Who is talented and how do you know it when you see or hear it? How do you bring talent into your creative business? How do you tap the rich intern pool from UMass? How do local businesses reach out to bring in top talent and bring them to the Pioneer Valley. Art Gallery owner William Baczek will discuss how he identifies and works to showcase the talents of visual artists. Signature Sounds President Jim Olsen will share his ideas on how he finds and nurtures talent in the music industry. Paul Hake will talk about how he attracts talent to the largest independent game studio in the state. Prepare your questions and join us for an informative panel!
AmherstDee Boyle-Clapp, M.F.A., M.N.M., is the Director of the Arts Extension Service where she teaches in AES’ arts administration degree and certificate programs, leads training programs in a variety of arts management topics for the state arts agencies around the country, and conducts AES research projects. Dee is a sculptor, installation artist and lecturer on ‘green’ topics and has over 25 years of experience in the arts, teaching a variety of studio, art history and arts management courses at UMass Amherst, museum schools, and community colleges. Dee co-owned the Artemis Gallery and was a founding member and the first director of the Art Bank, and was part of the restoration team for this 1860’s bank building in Shelburne Falls, MA. She joined the staff at the Arts Extension Service in 2008. Dee’s work has long involved sustainability. She has greened two organizations, co-founded and co-chaired a UMass Green Team, and lectures on sustainability issues. Dee lives in western Massachusetts with her husband and son on a solar-powered off-grid llama farm. She holds bachelor’s degrees in art and art history from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, an MFA in sculpture from UMass Amherst, and a Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Courses taught: Introduction to Arts Management, Financial Management, Fundraising, Greening Your Nonprofit Arts Organization.
Founded in 1996, William Baczek Fine Arts, in Northampton, Massachusetts represents artists from across the United States working in a variety of media, including painting, sculpting, photography, video and printmaking in both representational and abstract styles.
Now in the eighteenth year of operation the gallery’s first opened at 229 Main St. in Northampton. In 2003, the gallery moved to its current location at 36 Main St. and maintains two primary exhibitions spaces plus a projects room. William Baczek Fine Arts presents six to eight solo and group exhibitions each year, some of which are accompanied by publications.
Caroline Gould, Assistant Director for Career Planning for the University of Massachusetts Caroline Gould is the Assistant Director for Career Planning for the University of Massachusetts Career Services. She is the sole adviser for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. Her first degree is a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from UMass Amherst, and with her interest in the arts and her knowledge of CHFA, she was a founding member of the on-campus arts organization grouping that developed idea the of the Internship Program and course. Her desire to assist UMass Amherst students make the most of the futures is the best fit for the course. Caroline most recently taught a first-year success seminar through the Undergraduate Advising OASIS program, and regularly presents career-related issues in classes and workshops throughout campus. Caroline holds a Masters in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School, Keene, New Hampshire.
Paul Hake was the owner and Producer of Paul Hake Productions, LLC from 2003-2009. HitPoint Inc.. was then founded in 2008 after a merger between Golden Goose Games LLC and Paul Hake Productions LLC. It is the largest independent game studio in Massachusetts with 35 full-time employees. Our location in the Pioneer Valley affords us not only scenic views and ready access to the wealth of talented artists, programmers, and designers in the Five College area, but a high quality of life that we regard as important to the evolution of a successful studio. Better still, we can take breaks outside with our Nerf guns and disturb no one but the cows.
Signature Sounds Recordings was formed by Jim Olsen and Mark Thayer in 1995 to promote the burgeoning acoustic music scene in and around Northampton, MA. Since its inception, they’ve released over 50 albums of singer-songwriter, Americana and modern folk music. Olsen is also the producer of the Green River Music Festival, which has earned its place at the top of several lists of the best music festivals in the country.