The Indiana Arts Commission announced today that 33 Indiana artists have received Work In Progress: Micro-Support Grant awards and 12 creative small businesses have completed The Creative Leap business strategy series. The Creative Leap, a workshop series focused on business strategy for established creative entrepreneurs in Indiana led by Dr. Elaine Grogan Luttrull of Minerva Financial Arts, recently concluded. Twelve creative small business owners attended a series of business coaching workshops and group check-ins over the last four months. The creative entrepreneurs who completed the full series received a $1,000 honorarium to put toward purchasing business resources that were identified during the series to accompany their newly revised business strategy.
The Creative Leap participant Desiré Wuertemberger of Tippecanoe County joined the program with the goal of growing her handmade business, Necessarily Nerdy, where she designs and creates plush toys. Throughout the program, Wuertemberger significantly increased sales and successfully launched a customer newsletter to strengthen community engagement.
The participants of the program, and their small businesses, include:
Audrey Johnson, Tippecanoe County, Of Thee I Sing: American Heritage Through Song, LLC
Brian Teixeira, Porter County, Teixeira Artisan Woodwork
Clare Longendyke, Hamilton County, Pianist
Desiré Wuertemberger, Tippecanoe County, Necessarily Nerdy
Devonna Miltenberger, Hamilton County, Gifts That Give Studio
Emily Bennett, Vigo County, Emily Bennett Studio
Janelle Slone, Steuben County, Relic Emporium
Jose Martinez, Marion County, Soleado Events and Entertainment LLC
Matthew Ramsey, Knox, OptiViz Media
Susan Atwell, LaPorte County, Dye Job Yarn & Fiber
Tracy James II, Marion County, Julian James BLG
Victoria Kintner, Boone County, Concert Adventures for Early Childhood
Work In Progress: Exchange Labs were in-person convenings for artists of all disciplines to gather to discuss topics of interest pertaining to creatives such as the status of current projects, their creative practices and careers, and how they engage the various phases of the creative process. Artists who participated in at least one Exchange Lab meeting were eligible to apply to the Work In Progress: Exchange Labs Micro-Support Grant. The Micro-Support Grant Program was a competitive grant program providing funding of between $250 – $1,000 to support a current project connected to Exchange Lab discussions, topics, or an artist’s individual practice. Applications were evaluated based on artistic vision and project alignment, project management and planning, and community benefit and career development.
Susan Yanos, art quilt artist from Henry County, will utilize a Work In Progress: Micro-Support Grant to expand her studio to become a fully functional dye studio for hand-dyed fibers. Yanos’ transition to using hand-dyed fibers in her work corresponded with acceptance to national exhibitions, an invitation to jury and judge fine art exhibits, and a solo exhibit, and the grant and studio upgrade will allow her to add additional techniques to her practice.
The full list of Micro-Support Grant recipients is below:
Alexander Pare, Putnam County
Alicia Thomas, Marion County
Anita Westhues, St. Joseph County
Audrey Johnson, Tippecanoe County
Becky Hochhalter, Vigo County
Bowen Tao, St. Joseph County
Brian Teixeira, Porter County
Cameron Alford, Allen County
Chad Copeland, Porter County
Christopher Wilborn, Marion County
Cynthia Phillips-Sabla, Vigo County
Dana Caldera, Allen County
David Buenrostro, Allen County
Dawn Diamantopoulos, Lake County
Dominique Harris, Marion County
Emily Bennett, Vigo County
Gabrielle Roach, Clay County
Gregory Potter, Johnson County
Hannah Rutigliano, Allen County
Jessica Renslow, Lake County
John Sherman, Marion County
Joseph Swanson, Wayne County
Justin Kane Elder, Wayne County
Kaylan Buteyn, Allen County
Kerri Mommer, Lake County
Makenzie Lukas, Marion County
Michael Stevenson, Clay County
Richelle Brown, Marion County
Rod Bradfield, Vigo County
Susan Atwell, La Porte County
Susan Yanos, Henry County
Travis Park, Marion County
Victoria Goring, Sullivan County
In the fall of 2023, the Indiana Arts Commission launched a statewide Artist Needs Assessment to inform new and refined services and programming for artists and creative small businesses in Indiana. The Creative Leap and Work In Progress programs were designed to meet needs identified by the assessment process, including a need for marketing and financial education, and a need for networking and connection among creative small businesses.
Learn more about The Creative Leap and Work In Progress programs.