May 2007 Conference schedule included the following sessions:

  Registration
  Arrival & Brunch with greetings and introductions
 
MAC Overview of Programs and New initiatives
Alden Wilson, Executive Director, Maine Arts Commission
Donna McNeil, Assistant Director, Maine Arts Commission
 
Fundraising 101: Confessions of a Supplicant
Lindsay Hancock, Foundation & Corporate Relations Manager, MECA

Join me, a self-confessed supplicant going on 29 years in arts/cultural development work, for a refresher on the rules and a few war stories from the field.

 
Arts in Education: Learning In and Through the Arts
Paul Faria, Art in Education, Maine Arts Commission
Argy Nestor, Arts in Education, Maine Department of Education 

Designed for teaching artists and organizations this is an overview of Maine's current arts in education programs, with a focus on using curriculum development to align with the Maine Learning Results, marketing ideas, professional development opportunities for artists and organizations, and a look at the network of national, regional and state arts in education affiliations and programs.

 
What can NEFA do for you?
Adrienne Petrillo, Program Manager for Presenting & Touring, NEFA

Learn about all of the funding programs and other resources available from the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), including MatchBook.org, New England States Touring, Meet the Composer/New England, Expeditions, the New England Cultural Database and National Dance Project.
 
DVD Technology
Workshop Leader TBA

Learn about DVD technology and its applications for promotion, fundraising, archiving and more. 

 
How do nonprofit arts organizations remain relevant?
Aimee Petrin, Executive Director, PCA Great Performances
Nat May, Executive Director, SPACE Gallery

Nat May, Executive Director of SPACE Gallery, a 5-year-old organization dedicated to contemporary, emerging and unconventional arts and Aimée Petrin, Executive Director of PCA Great Performances, a 76-year-old, multidisciplinary cultural arts organization engage fellow presenters and artists in a conversation about ethics and best practices, audience engagement, sustainability, trends and more.
  Break
 
The NEA - An Insider's Guide
Mario Garcia Durham, NEA, Director of Presenting

Please join Mario for a field update on the NEA. He will discuss current funding programs, new initiatives, suggestions for better applications for both new and seasoned applicants, and other information you may find useful as an artist, agent, organization or presenter.

 
Partnering for Success: Artists & Presenters Working Together
Donna McNeil, Assistant Director, Maine Arts Commission

A chance to build understanding and shared strategies through a discussion of experiences, expectations, needs and goals.
 
Balancing Artistic Visions and Social Messages
Panelists: Cathy Plourde, Adverb; David Greenham, Theater at Monmouth; and Odelle Bowman, A Company of Girls

A dialogue with artists who have produced successful projects inspired by current societal issues. What are the challenges of producing projects that have good production values and a solid artistic vision along with relevant social commentary? Does one side drive the piece more than the other? Audience participation welcome.
  Cocktails and networking
  Dinner with Keynote speakers Felicia Knight & Mario Garcia Durham
  Performing Arts Showcase featuring music by Sol y Canto and Melodic Vision, Carl Dimow & Nathan Kolosko, Ball in the House, Leela Nowrangi, and Jim Gallant; puppetry by Figures of Speech Theatre; tap dancing by Drika Overton; and comic theater/mime by Susan Poulin and Leland Faulkner.
  Breakfast
  Registration
 
Open Space Sessions

What would YOU like to talk about? Open Space is a vehicle for conference participants to contribute topics of interest. Open Space offers a structured yet open dialogue format.

 
Marketing and Public Relations: Self Promotion with Limited Resources
Darrell Bulmer, Communications Associate, Maine Arts Commission

This workshop will discuss how to get yourself noticed in the public eye, such as connecting with the press. We will discuss some cost effective methods of promotion and what other new marketing and PR techniques other artists are using and why. 
 
Collaboration with Uncommon Partners
Carol Estey, Co-Artistic Director, Opera House Arts at the Stonington Opera House
Alison Chase, Director/Choreographer & Founding Artistic Director of Pilobolus

A practical guide for building a collaborative community arts project through creative thinking and improvisational techniques. Carol and Alison offer this workshop using "Quarryography," a site-specific project four years in the making, as a working example of joint professional and community authorship.
 
Presenting Traditional Artists
Heather McCarthy, Director American Folk Festival
Jeff McKeen, independent artist
 
The Creative Economy NOW and what it means for the Arts NEXT
Lunch with Keynote speaker John Rohman, CEO, WBRC Architects/Engineers

The Creative Economy has captured the interest of economic developers, politicians and many others. It's now time to capitalize on that for the arts.
 
Consortia and Collaboration across New England/In the Works
Robert A. Richter, Director of Arts Programming, Connecticut College, and President of New England Presenters
Liza Sacheli, Marketing Manager, Middlebury College Center for the Arts, and President of Arts Presenters of Northern New England

An introduction to two regional consortia, New England Presenters (NEP) and Arts Presenters of Northern New England (APNNE).  Learn what opportunities each organization affords to members, from best practices to funding to blockbooking.  Then participate in an "In the Works" session and share your upcoming projects and plans.
 
Where Do We Go From Here

Conference dialogue for all participants to envision the future of the MePAN conference.  Your input determines the next steps. 

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