Enjoy an evening of artistic merriment at the 2017 Dane Arts/Buy Local Night Market. The annual event curated by Dane Arts provides painters, sculptors, photographers and printmakers a venue to directly connect with patrons and show off their talent to the city at large. This year’s event features dozens of local artists, including Jenie Gao, Christy Grace, Helen Klebesadel and Barbara Westfall. Come ready to shop, mingle and embrace Madison’s thriving arts scene. Oct. 12. US Bank, Downtown Madison.

The panel discussion “The Art of Business and the Business of Art” will focus on the growing local music industry. Panelists for the event will include Larry Frank from Frank Productions, Cathy Dethmers-O’Brien formerly from Hi-Noon Saloon, Grammy winning drummer Joey Banks, recording artist Zhalarina Saunders from the JVN Project, and Beth Kille from the MAMAs and the Beth Kille band.

In his role as director of Dane County Cultural Affairs, Mark Fraire says he pushes the practice of supporting local artists every chance he gets. At DCCA’s Dane Arts Buy Local event last fall, he suggested that Madison-area businesses decorate their offices with creations by local artists. He says that although some local companies, such as Epic Systems, have purchased a few pieces of local artwork to display, the concept has yet to catch on.

Unfortunately for local artists, Fraire says the buy-local philosophy tends to benefit storefront businesses rather than entrepreneurs who work from home. Pursuing commissioned work is another option for artists, but it doesn’t help them sell their existing work.