The document proposes monthly seminars exploring the relationship between business and art for local business leaders. The seminars would be hosted by the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center and streamed online. They would feature topics like innovation, social media strategies, and grant writing to challenge attendees' thinking and strengthen Frederick's creative community. Potential partners and speakers from various local organizations are identified. Marketing strategies and incentive programs are outlined to promote participation.

1. THE SEAM SEMINARS PROPOSAL
Exploring the Seamless Relationship Between Business and Art
The Objective
The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center to launch monthly, informational
seminars for local business leaders regarding the necessary component of creativity /
innovation within a professional business setting. Embracing the interconnection of
business and art will challenge the business-minded individual to harness originality
between the presumably opposing topics.
The Purpose
Merging artistic and business-minded people together to solidify and enliven the
surrounding Frederick community with fresh spirits, ideas and perspective. Beneficiaries
will be given the opportunity to expand their knowledge of innovation in order to
improve their understanding of effective business strategies that support their effort
towards reaching creative potential. Engaging in sideways thought processes allow
individuals to tap into an unexplored perspective full of discovery, inspiration and eager
learning curves. This non-linear approach to business will strengthen Frederick’s
communal effort to build a pool of creativity for local businesses leaders who can supply,
extract, and share their insight on creative practice.
Goals
-To partner with local organizations who support a creative vision for business
-To foster an interactive learning experience that meshes the arts with business
-To breach the divide between the arts and business community
-To conduct a shared vision for change that binds right-brain innovation with left-brain
analytics
Agenda
Here is the list of all the main topics or issues that could be covered during the workshop.
It should be sent before the workshop so that all the stakeholders are clear on what to
expect. Participants will definitely have different learning styles (visual, tactile or
auditory learners) so it’s important to provide a variety of skill sets and ideas.
1)“What is innovation”, “demystifying creativity”(creative structure building) Can
creativity be learned or is it inherent? Maybe have this be a debate topic as an ice breaker
2) Social media strategies for success (insta, twitter, facebook)
3) Nonprofit management
4) Financial literacy
5) Grant writing
6) Graphic design advising
7) How to write a project proposal
8) Digital marketing / branding
9) Concept Visualization & Action
10) Leadership development

2. 11) Effective communication
12) Collaborative creativity
13) Critical thinking skills merging a left & right brain approach to business
14) Contribution of cultural shifts towards creativity
15) Sustainability for Innovation
16) Designing Mock Business Models and pitching the results in teams
17) Lists. Ex) Ten Must-Do’s for Grant Success, or catchy titles. Ex) “Keep Calm and
Fundraise On”
Standards
1)These seminars will be strictly informative
2) We will stream them online with our YouTube channel through a partnership with
Digital Bard
3) The time frame will be roughly around 8-10am with a light breakfast. There will be a
nominal fee to ensure that the people are receiving something of value.
4) We are looking to make this relevant to people who may want to sponser us as
opposed to making a profit. It’s not just art for the community, it’s art for the business.
5) The targeted audience will be local businesses / organizations
6) The seminars will be held in Gardiner Hall.
7) Aim to have some local organizations sponser us
Expert Support
1. 2006 CEO survey by The Business Council reflected the need for a culture of
innovation because respondents ranked establishing an innovative culture as the 3rd most
important organizational practice for innovation.
2. “Increased dialogue and understanding will allow education and business to better
align their efforts and investments with the important task of guaranteeing the creativity
of both the current and future workforce”
3. “Creativity is a way of operation” – John Cleese
4. 72% of companies that give to the arts recognize that it stimulates creative thinking,
problem solving and team building.”
5. British aesthetician, Sir Herbert Read, “The artist’s task is to break through the
limitations of previously codified knowledge, to lead humanity to the future.”
6. In “The Heart of Change”, John Kotter states: “People change what they do less
because they are given analysis that shifts their thinking than because they are shown a
truth that influences their feelings.” He emphasizes that the central challenge is changing
people’s behavior and the way to change behavior is to influence their feelings. “The
heart of change, is in the emotions.”
Incentives
-Light refreshments to be provided by the Perfect Blend, Beans & Bagels or Wegmans
-“Business in a box/basket” – Those who pay a flat fee for seminar membership will
receive a free box that has tools for creative leadership. A book, access code to a webinar
online, lists of TedxTalks / articles, & maybe a delaplaine item, like a coffee mug? These
are business-oriented people so we want something that could be an overall motivator.
-It is extremely important to have hand-written thank you cards to those who attend

