative success.

UPCOMING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES:

• Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club in Crawford and Vernon County
  Tuesday, May 13th, at 6:30 PM at the Gays Mills Community Center, Main Street, Gays Mills
  This month’s topic is networking,  "Making the Right Connections for Your Invention or Business" with Julann Jatczak from the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation.  Julann will share her perspectives on how to make a plan for networking based on your strengths and weaknesses, tools of the networking trade, business resources, and strategies to make networking easy and fun. Tom Martin, School to Work Project Coordinator from CESA 3, will also demonstrate some simple computer technology you can use to enhance your networking.  His brief “Tech Five” will include tools such as Doodle, Skype, Twitter, and others. Meetings are FREE and are held on the second Tuesday of every month at the Gays Mills Community Center on Main Street (Look for our banner). Doors open at 6:00 and the program starts at 6:30 PM. Questions? Call Laura Brown at Crawford County Extension (608)326-0224
   
• Grant/Lafayette Club Entrepreneurs and Inventors Club
  Wednesday, May 21 at 6 PM at the Lancaster Youth and Ag Building
  This month's topic is Customer Service presented by Katee Eliason from the Wisconsin Womenk's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC). The meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6 PM. Meetings are free and open to the public.
   
• Green County Area Entrepreneur and Inventors Club
  On the first Monday of the month join this interactive forum designed to help entrepreneurs, inventors, innovative manufacturers, and service providers find connections, resources and expertise. Meetings are held from 6:30PM - 8:30 PM at the Monroe Clinic Hospital (NEW GLARUS ROOM), 515 22nd Avenue, Monroe.