The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced it has awarded $78,000 to 39 creative entrepreneurs to fund arts projects around the state through the agency’s On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator program.
Each funded project will support the pursuit of a clearly defined business goal that also supports the entrepreneur’s community.
“The On-Ramp 2023 cohort is representative of the incredible talent, skill, and entrepreneurial spirit that is on display from artists all around the Hoosier state,” said Jordan Adams, Artist Services Program Manager with the Indiana Arts Commission. “The On-Ramp Fellowship allows artists to grow their creative careers here in Indiana, supporting economic growth and creating more vibrant places for Indiana residents to live, work, play, study, and stay.”
Marion Country resident Solomon Mabry, a fashion photographer, plans to use his fellowship to develop a photography book of Indiana-based fashion designers. The fellowship funding will be devoted to the necessary fees for producing the book. Mabry’s goals for the project include further developing his body of work and further establishing the relationships within the local Indiana fashion community.
Sydney Wells, a writer from Bartholomew County, plans to utilize her fellowship to write and produce her next project, the Good Days/Bad Days Journal, which will fulfill a need for young kids to have a safe space to write, reflect, and create while working through both tough situations and exciting or new chapters in their lives. Wells’ goal for the project is to publish the journal and distribute it to non-profit organizations, schools, and bookstores to give children a tool for processing the highs and lows that come with both everyday and more extreme stressors.
Read the project descriptions for each of the 39 entrepreneurs.
About the Program:
On-Ramp is a three-day accelerator course for Indiana-based creative entrepreneurs to foster their business skills, followed by a funded fellowship to put the learning into action. According to research performed by the IAC and course leader Elaine Grogan-Luttrull of Minerva Financial Arts, individuals from the inaugural cohort developed business knowledge and sustained skills following their participation in the program.
Applications to take part in the 2024 On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator will open later this fall. Learn more.