Free Artist Financial & Business Online Workshops
Worcester Creates
The Business of Art
Southfield, MA, artist Sophie Eisner (2021)
Presented in partnership with the Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s Worcester Creates Business of Art program. All workshops are FREE and held via Zoom, with pre-registration required to keep the cohorts at a size that maximizes participation and peer support.
WORKSHOP REGISTRATION PRIORITIES: Our workshops are open to artists who currently live in Worcester county. In general, space is limited, and your registration is not guaranteed to be approved.
Please be aware that priority will be given to (in order):
Members of the Worcester Creates Business of Art cohort.
Artists who live in the City of Worcester.
Artists who live in the Greater Worcester area.
Learn about Assets for Artists’ accessibility resources
for artists who live with impairments and disabilities.
“Staying Authentic While Marketing Your work” w/ Daniel Callahan
Monday, January 10, 2022 | 6:00 PM - 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.
This is an introductory level marketing course best suited for visual and media artists.
Credit: Jonathan Turner
Presented in partnership with GWCF’s Creative Worcester Initiative.
Open exclusively to artists who live in Worcester County, MA. Priority given to artists who live in the City of Worcester. Note: If you do not live in the City of Worcester, your registration may not be approved until 2 weeks before the workshop, when we’re able to see how many City of Worcester artists have registered.
“The Basics of Building a Grant” w/ Yara Liceaga Rojas
Tuesdays, January 11, 18, & 25, 2022 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Grants and other written proposals can feel daunting without a plan. In part one of this series, participants will learn about developing an appropriate project for the appropriate funder and where and how to search for opportunities. In part two, Yara will cover the basic building blocks that make up a proposal, including how to get organized, what the review process looks like from the inside, and how to persevere through rejection. The last workshop of the series 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. This is an introductory level workshop.
Based between Boston and Puerto Rico, Yara Liceaga Rojas is a writer, performer, and independent grant-writer who works in both English and Spanish. A4A’s fundraising & marketing manager, Molly Rideout, will be a guest speaker for this workshop, bringing her experience as both a professional grant-writer and practicing artist.
Credit: OJ Slaughter
Presented in partnership with GWCF’s Creative Worcester Initiative.
Suitable for artists in all disciplines.
Open exclusively to artists who live in Worcester County, MA. Priority given to artists who live in the City of Worcester. Note: If you do not live in the City of Worcester, your registration may not be approved until 2 weeks before the workshop, when we’re able to see how many City of Worcester artists have registered.
This is a THREE-part series. Participants may register for one, two, or all sessions.
Select workshop participants will have the opportunity to receive free 1:1 coaching with Yara. Details will be provided after the workshop.
Part I: Project Development & Where to Find Grants - Register via Zoom.
Tuesday, January 11, 2022 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Part II: Getting Your Materials Ready & Writing - Register via Zoom.
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Part III: Building a Project Budget & Addressing Financial Trauma - Register via Zoom.
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Credit: Cat Laine, Painted Foot Studio
“Business Strategies for Artists” w/ Shey Rivera Ríos
Wednesdays, January 19 & 26, 2022 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(NOTE: This is a TWO-part workshops experience. You are expected to attend both days.)
Artists often run their own creative business. And as the world changes, artists continue building alternative structures to sustain themselves. Let's talk about this and share experiences. This two-part workshop will present strategies for developing a more sustainable art practice and will also take a look at what opportunities exist for artists in today's economy. During the first session, we will share practice, compare experiences, and explore the possibilities together. The second session will be focused on turning the ideas from part one into strategies for gaining new income streams, sustaining your practice, and leveraging resources. Participants will be encouraged to share a practice or project they wish to workshop during the session. 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 & magic.
Select workshop participants will have the opportunity to receive free 1:1 coaching with Shey. Details will be provided after the workshop.
Suitable for artists of all disciplines.
Open to artists across Massachusetts, Connecticut & Rhode Island.
THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL
“Fostering Relationships w/ Galleries and Museums” w/ Kristen Becker, Founder: KB Art Strategies
Tuesdays, February 1 & 8, 2022 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(NOTE: This is a TWO-part workshops experience. You are expected to attend both days.)
Gallery and museum relationships are in the midst of a big shift. Access to certain gallery and institutional opportunities seem at once more open and more siloed. In this workshop artists will learn how to seek out and build relationships with gallerists and curators, as well as best practices for communications and the expectations and etiquette of moving through curatorial consideration. Kristen Becker is the Founder of KB Art Strategies, a consultancy providing concrete support to a global network of artists, galleries, non-profits, and arts organizations looking to expand the visibility of their projects and connect with their community.
This is a two-part workshop with sessions a week apart. Each session will be a lecture format with 30 minutes for Q&A at the end.
Part 1 (February 1): Relationship Cultivation: Begins with a discussion of gallerists and curators, what these individuals are like and what opportunities exist through these connections. In this session, participants will receive an overview on how these relationships tend to work, how to set realistic expectations, and how to prepare for studio visits.
Part 2 (February 8): Communication Strategies: Discusses how to write to gallerists and curators. This session will include an in-depth discussion of email outreach, organizing your website with curators and gallerists in mind, and digital marketing materials such as newsletter and social media.
Select workshop participants will have the opportunity to receive free 1:1 coaching with Kristen. Details will be provided after the workshop.
Best suited for visual artists seeking representation or exhibitions.
Open to artists across Massachusetts, Connecticut & Rhode Island.
THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL.
“Making a Plan in a Time of Uncertainty” w/ Laura Baring-Gould
Thursdays, February 3 & 10, 2022 | 2:00 - 4:00 PM
(This is a TWO-part workshops experience. You are expected to attend both days.)
Over two 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 who live in Worcester County, MA. Priority given to artists who live in the City of Worcester. Note: If you do not live in the City of Worcester, your registration may not be approved until 2 weeks before the workshop, when we’re able to see how many City of Worcester artists have registered.
Select workshop participants will have the opportunity to receive free 1:1 coaching with Laura. Details will be provided after the workshop.
Presented in partnership with GWCF’s Creative Worcester Initiative.
“Taxes for Artists” w/ Amy Smith
Wednesday, February 16 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
For decades, Amy Smith has prepared taxes for artists, taught financial well-being workshops, and coached artists one on one. This workshop will cover the basics of taxes for artists, including separating personal and artistic finances, Schedule C filing, self-employment versus employment, and tracking deductions — with a particular eye toward artists’ current financial challenges and the ways in which the CARES Act and other considerations 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.
Open exclusively to artists who live in Worcester County, MA. Priority given to artists who live in the City of Worcester. Note: If you do not live in the City of Worcester, your registration may not be approved until 2 weeks before the workshop, when we’re able to see how many City of Worcester artists have registered.
Presented in partnership with GWCF’s Creative Worcester Initiative.
Our Worcester programming is made possible in partnership with the Barr Foundation, Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s Creative Worcester Initiative, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation.