Are you a mid-career artist struggling to leave your day job or a new-to-the-biz creative with dollar signs in your eyes?
Join Triangle ArtWorks’ experienced instructors in a 10-week intensive business school-style experience aimed at you. From business structures to support systems, from credit cards to cash flow, this course will walk you through the process of creating an art business that makes money. Each week you’ll work on activities and projects that lead you to a clear vision of your business and a business plan. You’ll leave the class with a binder full of worksheets, ideas, contacts, and checklists and be energized to make your business succeed.
This course is based on the REAL Entrepreneurship courses program and is a hands-on, activity-based experience. If you've tried to understand business principles before and been bored or frustrated, this is for you. If you want tools to understand your own art business better, this is for you. You will learn to become a better networker, how to set up a solid business structure, and about financial structures that can help you make better business decisions. Course topics will include cash flow, production, costs and pricing, inventory, local resources, sales and promotions, and more. These arts business-specific skills are not currently part of most university fine craft and fine art programs but are essential for artists to function as businesses.
Both beginners and more experienced artisans can benefit from this course!
Course Details:
The course will run from March 9 - May 18.
Classes will be held once per week on Wednesday nights from 6:00-8:00pm.
This is a virtual course that will take place on Zoom; participants will need an internet connection and a device such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to access the sessions.
This course is open to all artists. Applicants who live or work in Durham County, NC will be given priority for selection.
Participants are strongly encouraged to attend all sessions.
All participants will be invited to a private Facebook group where they can use weekly live-video sessions to ask instructors questions outside of the meeting times.
Course work (outside of class) may be as much as one hour per week and, while not manditory, will help participants to get the most out of the course.
The application will close on February 7.
You will be notified of your application status by February 15.
This program is funded by the DurhamBusiness360, a program of the City of Durham’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, your source for the tools you need to innovatively start and grow your business.
About the Instructors
Tiffany Coley is a jeweler and silversmith with a background in the tech business. With over 15 years of teaching and craft sales experience, she sells her work to galleries and stores around the US and works out of her studio in Durham, NC. Tiffany brings to the course her deep knowledge of selling crafts at both retail and wholesale as well as how to create a focused product line. Learn more about Tiffany's work. Follow Tiffany on Instagram: @tiffanycoleyjewelry
Cynthia Deis is an artist and art educator with over 25 years of experience in creating and selling art and in running a retail crafts store and artist-focused pop-up markets around the Triangle. She currently works as the Education Director of Triangle ArtWorks and consults with artists and creative small businesses. Learn more about Cynthia’s work. Follow Cynthia on Instagram: @CynthiaDeis
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable everyone to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact our General Manager, Corey Blaustein at via email or at 818-804-1407. We will do our best to facilitate any requests made within two weeks of the event, but the earlier you can alert us to your access needs, the easier it will be to facilitate.