Merge Lancaster
Hosted by: The Candy Factory on Thursday, August 3rd, 2023Featured Entrepreneurs
Johntrae Williams
Founder of: The Central Pennsylvania Film Commission
The Central Pennsylvania Film Commission is designed to market the Central PA region to draw in major motion Film projects. In turn, fostering economic impact, growth, jobs and opportunities.
Challenges: As a non profit, we are looking to foster sustainable funding to operationally function the office at full capacity and obtain the staff required to compete with other regions. We have partnered with Dauphin County to obtain some grant funding for portions of out operation, but we need more access to funding.
Andrew Smith
Founder of: Visual Realia, LLC
Visual Realia is the umbrella of Andrew’s visual arts and community engagement efforts. In addition to creating and marketing his clay monoprint works, Andy runs a regional arts website, Culture On The Line. He also works with arts grant applicants, is board president of a new creatives-oriented nonprofit, and recently started curating exhibits in a 1913 historic bank.
Challenges: People appreciate art from their sofa, but getting them to move beyond “likes” and "thumbs up" on social media to attending exhibits, art Second Saturdays, demos, etc., particularly post-Covid, is a challenge for the arts in general.