3. Loyalty Incentives
-A free service with another partner organization *partners throw in another item
-A discount in the gift store *delaplaine dollars
-Those who have been asked to speak can get discounts from their company on a product
/ service or a webinar series as an incentive for that company to be boosted, and for the
Delaplaine to get them to actually attend the seminar.
https://www.creativelive.com/courses/right-brain-business-plan-jennifer-lee  Here is
an example of a great creative seminar series.
-Door prize? Local business items?
Pricing
- 25$ registration, 35$ late registration or at the doors
-Flat fee of 100$ to partake in any of the monthly conferences for annual membership, +
you will receive a free business basket
-Nonrefundable
DISCUSSION POINTS
Time Frame
-Early morning, weekday, people don’t want to take time out of their weekend for
something business-oriented
-During the week (preferably Wednesday)
PotentialPartnerships / Stakeholders
-Wegmans for catering purposes, or The Perfect Blend if we want to stay local, Cosco
-Chamber of Commerce (trustee partnerships available for 1,000)
Elizabeth Cromwell President and CEO
Stephanie Fitch director of marketing
-Maryland Art Therapy Association (non-profit, artistic, leadership)
Peggy Kolodny
-Arthur W. Boyce (nonprofit and charitable orgs law) Assists in Business formation
-Bates Architects (partner annually with Festival for the Arts)
Jim Mills AIA Architect. He’s an active member of Habitat for Humanity so he knows
about nonprofits, co-chairs “The Dreaming” Project about community artwork building
about an architectural installation that incorporates fine art mediums like paint, and is a
professor as FCC. He would know a lot about strategy and innovation and how to
communicate that effectively since he teaches as an occupation.
-American Advertising Federation (they offer industry-related speakers and educational
seminars)
-WorxGraphicDesign (received multiple awards for their services)
-PlatinumPR (20+ years of speaking experience
Meghan Mcquade nonprofit skills
Janemarie Burger nonprofit leadership)
-Villageworks.net (speaking topics: social media bootcamp, the importance of creating,

4. internal preparedness) They have previously spoken here.
-CoworkFrederick (full of creative and entrepreneurs, businesses coworking in
collaboration rooms, conference rooms, etc. They host events with these rooms, but foster
relationships between business-minded people through socialization and collaboration)
***so many opportunities to find a variety of working professionals in unique fields
-HypkiConsulting
Cinder Hypki nonprofit consultant & teaches fundraising in MICA’s community arts
program. She annually donates pieces of her artwork to nonprofits for fundraising
purposes. Contact: cinderhypki@me.com
Bring in a thespian for improvisation techniques? Stimulates creative thinking
John Healy Executive Theatre Manager at the Weinberg
-https://betamore.com/classes/ (They offer workshops from business professionals) It is a
co-working space that business leaders can partner with for entrepreneurial usage.
Workshops pertain to social media, writing, and marketing.
Robyn Myers  “Reflections” Director for Frederick County
reflections@frederickpta.org
Edie Hemingway  Former Creative Writing Professor at Frederick community college,
holds a master of Fine Arts, Regional Advisor for SCBWI (childrens book writers and
illustrators), conducts her own personal workshops for creative writing at Misty Hill
Lodge, enjoys discussing her research and writing process edie@ediehemingway.com
*if the chamber is partners with us, they’ll publicize us. They advertise right to the core
audience.
Involvement
Getting everyone involved is key to a successful workshop.
Creating group exercises is different for each workshop.
• Many people are nervous about speaking up in an unfamiliar group. If you plan group
exercises, keep the size of each group small, so people are more comfortable
talking and interacting.
• Mix up different types of people in each group. For example, if several departments
participate in your workshop, don't put members of the same department in their
own group. By encouraging people to interact with other departments, they can
learn to look at things from different perspectives.
• Determine how you'll record the ideas from each group. Will participants shout them
out while you write them down? Or will they write down their own ideas and then
give them to you? This is a small, but important, detail that's often overlooked.
• If you have five or fewer groups, spend time allowing the entire team to evaluate the
ideas from each smaller group. This is a great way to narrow down your list of
ideas, and let the good ones really shine.
Marketing
Many local newspapers will run news briefs announcing the event; just contact the
newspaper and find out how to submit information. Post fliers on their company bulletin
boards. Mention the event in your newsletter, web site and blog. If you plan to pay for

5. advertising, focus on publications and Web sites that are popular with people in your
niche. Puts ads in apartment-finder publications and sends direct mail to apartment
complexes. It’s helpful to follow up with a phone call to anyone who’s not on the do-not-
call list. Give attendees an easy way to RSVP. Maybe require people to register online.
That also serves as a way to capture prospects’ phone numbers and e-mail addresses for
follow-up.
Seminar Idea GenerationActivities / Resources
http://www.printmag.com/design-education/online-design-courses/5-creative-
inspiration-exercises-for-the-drained-creative/
Two to three activities should be spread throughout the day. While the types of activities
vary with every workshop, the goals are the same: to force participants to look at the
problem/opportunity in different ways. This can be by:
• role-playing a specific brand or persons ("how would Steve Jobs, Martha Stewart and
McDonalds solve this problem?")
• reversing the problem ("how might we encourage people to litter?").
forcing connections between unrelated things ("how is our idea like a Ferris wheel?").
-Get the book Gamestorming for presenters who are looking for fundamental exercises on
creativity
-CreativeBug Twitter & Website- free viewable workshops from inspiring designers!
-Twyla Tharp’s “The Creative Habit” Book
-http://www.creativityatwork.com/2010/05/18/the-secret-reason-your-employees-wont-
innovate/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=evergreen_post_tweeter&utm_campaign=
website  A helpful article targeting the problem with innovation in the workforce
-http://theartian.com/2015/05/19/the-future-it-employees-will-need-art-in-their-lives/ 
How We are shifting from a STEM culture to a STEAM culture
-http://www.ageofartists.org/ten-ways-to-jumpstart-creativity-by-marty-neumeier/
-http://www.ageofartists.org/touch-points-how-business-and-other-disciplines-can-learn-
from-art/ ***
SocialMedia Tools
Twitter: @ageofartists, @skillshare
Websites: http://artworksjournal.com
http://creativesocialblog.com
https://www.skillshare.com***
http://infinitemag.net
http://www.mindtools.com/brainstm.html?
http://stemtosteam.org
http://www.thedotclub.org/dotday/get-started