Marketing Your Art Product & Self-Promotion

Annie Ruth is the Founder & President of Eye of the Artists Foundation. She is a nationally acclaimed visual artist/poet, author and performing artist and is active within the community, leading causes that impact women, children, the arts, and literacy.

Making school connections & Arts Integration

Storyteller/Wordsmith, Founding Director, Homeside Cultural Programming. A professional teller of tales, has been affiliated with the Ohio Arts Council as an Artist-in-Education since 1990. She was among the first artists chosen for the Cincinnati Arts Association's "Artists On Tour" program and is a regular teller for the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County and the Cincinnati Storytellers Guild. Omope is a highly-sought after consultant to regional, national and international institutions, assisting with developing strategies for arts inclusion, and writing multicultural curriculum.

Publicity 101: Getting publicity for your work & programs

Public relations consultant and contractor, Lisa Desatnik, has more than 21 years of communication experience, with an emphasis on building relationships and support for non-profit organizations, events and civic-minded businesses

Poet's/Writer's Panel

Sharon M. Draper is a professional educator as well as an accomplished writer. She has been honored as the National Teacher of the Year, is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Award, and is a New York Times bestselling author.

Last year she was named Ohio Pioneer in Education by the Ohio State Department of Education and received the Governor's Educational Leadership Award. She has been honored at the White House on six different occasions by President Clinton as well as President Bush.

Poet's/Writer's Panel

Ayanna R. Lewis (a.k.a. Psalmoetry) is an accomplished Writer/ Poet, Psalmist and Recording Artist who has shared through singing and poetry at numerous outreach venues, church conferences, college campus events, high school throughout the region. Psalmoetry has also shared the stage with National recording Artists L.G. Wise and the News Boys while taking part in the Acquire the Fire Tour 2005. Presently she has released “Joy In The Morning”- her first CD debut and is due to release her Sophomore project “Psalmistic Soulfood” in 2008.

Poet's/Writer's Panel

Working as an Executive within the field of Organizational Development and Leadership, Benjamin has been a technical trainer, workshop presenter, freelance writer and web-designer. Benjamin Hughes currently works with the Cincinnati Arts Association, the InkTank Writing Collaborative and several other organizations that serve adults and youth with leadership, personal development training as well as creative writing workshops.

Poet's Writer's Panel

Sheila Williams is the author of four novels including Dancing on the Edge of the Roof (Ballantine, 2002) and Girls Most Likely (Ballantine, 2006). She teaches creative writing and is currently writing a screenplay based on her first book. She and her family live in northern Kentucky.

Poet's/Writer's Panel

Gina Ruffin Moore is the author of “Cincinnati: The Black America Series. She is currently a Training Specialist/Videographer for the City of Cincinnati. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Ohio University and has done public relations for – UC, Cincinnati Public Schools & the City of Cincinnati. Moore has worked as a News Reporter for several local radio stations and as a TV News writer, producer and camera operator. She is a member of National Association of Black Public Administrators, American Red Cross Communications Committee and former president of the National Association for Black Journalists (Cincinnati). Served as an adjunct instructor at Cincinnati State.

Poet's/Writer's (Panel Moderator)

Paula Sherman is no stranger to the arts. Her past experience as an Arts-in-Education Director allowed her to work closely with youth of all ages, and create and provide quality arts programming for various venues through out Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky communities. Paula's a graduate of Central State University, and the University of Cincinnati's Master's in Education program, She'a a volunteer director with the Cincinnati Black Theatre Children's Company, and a proud mother of 4.

Fine Art in Print & Original art that sells

Joyce Phillips Young is a successful professional artist and art consultant that attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Design and a Masters of Education Degree in Art Education. She has also studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy and the University of Cincinnati. Ms. Young worked as an art teacher, elementary administrator and also served as the K-l2 Supervisor of Art for the Cincinnati Public Schools for several years. She has also taught African-American Art History at the University of Cincinnati.

Fine Art in Print & Original art that sells

Brian Joiner is one of the premiere artists in the region. He began drawing before he could even walk. He earned a five-year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1985, where he majored in painting and minored in drawing. His work-study program included two years of assistant teaching at the Cleveland Museum of Art, while doing a variety of freelance work around the City of Cleveland. In 1989, a brief trip to London and Paris heightened his awareness of new ideas and artistic opportunities.

Fine Art in Print & Original art that sells

My-Joy Fine Art Images is a one stop source for all of your imaging, publishing, and distribution needs. They cater all of their services specifically to the individual needs of the artist and their patrons, providing personalized web space for the artist to share their work with the world.

Fine Art in Print & Original art that sells (Panel Member & moderator)

Toilynn O'Neal, Owner of New American Art Gallery II, works to promote and provide exposure for up-and-coming as well as established artists in the Tri-state region. She served as visual arts director for the Arts Consortium of Cincinnati for over 11 years, creating traveling venues for artists to exhibit their work. In 2005 Ms. O’Neal joined the Cincinnati Art Museum staff, where she works as Education Coordinator for Community Engagement. In her current capacity she continues to build upon a legacy that fosters community collaboration, diversity, and cultural education for the entire community.

Creating promotional materials & graphic design

Early in his career, he has already had some great professional accomplishments, including interning with Vanjo Productions, a music production company which created and toured the musical If This Hat Could Talk, based on the life of civil rights pioneer Dr. Dorothy I. Height. Cameron co-designed the logo for the production company, as well as the promotional materials, including programs, handbills, and posters. He is the owner of Urban Dynasty Entertainment, where he continues to produce music, graphics, and DVD compilations for aspiring and professional artists.