Art in Miami is a $1.4 billion dollar industry. Yup, you read that right. Billion with a “b”. Then how are so many local artists and creatives still struggling and not seeing any of that money? A main reason is the limited resources made available to artists, says Eli Medrano, senior relationship manager at CIC Miami and co-founder of Creator’s Lounge.
As a creative herself, Medrano, in partnership with CIC, set out to change that by establishing Creator’s Lounge, a collective of local artists, creatives, and makers focused on offering the creative community practical resources. CIC believes that artists are all intrinsically entrepreneurs but just need the right resources to help them succeed.
Through speakers, guest artists, tailored programming, and connection to CIC’s ecosystem of innovators, Creator’s Lounge provides resources, collaboration and discussion of art in all its forms. Each meetup covers hyper-specific topics with practical skills designed to help 305 creatives succeed. Topics have included finding your artist statement, establishing you and your art as a business, and emotional wellness for artists.
The plight of a working creative is hard and the struggle is real. Because let’s face it, artists hustle just as hard as any startup, LLC, or 501c3 out there. Here are a few other Miami organizations that CIC has partnered with to support the 305 creative community.
- Speak Fridays curates a community of Miami creatives through performances of poetry, spoken word, comedy, and music.
- BlackDove is a digital canvas art platform whose mission is “to develop the careers of today’s digital and new media artists.”
- Arts & Business Council of Miami works to establish a sustainable ecosystem through businesses, entrepreneurs, and the arts.
- Commissioner, a subscription program that gets you access to original pieces of art and helps you learn how to become a local collector.
- Prism Creative Group, a marketing and community activation agency that supports Miami cultural organizations.
While the Creator’s Lounge pilot program has concluded for the 2018 season, we are looking forward to coming back to the Creator’s Lounge in 2019. If you can’t wait until then, be sure to check out CIC’s two-year anniversary celebration to showcase the impact and mission of CIC, focusing on several themes that are important to our city, like strengthening the intersection of creativity and business and fostering collaboration among innovators. Several art and creative organizations, will also be featured at the party with thought-provoking activations. Come celebrate, learn and engage around these topics, and CIC’s important role in Miami.