Statewide arts and cultural conference comes to Orlando

On Feb. 9 Citizens for Florida Arts, Inc. (Website) will be hosting a day of workshops and discussions called Convening Culture 2015: Building a Healthier Florida Through Arts and Culture.

The day will include panels on sustaining a healthy funding environment, healthcare initiatives and more in the newly-opened Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (Facebook|Website).

Tickets are $85 and to register, click HERE.

Conference Schedule:

8 a.m. – Check in and introductions

9–9:30 a.m. – Conference Welcome

Local and state leaders welcome conference attendees and introduce the topic of “Building a Healthier Florida through Arts and Culture” in the DeVos Family Room at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts.

9:45–10:30 a.m. – Session 1

• Cultural Organization Capacity Building – Public Sources
  Representatives from various public funding sources (government and regional organizations) participate in a moderated panel discussion on ways to create a healthy funding environment for Florida cultural organizations and best convey the benefits of public investment in arts and cultural programming.
• Power of Arts and Culture on Wellness and Aging
  This session addresses the growing issues of aging and caregiving with examples and demonstrations from local community and national initiatives. The session specifically addresses how everyone can support individuals afflicted with dementia and Alzheimer’s as well as their caregivers and families. Presented by Margery Pabst, President of the Pabst Foundation and President-Elect of the National Center for Creative Aging.
• Artists and Journalists Leading Community Engagement
  Presented by The Treasured Lands Foundation and the Pegasus Foundation
  This panel discussion includes journalist Eve Samples of Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel, Florida artist Janeen Mason and Florida filmmaker and author Bill Belleville. They will discuss their perspectives and insights on raising awareness of the impact of arts and culture on Florida communities.

10:45–11:45 a.m. – Keynote with Richard Blanco
Presented by Walt Disney World Resorts with the Florida Humanities Council

The Keynote with Richard Blanco will be followed by a booksigning.

11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m. – Lunch

• Impact of Educational Programming: A Case Study with the Maltz Jupiter Theatre
  Presented by Ogden and Bonnie White
  This session highlights the impact of the educational program of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, a professional not-for-profit regional theatre dedicated to the performing arts. Julie Rowe, Director of Education, discusses the program’s lifelong impact on its participants followed by a performance.

1–2 p.m. – General Session

• Charting the Course: A New Arts & Culture Roadmap
  This session will introduce the Division of Cultural Affairs’ new five-year strategic plan. Participants will hear remarks from Jana Ertrachter, the consultant who worked with the Division through its planning process and Division of Cultural Affairs Director Sandy Shaughnessy. This will be an interactive session with facilitated dialogue around the four key strategic issues in the Division’s new plan.

2:15–3 p.m. – Session 2

• Connecting Arts and Culture with Florida’s Tourism Industry
  Presented by Mears Transportation
  Looking at the partnerships between arts and cultural organizations and the tourism industry and will discuss the potential and growing the impact of collaboration between the two.
• Arts and Culture as a Solution for Community Improvement
  Presented by John and Joanne Payson
  Internationally acclaimed countertenor Terry Barber is known for his extraordinary range both vocally and stylistically. Barber is founder of Artists For A Cause, Inc., a nonprofit that stimulates engagement in art and culture while addressing the critical needs of communities. Barber performs and will discuss how his organization empowers hundreds of artists as they use their talent for community improvement, taking on issues like poverty, health and more.
• Arts in Medicine at Orlando Health
  Presented by Orlando Health
  This session is presented by Dr. Diane Robinson and highlights how the Integrative Medicine Department is incorporating the expressive arts into the medical plan of care at Orlando Health. Dr. Robinson will provide research information on the benefits of the softer side of medicine in cancer treatment, and will present some of the work her team is involved with in direct patient care.
  *A collaborative art making experience by Orlando Health’s current resident artist will be set up in the lobby and will be on display during the closing reception. 

  3:15 – 4 p.m. – Session 3

  • Spotlight on Florida Arts in Medicine
    Jill Sonke is the Director of the Shands Arts in Medicine Program at the University of Florida and a national leader in the field of arts in medicine. During this talk, she discusses the history of arts in medicine in Florida, current trends in the field and the role of the arts in health messaging.
  • Cultural Organization Capacity Building – Private Sources
    Representatives from various private funding sources including private foundations, community foundations and an individual donor participate in a moderated roundtable and touch on ideas for engaging younger generations in philanthropy and support for cultural programs.
  • Advancing Accessibility for Florida Arts and Culture
    Presented by United Arts of Central Florida
    This session will include a moderated discussion on best practices and innovative programs addressing cultural access and inclusion. It will highlight the work of organizations that lead the field in terms of cultural access and will give participants a glimpse into the impact of inclusive programming for individuals with disabilities.
  • Florida Artists as Leaders and Collaborators
    This session highlights the projects of a Florida artist instigating innovative collaboration between two areas – her studio practice and cancer care. Is there really such a thing as “healing art?” Jacksonville artist Nadine Terk discusses one of her latest projects, There for You, a documentary project that includes studio portraits of breast cancer survivors and their compelling stories of their journey to heal. This series of paintings and audio stories show another side to cancer and comment on the healing process and the self-discovery it evokes.

  4:15 – 5 p.m. – Closing Remarks & Performance by Orlando Ballet
  This performance by Orlando Ballet will feature three excerpts from Swan Lake by the company dancers and will include remarks by the Ballet’s Artistic Director, Robert Hill.

  Closing Reception
  5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
  Orlando Science Center
  Reception Presentation: Expanding and Electrifying the Cultural Landscape
  This program features an excerpt from the Orlando Science Center’s ownHigh Voltage! Show, where visitors get shockingly close to the science of electricity. Following this will be a special presentation featuring the Science Center’s Musical Tesla Coil, followed by remarks from the Orlando Science Center, on their role in Orlando’s cultural landscape.