The Maine International Conference on the Arts 2013 will convene artists, arts administrators, arts educators and community leaders. The Maine Arts Commission has announced that registration is open for the first-ever Maine conference designed to bolster the arts sector by bringing together members of the international, regional and local arts communities.

The conference will be held October 24 to 26, at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine Campus at Orono. Discounts and scholarships are available for conference attendees who register on or before September 15.

The conference will incorporate a co-conference for arts educators, and together they will host more than 60 professional development sessions, over 20 artist showcases, and keynote speakers including Doug Borwick, author of Engaging Matters; Mike Daisey, playwright and master storyteller; and Lynn Tuttle, Director of Arts Education at the Arizona Department of Education.

“This conference began as an idea last fall when we recognized the need to bring together the arts and culture field to learn and to share.” Maine Arts Commission Executive Director Julie Richard said. “We are extremely excited about the lineup of speakers and artists from around the country and Canada that are coming to Maine. This will be a wonderful opportunity for presenters to hear and see new performers and for arts organizations and artists to brush up on their skills.”

Professional development sessions cover topics including, event creation, marketing, intellectual property protection, portfolio development, board development, finances, video and audio recording, artist health insurance and over 30 arts education workshops.

For more information and to register for the conference, please visit www.mainearts.com.