INDIANA – The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced it has awarded $60,000 to 30 creative entrepreneurs to fund arts projects around the state through the agency’s On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator program.
On-Ramp is a three-day accelerator course for Indiana-based creative entrepreneurs to foster their business skills, followed by the opportunity to apply for a $2,000 fellowship to put the learning into action. Each funded project will support the pursuit of a clearly defined business goal that also supports the entrepreneur’s community.
“The On-Ramp 2024 cohort demonstrates the talent, skill, and entrepreneurial spirit that is on display in every corner of the Hoosier state,” said Jordan Adams, Artist Services Program Manager with the Indiana Arts Commission, “We are proud to support the growth of these entrepreneurs who are working to build a more vibrant Indiana.”
Emily Wilson Gillespie, of Monroe County, will create ten new paintings, which will be exhibited
at a gallery in Central Indiana in late spring of 2025. The opportunity to show work in a new location will allow the artist to grow her audience and build new connections as a professional artist.
Essence London, of Monroe County, will use the funds to support the development of a board game, “Yet Another Lit Mag (YALM).” The game invites writers and editors to generate new work and to dream up new futures for the literary community. YALM beta testing will launch at the 2025 Indiana University Writers’ Conference in Bloomington, Indiana.
Utam Moses, of Monroe County, will deploy fellowship funds to develop a site-specific interdisciplinary mini-performance tour of Bloomington. It will be a pilot template that the artist can take into other cities, adapt to different times of the year, and serve as a participatory public art practice. The performance will help to create new partnerships with local spaces and businesses and develop the artist’s public art offerings.
The On-Ramp fellowship will allow artist Liliana Guzman of Monroe County to create and refine a new body of work for a community exhibition. The artist will continue experimenting with new materials, focusing on technique, and sharing new pieces in her ongoing series “Next to Myself” with her local community.
Christina Hollering, a visual artist from Boone County, will use fellowship funds to create a community mural focused on native Indiana herpetofauna. This project will enhance community engagement, foster collaboration with local experts, and promote the appreciation of local ecosystems. It will also help the artist reach her creative career goals by expanding her mural portfolio and honing her skills to attract new clients.
The On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur will pause for program evaluation in 2025, allowing the program to grow to better meet the needs of Indiana, as informed by the 2023-2024 Artist Needs Assessment. The Indiana Arts Commission has evaluated the results of the Artist Needs Assessment. It is now ready to share findings and outline future programming and services for Indiana artists directly informed by the feedback. Join the IAC staff on Thursday, October 17th, at 5 p.m. ET for a presentation on the learnings and programmatic responses. Register to attend.
To read the project descriptions for each of the 30 entrepreneurs.
