Operations Coordinator / Age 35
NWTC Artisan and Business Center
When COVID-19 arrived in Wisconsin in 2020, Carrie Dorski had to pivot the NWTC Artisan and Business Center’s successful “An Artist’s Journey” series to a virtual format. It turns out that the format worked well for the series, which showcases arts organizations and talented artists in the community. It now reaches an average of more than 2,000 views per episode.
Dorski also created the center’s business-focused residency program, launched in 2020 to help artists develop entrepreneurial skills and learn from mentors.
“I absolutely love it here, and I feel like I’m doing the work I’m meant to be doing,” says Dorski, who previously worked as the center’s administrative assistant before leaving from 2017-20 to pursue other roles, including as community engagement manager for the Door County Maritime Museum.
Dorski is passionate about NWTC’s Pride and Allies Employee Involvement Group as well as the college’s work in diversity, equity and inclusion. She serves on the board of Downtown Green Bay, Inc. and is co-coordinating the new ArtFest Green Bay festival. “We need to make this area vibrant and attractive to young people by investing in our creative sector,” she says.
An artist herself, Dorski showed work in the center’s juried Annual Showcase at the Neville in April. A native of Wisconsin Rapids, she says she chose to live in Algoma “to be near Lake Michigan, because I’m a boat nerd and I love our Great Lakes freighters.” Dorski credits her time at the Door County Maritime Museum for the interest. She also enjoys searching for fossils and beach glass.
