NWMI Art & Culture Summit
May 30-31, 2025
Join us for an unforgettable celebration of arts, culture, and creativity at the 2025 Northwest Michigan Art & Culture Summit!
This year, we’ve reimagined the Summit as a dynamic, multi-venue festival in the heart of downtown Traverse City. With a primary focus to create space to build meaningful relationships with other creative folks like you, we will celebrate our region's cultural landscape with inspiring keynote sessions, hands-on workshops, and art-filled experiences.
Whether you’re a returning participant or joining us for the first time, the 2025 Summit is your time to connect with fellow creative spirits and discover new ways to collaborate and grow. Let’s gather, learn, and spark new ideas together!
Event Details
Dates: Friday, May 30 - Saturday, May 31 · 2025
Location: Multiple venues across downtown Traverse City, MI, with City Opera House as our central hub
Audience: Artists, arts & culture administrators and staff, community leaders, and anyone who believes in the value of art & culture in our region
What to Expect
Inspiration: Keynotes and performances from inspiring voices in the arts and culture community
Discovery & Dialogue: Interactive workshops, panels, roundtable discussions, exhibit tours, and hands-on activities
Relationships: Opportunities for connecting with your peers and meeting kindred spirits
Keynote Speaker: Brad Montague
Brad Montague is a New York Times best-selling author/illustrator of books for kids and former kids. A highly sought-after speaker and performer whose encouragement brings hope and humanity to a wide variety of communities - Brad is the creator of the hit web series Kid President, the global social-good movement Socktober, the bestselling picture book The Circles All Around Us, and the creativity-packed Fantastic Bureau of Imagination.
His commitment to childlike wonder and joyful rebellion has led to collaborations with The Disney Channel, Jim Henson Company, Pokemon, The Metropolitan Opera, Hallmark, Rivian, and the United Nations—just to name a few. He lives in Tennessee with his wife and collaborator, Kristi Montague, and their two children.
The newest picture book, Fail-a-bration!, releases September 10, 2024 from Dial Books.
Keynote Speaker: Nafeesah Symonette
Nafeesah Symonette is a visual artist, educator, and advocate dedicated to expanding arts access for young people while honoring cultural heritage. Her journey began in Detroit under the mentorship of Joyce Ivory, founder of Young Artists & Co., Inc., sparking a lifelong commitment to arts education. She spent 13 years as a high school visual arts teacher in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., earning the Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Visual Art Secondary Teaching.
Now, as co-founder and Executive Director of Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA), she leads efforts to create high-impact, equitable arts experiences for Detroit youth. Appointed to the Michigan Arts & Culture Council by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, she chairs the Arts Education Committee, advocating for statewide arts policies. Through her consulting work, she supports culturally responsive teaching initiatives and collaborates with national organizations to strengthen arts education across the country.
EVENT SCHEDULE
Friday · May 30
Admin Academy
Park Place Hotel
12:00 PM · Early Registration
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM · Workshops / Panels
Designed for arts and culture administrators, this pre-conference workshop block features extended, 90-minute sessions on topics designed to help you improve your capacity and impact, including: Event Fundraising Yes or No; Festival Management; AI for Efficiency; Museum Issues, and more.
Admin Academy is open to all attendees and included in Summit Registration.
Leadership Reception
City Opera House
5:00 PM
Gather at the Opera House with fellow arts leaders to network with elected officials, community builders, civic leaders and culture-bearers. This gathering will feature a brief time of sharing from the creative community on how policymakers and budget-builders can best support the creative sector.
Register, Mix & Mingle
City Opera House
6:00 PM
Check in at City Opera House, grab a beverage and take some time to make new friends!
Welcome Session
City Opera House
7:00 PM
Gather together at the beautiful, historic City Opera House for a welcoming address and performances to set the stage for the weekend, followed by more time to socialize with your creative peers from across the region!
EVENT SCHEDULE
SATURDAY · May 31
Fuel Up & Find Your People
City Opera House
8:00 AM
Start the day right with a cup of coffee and a visit with new friends. Enjoy complimentary coffee and mingling at the Opera House lobby prior to our first keynote session.
Keynote: Nafeesah Symonette
City Opera House
9:00 AM
Prepare to be inspired as local performances showcase the regions talent, and an inspiring keynote from Detroit arts leader Nafeesah Symonette sets us up for a vibrant day!
Workshops / Panels / Presentations
Downtown Traverse City
11:00 AM
So much to take in during the mid-day portion of the event! Artist talks, panels, presentations, hands-on activities, mentor sessions, and practical educational workshops to enhance your creative practice or cultural nonprofit.
Keynote: Brad Montague
City Opera House
6:30 PM
Reconvene at the Opera House for our final gathering of the Summit. Expect a few surprises, along with an inspiring keynote from artist / producer / and NYT Bestselling author Brad Montague that will send us off fired up to take the creative energy back to our towns.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
2025 SPONSORS
MUNSON HEALTHCARE · STATE SAVINGS BANK · GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Become a Sponsor
You can make this Summit an unforgettable experience. Sponsors enjoy fabulous benfits, such as free admission, complimentary beverages, and reserved seating.