The Arts and Business Council (ABC) of Greater Nashville was formed in 2007 to leverage and unite the unique resources of the business and arts communities to create a thriving, sustainable creative culture in Nashville. The nonprofit (501(c)3) organization is growing by leaps and bounds, primarily due to the bevy of resources offered to Nashville Artist of all genres.

Upon learning about the organization via the last Creatives’ Day Workshop on Affordable and Artist Housing Resources for Creatives’ per visionary Brian Sexton, one of the items that garnered much attention were the free legal clinics. The ABC workshops and trainings for Nashville artists are plentiful, the artists just have to apply and follow the requested processes.

Valuable workshops include ‘Protecting Intellectual Property in the Fashion Industry’ on February 21 at the Bistro at Emma. This workshop is said to be essential for branding protection and in general. Key issues focusing on securing and enforcing trademarks are incredibly important. Design patents and copyrights also play useful roles in the fashion industry.

Leading industry experts, Douglas W. Schelling, Samantha M. Quimby, and Carl T. Eppler of Frost Brown Todd, will teach this seminar. The training will successfully guide artists, designers, company leaders, attorneys and other fashion industry participants through key considerations for pursuing trademarks and registering copyrights—as well as the nuts and bolts of securing other legal and practical protections.

When it comes to legal protection, practices providing necessary legal information and resources to Nashville artists, ABC is blazing a proverbial trail. ABC provides pro-bono legal services to low-income artists of all disciplines, as well as legal and business assistance to emerging nonprofit arts organizations through the Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts (VLPA) program. This leg of the ABC is made possible in part because of another impacting organization, the Tennessee Arts Commission. Whether it is the VLPA, Work Creative, Periscope Artist Entrepreneur training or general education in the arts, this program is open and receptive.

The January Creatives’ Day event introduced entertainment attorney and Program Director Amber Buker. She provided a wealth of information within a small time. It was an informative, clearly understandable presentation delivered with genuine enthusiasm. It was quite refreshing, done in the spirit of clarity and included an open invitation for those in need of artist-related legal services or program information.

There are many ways to interact and to stay up to date with the ABC, from the website to the blog and their multiple streams of social media, including: You Tube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and e-mailing.

“We drive collaboration between the arts and business to create a thriving, sustainable creative culture in Nashville,” said Casey Gill Summar, the executive director of the ABC.

Surely the organization and their valuable resources for Nashville artists are no longer a best-kept secret. Special thanks to the ABC phone staff and their all inclusive website.

The organization is located at 1900 Belmont Boulevard, Nashville, Tenn. 37212, within Belmont University. Call (615) 460-8274 or visit www.abcnashville.org