Soon, artists, presenters, agents, arts administrators, and arts-nonprofit leaders residing in the southeast will all come together in Durham, NC to attend the yearly ArtsMarket event run by our amazing team here at NCPC. I sat down with our Executive Director, Ruthie Foster; along with Sharon Moore, our ArtsMarket Conference Coordinator; and Cathy Gouge, the Registration & Exhibit Service Coordinator to talk through what we’re all looking forward to with this monumental event. Expect an educational experience filled with connection, joy, creativity, and support for all of us working in the arts! 

To begin your journey at ArtsMarket Southeast, what better way to start than attending the opening ceremony and plenary with our much anticipated speaker, Deborah Rutter. Rutter was the president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from 2014 to 2025 and was the first woman to fill this nationally influential position. She started her career in the arts as a pianist and violinist and grew in her field to uplift and support artists on a national level. Currently, Rutter is the Vice Provost for the Arts at Duke University. With her extensive background in the arts, she will have some wonderful insight for attendees on our current needs as artists and presenters.

MaryJo Birschbach and Vicki Vitiello will also be recognized at this wonderful event because of their dedicated and loving efforts in supporting NCPC and ArtsMarket over many years. We are so grateful for how our community has grown and taken care of each other throughout the years and these two amazing women have made this organization able to succeed and reach more artists and presenters than ever before!

We welcome all to use this open ceremony to say hi to old friends, begin new connections, and start the conference off on the right foot! "It’s like a family reunion of presenters, artists, agents, and vendors who come together every year to connect and conduct business. The atmosphere is always magical.” stated Cathy Gouge. There’s a strong “spirit of collaboration… Everybody helps each other.” 

Once spirits are high with the wonderful and supporting environment of that opening ceremony and plenary, we have many wonderful opportunities spread throughout the rest of the conference. As we’ve expanded our reach throughout the Southeast, we’ve taken attendee feedback from last year to create new additions for a more enjoyable experience this year.

“Last year, we had a large amount of survey responses requesting more networking opportunities and showcases, both of which we’ve included in this year’s lineup. It’s clear that what folks value most from ArtsMarket Southeast is the opportunity to connect with one another, and we’re happy to continue facilitating those connections” - Ruthie Foster

To aid in facilitating more connecting opportunities, we now are including a Happy Hour Session in the exhibit hall. This is an opportunity for attendees to get acquainted with each other as well as the space we have the pleasure of exploring for the duration of the conference. We hope this provides people with a more informal way to engage with each other in a meaningful way. New presenters are able to get comfortable with the hall’s setup and it will give everyone that first wonderful step to keep coming back to the hall at all hours of the conference presentations. So stop on by, grab a bite and a drink, and meet wonderful colleges in the arts while you’re at it! 

Besides the Happy Hour, we’re also enacting the "ArtsMarket After Hours”, a new event which will involve independent showcases of various artists outside of the standard juried showcases throughout the earlier hours of the day. When speaking on this topic with Ruthie Foster, she stated: “I hear from so many presenters that they have had great booking experiences with acts that they were first introduced to at ArtsMarket, and I hope more relationships are built from these additional showcases.” We can’t wait to see more connections and opportunities bloom from this exciting event!

If you’re a new attendee this year at ArtsMarket, other great opportunities Ruthie suggests to take advantage of are the Mentor/Mentee program, the New Colleagues Welcome Session, and the Dine-Arounds. “These three programs are great ways to learn about the conference and meet seasoned attendees who will help them along the way.” And, always remember to take breaks! The more you show up each year, the more you’ll learn and grow as an arts professional in this lovely region. Even if you’ve attended this conference for several years, with our new programs, and these wonderful opportunities to connect, there's always more to learn and aid others in their journey in this profession. 

We are overjoyed to welcome Aubrey Bergauer to this event as our keynote speaker. As a well-known name in Arts Management spaces, she will have many wonderful insights on running non-profits and supporting artists in strengthening their practices in both artistry and business. 

“She’s a bestselling author and podcaster who wrote the breakout book “Run It Like a Business”, a practical guide for applying proven for-profit corporate methods to nonprofit cultural institutions. I know all attendees will be able to walk away from her talk with fresh applicable insight to help strengthen their own practices.” - Ruthie Foster

As the previous chief executive of the California Symphony and the Founder and CEO of Changing the Narrative, we know her deep understanding of the arts will benefit all that are lucky to witness her informative talk!

With all this wonderful growth at this year's ArtsMarket Conference, we would love to see you all join in and take advantage of all the opportunities you’re presented with. We can’t wait to be a part of this magnetic gathering of creatives from across the region for the common purpose of connection and sharing our knowledge and art.

Author: Lily Rowland