2023 NW MI Arts & Culture Summit
Create
Connections, Capacity, Communications
Tuesday, 5/9/2023 – 8:30am-3:30pm
Mallory-Towsley Center for Arts Leadership
at Interlochen Center for the Arts
Schedule Speakers Resources
Download Schedule pdf (to come)
Artists, culture bearers, and creatives of all disciplines, arts and cultural organizations, creative businesses, and community builders are invited to join the 2023 Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Summit.
The regional summit is a professional development day held annually to learn, strengthen relationships, share resources and continue collaborating to build the ten-county network.
Panel discussionss will explore: Leading Together: Connecting Champions, Collaborators, Creators & Communities, Programming in the New Normal, and Power Networking. Breakout sessions share hands-on tools and strategies with tracks for individual artists as well as organizations. Topics include: Work of Art, The Money Pie, Volunteer Management, AI & Chat GPT, Cultural Tourism, & Sharing Panels. Speakers include more than 20 regional artists, arts and cultural leaders, community project directors and creative sector advocates, in addition to state leaders from Michigan Arts & Culture Council, Americans for the Arts, Michigan Presenters Network and Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Summit registration is a benefit of Network Membership.
Non-members welcome. Scholarships are available.
Contact arts@nwmiarts.net with questions.
Presentations, tools, research, links, publication and other resources used during this and prior Summits are available to review or download in Summit Resources page. This page will be updated as resources, transcrips and recordings are available.

Summit Schedule
The 2023 Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Summit will be presented
at Interlochen Center for the Arts. Zoom options available for remote participation.
Scroll Below for Schedule & Speakers Bios
Morning Welcome & Panels
Prelude – 8:15-8:45am
Registration & Networking
Continental Breakfast
Sharing Table
Members artwork and music will be on display and woven through the day.
Gather & Greetings – 8:30am
Trey Devey
President, Interlochen Center for the Arts
Mary Bevans Gillett
Convener, Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Network
Gary Gatzke
President, Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Network
Associate Director of Continuing & Community Education, Interlochen Center for the Arts
State of the Arts for Arts & Culture
There are new faces and new forces in Lansing and across Michigan. What are the key trends impacting arts and culture
and, in particular, what is the impact on funding, promotion, advocacy and artist support here at home?
Alison Watson
Director, Michigan Arts & Culture Council
Creativity: Superpower to Success
Creativity infuses arts and culture … and powers our communities.
Let’s kick off our first sessions by connecting the dots andcelebrating the role creativity plays
in building success across all sectors and all players.
Jamie Gallagher
President, Faber-Castell USA
Panel 1 – 9:00am
Leading Together: Connecting Champions,
Collaborators, Creators & Communities
We each play a role in creating and furthering arts, culture and community vibrancy.
Artists, culture bearers, organizations, leaders, visionaries, connectors, advocates. Let’s build on the strengths the arts bring to our region and our state … and envision a resilient post-pandemic landscape fueled by collaboration, creativity and connections across all sectors. This interactive discussion with regional, state and national leaders looks at the trends, issues, challenges, and opportunities to join together to support a strong creative economy.
Alison Watson
Director, Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs
Nikki Devitt
President, Petoskey Chamber of Commerce
Co-Chair, Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance
Jamie Gallagher
CEO, Faber-Castell USA
Founder, 4 the Win Partners
Deborah Polich
Executive Director, Artrain & Creative Washtenaw
Michigan Advocacy Captain, Americans for the Arts
Anne-Marie Oomen
Author, Poet, Playwright, Artist
Facilitator
Trey Devey
President, Interlochen Center for the Arts
Short Break
Panel 2 – 10:30am
Programming & Performing in the New Normal
Join this panel of performers and programmers in an interactive discussion on the trends, challenges, strategies and new opportunities many are facing in building new audiences, promotion and programming for events, gigs, festivals and seasons. What’s working in “the new normal?”
Kassia Perpich
Associate Director, Great Lakes Center for Performing Arts
Anna Rudnitsky
President, Michigan Presenters Network
Programming Coordinator, Midland Center for the Arts
Brett Wrobel
Director of Interlochen Presents, Interlochen Center for the Arts
Megan DeWindt
President, Crooked Tree Art Center-Petoskey
Kristi Wodek
Vice-President, Crooked Tree Art Center-Traverse City
Musician – TBA
Facilitator
Peter Payette
Executive Director, Interlochen Public Radio
Session 3 – 11:30am
Power Networking
Let’s keep thinking creatively & collaboratively. IPR staff will facilitate a fast-paced session to find common ground and see if 2+2 might make 5. Maybe your next great event will be conceived here!
Facilitator
Peter Payette
Executive Director, Interlochen Public Radio
Break for Lunch
LUNCH – 11:50 PM
Sandwich & Salad Buffet
Continue ‘speed dating’ and discussing. Enjoy lunch with participants and presenters. Mix it up. Meet new colleagues and renew relationships. Brainstorm. Share ideas, experiences, questions and best practices.
Optional
Questions for Michigan Arts & Culture Council?
Alex Flannery, MACC Operational Support Program Director is available to discuss & answer questions.
Move to Breakouts – 12:55pm
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Breakouts A, B, C – 1:00-1:55pm
– Short Break –
Breakouts D, E, F – 2:00-2:55pm
Breakout A
Artist Track
Work of Art
Facilitator/Presenter
Brett Sinclair
Raven & Lotus
Breakout B
Capacity Building
Volunteer Management
Facilitators
Megan Holtrey
Dennos Museum Center
Amy Gilliard
Harbor Springs Festival of the Book
Breakout C
Communications/Marketing
Tourism Work Table
Presenters
TBA
Breakout D
Artist Track
Artists Roundtable
Facilitators
Michelle Bien
Artist + Community
Brett Sinclair
Raven & Lotus
Breakout E
Capacity Building
The Money Pie: Memberships, Grants, Donors
Facilitators
TBA
Interlochen Center for the Arts Development
Breakout F
Communications
AI & Chat GPT
Presenter
Troy DeShano
Michigan Legacy Art Park
Next Steps & Send-Off – 3:10-3:30pm
Join us to recap the breakouts, the day and celebrate our work.
Speakers

