BEAD hosts February workshops on social media networking

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2010

For more information, please contact:Miah Michaelsen, Assistant Economic Development Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, 349-3534
Danny Lopez, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349-CITY, [mailto:lopezd@bloomington.in.gov]


BEAD hosts February workshops on social media networking

Bloomington, IN - The City of Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) is hosting workshops on social media networking on Friday, Feb. 12, from 9 a.m.-1:15 p.m. in the Bloomington City Council Chambers, 401 N. Morton Street.

These workshops, part of the City's strategic vision to offer entrepreneurial and educational opportunities to the creative community, are sponsored by the Indiana Arts Commission and will cover both social media marketing and best practices for utilizing Etsy. Etsy is an online marketplace, similar to Ebay and Amazon, that provides the public with a forum on which to buy or sell vintage and handmade products.

Participants must register for the workshop in advance, and space is limited. Those hoping to register must contact Miah Michaelsen, City Assistant Economic Development Director of the Arts, at michaelm@bloomington.in.gov or 349-3534. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Feb. 10.
Sarah "Intellagirl" Robbins will be providing the keynote on social media marketing for artists and arts and cultural organizations from 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m., with two break-out sessions following at 11:15 a.m. Robbins will be offering a hands-on session on social media marketing, and Jon and Patricia Hecker will be providing instruction for those hoping to learn how to sell art on the web, set up individual shops or enhance Etsy presence.

Robbins has helped dozens of schools and businesses enhance their abilities to capitalize on social media tools. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today and the Chronicle of Higher Education, and she is the co-author of Second Life for Dummies and dozens of articles.

The Heckers, independent artists for 23 years, were formally trained as graphic artists with a heavy emphasis on brand identity and marketing, and they have incorporated these key points in their unique lines of fine art. Their new body of work, entitled "Tattoo Dreams," is heavily marketed online through the arts-commerce website [Etsy.com|http://www.etsy.com].

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