ArtLinks 2025: Innovation Through Partnership

ArtLinks 2025 is a three-day conference presented by the Arkansas Arts Council that will provide educational opportunities for arts administrators, artists, community leaders and educators. Attendees will hear how working together can be essential for survival and growth to overcome financial challenges, expand your audience, and enhance the impact on your community.

For the complete agenda, including speaker bios, please visit

• Gabe Holstrom, executive director for Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Little Rock
• Dr. Jennifer Moore, founding dean, School of Occupational Therapy, Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, Fort Smith
• Kassie Misiewicz, director at Theater for Youth, actor, Kennedy Center National Teaching Artist, and Focus 5, Inc. arts integration consultant, Fayetteville

• The link between arts, health and well-being
• The Arkansas Arts Council’s AIE roster and how teaching artists can apply
• How artists can collectively purchase or build commercial property

Hotel Stay:

ArtLinks Day One welcomes arts administrators and community arts leaders. Join us for a full-day of session topics including arts advocacy, strengthening partnerships with other organizations and the link between arts, health and well-being.

ArtLinks Day Two is an invitation for arts-in-education teaching artists to learn more about the Arkansas Arts Council’s Arts in Education Roster and participate in an afternoon of interactive activities led by an arts integration professional.

ArtLinks Day Three focuses on empowering individual artists through collaboration and partnerships that can reduce reliance on nonprofit and government funding while giving artists control over their own futures and arts projects.

Register for the full three-day conference by noon Aug. 29 for only $120. Includes three lunches! Or register for one day by noon Aug. 29 for $50. Ticket prices will go up to $150 (plus Eventbrite fees) for the three-day conference or $60 per day (plus fees).

Info: Meet the staff of the Arkansas Arts Council and hear about grants, programs and initiatives underway. Then, learn more about Arkansans for the Arts, the only statewide arts advocacy nonprofit for Arkansas. Stick around to learn more about Mid-America Arts Alliance, the regional arts organization funding and supporting arts across our region.

Info: In these unstable economic times when funding sources can be unpredictable, collaboration and partnerships are more important than ever. Working together can be essential for survival and growth, allowing your organization to overcome financial challenges, expand your reach, and enhance the impact on your community. As the director of Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Holmstrom discusses the bridge-building skills he learned in state and national politics to help move downtown LR to a more vibrant and better utilized resource.

Info: ArtLinks attendees will be treated to a special live performance by Afrique Aya, featuring Angelo Yao. Afrique Aya is a group of dancers and drummers dedicated to enjoying and sharing the music and culture of West Africa. Through presentations and events designed to bring people together, Afrique Aya connects with a rich tradition of storytelling, lyrical movement and music that convey a vibrant, universal narrative.

Info: In this presentation, Dr. Jennifer Moore explores the growing body of research demonstrating the impact of the arts on physical, emotional and cognitive health. From childhood through older adulthood, creative occupations such as music, visual arts, movement and storytelling can foster resilience, promote mental health and improve quality of life. Attendees will gain insight into both qualitative and quantitative research findings, as well as practical strategies for integrating arts-based interventions into community and clinical practice. In this session, we will identify opportunities for collaboration between health care providers, such as occupational therapy practitioners, and the arts sector to expand access to creative-health interventions.

Info: Creative expression is a powerful form of occupation that promotes healing, connection, and participation for individuals across the lifespan. Integrating creative arts therapies—such as music, visual art, dance/movement and expressive writing—into healthcare and community programming can support physical, emotional and cognitive health. From an occupational therapy perspective, these expressive modalities offer accessible and meaningful ways to engage individuals of all abilities in the therapeutic process. In this interactive session, Cynthia will guide attendees through a hands-on creative arts experience. Participants will explore how adapting creative processes can enhance well-being and support occupational engagement.

Info: Step into the shoes of experienced teaching artists as they share their journeys working on the Arts in Education Roster. In this session, two long-time roster artists will reflect on how their work has evolved across different classrooms and communities. They will discuss the joys and challenges of adapting their artistic practice for educational settings, highlight memorable collaborations, and offer insight into how being part of the roster has shaped their careers and approach to teaching. This is a unique opportunity to hear candid stories and gain wisdom from seasoned professionals deeply engaged in arts education.

Info: Hear from two arts organizations that utilize AIE grants and programming. Learn how they develop their programming and build partnerships with artists and schools. Teaching artists will receive tips on how to apply AIE practices, methods, curriculum and programming when working with arts organizations and in the schools.

Info: In this dynamic and participatory session, we will unpack what Arts Integration is - and why it matters. Participants will explore a shared definition, experience an arts-integrated activity and understand how this approach differs from traditional arts curriculum. Leave with new insights on how to use the arts to deepen learning, build connections, and expand impact.

Info: How do you design impactful Arts Integration experiences that meet the needs of different learners and settings? In this interactive session, participants will engage in scaffolded arts integration experiences, explore key planning tools that treat the arts as a literacy and discuss how to build residencies for in-school, after-school, and community participants.

Info: While artists and small businesses remain stuck in survivor mode, many continue to overlook collaborations that could have huge returns on investments, including reaching new audiences, joint marketing, creative solutions and more. Joint events, bartered services and community outreach between both individual artists and businesses could help keep both thriving statewide.

Info: Are you confused about whether you should incorporate as a business and/or nonprofit organization? What are the pros and cons between 501c3 and LLC? This highly practical, resource-rich session will guide you through each step of the startup process, from idea to opening. We’ll supply you with essential tools and knowledge to launch and run your business or nonprofit while also answering your questions along the way.

Info: Creatives across Arkansas struggle to find and maintain affordable spaces to create artwork. This session will feature three real estate experts as they discuss the “why” and “how” of purchasing or building commercial property together – opportunities and challenges in real estate and arts – and using real estate to build community-centered investments. Panelists will examine the benefits of building in your community with a fucus on supporting the arts.

Host or Publisher Arkansas Arts Council