California Arts Council’s Craig Watson to Keynote Countywide Arts Conference

Arts professionals from throughout San Bernardino County and surrounding areas will convene for a full day of speakers, workshops, roundtable discussions, and networking opportunities. The Arts Connection Conference will be highlighted with a Keynote Address by Craig Watson, Executive Director of the California Arts Council, who will speak on the state of the arts in California and bringing economic and creative vitality to our region though the arts. Additionally, San Bernardino County Second District Supervisor, Janice Rutherford will show her support with the Welcome Address. The conference is being organized by the non-profit organization, Arts Connection - The Arts Council of San Bernardino County in partnership with the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center and will be held on Saturday, September 13 from 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center, located at 12505 Cultural Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739. The 2014 Arts Connection conference will focus on "Professional Practices for Visual & Performing Artists and Administrators" and includes an outstanding line up of presenters and facilitators including Visual Artist Workshop Leader, Karen Atkinson, Founder of GYST-Ink and CalArts Professor; Arts Administrator Workshop Leader, Scott Ward, Executive Director, Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena; Performing Artist Workshop Leader, Matt Walker, Artistic Director, Troubadour Theatre Company; Roundtable Discussion Facilitators: Valerie Peister, Community Outreach Programming Manager, Redlands Bowl, Michael Segura, City of San Bernardino Fine Arts Commission, Member of San Bernardino Generation Now, and Paige Taylor, Education and Outreach Coordinator, RAFFMA; and Closing Speaker, Daniel Foster, Executive Director, Oceanside Museum of Art and Founding Board Chair of Arts Connection. “I am very excited to see the first conference of this kind in our region. San Bernardino County is filled with talented artists and designers, performers, curators, arts educators, arts administrators, and a variety of arts professionals, who are making important contributions to our region and creative culture everyday. A convening of these individuals with a fantastic line-up of conference presenters will make for a thought provoking and inspiring day” says Sant Khalsa, Board Member of Arts Connection and Professor of Art Emeritus at Cal State San Bernardino. “I encourage all arts professionals in our region to attend the Arts Connection Conference and take advantage of this incredible opportunity to gain valuable information, tools, and inspiration in support of their careers, the arts community and our County” Professor Khalsa added. The conference is being sponsored through the generous contributions of funds and/or in-kind support from The James Irvine Foundation, California Arts Council, San Bernardino Valley Concert Association, Chaffey College School of Visual and Performing Arts, Cal State San Bernardino Office of the President, Associates Students Incorporated (ASI) at Cal State San Bernardino, Gloria Macias Harrison, David Lawrence, Arts Management Program at Claremont Graduate University, The Community Foundation, Museum of History and Art - Ontario Associates, Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art at Chaffey College, San Bernardino Symphony, and others. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available. The conference has been made very affordable due to the generous support of many sponsors. The conference is free to all members of Arts Connection. One-year membership start at only $25 (and $10 for students). The conference fee is $50 for non-members. Pre-registration for the conference is highly encouraged. Registration is available online at http://artsconnectionnetwork.org/event-reservation or by phone at 909-537-5809. For more information contact Julia Tilley, Interim Executive Director, Arts Connection, 909-537-5809 and info@artsconnectionnetwork.org. Arts Connection, the Arts Council of San Bernardino County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to stimulating creative and economic vitality and enriching lives throughout the communities we serve by providing support, promotion, education, and advocacy for the arts. Arts Connection was created to share needed knowledge and resources, support initiatives that engage, encourage and advocate community building through the arts, and offer funding solutions for progressive projects, art groups and artists. Contact: Julia Tilley, Interim Executive Director, Arts Connection email: info@artsconnectionnetwork.org phone: 909-537-5809