Free Recovery-Focused Financial & Business Webinars
SPRING 2021 OFFERINGS
for MA, RI & CT
With the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating effect on practicing artists, Assets for Artists has redesigned its business and financial education programming to provide artists with recovery-focused, distance-learning opportunities that largely retain the intimate cohort-focused style of our in-person workshops. Let’s come together to discuss current challenges, relief efforts, and opportunities for artists’ financial futures.
All workshops are FREE and held via Zoom, with pre-registration required to keep the webinar cohorts at a size that maximizes participation and peer support.
WORKSHOP REGISTRATION PRIORITIES: Generally, our workshops are open to artists who currently live in the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or Connecticut. In general, space is limited, and your registration is not guaranteed to be approved. Please be aware that priority will be given to:
Artists whose practice best matches the focus of the training.
Artists of color. A4A recognizes that the dire impacts of the pandemic have disproportionately affected BIPOC communities, and our 2021 programming is especially focused on supporting artists of color.
For RI & CT: preference will be given to artists in rural areas due to a collaboration with the USDA.
Artists who meet additional geographic priorities due to partnerships with organizations in a given region. These will be specified with individual workshops.
Learn about Assets for Artists’ accessibility resources
for artists who live with impairments and disabilities.
“Making a Plan in a Time of Uncertainty” w/ Laura Baring-Gould
Thursdays, April 1, 8 & 15 2021 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
(this is a THREE-part webinar experience)
Over three webinar sessions, artists will develop the building blocks for a strategic plan for their creative career. This highly interactive course will help artists examine their goals and values, inventory their skills, and practice budgeting with an eye to maximizing opportunity and stability in the midst of crisis. Laura Baring-Gould's practice includes award-winning installations, public artworks and small bronzes sold in galleries, juried shows and through private commissions.
Suitable for artists in all disciplines.
Open EXCLUSIVELY to artists in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties. Priority given first to 2021 ValleyCreates Grantees. Note: If you are not a ValleyCreates grantee, your registration may not be approved until the week before the webinar, when we’re able to see how many grantees have registered.
THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL.
The Art of Licensing w/ Allison Cole
Wednesday, April 7, 2021 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Allison Cole is an award-winning illustrator, artist and surface designer who never stops creating. Over the past fifteen years, she has worked with a wide variety of clients that span many different industries, including stationery, wall art, giftware, apparel, home furnishings and bolt fabric. In this webinar participants will learn about the industry of surface design and art licensing, and discover how artists can get their designs on a wide variety of products by partnering with different companies. They will learn about marketing and branding their work, reaching clients and setting achievable goals. Best suited for 2D visual artists.
Priority given to artists who live in Essex County, MA.
Note: If you do not live in Essex, your registration may not be approved until the week before the webinar, when we’re able to see how many Essex County artists have registered.
THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL.
“Rhode Island Taxes, State & Federal Pandemic Relief” w/ Amy Smith
Tuesday, April 13, 2021 | 4:00 - 6:00 PM
As if taxes weren’t already complicated enough! Now, for the 2020 filing season, artists who received support from any of the many of federal and state relief efforts must learn about the tax implications of each program. Never fear! For decades, Amy Smith has prepared taxes for artists, taught financial well-being workshops, and coached artists one on one. This special, Rhode Island-focused webinar will cover the tax implications of a variety of RI and federal pandemic relief that artists may have received in 2020, including emergency relief grants and loans, unemployment, PPP, EIDL, and other federal CRF funds like Restore RI and Business Adaptation Grants. Amy will explain what to do if you received some of this relief, and also what to do if you already filed and now realize you filed incorrectly. Plus, we’ll have an update on any additional 2021 relief available to artists in the most recent funding stimulus and relief bill. Amy Smith is an educator, professional tax-preparer and the former Co-Director of Headlong Dance Theater, a Bessie-award winning Philadelphia-based dance theater company.
Suitable for artists of all disciplines. Open to RI artists.
This workshop has passed.
“Decolonizing Your Creative Practice Retreat: Perfectionism” w/ Matt Garza, Anthony Andrade, and Ben Freeman of The Glitter Goddess Collective
Saturdays, April 17 & May 1, 9 AM - 1 PM (this is a two part webinar)
In partnership with the Harvard Ed Portal
In this two-part virtual retreat, participants are invited to join the Glitter Goddess Collective + Haus of Glitter Performance Lab to unravel and heal from perfectionism, a symptom of white supremacy culture, both in our creative practice and in the ways we move through the world. Nurturing our mission to shift the energetic center of the universe towards collective liberation, this series is an invitation to slow down, listen and transform with us. Using the creative practices that ground our work, participants will explore perfectionism as it shows up in ideology, in institutions, in interpersonal relationships, and from within. Alternating between whole-group creative experiences and reflection in breakout affinity spaces for white allies & for BIPOC, this series seeks to rehearse what an equitable distribution of energy can look like in anti-racist work for artists, arts leadership, arts educators and arts activists. While there will be opportunities for blended discussion, BIPOC participants can trust that there will always be a BIPOC-only discussion group, led by a BIPOC facilitator, available for all discussions throughout this two-part workshop. Matt Garza, Anthony Andrade, and Ben Freeman are founding members of the Glitter Goddess Collective, a community of artists, educators, counselors/therapists, performers, and healers dedicated to using art, play, and processes of mindful creation as tools for equity and justice. Please be prepared (and dress accordingly) for a virtual yoga + meditation offering for the first hour of each session.
