FORT LAUDERDALE — For six years, the Doing Business As…Artist Entrepreneurs collective (DBA) founders Virginia Fifield, Jacklyn Laflamme and LeeAnna Yater have mentored South Florida’s rising artists to produce an annual exhibition.  This year, in partnership with ArtServe, they present “Retrospective: Celebrating 7 Years of DBA” starting this week through June 29 in the J.M. Family Gallery, 1350 E Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. A free gallery reception is 6 p.m. June 11.

The participating artists are all graduates of the Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute (AEI), a four-week intensive course offered annually at ArtServe in partnership with the Broward Cultural Division, that arms artists of all disciplines with the knowledge and business acumen they need to build and advance their business skills.

Organizers say the exhibit is an all-media retrospective of the DBA collective, and features select artworks reflecting the best practices the artists refined as they evolved into successful artist entrepreneurs.

“Since the close of the 2014 exhibition, I have set my sights on expanding the audience for the DBA exhibit and for the DBA collective as a whole,” Fifield said.  “Nurturing and mentoring the next round of rising stars and seeing how they can take the DBA concept and mold it into their own vision has been a driving force for me. Partnering with ArtServe, while still collaborating with our core of DBA artists, will help me realize this goal.”

Since its inception, more than 60 artists have participated in the DBA exhibitions. Many  have gone on to achieve local and international success in their art careers, and many more have launched projects that positively impact our community by producing community events, teaching workshops with the disabled, creating public mural or exhibitions on critical social issues. “Retrospective: Celebrating 7 Years of DBA” serves as the focal point for enhancing the reputation of rising local artists, tracking their progress, sharing their achievements with the cultural community and bringing the art and business communities together.

“ArtServe is proud to host The DBA retrospective this year as the exhibition, like AEI itself, celebrates the very essence of the ArtServe mission,” said ArtServe President and CEO Jaye Abbate.  “This group of artists pushed themselves to succeed not just from an artistic perspective, but from a business career standpoint. Their success at both, and the impact they’ve had in the community, is to be celebrated.  I believe the public will be amazed at the diverse talent and high quality of the artwork to be found right here in Broward County.”

ArtServe also will host the AEI 2015 Institute, which culminates with a closing forum featuring Neda Ulaby, NPR reporter on arts entertainment and cultural treads. She will speak on Arts Journalism in A Fractured Cultureverse at 7 p.m. June 24. The closing forum and reception is free and open to the public but seating is limited and reservations should be made at https://eventbrite.com/event/16752252438.