Announcing a Brand New Crisis-Focused Line-Up
Spring 2020 Financial & Business Webinars
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut, we’re here for you! With the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating effect on practicing artists, Assets for Artists has been working with its amazing partners at the Connecticut Office of the Arts, Northwest Connecticut Arts Council, Southeast Connecticut Cultural Coalition, Windham Arts, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to redesign its Connecticut-focused business and financial education programming to provide artists with new, crisis-focused, distance-learning opportunities that largely retain the intimate cohort-focused style of our in-person workshops. Some workshops translate our usual offerings into a webinar format, while many cover new topics that focus specifically on current challenges, relief efforts, and opportunities. All workshops are held via Zoom, with pre-registration required to keep the webinar cohorts at a size that maximizes participation and peer support. Participants living in rural sectors of the state will be given registration priority.
Space is limited, however we are working to expand the number of workshops we can provide, so those unable to be granted a slot initially will be considered a high priority for future opportunities as they become available. After you submit your information through the Zoom registration, our staff will contact those who make the enrollment cut-off with additional details on participating. Contact us at assetsforartists@massmoca.org with any questions.
“Financial Strategies for Freelance Artists” w/ Amy Smith
April 23 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Financial shame gets imposed on artists by our socioeconomic structures. Your financial situation is not shameful. In this workshop, Amy Smith 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 in all disciplines.
“Taxes for Artists & Preparing for a Downturn” w/ Hannah Cole
April 30 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Hannah Cole’s ever-popular tax workshop moves online! The founder of Sunlight Tax and an Enrolled Agent with the IRS 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 in all disciplines.
“Art in the Age of Coronavirus” w/ Kim Faler
May 4 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Sometimes the hardest part of a crisis is letting go of the former plan. In this interactive workshop, Kim Faler discusses the art of pivoting. Participants will explore new opportunities that the current reality might afford their creative practice, from the expansion of digital marketing, the strengthening of an online community, to pushing oneself outside of one’s comfort zone. Participants will leave with actionable steps for their own situation and a collaboratively developed list of resources. Kim Faler is a sculptor and installation artist who has shown at major museums throughout the US, including multiple times at MASS MoCA. Best suited for visual artists.
THIS WEBINAR IS FULL - REGISTRATION CLOSED. We hope to offer additional sessions in future, so please stay tuned!
“Creative Practice Within Virtual Communities” w/ Shey Rivera Rios
May 6 | 2:00 - 3:30 PM
Participants will renew the tools and knowledge to which they already have access in order to answer the question, how can community-engaged artists extend their work into virtual spaces? Drawing inspiration from the successes of artists already using digital tools, this workshop will create space for participants to push their creative power, expand the horizon of their creative practice, embrace fear, and see the opportunities at their disposal. Shey Rivera Rios is an interdisciplinary artist, cultural strategist, and arts administrator whose artistic creations span a myriad of topics, from home to capitalism to queerness and magic. Best suited for community-engaged artists.
Photo by Cat Laine, Painted Foot Studio
“Legal Q & A for Artists, Freelancers & Small Businesses” w/ Hannah Cole & Dr. Katherine de Vos Devine
May 7 | 3:30 - 5:30 PM
Join tax expert and artist Hannah Cole and Dr. Katherine de Vos Devine, a legal expert and art historian dedicated to empowering artists, for a discussion of what you need to know about legal and tax issues facing creatives as the country braces for the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ll discuss legal options with loans payments: loan forbearance vs. forgiveness, negotiating with creditors, payment plan options with the IRS, intellectual property rights in online course content, employment law for small nonprofits, and much more. Suitable for artists in all disciplines.
“Digitizing Your Artistic Presence” w/ Billy Dean Thomas
May 8 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
During this time of social distancing, performing artists look to activate their own creative tools to design or strengthen their digital presence, expand their audience, and connect with collaborators and producers online. Artists will leave this workshop with new skills and strategies to digitally expand their creative footprint and to translate it into future physical audiences, all without compromising the artistic or social integrity of their work. Billy Dean Thomas is a hip-hop recording artist and composer whose polyrhythmic flows align with intersectional feminism and social justice. Best suited for performing artists.