The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Arts Business Competition (formerly the New Arts Venture Challenge – NAVC) was created in 2009 to encourage UW–Madison students to develop and present a thorough proposal for an arts event, exhibition, series, commercial venture, or other artistic project.
Students submit their proposals and a group of judges review the proposals for creativity, innovation, success potential, and added value to the arts. Judges for the 2018 competition are Meghan Blake-Horst, City of Madison; Abigail Rindo, PerBlue mobile games studio; and George Tzougros, Wisconsin Arts Board. Proposals must be submitted by at least one currently enrolled full-time UW–Madison student, and all majors are welcome to apply.
The three groups (listed below) present their proposals on Friday, April 27 from 4:00–5:30 p.m. The presentations are free and open to the public and take place on the UW–Madison campus in the Plenary Room, Grainger Hall in the Wisconsin School of Business (975 University Avenue, Madison).
RSVP link: https://www.facebook.com/events/2934132846615630/
The finalists compete for the first-place prize of $2,000. Second place is $1,000, and third place is $500. Funding for the seed money comes from the UW–Madison Arts Institute and additional support is provided by the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at UW–Madison Wisconsin School of Business. Finalists have until May 2019 to implement their ideas.
Finalists and majors:
- Gaining STEAM!: Gaining STEAM! is a project teaching scientists how to convey their research through stories, including through comics. Additional participants will include graduate students and community artists.
Khoa A. Tran – PhD candidate, Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology | JKX Comics Co-founder and Contributor
Bayleigh E. Benner – PhD candidate, Microbiology Doctoral Training Program | JKX Comics Member and Contributor
Holly Walter Kerby – Fusion Science Theatre Founder and Executive Director | Wisconsin Story Works Co-founder
- LunART Festival: LunART Festival’s mission is to support, inspire, promote, and celebrate women in the arts through public performances, exhibitions, workshops, and interdisciplinary collaboration as they navigate gender imbalance in artistic fields. There will be over 30 individuals involved in planning and performing in the festival held in Madison in late June 2018.
Satoko Hayami – DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) candidate, Collaborative Piano
Kyle Johnson – DMA candidate, Piano Performance
Dr. Iva Ugrcic – Mead Witter School of Music alumna, Founder and Executive Director of LunART Festival
- OFF THE WALL: OFF THE WALL is a nighttime, outdoor screening series of contemporary video art from a wide range of artists at various points in their careers, shown in Madison in August 2018.
Simone Doing – MFA candidate, Art
Max Puchalsky – MFA candidate, Art
Examples of previous finalists can be found by clicking here.
The Arts Business Competition will be held in conjunction with the Wisconsin School of Business’ Business Plan Competition hosted by the WSB Initiative for Studies in Transformational Entrepreneurship on April 27.