KC Chamber adds honor for artists, creatives to its awards lineup; emphasizing arts’ impact on economy, culture
February 21, 2024 | Tommy Felts
A new award planned for the KC Chamber’s Small Business Celebration in June is expected to honor an entrepreneur who has put their artistic talent to work as a small business, said Vicky Kulikov.
Audience-goers listen to a panel on capital access during the KC Chamber’s 2023 Small Business Celebration; photo courtesy of the KC Chamber
The first-time Luminary Arts and Creative Small Business Award is set to be announced alongside four other high-profile specialty small business awards, as well as the coveted Mr. K Award/Small Business of the Year title, said Kulikov, small business director for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
“Artists don’t always see themselves as small business owners ; yet they are running small businesses just like the restaurant down the street or the tech company around the corner,” she explained. “We want to celebrate them and let them know that the KC Chamber and the greater business community supports them and appreciates them.”
Click here to learn more about applying for the award.
The KC Chamber sought guidance from ArtsKC, Regional Art Council, and other key arts and creative businesses and organizations to gain an understanding of how the chamber’s engagement can best serve for-profit arts and creative businesses in the region.
“Artists and creatives are a vital part of the KC business community and the region’s economy,” Kulikov said. “It’s very important to shine a light on them for being an integral part of our economy and deepening the culture of the region through their art.”
The award is open to:
- Artist-founded and/or artist-run businesses that produce original work and products, whose owner maintains individual ownership of their intellectual property;
- An individual artist business with exceptional talent and creativity, in any discipline, whose small business has shown outstanding growth, innovation and artistic influence; and
- A KC Chamber member with a profit-seeking business related to fine or creative art who is headquartered in the Kansas City metropolitan area and employs one to 250 people.
In addition to this specialty award, artists and creatives may also review the eligibility criteria and apply for the Mr. K/Small Business of the Year Award. Applications also are open for:
- Emerging Business Award
- Small Business Equity Award
- Weida Award for International Small Business of the Year
- Legacy of Kansas City Award
Click here to apply for any of these honors. The deadline for applications is March 20.
Direct questions about the Luminary Arts and Creative Small Business Award to Kulikov at kulikov@kcchamber.com
A one-hour virtual Small Business Application Workshop is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 5. The event is set to feature KC Chamber officials and a panel of past winners, Top 10 recipients and judges.
Click here to register or learn more about the application workshop.
The KC Chamber Small Business Celebration has been a business community mainstay for more than 35 years and is recognized as one of the largest Chamber small business celebrations in the United States.
RELATED: IT firm honored as ‘Emerging Business of the Year’ finds inclusive welcome in Kansas City
Featured Business
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Sickweather CEO bringing Cold Cough Flu conference to KC
It might be warm and sunny this summer, but a storm is brewing, said Graham Dodge. The Sickweather founder’s Cold Cough Flu conference set for October in Kansas City could help health officials detect what’s to come. Inspired by a similar event organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Oct. 15 event…
Teens’ marketing startup TRNDSTTRS aims to amplify its own business influence
Staying young and hungry is everything, said the teenage entrepreneurs at TRNDSTTRS Media. With a team of ten 18- to 19-year-old go-getters, the tech-based firm focuses on providing affordable, in-depth marketing service to small and mid-sized companies. They use their age as an advantage rather than seeing it as an obstacle, said Jake Bjorseth, founder…
Founder: RFP365’s new Client Discovery launch shows startup-corporate deals build stronger tech products
A new product module from RFP365 defies common perceptions about Kansas City corporations overlooking tech talent in the startup community, said co-founder Stuart Ludlow, announcing the launch of Client Discovery. “Traditionally, we always say that an RFP [request for proposal] involves two people,” he said, describing the product. “Someone writes an RFP and then a…
Homegrown Resonate Pictures cultivates corporate market through creative risks
The same creative energy reverberating through cities like Los Angeles, New York City and Portland can be found in Kansas City, said Marc Havener, the filmmaker behind Lawrence-based Resonate Pictures. His message for fellow creatives: “We can make this back home.” After 10 years on the sets of blockbuster movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean,”…