Local artist-entrepreneurs showcase artistic excellence, business acumen

Live crowdfunding event gets community members invested in Nashville’s artists

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville presents the Periscope Pitch & Artist Entrepreneur Showcase Wednesday, September 5, 2018, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at OZ Arts Nashville, 6172 Cockrill Bend Cir, Nashville, TN 37209. Purchase tickets today.

After eight weeks of intensive training and three months of one-on-one mentorship, 20 artist-entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to showcase their artwork and business plans to community patrons. Then, nine selected artists will compete for cash-prize investments during the Periscope Pitch. The event is the culmination of the Arts & Business Council’s Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training program.

Now in its fifth year, Periscope is an annual training program that provides a cohort of high-level artists with the tools they need to see their artistic vision through an entrepreneurial lens and take their creative businesses to the next level. Periscope is designed to bridge the real-world gap between passion and profession.

A new component this year is the Periscope Artist Entrepreneur Showcase, in which this year’s esteemed cohort of artists display their artwork and brandish their business plans for growth and sustainability as artist-entrepreneurs. The showcase connects artists and community members while highlighting business acumen and artistic excellence across an array of creative disciplines.

Following the showcase, nine illustrious artists will put their training to the test during Periscope Pitch hosted by Stephanie Pruitt (Poet and CEO, Mind Your Creative Business) and featuring an all-star panel of judges, including Tim Ozgener (CEO, OZ Arts Nashville), Ryan Pruitt (Owner, Frothy Monkey), and Anasa Troutman (CEO, Culture Shift Creative). Attendees can participate in live voting to help determine which artists will walk away with capital to build their creative businesses. Twenty-dollar tickets are available in advance and at the door with all proceeds going directly to winning artists.

Periscope Pitch & Artist Entrepreneur Showcase features: Aaron Grayum* (visual art), Amanda Lomax (photography/visual art), Amanda Downs (visual art), Audry Deal-McEver* (visual art), Cailin Manning (dance and film), Diane Marsella (visual art), Elaine Slayton Akin (mixed media), Erin Hewgley (mixed media), Georganna Greene* (visual art), Jennie Schut (visual art), Jesse Hale* (multidisciplinary), Joseph Patrick (photography), Mark Schlicher* (sculpture and film), Melba Williams-Kirk* (film), Michael Ewing (visual art), Rashad Rayford* (poetry and performance), Regina McCord (film and television), Sarah Shearer* (visual art), Stephie G.* (music performance) and Thaxton Waters (visual art). (*Indicates that the artist will present during Periscope Pitch.)

The Arts and Business Council created and delivers the Periscope program with four key partners: The Nashville Entrepreneur Center (training and host partner); Metro Nashville Arts Commission (artist mentorship partner); Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce (promotional partner); and the Mayor’s Office of Economic & Community Development and Southwest Airlines (opportunity partners).  

Scholarship support provided by Ingram Industries, DesignWorks Collective, Frothy Monkey, SESAC, W.C. Dylan, Kim Barrick, Jody Lentz, Hannah Smith, and Stryker Warren. 

Special thanks to official beer sponsor Jackalope Brewing Company and to venue partner OZ Arts Nashville.

For more information, visit www.abcnashville.org or contact 615-460-8274.

About the Arts & Business Council
The Arts & Business Council (ABC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that leverages and unites the unique resources of the arts and business communities to create a thriving, sustainable creative culture in Nashville. To deliver its mission, ABC offers four core programs: Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts, Education for the Creative Community, Arts Board Matching, and WorkCreative. More information is available at www.ABCNashville.org.