- About the Program
- Meet the Cohorts
- Timeline and Eligibility
- Fellowship Resources
- Contact Information
About On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator
The On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator program includes a three-day intensive entrepreneurship and community engagement workshop and the chance to apply for up to $2,000 to put the lessons into action. Cohorts become incredible networks of support and collaboration. Don't be surprised if you leave feeling like you've just met your long-lost family. Read more stories about the On-Ramp community in the "Meet the Cohorts" tab.
The program and workshop were designed by Elaine Grogan Luttrull of Minerva Financial Arts and teaches entrepreneurship to artists and creative professionals by focusing on a portfolio career, a community-engaged artistic practice, and key business concepts, including:
- Defining value
- Identifying customers
- Communicating with customers (marketing strategy)
- Identifying allies and partners
- Communicating with allies and partner
- Identifying key resources
- Protecting assets and creativity
- Managing expenses
- Generating revenue
- Planning for uncertainty
Research about the On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator.
Meet the On-Ramp Cohorts
Regardless of your background or where you are in your career, you quickly realize that an entire group of strangers share the similar fears, insecurities, questions, and dreams as you, and you become a great source of empowerment for one another. (Alicia Dawn Criswell, Lafayette, 2019 Cohort)
More information about each member of the cohort will be available before the start of the fellowship period.
- Meet the 2024 Cohort
- Meet the 2023 Cohort
- Meet the 2022 Cohort
- Meet the 2021 Cohorts
- Meet the 2019 Cohort
- Meet the 2018 Cohort
Interested in learning more about past On-Ramp participants and their experiences? PATTERN magazine’s Fall/Winter 2021 issue featured thirteen participants. Learn more about these featured creative entrepreneurs and read the profile.
2025 Program Information
The On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur will pause for program evaluation in 2025, allowing the program to grow to better meet the needs of Indiana, as informed by the 2023-2024 Artist Needs Assessment.
2024 Timeline and Eligibility
Applications for the 2024 On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator have closed. Please stay in contact with the IAC through our newsletters to get informed on future programming.
While any artist or creative that meets the eligibility requirements may apply, early-career or emerging artists who have generated enough works to articulate their own creative voice and practice will get the most out of this experience.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be an individual. Organizations may not apply.
- Must be 18 years or older
- Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Must be an Indiana resident and remain a full-time Indiana resident through the end of the fellowship period (August 31, 2024)
- May not have been a past On-Ramp participant
Selection Priorities
Applications will be reviewed and recommended by an admissions committee of peers and professionals. Applicants that are the best fit for On-Ramp are currently actively working in their creative practice. They have a long-term goal that shows commitment to their creative work. They are confident, excited, and aspirational.
Further, the admissions committee will use these priorities to create a cohort that has:
- Variety of artistic career experience
- Statewide representation
- Variety of creative disciplines
- Diverse racial/ethnic representation
- Representation of underserved populations
2024 Cohort Timeline
| Application Available | October 31, 2023 |
| Deadline to Apply | January 4, 2024 |
| Notification of Acceptance to the Cohort | Week of March 11, 2024 |
| Workshop | May 8-10, 2024 |
| Fellowship Application Deadline | June 13, 2024 |
| Fellowship Period | September 9, 2024 - September 4, 2025 |
| Final Grant Report Deadline | September 11, 2025 |
The On-Ramp Fellowship spotlights you as a motivated creative entrepreneur. To be awarded the fellowship, you must complete the On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Course and then successfully propose a fellowship project. Applicants may request up to $2,000 to put the course lessons to use for their creative career development. The fellowship project proposal must fully meet all review criteria (listed in the guidelines below), may not include any ineligible expenses, and must start and end within the project period.
Have questions about this program? Please reach out. We're here to help!
Jordan Adams
Artist Services Program Manager
Indiana Arts Commission
joadams1@iac.in.gov
(317) 508-6115
The On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator is brought to you by the Indiana Arts Commission, in partnership with Minerva Financial Arts
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Please reach out to Stephanie Haines at shaines@iac.in.gov to make a request.