Suitable for artists of all disciplines.
Open to artists across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
“The Basics of Building a Grant” w/ Yara Liceaga Rojas
Thursdays, April 22 & 29, 2021 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
(this is a TWO part webinar experience)
Grants and other written proposals can feel daunting without a plan. On the first day of this two-part webinar, Yara Liceaga Rojas will cover the basic building blocks that make up a proposal, including how to get organized, where to search for opportunities, what the review process looks like from the inside, and how to persevere through rejection. The second day of the webinar focuses on a project’s monetary and non-monetary needs and how to build a corresponding proposal budget. Participants will discuss how to set artist fees, as well as the barriers – financial trauma, the devaluing of the arts, and systemic inequities – that come into play when we build our own project budgets. Participants will leave empowered to fight for their worth and prepared to take advantage of creative opportunities. A4A’s fundraising & marketing manager, Molly Rideout, will lend her voice to both portions of this workshop, as both a professional grant-writer and practicing artist. Based between Boston and Puerto Rico, Yara Liceaga Rojas is a writer, performer, and independent grant-writer who works in both English and Spanish.
Suitable for artists of all disciplines.
Open to artists across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL
“Making a Plan in a Time of Uncertainty” w/ Laura Baring-Gould
Wednesdays, April 28 & May 5, 2021 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
(this is a TWO-part webinar experience)
Over two webinar sessions, artists will develop the building blocks for a strategic plan for their creative career. This highly interactive course will help artists examine their goals and values, inventory their skills, and practice budgeting with an eye to maximizing opportunity and stability in the midst of crisis. Laura Baring-Gould's practice includes award-winning installations, public artworks and small bronzes sold in galleries, juried shows and through private commissions.
Suitable for artists in all disciplines.
Open to artists across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Priority given first to A4A Capacity-Building Grantees.
THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL.
Recent Webinars
“Taxes for Artists & Preparing for a Downturn”
w/ Hannah Cole
Tuesday, January 26, 2021 | 3:00 - 5:00 PM
Hannah Cole’s ever-popular tax workshop moves online, with special attention to the challenges artists are facing in the present moment. The founder of Sunlight Tax and an Enrolled Agent with the IRS’s highest certification, in addition to being a long-time working artist, Hannah has a unique vantage point for understanding the financial challenges of freelancers and small creative businesses during this particular time. In this webinar she will discuss the basic tax equation and tax issues specifically relevant to artists, followed by a Q&A period.
Suitable for artists of all disciplines.
Open to artists across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut
THIS WEBINAR HAS PASSED
“Financial Strategies for Artists” w/ Amy Smith
Wednesday, February 17, 2021 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Financial shame gets imposed on artists by our socioeconomic structures. In this workshop, Amy Smith cuts through shame and covers the financial building blocks necessary for surviving a career as a freelancer, including personal finance topics such as debt management in a time of crisis, emergency funds, private and governmental safety nets, tax issues, and how to negotiate with lenders. Participants will leave empowered to combat the scarcity mentality and impostor syndrome ever present in the creative sector. Amy Smith is an educator and the Co-Director of Headlong Dance Theater, a Bessie-award winning Philadelphia-based dance theater company.
Suitable for artists of all disciplines.
Open to artists across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut
THIS WEBINAR IS FULL
“Inside The Performing Artist’s Studio: COVID Edition” w/ Billy Dean Thomas
Thursday, February 25, 2021 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
During this time of continued social distancing and gathering limitations, performing artists look to activate their own creative tools, expand their audience, and connect with collaborators and producers in new ways. Performing artists in this session will discuss what they have seen work well and how they’ve stayed motivated despite the limitations of the pandemic. The workshop will take a deep dive into a few artist case studies and hold space to troubleshoot challenges and collectively develop a list of current tools and resources. Artists will leave this workshop with immediate steps to develop performance setups and explore different revenue streams to continue building their practices and engaging with their audiences. Billy Dean Thomas is a Grammy-nominated hip-hop recording artist and composer whose polyrhythmic flows align with intersectional feminism and social justice.
Best suited for performing artists.
