Arts Connection, the Arts Council of San Bernardino County, is pleased to announce that our sixth annual conference will be held on Saturday, October 5^that San Bernardino Valley College in the heart of the City of San Bernardino. Our Creative People’s Conferenceis an invitation to explore how the arts reconnect us through our shared humanity, cultivate a space for healing, and provide an opportunity for generative dialogue across geographic and perceived distances. 

This year we are inviting artists and cultural workers to guide conference goers in a participatory experience of their own place at the intersections of art, education, and community development and economic development. All of this will be framed in a supportive learning and action-oriented environment.  

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Date: October 5, 2019

Time: 9 am - 4 pm

Closing reception for “Self and Place: ReFinding San Bernardino County” 

4-6pm at the Gresham Gallery

Creative People’s Conference

8:30-9:00 am                Check-in and Registration (Business Management conference B-100)                             

9:00-9:20 am                Acknowledgement of Land 

9:25-9:35 am                Welcome, Orientation for the Day 

9:40-10:15 am              Opening Movement – Dancer-led Audience Engagement – 

   Maura Townsend – San Bernardino Valley College instructor and Founder of Project 21  

    Dance 

10:15-10:35am             Welcome by San Bernardino Valley College President and/or 

   Board of Trustees representative

(Short Intro about style of presentation/length of time for each speaker, etc)

10:40-11:40 am            Artists as Experiential and Cultural Guides, Panel and Presentations 

11:40-Noon                   Networking and meet the artists for a pre-lunch conversation, art activities outside

Lunch  

Noon-12:45pm            Explore the campus, meet new friends

                                    There will be an optional tour of the art facilities on campus 

  Music provided by SBVC group **  

12:45pm                      Meet back at Business Management conference center – B-100 Building

(all conference participants will select an artist (individual or group) as a guide(s) with whom they most resonate to work with for the afternoon)

1:00-1:45pm               Artist Guided Action:  facilitators and participants gather for introductions, dialogue and  

                                   exploratory activities: 

1:50-2:30pm               Working through to Action: exploring in the same group collective problem-solving or prototypes for ways to move forward in the participants identified local opportunity area.

2:30-2:45pm               Groups all meet back in main conference area (transition time)

2:45-3:30pm               Groups share the results of their work, visually or performatively.

3:35-3:50                    Thank you and closing notes

4:00-5:00pm               Performances in the courtyard in front of the Gresham gallery.

                                    SBVC student group 

Until 6pm                   Closing Reception with snacks and wine. Note that the closing reception for this event is free and open to the public. Please register for this portion of the event so we have accurate numbers for refreshments.

**Guides and Groups for Afternoon workshops**

Content Outline - Full descriptions coming soon.

 "Artist-run spaces and Creative Entrepreneurship"

      Our current creative community is one of entrepreneurs and problem-solvers. We are up to the challenges and opportunities of creating space for the arts/artists in cities, towns and neighborhoods across the Inland Region. Come learn from a few leaders navigating this terrain and about some of the skills you never thought you needed to have as an artists to do this work.

      Facilitators: Andrew Thompson, Founder of The Little Gallery of San Bernardino, Daniel Gohman, Founder of The Artlands, Cynthina Huerta, Co-Founder of Inland Mujures.

     "Community Organizing and Environmental Justice: Empowering communities with artistic tools"

      Led by Anthony Victoria - Communications Director at the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice. With additional guest facilitators to be announced shortly.

      This community action-oriented workshop will include a printing lab element supported by Duane Kellum of Skool Boiz. 

      "Strengthening the Arts in Schools" 

a.  Led by Kris Alexander (Executive Director of the California Arts Project) and Armalyn De La O (Director of the RIMS California Art Project), this workshop is for teachers, parents, artists wanting to teach or work in schools, and administrators and will include best practices and ways we can advocate for the arts in every classroom, all year

c.     VAPA standards updates

d.     The after-school pathway – opening access to more artists to get involved.

                                               i.    Looking at school district facility partners and parks and recreation departments (community centers).

 "Healthy Communities: the intersection of cities and neighborhoods"

           a. Collaboratively activating public space for safer communities and schools: why would you paint a crosswalk  

               and best practices.

b.        b. Led by Mark Friis, Safe Routes to Schools Coordinator, San Bernardino Department of Public Health

  c       c. Additional facilitators, Justine Garcia, discussing the Healthy Rancho Cucamonga initiative and a recent art  

               partnership for a similar project.