APRIL 14, 2011, SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Arts Incubator of Kansas City in the Crossroads Arts District was named the winner of two distinguished National Business Incubation Association awards: the 2011 Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year and the 2011 Dinah Adkins Incubator of the Year in the general and special focus categories. Jeff Becker, founder of the Arts Incubator of Kansas City, accepted the awards on behalf of the organization this week during the NBIA's 25th International Conference on Business Incubation in San Jose, Calif.

 "The artists and staff of the Arts Incubator are tremendously deserving of this honor, as they are an integral part of the growth of the arts in Kansas City and the national recognition of this region as a thriving arts community," said Tom Corbin of Corbin Bronze and chair of the Arts Incubator Board of Directors.

The mission of the Arts Incubator is to provide facilities and professional support for artists and other creative entrepreneurs to build profitable, sustainable businesses. Often, when artists graduate from art institutions they do not have the business skills required to establish self-sustaining careers in the arts. The Arts Incubator is dedicated to working with these emerging artists in the development of their careers.

The program accomplishes this goal by creating a culture that fosters creative and professional growth; providing entrepreneurial, industry-focused training in the development of art businesses; and providing artists affordable studio facilities and representation.

With these two awards and another recent international Incubator of the Year award in 2010, Becker, who founded the Arts Incubator in 2001, has reached the pinnacle of this 10-year journey, which started with a handful of artists and has grown into a model for arts incubators around the world.

When Becker first thought of the idea of starting an incubator for artists in Kansas City, he decided to attend a National Business Incubation Association international convention, which coincidentally was hosted in San Jose that year, to see if his plan might be feasible. Now, 10 years later, at the same convention and again in San Jose, Becker's idea has proven to be more than just feasible.

Because of his successes and achievements, the Arts Incubator Board of Directors has granted Becker, who is a sculptor and has a studio outside of the Incubator, a sabbatical to work on his art.

 "Jeff's vision 10 years ago has culminated in this well-deserved break to focus on his sculptures and to share his art with the community," said Bill Reisler, board member and past chair.

Business incubation programs like the Arts Incubator of Kansas City catalyze the process of starting and growing companies by providing entrepreneurs with the expertise, networks and tools they need to make their ventures successful. In 2005 alone, the NBIA estimates North American incubators assisted more than 27,000 start-up companies that provided full-time employment for more than 100,000 workers and generated annual revenue of more than $17 billion. Approximately 7,000 business incubators operate worldwide.

The National Business Incubation Association is the world's leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship. Each year, the NBIA Incubation Awards honor the business incubation programs, graduates and client companies that exemplify the best of the industry.

Please direct questions to Trisha Drape, associate director of the Arts Incubator. For more information about the Arts Incubator of Kansas City, visit www.artsincubatorkc.org.

MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA: For high-resolution photos from the NBIA Awards Ceremony, call Trisha Drape at 816-979-3444.