Artist Entrepreneurs Keavy Murphree, Anna Haas, and Lindsay Walker cinch top awards
The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville is pleased to announce the winners of the 6th annual Periscope Pitch + Artist Entrepreneur Showcase held at OZ Arts Nashville on Sept. 4. The event was the culmination of this year’s Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training program, presented in partnership with the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Metro Arts, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.
After eight weeks of intensive training and nearly six months of one-on-one mentorship, the 2019 cohort of Periscope artist entrepreneurs showcased their creative businesses to a crowd of more than 200 community patrons. The night began with the Artist Entrepreneur Showcase in which artists displayed their work and creative business plans to the public. Attendees browsed artists’ tables, engaged in thoughtful conversation with artists about their work, and exchanged business cards and contact information opening the door to future collaboration and support.
At 6:30 p.m., nine artists presented their business plans live on stage the Periscope Pitch competition. An all-star panel of judges provided feedback along the way and attendees voted to help determine which artists would win based on their business acumen and artistic excellence. At the end of the night, 19 artists graduated from the program and three walked away with more than $6,000 in cash and prizes for their winning business pitches. On top of the cash, all three winners received a free round-trip flight voucher from Southwest Airlines.
The top honor of the night, the Pitch Perfect award of $3,000, went to Lindsay Walker, owner of Walker Jewelry. Handcrafted in Tennessee, Lindsay’s jewelry designs are inspired by stories and the beauty found in the South. Produced with sustainable materials, her collections are designed to create memories for people. She invites customers to become part of the process by collaborating to design custom occasion jewelry as well as participating in jewelry-making workshops.
The Judges’ Choice award of $2,000 was presented to Anna Haas, founder and creative director of Anna Haas Creative, a visual media company that empowers women in music and entrepreneurship. Anna has created a one-stop shop where clients can obtain all the visuals they need to take their careers to the next level in a safe and empowered space where women can openly explore the story they want to tell.
The crowd-voted Audience Choice award of $1,000 went to Keavy Murphree, a ceramic sculptor with a background in industrial design. Her work explores modern culture through the lens of history and the emotions that unite humanity. Her business brings together art and design through ceramic sculpture, large-scale installations, and product design for the home décor and hospitality markets.
The 2019 Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training cohort includes Alan Fey (music), Amber Lelli* (multidisciplinary), Anna Haas* (multidisciplinary), Carolyn Boutwell (sculpture), Coretta King (music), Dorinda Walker (choreography/music business), Emily Tyndall (music), Erin Connally* (illustration), Helen Stackhouse a.k.a. AM HASSAN (visual art), John Mahler (clockmaking), Keavy Murphree* (sculpture), Kelly Savoca* (fashion/lifestyle), Lindsay Walker* (jewelry), Lou Oshay* (music production), Mayter Scott (photography), Mirrah Johnson (fibers), Roz “Rightnow” Welch* (music), Sadie Hart (music/lifestyle), and Will Winton* (functional sculpture).
Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training provides a cohort of artists with the tools to see their artistic vision through an entrepreneurial lens including training, exchange, mentorship, and exposure opportunities like the Periscope Pitch + Artist Entrepreneur Showcase. Applications for the Class of 2020 open in early January at abcnashville.org.
Periscope is supported by the Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts, Piedmont Natural Gas, and Southwest Airlines, as well as Frothy Monkey and OZ Arts Nashville.
For more information, visit www.abcnashville.org or contact 615-460-8274.