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Friday & Saturday, March 6 - 7
Reiman Gardens
1407 University Blvd, Ames IA
Professional Artist: $100 | Student Artist: $50
Reiman Gardens
1407 University Blvd, Ames IA
Professional Artist: $100 | Student Artist: $50
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About the Conference
The arts provide meaning in our lives and offer a positive experience in a complicated world. They decrease cognitive decline, have been shown to make our brains grow, and improve critical thinking skills. Regardless of the medium, the arts transform people and communities every day.+ Arts and culture help drive Iowa’s economy, employing over 41,000 people and contributing $5 billion to the state’s economy.* Yet, artists can find it difficult to sustain their practices. The Ames Community Arts Council proudly presents the eighth annual Business of Art Conference on Fri. & Sat., March 6 & 7, 2026. We are dedicated to helping artists grow and succeed and to supporting the impact of art in the world. This conference is designed to strengthen skills and provide resources for both formally trained and self-taught creatives. Topics this year include marketing tactics beyond social media, strategic business development, how to build an audience, and so much more. In addition to professional development sessions, the conference will include networking opportunities throughout the day, giving participants the chance to talk one-on-one with the speakers, other professionals, and each other. Professionals and students in all types of creative work, part time or full time, in all stages of their career are welcome. Last year’s conference drew nearly 100 professional creatives and students from around the region for a day-and-a-half of information sharing and networking. Participants had high praise for the event: “Keep up the great variety of workshops in the beautiful venue!” +Americans for the Arts Impact Explorer Fact Sheet *National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Creative Economy State Profiles 
Presenters and patrons visit during the 2024 Conference.
Patrons enjoying a presentation during the 2023 Conference.
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2026 Keynote Speaker
Chad Elliott is a graduate of Graceland University in Lamoni, IA with a Bachelor of Arts in ceramics and has since collected graduate credits from the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. Early in his career, he was recognized for his artistic ability by being chosen as the “Best of Show” at the Iowa Student Artists Exhibit in 1995.
In 2008 Elliott created the first-ever “People Project,” an ephemeral artwork for the organization ArtsLIVE during the University of Okoboji Winter Games in Okoboji, IA. During the Project he positioned 175 people on the ice of a frozen lake in the shape of a stylized turtle, which was photographed from an airplane. At the Guthrie Grove Camp in Guthrie Center, IA, Elliott has created murals with youth. He has also created large murals for businesses including Shaky Tree Coffee and Farmers Trust & Savings Bank, both in Spencer, IA. His recent mural work includes two 5-foot by 12-foot canvas paintings installed in 2012 in the newly renovated Spencer Community Theatre. He also completed a 16-foot by 40-foot landscape mural in 2013 on the side of Mohr Lumber in Coon Rapids, IA to commemorate the town‘s sesquicentennial. In Pampa, TX, Elliott installed a mural titled "This Land is Your Land" at the Woody Guthrie Folk Music Center. Elliott has served as an artist in residence for TreeBed Design in Vallejo, CA in 2004 as well as Arts on Grand in Spencer, IA from 2005-2008. After creating art from his home for many years, Elliott moved to Jefferson, IA and opened Elliott Art Studio in 2023, which was later honored as a Senate Small Business of the Week in December 2024. 
Keynote speaker Jill Wells during the 2024 Conference.
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