Dane Arts: Business of Art Conference
Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission (Dane Arts), a primary arts funding arm for Dane County, Wisconsin, invites all artists, educators, and entrepreneurs alike to participate in the fifth annual Business of Art Conference. This year’s theme is, “The Arts in Community, Education, and Business,” celebrating all of the incredible creatives who work so hard to make Dane County a thriving creative community. The conference will take place on April 23-24, 2026.
Attendees will learn about artist-led projects and programs that build community, education programs with an arts focus, and essential business tools to successfully manage and promote their own work and offerings. This year’s conference features three areas of focus: arts in community, arts in education, and the business of art.
In celebrating the brilliant artists impacting our communities for the better, we are extremely lucky to have keynote addresses from two amazing educators and creative thinkers, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, renown international educator and scholar from UW-Madison and Theo Edmonds, JD, MHA, MFA, an artist, poet, and entrepreneur who connects scholarly research with pop culture across scientific disciplines, data analytics, creativity, and cultural wellbeing in the workplace.
There will be an added bonus to the keynotes with a presentation/workshop from Dr. Roberto Rivera, a scholar, hip hop artist, and educator who focuses his work on social justice in education.
Also, the Executive Director of Arts Education @ Chicago Public Schools, Cesar Torruella, who has over 10 years of experience in education has been added. Cesar is committed to integrating culturally responsive and standards-aligned arts instruction into the core curriculum. By cultivating public-private partnerships and utilizing data-driven frameworks, he aligns arts education with district-wide improvement strategies to ensure every student has access to a high-quality, creative education that prepares them for success in the 21st century.
The two-day conference will take place in Madison at the Arts & Literature Lab, 111 S. Livingston Street, and across the street at StartingBlock Madison, 821 E. Washington, 2nd floor. The fee is $200, early bird special is $125 due March 16. Registration will open in early 2026. Work-volunteer scholarships available and registration is limited. Sponsorship opportunities to support the conference are also available.
For full details, visit: https://dablmarket.com/dabl-2026.
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