Location: MASS MoCA, Photo Credit: Nathan Haddad
February is Creative Economy Month at 1Berkshire. Individual artists, small businesses, creative manufacturers, cultural organizations, and creative consumers compose our cultural economy, which is vital to the Berkshires economic growth. To kick start the month, artists, non-profit advocates, and creative entrepreneurs from all over the region met up for the second annual Creative Resources Conference in North Adams. Nearly 100 people of all backgrounds and walks of life attended the event, that held at the sprawling MASS MoCA complex. A total of nine interactive workshops and panels covered topics ranging from cultural nonprofit management, sustainable selling for artists and entrepreneurs, community impact, hiring and human resources, financial planning, and public programming. The program kicked off at 8:30 AM with coffee and breakfast, followed by a warm welcome from Jonathan Butler.
“The Berkshires has an incredible concentration of talent and energy within the creative economy. The Creative Resources Conference was again successful because of the participation from experts within the industry, donating their time and expertise to help mentor and share experiences with a dynamic group of attendees. Making those opportunities available is our job at 1Berkshire.” – Jonathan Butler, 1Berkshire President & CEO
Jonathan wrapped up the welcome by inviting MASS MoCA Director and longtime Berkshire resident Joseph Thompson onstage to share his sentiments on the impact of the creative economy on business and individual entities in the Berkshires. Afterward, attendees broke out into the first of three workshops.
Before lunchtime, the Creative Resources Conference convened again in the MASS MoCA B-10 Lounge. A midday keynote speech from Executive Director of New England Foundation for the Arts and Keynote speaker Cathy Edwards set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. “Communities aren’t things that are passive, they are things we are actively building,” Cathy announced to a packed room. Cathy highlighted some of the services and life-changing projects she provides working in the creative economy sector through an hour-long presentation geared for the Creative Resources Conference. The focal point of her seminar, “Art has the Power to Move,” a NEFA promotional campaign for the arts, reiterated the powerful impact the creative economy and the arts, in general, have on communities: art has the power of crossing cultural barriers and creating new conversations about social justice issues in communities.
Devin Shea, a local creative entrepreneur and co-founder of R3set, a revolutionary media organization designed to get young people thinking political. Devin shared similar thoughts about the power of art in the Berkshires: “[as artists] we are empowering young people to be more conscious about the decisions they make, the places they shop, the products they invest in.”
Following the conclusion of the program, a reception was held at Bright Ideas Brewing in North Adams with plenty of food, locally brewed craft beer, hearty smiles, and new friends. This Creative Economy month, 1Berkshire extends a huge thank all our local artists for their continued support throughout the Berkshires. Join us in celebrating all month long. Truly, in the Berkshires. #creativityliveshere #liveBRK