Trey Devey

Alison Watson
Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs

Jamie Gallagher

Michelle Bien

Troy DeShano

Alex Flannery
Sponsors
Thank you to the sponsors whose support makes the Summit possible.


Resources from Past Summits
The Northwest Michigan Arts and Culture Summit is held annually at Interlochen Center for the Arts. This convening brings together artists of all disciplines, arts & cultural organizations, creative entrepreneurs, community builders, planners and stakeholders together with state arts leaders to explore best practices, timely topics, network tools, sector challenges, funding strategies and partnering opportunities as we continue shaping the network’s future. Hallmarks are the rich range of local, regional and state speakers and the high level of interactivity, connectivity and strengthened relationships among attendees. The regional arts and culture summit is an annual springboard to new relationships, opportunities, mentors and ideas.
Resources from past summits are available below.
The May 2020 Summit was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Let’s Connect
Please join the Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Network on social media. Promote your events, announcements and creative work by posting or sharing to the Network sites. Join the private Facebook group to discuss with colleagues. Invite others to join, like, support and engage!
Facebook
facebook.com/nwmichiganarts
@nwmichiganarts
Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Network
Facebook
Private FB Group for Arts
& Cultural Stakeholders
NW MI Arts & Culture Community
Instagram
instragram.com/nwmichiganarts
#nwmichiganarts
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP-eRzE9u2d0iE-Y3AHGA6w/videos
NW MI Arts & Culture Network
LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/groups/12227441/
Northwest Michigan Arts and Culture Network
Twitter
twitter.com/nwmiarts
@nwmiarts