This weekend, CHS covered the grand opening of the new CakeSpy Shop, an artistic and entrepreneurial effort that has transformed the former home of Bluebottle Art Gallery on E. Pine.
The woman behind Bluebottle has some new stuff cooking on Capitol Hill, herself. This summer’s Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs is a first-year conference led by Capitol Hill businesswomen Andrea Porter, the former owner of Bluebottle, and Jamie Marie Chan, a fiber artist, college educator and small business owner from San Francisco.
The conference will be held at the Century Ballroom and Richard Hugo House August 13 – 15, and registration is now open.
“The most valuable lesson we want our attendees to walk away with is that owning an independent business does not mean you have to do it alone,” said Porter. “Creative entrepreneurship will always be stronger when it’s done with a diverse and active support network.”
CCE creators hope that the locally-owned businesses surrounding them inspire attendees and encourage them to build more sustainable art businesses, despite a struggling economy.
“Capitol Hill is a great venue for the conference because Capitol Hill can model for attendees how local and independent can thieve and succeed,” said Porter. “When I owned Bluebottle Art Gallery, we would find people came to us specifically so they could support a local artist and business. With the economic depression we saw an increase in consumer contentiousness about supporting their local neighborhood community.”
The three-day conference will be an mix of hands-on demonstrations, networking events and seminars on everything from tax education to guerilla marketing and vending. Featured speakers include established artists, writers, designers and marketing experts who will speak to building a professional life out of passion.
“The biggest key is business literacy and finance training relevant to contemporary creative professionals. It’s hard to find mentorship and support in traditional merchant resources,” said Chen. “CCE will enable people to make a successful career doing the things they love and learn the right skills to make it happen.”
In today’s business world, being online, actively connecting with your audiences and offering high-quality and well-made goods are crucial to a strong company model.
“The handmade movement is even more present in the consumer consciousness because of our economic depression,” said Chan. “When we examine how we got here, we realize that we need to start making decisions that support the immediate economy. It becomes clear that creative entrepreneurs will play a big role in keeping our economy local, sustainable, culturally relevant and thriving.”
Learn more about the Creative Conference of Entrepreneurs on their website. Registration is now open and the conference runs August 13 – 15.
