Artists
Artists
Are you ready? Are you ready to grow your art into a business? Have you been selling or exhibiting but want to move to the next level? Are you looking to start a new nonprofit gallery, studio or arts organization, and want to set up effective financial records, fundraising plan, and board of directors from the beginning?
For over thirty years the Arts Extension Service has provided artists and arts managers the tools they need to succeed. To best meet the challenges of artists working today, we are taking our vast experience and are completely revising our courses and workshops! Add your name to our Alert E-mail list so we can send you an announcement when these new courses open. (We don’t sell or trade your information!) In the meanwhile, we welcome you to join us for our online noncredit courses.
Special Presentations:
Our recent Artist in Business trainings in Springfield, Northampton and Quabbin and in Vermont were a success. Thanks to the Community Foundation of Western MA for their support and awareness of how important the arts are as an economic driver for our region, as well as appreciating that art matters in the Pioneer Valley. Thanks as well to the Vermont Arts Council for inviting us to work with your artists.
Here are a few resources to support artists looking for information on computer systems and where to find jobs or work in the arts:
The following is a free CRM system to help you keep track of your art buying public, students, loans of work, etc. See http://www.freecrm.com/index.html for one example.
Additional resources to find jobs, support or exhibition opportunities:
http://www.artistsfoundation.org/art_pages/list_serve.htm
www.artistsunderthedome.org
http://www.artistsunderthedome.org/contact.html (the connected listserv)
Workshops for Artists
Artist groups, Cultural Councils, Higher Education organizations, and others: Do you need workshops for your artists? Select from our groundbreaking offerings, available in 1/2 day or Full day presentations and interactive, participatory exercises. Contact us at for more information by calling 413-545-2360 or emailing us at aes@outreach.umass.edu
Breaking into the Business Workshop Series:
Breaking into the Business: Money for Artists Are you an artist who is searching for a way to support your creative work, but don’t know where to begin? This intensive workshop will introduce you to the multitude of funding opportunities for individual artists, with an emphasis on grants from foundations, local, state and federal agencies, artist residencies, and other opportunities. Learn about grant terminology, how grants are structured and the specific steps you can take to research and apply for grants.
Breaking into the Business: What’s All The Buzz About E-Marketing? This highly-interactive session is designed for artists who are in the beginning stages of using the internet to conduct market research and promote themselves as artists. After an introduction to basic marketing concepts, you will learn what e-marketing options are available, and then examine inexpensive ways to implement e-marketing strategies. Apply these concepts to case study examples in small group sessions with other participants. Please bring examples of best practices and challenges to share with others.
Breaking into the Business: Marketing Basics for Artists Marketing is the most important tool to build awareness of your work as an artist and can help you to reach new audiences and cultivate loyalty in those you already serve. This workshop will introduce you to the fundamentals of arts marketing. You will begin by learning basic marketing concepts, such as the “4 Ps” of marketing (product, place, promotion, and price), how to better understand audiences and build participation in your programs and services. Discussion will also include how to measure the success of your efforts with tools such as Google Analytics.
Breaking into the Business: Marketing Materials What are marketing materials, and why do I need them? Creating effective marketing materials is vital for your success in selling your work. In this workshop students will learn the nuts and bolts of developing brochures; what to include, suggestions for printing features, and more. Also discussed will be press releases, how to use them effectively and what to include, as well as artist statements and more. This encouraging and individualized personal process is appropriate for anyone with many - or just a few - years' experience in producing art.
Breaking into the Business: Artists in the Creative Economy What is the creative economy and how can you participate? This workshop offers a step-by-step framework for developing and implementing a successful creative economy program in your community. Based on extensive research conducted by AES, this workshop offers participants an overview of likely challenges as well as best practices in the field that other artists have used successfully.
Breaking into the Business: Legal Issues for Artists Many artists are surprised to learn how much they are affected by legal matters on a regular basis: from gallery and artist contracts to publishing agreements and copyright law. Take this opportunity develop an awareness of the legal issues that affect your artistic creations. (Please note: a Vermont attorney will be identified to lead this workshop)
Breaking into the Business: Business Planning for Artists If you want to turn your art into a profit making enterprise, a business plan is an essential first step. Business plans help you to fully plan your business concept and are a requirement for securing bank loans. This workshop will introduce you to a step-by-step process for developing a business plan, providing you with a template that you can use to begin the process.
Basic Financial Management for Artists Artists often struggle with maintaining their financial systems and handle basic bookkeeping tasks. This workshop will provide an overview of financial systems and help you to set up a basic bookkeeping system. We will also cover pricing and how to determine a break even point for your arts business.
