Schedule
Creative Professionals Exchange Schedule
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Registration, Coffee & Networking
9:00 am - 9:30 am
State of the Sector
Location: Suite #530
The Summit will open with a brief “State of the Sector” overview presented by Arts Services Inc., offering a snapshot of the current arts and cultural landscape in Western New York. This session will highlight key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the field and set the stage for the day’s discussions.
9:30 am - 9:45 am
Break
Time to transition to the next session.
9:45 am - 11:00 am
Breakout Sessions
Breakout Session 1: Funding for Organizations
Location: Suite #443
This session brings together arts administrators Seth Wochensky and Lindsey Taylor, both of whom represent organizations with a strong track record of securing unique funding opportunities. They will be joined by Yuki Numata Resnick, Co-Founder and former Executive Director of Buffalo String Works who now oversees arts funding at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. Together, panelists will share practical strategies and insights from both the applicant and funder perspectives to help organizations strengthen their fund development efforts and think beyond traditional funding sources. Following the panel, attendees will break into smaller groups for collaborative discussions.
Breakout Session 2: Funding for Individual Artists
Location: Suite #441
Featuring artists Tami Fuller, Nancy Hughes, and Edreys Wajed, whose work spans multiple disciplines and approaches to creative practice. Each panelist has successfully secured funding through collaboration, cross-sector work, and community engagement. Together, they will share insights into sustaining an artistic practice, navigating diverse funding opportunities, and advocating for the value of the arts within and beyond the arts ecosystem. Following the panel, attendees will break into smaller groups for collaborative discussions.
Breakout Session 3: Collaboration in Practice
Location: Suite #530
This session highlights what meaningful collaboration can look like in the arts. Christina Buscarino, Director of Hunt Gallery and Hunt Residencies, will share insights from a model that balances multiple for-profit and non-profit entities, shared space, and a managing funder. Parrish Gibbons, Executive Director of Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center and a practicing artist, brings a lifelong approach to thinking beyond traditional boundaries through innovative exhibitions and partnerships within Hallwalls and beyond. Rounding out the panel, theatre arts professional Thembi Duncan will discuss her work collaborating across sectors, including her partnership with the Buffalo Police Department leading body-language training rooted in years of collaborative development. Together, the panelists will explore how trust, flexibility, and shared purpose can drive impactful collaboration across the arts and beyond. Following the panel, attendees will break into smaller groups for collaborative discussions.
11:00 am - 11:30 am
Networking
This networking block is a chance to meet peers, share resources, and spark conversations that strengthen our creative community.
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Advocacy in Action
Location: Suite #530
The Summit will close with an advocacy-focused session led by Caitlin Crowell and Regine Ndanga of Partnership for the Public Good (PPG). Grounded in PPG’s community-driven approach to policy and systems change, this session will demystify what advocacy is, how it works, and why it matters to both individual artists and arts organizations. Presenters will break down advocacy versus lobbying, outline the different levels of government, and share practical guidance on engaging elected officials, including when and how to reach out during government budget cycles. The session will also explore advocacy beyond funding, such as influencing legislation and policy priorities, and clarify how nonprofits can legally participate in lobbying efforts. Whether attendees are artists or arts administrators, this session will highlight the power of understanding and advocating for the positive impact of the arts within our communities and the broader public landscape.
12:30 pm
Closing Remarks from ASI
ASI will close the Summit with a few words of thanks, reflection on the day’s conversations, and encouragement to carry the ideas and connections forward into your work.