On April 22-24, 2026, Dane Arts and Arts + Literature Laboratory present The Business of Art Conference, a professional development conference for artists, creative entrepreneurs, educators, community leaders, and arts administrators. The conference will take place at ALL and at StartingBlock Madison.
The fifth annual conference will focus on The Arts in Community, Education, and Business, bringing together artists, educators, and entrepreneurs for two days of learning, networking, and professional development. “The arts are essential to who we are and how we thrive as a community,” said Dane County Executive Melissa Agard. “The Business of Art Conference brings together artists, educators, and entrepreneurs to learn from each other, build creative careers, and strengthen Dane County’s vibrant cultural ecosystem.”
Hosted by the Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission (Dane Arts), the conference will feature over 30 presenters, 22 workshops, and two keynote addresses celebrating all the creatives who make Dane County a thriving community. County Executive Agard will deliver opening remarks at the start of events on Friday, thanking attendees and highlighting the importance of the arts to the Dane County community’s wellbeing.
Dane Arts is proud to welcome two amazing keynote speakers:
Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, renowned international educator and scholar from UW-Madison who helped initiate UW-Madison’s First Wave Scholarship Program.
Theo Edmonds, JD, MHA, MFA, an artist, poet, and entrepreneur along with Creative Executive in Residence at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. He is a Culture Futurist who helps organizations close the gap between arts and industry in the AI-era of discovery.
The conference will also include special presentations from:
Dr. Roberto Rivera, scholar, hip hop artist, educator, and coauthor of Hip Hop As Healing.
Cesar Torruella, Executive Director of Arts Education at Chicago Public Schools, with more than 10 years of experience integrating culturally responsive, standards-aligned arts instruction into core curriculum.
Early Bird registration is open through March 31. For more information on the conference, please visit the Conference homepage or contact Mark Fraire at fraire.mark@danecounty.gov or 608-266-5915.
Thank you to this year’s sponsors MGE, Hotel Indigo, Lucillle, Park Bank, TruStage, 6AM Marketing.