The University of Wisconsin-Madison Arts Business Competition (ABC) is a campus-wide competition created to support and encourage new thinking and innovative ideas in the form of an art exhibition, event, series, commercial venture, or other artistic project.
Students submit proposals which are reviewed for creativity, innovation, success, potential, and added value to the arts. The program provides financial support for student-driven projects and celebrates entrepreneurship in the arts.
Three finalists will pitch their proposals at a public presentation on Wednesday, March 12th at 3:00 p.m. in the Plenary Room of Grainger Hall. Register here for this free event.
Finalists
Kristen Diederichs
Storybook Music Project by Utka Ensemble aims to commission and perform a diverse body of chamber music works to be presented with story books. Many of us are familiar with Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” which incorporates a family-friendly story and orchestral music to introduce instruments of the orchestra, engage young audiences, and promote children’s literacy. Many professional ensembles use chamber music for similar educational outreach projects, however the options for repertoire are very limited. Storybook Music Project will commission a diverse set of composers to write music for existing storybooks that can be played in libraries, community centers, schools, and other non-traditional concert venues. This will not only expand the audience for classical music, support library programming, and encourage literacy in young people, but also centralize and diversify the repertoire options for other professional ensembles who may not otherwise take the time to find or create such works.
Kristen Diederichs is an active freelance oboist, orchestral librarian, and private music instructor based in Madison, WI who is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree through the Mead Witter School of Music at University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is especially passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration and learning from experts across a variety of fields. She strives to expand access to classical music and broaden perceptions of the concert-going experience by bringing music to new communities and performance venues. When not onstage playing oboe or English Horn, Kristen serves as Orchestra Librarian for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Wisconsin Philharmonic, and teaches oboe at Maranatha Baptist University.
Sydney Prather
Friday the Furbteenth is an annual art exhibition that celebrates all things kitschy and nostalgic through the lens of one of the 90’s most iconic toys: the Furby. Through its overlapping position with the macabre celebrations of Friday the Thirteenth, the show seeks to explore the internet’s ironic obsession with the bizarre creatures we know and love from our childhoods. Friday the Furbteenth specifically targets artists who have not previously received exhibition opportunities to promote a culture of artistic accessibility. Through this artistic freedom, the show has boasted immense support, showcasing that weird, wacky, and frankly, silly art has the power to build greater connection between local artists and the broader Madison community.
Sydney Prather worked as an artist and educator in both the US and South Korea, developing arts-integrated curriculum for second language learners. Following two years abroad, she returned to the states, relocating to Madison in 2023. Here, she combines her interests through her work in development and fundraising with Madison Children’s Museum. Her passions include arts accessibility, program design, and nonprofit philanthropy. She is a student in the Bolz Center for Arts Administration through Wisconsin School of Business at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Eliana Wasserman
Go Figure is an affordable, small-scale weekly figure drawing program led by local artists in Brooklyn, New York. This program is open to participants of all skill levels and artistic backgrounds, providing an opportunity for group drawing activities. Weekly sessions offer an accessible way for participants to build community around art while developing their creative skills. Since its inception in 2023, Go Figure has had a positive impact on its participants, fostering a community of creative, passionate individuals. Coming together around a weekly art activity has promoted connection and camaraderie among everyone involved and supports improved artistic skills and professional development for local hosts who organize each week’s sessions.
Eliana Wasserman is a visual artist and event organizer who completed her undergraduate degree in Communications and Studio Art at UW–Madison in 2020. In 2023, Eliana launched Go Figure, weekly figure drawing sessions at Godspeed Studio in Bushwick, NYC. She also ran seasonal craft parties in New York, and continues to organize art events in Madison and Milwaukee outside of her studies. Currently pursuing an MA in Art and Creative Enterprise Leadership from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration, Eliana is a Communications and Marketing Intern at the Overture Center for the Arts.
“Celebrating our 16th year, the Arts Business Competition provides meaningful support for student artist entrepreneurs who want to make a difference in their communities through arts-based practices and projects,” says Sarah Marty, Director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration. “Past finalists have used this opportunity to launch arts businesses like
Artworking, LunArt Festival, and Cornhusk Collective. We’re proud to partner with UW Division of the Arts to support student artists.”
Judges review all initial submissions and then select finalists, who have time to research, ask additional questions, and polish their presentations. The event allows finalists to present their proposals in front of the judges and a live audience. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, in the amount of $2000, $1000, and $500 respectively. Special thanks go out to this year’s judges: Blair Nelson Sanford, Associate Dean, MBA & Master’s programs at the Wisconsin School of Business; Augusta Brulla, an arts administrator in Madison, Wisconsin specializing in art curation, community outreach, and artistic professional development; and Tom Klubertanz, Director of Guest Services at the Overture Center for the Arts. Immediately following the event, please join us for a casual reception where you can chat with the finalists, guests, judges, faculty, students, and staff, as well as learn more about the Bolz Center and the interdisciplinary practice of arts business!