By Joyce Kryszak
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-945950.mp3
Cattaraugus County, NY – The Seneca Nation and the Cattaraugus Arts Council are working together to build the southern tier's cultural tourism industry through the Seneca Arts Virtual Incubator.
Visitors to the Southern Tier often enjoy searching out regional and Seneca artists to buy their work. To make them easier to find, once a year, the Cattaraugus Arts Council and the Seneca Nation hold Routes to Art, a self-guided tour of area artists' studios.
Now, they are teaming up to help the artists better promote themselves - and the region - year round. Melissa Shaw is tourism development planner for the Seneca Nation. She said promoting their artists is good for the region's tourism industry and for preserving the Seneca culture.
"Our greatest asset we realize is our people, our talented artists that carry on our culture and our traditions," said Shaw.
Penelope Minner is a fourth generation black ash basket maker who takes those traditions seriously. But until the arts incubator, known as SAVI, Minner said she felt unprepared to also promote her art as a business.
"Hopefully, this will give me more of the business edge that I don't have as an artists," said Minner.
SAVI is a cross-cultural program with 26 Seneca and non-Indian artists attending monthly peer group lessons and online webinars. Business instructors from the region lead the sessions on everything from contracts and copyrights to merchandising and marketing.
Watercolor artist Barbara Fox said she has a web site and a blog. But Fox said she knows she could be doing more to promote and sell her work.
"A lot of the other things like having a video made, for YouTube, or tweeting or twittering I haven't even touched on those things," said Fox.
The year-long program will cost roughly $150,000 and is being funded by the Seneca Nation and the Appalachian Regional Commission.
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