MCAD's Art's Entrepreneurship Competition 

About

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) is proud to present its first Arts Entrepreneurship Competition on April 5, 2019 from 5:00–7:00 PM. This is an exciting opportunity for MCAD undergraduates to stretch their creative thinking, consider how they can impact the world, and win some fantastic award money.
In fall 2018, four workshops were held during lunch-and-learn sessions. Each session covered a different topic - Validating Your Idea; Identifying Your Customers; Costing and Funding; and Launching Your Creative Venture. Each session was led by an artist who was paired with a business professional. These sessions were attended by more than 100 students from all majors.
Artists and designers are inherently entrepreneurial, with 40-60% of those working in this field being self-employment and/or working in contract positions. Artists and designers are also powerful creative problem solvers and this competition gives MCAD undergraduates the opportunity to hone their skills in developing and pitching a creative venture.
Similar competitions are being held at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Maryland Institute College of Art's, and we're very excited about the potential for MCAD’s Arts Entrepreneurship Competition to combine creativity, professional practice, and the entrepreneurial spirit. This inaugural competition received seed funding from the Smaby Family Foundation and MCAD.
Twenty-four applications were submitted before the February 1, 2019, deadline and 12 were selected as finalists. Mentors are being matched with the finalists to help them prepare for their final presentations. A panel of jurors has been selected that represents a mix of creatives and other professionals. Awards are $5,000 for first place, $2,500 for second place, $1,500 for third place, $1,000 for the audience favorite not receiving another award.

Event occurs April 5, 2019 from 5:00–7:00 PM.