...About
At Julie Baker Projects
we connect ideas to value and vision to execution. We believe culture builds community, and the arts are good for business. We bring together artists and audiences, organizations and revenue and loyal customers to brands. We implement strategies for long lasting effect and build impactful events to improve quality of life. Integrity and trust are essential to our practice. We believe relationships matter.
Julie Baker Projects is a consulting firm specializing in the following services:
- Programming strategies, talent buying, integrated sponsorship programs and event production for arts organizations, festivals and private parties
- Cultural planning and economic development for cities and municipalities
- Non–profit management including earned and contributed revenue strategies, board development and organizational effectiveness
- Brand development, communication plans and marketing strategies
- Sales and business development support
- Customer Service training
- Artist management, promotion and development
Julie Baker, owner, is an arts, sales and marketing executive and entrepreneur. She is a seasoned business owner and management professional with over 30 years of experience in service, retail, art and technology industries. Major strengths include relationship development, innovative curatorial practices, employing proactive business development and fund development strategies, client relationship management, creating and implementing sales and marketing plans, leading and motivating teams to increase organizational effectiveness.
From 2009-2017, Julie Baker served as the Executive Director of The Center for the Arts, a non-profit performing arts venue and organization located in Grass Valley, CA. In addition to presenting over 150 events per year and increasing revenue by over 70%, in 2014 Baker led the successful acquisition of California WorldFest, an 18 year old established music and camping festival. In her role as Executive Director, Baker’s responsibilities included overall strategic vision and planning, artistic programming, talent buying, financial management, fundraising, sponsorship management, marketing and staff development.
Earlier in her career she worked in New York City at several prominent art galleries and the international auction house Christie’s before becoming the President of her family’s art marketing agency, Gerngross & Company Inc. Clients of the agency included JVC Jazz Festival, Toyota Comedy Festival, Newport Folk Festival, Art Dealers Association of America, Guggenheim Museum and many more. After selling the business in 1998 and moving to Nevada City, CA, she worked as a Senior Executive Producer for Tristream, a 20- person web development and marketing/branding company specializing in technology start ups. In 2001 she opened an art gallery Julie Baker Fine Art, located in Grass Valley and later Nevada City and New York City and for 2 years co-produced and co-founded Flow art fair in Miami.
She currently serves on the board of California Arts Advocates (CAA) and Californians for the Arts. Founded in 1996 as a nonprofit 501c(4) statewide advocacy organization by leaders in the arts field, the CAA has been the collaborative force behind the battle to protect arts funding in California, as well as the successful passage of several bills that return arts programs to schools and laws that positively impact the arts. She is a former board member of California Presenters, a statewide coalition committed to connecting, engaging and developing performing arts professionals from organizations of different sizes and structures; and advocating for important issues in the presenting field.