Open to artists across Massachusetts , Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
THIS WEBINAR HAS PASSED
Credit: Lynne Lane
“Level Up Your Virtual Presence” w/ Todd Reynolds
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 | 11 AM - 3 PM
(incl. 1hr lunch break w/ optional social time)
Whether we like it or not, it’s time to admit that the internet is now the artist’s stage. In this foundational course, digital musician Todd Reynolds will help creatives of all types understand the technological tools and techniques of crafting an engaging online presence without having to pay for an in-house tech expert. Whether a performer, visual artist, speaker, or writer, participants will take away essential video and lighting techniques that lead to a more professional presence on camera, solutions to achieving affordable, pro-sounding audio, and the secrets to projecting confidence when appearing and performing online. Todd Reynolds, violinist, composer, educator and technologist, is one of the founding fathers of the hybrid-musician movement and one of the most active and versatile proponents of what he calls ‘present music’ - music created in the ‘now’. In North Adams, where he makes his home, he’s well known as a member of Bang on a Can and a long-time collaborator with MASS MoCA.
Best suited for artists showing and performing work online.
Open to artists across Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
THIS WEBINAR HAS PASSED
“Making a Plan in a Time of Uncertainty” w/ Laura Baring-Gould
Thursdays, March 11 & 18, 2021 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
(this is a TWO-part webinar experience)
Over two webinar sessions, artists will develop the building blocks for a strategic plan for their creative career. This highly interactive course will help artists examine their goals and values, inventory their skills, and practice budgeting with an eye to maximizing opportunity and stability in the midst of crisis. Laura Baring-Gould's practice includes award-winning installations, public artworks and small bronzes sold in galleries, juried shows and through private commissions.
Suitable for artists in all disciplines.
Open to artists across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Priority given first to 2021 A4A Capacity-Building Grantees.
THIS WEBINAR HAS PASSED.
“Staying Authentic While Marketing Your Work” w/ Daniel Callahan
Tuesday, March 16, 2021 | 6:00 - 8:00 PM
They say 80% of life is showing up. How one shows up determines the rest. Whether it’s an interview, Google search, Pinterest post, TED talk or a conversation over tea, making sure the impression one leaves leads to interest, opportunity, and growth for both you and your audience is crucial. In this workshop, participants will learn some of the strategies and apply practical knowhow to promote themselves and their services with excellence and authenticity in both in-person and online spaces. Participants will leave the workshop with a fuller understanding of themselves and some tried-and-true methods for presenting and pitching their art and their practice. Daniel Callahan is an award winning transmedia artist, designer and filmmaker. In addition to running his own multimedia production company and art practice, he teaches film and video at Emerson College and The Institute of Contemporary Art.
Best suited for visual and media artists.
Open to artists across Massachusetts and Rhode Island
THIS WEBINAR HAS PASSED.
Taxes for Artists w/ Amy Smith
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
For decades, Amy Smith has prepared taxes for artists, taught financial well-being workshops, and coached artists one-on-one. This webinar will cover the basics of taxes for artists, including separating personal and artistic finances, Schedule C filing, self-employment versus employment, and tracking deductions. This webinar will have a particular eye toward artists’ current financial challenges and the ways in which the CARES Act and more recent pandemic relief acts will change taxes this year. Amy Smith is an educator, professional tax-preparer and the former Co-Director of Headlong Dance Theater, a Bessie-award winning Philadelphia-based dance theater company.
Suitable for artists of all disciplines.
Priority given to artists who live in Essex County, MA.
Note: If you do not live in Essex, your registration may not be approved until the week before the webinar, when we’re able to see how many Essex County artists have registered.
This webinar has passed.
“Co-Labor Like an Accomplice: An Anti-Racist Lens on Artistic Collaboration” w/ Pampi & Mattia Maurée
Tuesday, March 23, 2021 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Sharing and developing work is a vulnerable process, and developing work as a duo or ensemble even more so. Intersections of privilege can bring up fragility as we face our own need for growth. In this interactive webinar, participants will work within the context of anti-racism to re-imagine the collaborative/co-labor process. Together, participants will develop ways to build awareness of power dynamics and historical context and build space for each collaborator’s strengths and struggles. They will learn how to find accountability to one’s self, collaborators, and audience, in order to make the creative process and its final outcome equitable to all. Interdisciplinary composer Mattia Maurée makes work exploring perception, bodies, sensation, trauma, and resilience. Their critically acclaimed film scores have played in thirteen countries. Pampi is a nonbinary second-genx casteD-Bengali culture worker who plays at the intersection of healing and popular education. They develop community-centered art that releases creative potential and drives collective change-making.
For any artists who work collaboratively.
Open to artists across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
This webinar has passed.
Our Massachusetts programming is made possible in partnership with the Barr Foundation, the City of Boston, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ ValleyCreates Initiative, Essex County Community Foundation’s Creative County Initiative, the Deborah Munroe Noonan Memorial Fund (Bank of America, N.A.,Trustee), and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation. Our Rhode Island programming is made possible in partnership with the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts thanks to funding from a US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business Development Grant. Our Connecticut programming is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA), Northwest Connecticut Arts Council, and the Southeast Connecticut Cultural Coalition.