Illinois Statewide Arts Conference Begins 10/22

Arts Alliance Illinois and the Illinois Arts Council Agency are excited to announce the tenth One State Together in the Arts conference. Its title, Galesburg XCHANGE, reflects the host city's vibrant history as a transportation hub, as well as the role of arts and culture at the crossroads of the state's economy and social fabric. The conference coincides with state bicentennial celebrations across Illinois.

Registration is open now, online at regonline.com/onestate2018, starting at just $125 for single-day registrations ($75 for artists and students). See below for additional rates, discounts, and scholarship opportunities.

Galesburg XCHANGE will be held in Galesburg, Illinois on October 22 and 23, 2018. On Sunday, October 21, additional preconference events for Local Arts Agencies based in Illinois - led by Michael Rohd of the Center for Performance and Civic Practice and Nina D. Sánchez of Enrich Chicago - kick off this statewide convening for more than 300 Illinois arts and culture leaders and practitioners from both the nonprofit arts sector and for-profit creative industries, plus representatives from rural and urban planning groups, community-development entities, park districts, recreation areas, convention and visitors bureaus, municipal governments, colleges, schools, and universities.

Free and low-cost events during the conference will be open to the general public including creative activations of downtown Galesburg's Seminary Street District, and a comedy keynote at the historic Orpheum Theatre featuring Brian Babylon (NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!) and Janelle James (Netflix and Comedy Central).

One State 2018 themes include: collaborations beyond the creative sector in agriculture, human services, immigration, journalism, and the justice system; building platforms and resources for people of color and the organizations they lead; and the importance of arts education in workforce development. Attendees can choose from more than 20 sessions held at venues in downtown Galesburg on October 22, and on campus at Knox College on October 23. Monday evening includes a networking reception at the Discovery Depot Children's Museum; behind-the-scenes tours at Partner Sponsor Blick Art Materials will be available on both dates.

Highlights on Monday, October 22 include:

A comedy keynote featuring Brian Babylon and Janelle James (tickets for general admission available); equity and inclusion with Enrich Chicago, Hyde Park Art Center, and the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; creative civic engagement with Badass Cross Stitch and State Matters; representation in mainstream media with OTV | Open Television and Britt Julious; expanding cultural access with the DEMO Project, The Overlook, Partners for Sacred Places, and Peace Works; opportunities for creative placemaking in small towns and rural areas with Appalshop, Wormfarm Institute, and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town grantees in Freeport and Lockport, Illinois; and more.

Highlights on Tuesday, October 23 include:

Addressing race, identity, and immigration through creative practice with Libyan-American hip-hop artist Kayem, Yvette Mayorga, and Xiaorong Jajah Wu; workforce development through creative practices with 2112, Knox College, Lux Blox, and MakerGirl; storytelling and media engagement in Illinois communities with Free Street Theater, ProPublica, and Sight Specific; creative arts therapies with the National Veterans Art Museum and Waukegan Arts Council; case studies and best practices in access for patrons with disabilities with the Great Lakes ADA Center and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; innovative approaches to arts education with Illinois teaching artists; creative entrepreneurship and the makers movement with Art Farm Decatur and the Galesburg Civic Art Center; and more.

REGISTRATION RATES AND DISCOUNTS

Early Registration Rates (available through Friday, October 12) are: $250 for individuals, single-day individual registrations $125; $150 for artists and students, single-day artist and student registrations $75.

Advance Registration Rates (available October 13 through October 20) are: $300 for individuals, single-day individual registrations $150; $200 for artists and students, single-day artist and student registrations $100.

On-Site Registration Rates (effective at 12am CST on Sunday, October 21) are: $350 for individuals, single-day individual registrations $175; $250 for artists and students, single-day artist and student registrations $125.

Current members of Arts Alliance Illinois are eligible for 25% discounts across the board and any organization registering three individuals for One State receives a fourth conference registration of equal or lesser value for free.

Left: Runners pass the Discovery Depot Children's Museum. Photo by Kent Kriegshauser. Center: Comedian Brian Babylon. Right: Galesburg's historic Orpheum Theatre. Photo courtesy of Lucas Wood for the Knox-Galesburg Symphony. Design by Bob Faust.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND DEADLINES

The Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) is offering scholarship support of up to $750.00 per recipient; the deadline for submitting a scholarship application is 5pm CST on Monday, September 24, 2018. To learn more about this scholarship opportunity and to receive an application, contact Teresa Davis, Administrative Assistant, via email at teresa.n.davis@illinois.gov.

Representatives of Local Arts Agencies (LAAs) in Illinois who are planning to attend Local Arts Network (LAN) Preconference events on Sunday, October 21 are eligible for scholarships of up to $500.00 per recipient; the deadline for submitting a scholarship application is 5pm CST on Monday, September 24, 2018. To learn more about this scholarship opportunity and to receive an application, contact Zachary Whittenburg, LAN Councilmember, via email at whittenburg@artsalliance.org.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Conference information and updates are online at onestateillinois.com and facebook.com/onestateillinois. Conference hashtags are #OneStateIL and #XCHANGEGBB. Programming is subject to change; additional presenters and events will be announced at later dates. Support for One State 2018 Galesburg XCHANGE is provided by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, National Endowment for the Arts, Partner Sponsor Blick Art Materials, and Supporting Sponsor Galesburg Community Foundation.

Arts Alliance Illinois and the Illinois Arts Council Agency wish to thank the esteemed members of the One State 2018 Galesburg XCHANGE Planning Committee.

To learn more about Arts Alliance Illinois visit artsalliance.org.

To learn more about the Illinois Arts Council Agency visit arts.illinois.gov.

One State Together in the Arts is the only statewide conference for arts advocates, administrators, educators, funders, and practitioners representing the broad range of creative activity and disciplines found across Illinois. Each One State features engaging and relevant programming by dynamic thought leaders; interactive breakout sessions and small-group activities; live performances, exhibitions, and other creative expressions; and tours of the host community, plus unstructured time and networking opportunities. To learn more about One State visit onestateillinois.com.

Located between both Peoria and the Quad Cities and Chicago and St. Louis, the City of Galesburg is a northwest Illinois community rooted in its rich history. With deep ties to the railroad and anti-slavery movement, and home to poets, activists, and historians, Galesburg tells its story today through cuisine, a thriving arts and theater scene, and the ventures of its innovative entrepreneurs. More than a dozen entities committed to growing the arts around the One State 2018 Galesburg XCHANGE conference include Partner Sponsor Blick Art Materials, Supporting Sponsor Galesburg Community Foundation, the City of Galesburg, Discovery Depot Children's Museum, Galesburg Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg Downtown Council, Iron Spike Brewing Company, The Kensington, Knox College and the Mark and Jeannette Kleine Center for Community Service, the Orpheum Theatre, Prairie Players Civic Theatre, Seminary Street Merchants Association, and additional partners.

To post a comment, you must register and login.