Level Up

Level Up Professional Development for Arts and Culture

Level Up

Level Up is a professional development series for the arts & culture sector.

Through interactive workshops and expert-led seminars, you will gain valuable skills and insights for growth. Whether you’re looking to improve your fundraising techniques, expand your art business, enhance your curatorial strategies, or foster stronger community engagement, Level Up offers the tools and knowledge to help you succeed.

Program Details

  • Level Up registration fee is included with your membership
  • Some sessions are exclusive to network Members, while others are open to the public
  • Organizational Members are allowed to register multiple staff / board members
  • Registration is required for each session

Not a member, you can join today!

Preparing Yourself and Your Artwork for Gallery Success

  • Wednesday October 7, 2026 - rescheduled date
  • 9:00am - 12:00pm
  • Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Petoskey

Join us for a hands-on workshop designed to help artists prepare both themselves and their artwork for gallery opportunities. This session focuses on the practical foundations that support successful exhibitions and ongoing relationships with galleries.

Participants will explore strategies for documenting and organizing their work, preparing artwork for exhibition, and presenting it clearly and professionally. Topics include titling and pricing work, techniques for photographing artwork, basic inventory strategies, writing concise artist statements, assembling submission materials, and preparing work for exhibition or sale. The workshop will also touch on how to approach galleries, understand expectations, and build positive, professional relationships.

This interactive session is ideal for artists who want to feel more confident and prepared when pursuing exhibition or sales opportunities. Attendees are encouraged to bring images or information about their work and will leave with practical tools, clearer next steps, and materials they can immediately apply to their practice.

Cost

Facilitator: Sheila Ruen

Sheila Ruen is an artist, educator, and consultant, currently teaching digital photography at NCMC in Petoskey and serving as a consultant to the Petoskey Public Art Commission.  Formerly, Sheila served as the Visual Arts Director at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey, Education Director at Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Arts and Design Department Chair at the William Penn Charter Independent Quaker School, in Philadelphia, taught  art and textile history at various universities, including Chicago State University, Philadelphia University, and Stanford University, and had an antique textile restoration business. She earned a graduate certificate in Digital Design from the University of Edinburgh, enjoyed a post-graduate painting residency at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Karlsruhe, earned an MFA from the University of Michigan, and a BFA from the California College of Art. Her most recent creative endeavor is called: From Algae to Zeugma, a card game that explores associations between images and texts.

Audience: Who is this for?

This session is designed for:

  • Artists

Details

  • Registration is required

Register Here

This program is made possible in part by the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Community Foundation and the Charlevoix County Community Foundation

 

 

Story to Support: Build Capacity through Social Media

  • Thursday October 8, 2026
  • 9:00am - 12:00pm
  • West Shore Bank - 400 E. 8th St, Traverse City

Led by Marivi Bryant, founder of HOME Agency, a people-first creative and strategy firm based in Traverse City, this workshop explores how arts organizations and artists can use storytelling and social media to inspire connection and drive fundraising. With experience helping mission-driven brands grow through authentic content and community engagement, Marivi will guide participants in identifying their unique stories, translating them into meaningful online communication, and using simple strategies to turn audiences into advocates and supporters.

Attendees will leave with practical tools to:

Clarify and share their story in a way that feels authentic and compelling

Use social media with purpose to grow community and engagement

Connect storytelling to fundraising goals in a sustainable, values-driven way

Cost

Facilitator: Marivi Bryant

Marivi Bryant is the Founder and President of HOME Agency, a people-first marketing and branding firm working with mission-driven organizations and national brands across the country. With nearly 25 years of experience spanning the Phoenix Suns, NASCAR Foundation, State Farm, Blue Cross Blue Shield, New Balance, and more, she built HOME on the belief that purposeful, human-centered marketing drives real impact. Originally from Venezuela, Marivi came to the United States at 13 to pursue tennis, earning a Division I scholarship and developing the resilience that fuels her leadership today. She is an active arts and community advocate, serving on the boards of Slow Burn Theatre Company and Old Town Playhouse, with past roles at the Blumenthal Center for the Performing Arts, Levine Museum of the New South, Arena Stage, and The Salvation Army of South Florida. In 2025, she launched the Values in Action Award, a $100,000 pro bono initiative supporting nonprofits through strategic marketing and storytelling. Marivi lives in Michigan with her husband, Mathew, and their children, Logan and Lyla.

Audience: Who is this for?

This session is designed for:

  • All

Details

  • Registration is required

Register Here

 

 

Beyond the Noise: Tightening Strategy & Reducing Mission Drift

Too much to do and too little time? You are not alone! Join us for this interactive workshop to explore tools and strategies to help your organization tighten its strategy and focus on what is most important. Learn how to identify what matters most, align your Board and staff around your top priorities, and develop a strategic screen to stay on track. Explore how to reduce mission drift, increase community impact, and prevent employee burnout and turnover. 

Cost

Facilitator: Colleen Masterson-Bzdok

Colleen Masterson-Bzdok has over 20 years of experience working with northern Michigan nonprofits as a staff member, board member, volunteer, funder and consultant. She is passionate about helping leaders and organizations improve their culture, align their work around what is most important and maximize their impact in the communities they serve. Learn more about Colleen here.

Audience: Who is this for?

This session is designed for:

  • Art & culture administrators

Details

  • Registration is required

Register Here

Past Topics

In response to the topics our members have shared the greatest need for educational opportunities. These programs will be offered in different locations across NW Michigan.

  • AI for Capacity Building
  • Social Media for the Reluctant Artist
  • Grant Writing Unlocked: From Idea to Proposal
  • Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists