Take It to the Next Level

Last summer, Austinites who work in the creative sector had the opportunity to "take it to the next level" through a series of workshops and speeches focusing on professional development and technical assistance in the field. The series was so successful that the city of Austin's Cultural Arts Division is following up with a new series this summer, taking Take It to the Next Level to the next level with a symposium on public art (Blurring the Lines: Public Art Re-Examined, Sept. 11) and brown-bag lunch conversations that will allow members of the creative community to engage in hourlong dialogues on the issues of creative space development (June 8 & July 20) and cultural tourism (Sept. 14). Workshops will cover such areas as technology in temporary public art (July 1), real estate community space models (July 13), multicultural marketing (Aug. 17), creating a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Aug. 18), and advanced grant writing (Aug. 25), and guest speakers will address topics such as Creating Spaces for Artist Communities (July 12) and the Role of Arts in Enlivening Business Districts (July 13). Below is the schedule for the coming five weeks. For more information, call 974-7860 or 974-7854 or visit www.cityofaustin.org/nextlevel.

Social Media 101 for Cultural Creatives

Wednesday, May 26, noon-3pm, in Boards & Commissions Rm. 1101, Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second.

Lauren Tuttle of public relations/design firm Wyatt Brand discusses how to use Facebook and other social media to connect with audiences and spread the word about creative projects. Free. Limit: 40.

The Artspace Story

Monday, June 7, 7:30-9pm, Austin Playhouse, 3601 S. Congress

Since Austin Playhouse has invited Artspace, the Minneapolis-based nonprofit developer of afford-able space for artists and arts organizations, to do a feasibility study on a new theatre and live/work space locally, Artspace Vice Presidents Stacey Mickelson and Wendy Holmes will be sharing information about the nonprofit's past projects and soliciting input from Austinites about the community's needs and concerns regarding an Artspace project here. Free.

Brown Bag Conversation #1: Creative Space Development

Tuesday, June 8, noon-1pm, Boards & Commissions Rm. 1101, Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second. Free. Limit: 30.

The Seven Faces of Philanthropy

Tuesday, June 15, 11am-2pm, Boards & Commissions Rm. 1101, Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second.

Fundraising consultant Sally Blue provides an overview of the motivations for major gift fundraising, drawing from the book by Karen Maru File and Russ Alan Prince. Free. Limit: 40.

Creative Space Development Models – Paducah, Syracuse, Lake Worth

Wednesday, June 23, 8-9:30am, location TBD

Artist Mark Barone shows how the different dynamics in different communities led to different approaches in creating three arts space projects he worked on: the Artist Relocation Program in Paducah, Ken.; the Near Westside Initiative in Syracuse, N.Y.; and the Cultural Renaissance Program in Lake Worth, Fla. Free.

Nuts & Bolts of Artist Space Development

Wednesday, June 23, 1-4pm, Boards & Commissions Rm. 1101, Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second.

Building on the Creative Space Development Models – Paducah, Syracuse, Lake Worth presentation, Mark Barone will field questions about the three models discussed earlier and help participants determine what questions they need to ask in figuring out their own creative space development projects. Free. Limit: 40.