Left to right: Alyson Pou, Roberto Bedoya, Cora Mirikitani and Nancy Trovillion

A few weeks ago, I organized and moderated a panel discussion on professional development for artists at the Grantmakers for the Arts Annual Conference in San Francisco. The panelists who joined me were: Roberto Bedoya, Executive Director of the Tuscon Arts Council; Cora Mirikitani, CEO of the Center for Cultural Innovation; and Nancy Trovillion, Deputy Director of the North Carolina Arts Council.

Drawing on years of experience delivering professional development programs designed to build artists’ professional practices, the panelists engaged in a lively discussion about what we have learned about artists’ needs, and what curricula and teaching methods have been most (and least) successful. Continue reading →