MAKING YOUR OWN CAREER WITH PUBLIC ART
Focused Training for Artists
A comprehensive 6-week course aimed at early- and mid-career artists interested in successfully developing public art projects.
This course explores how an art career can include public and large-scale artworks and will support the artists in your community to diversify their careers. With a mix of activities and discussions, participants work to develop professional support materials and illuminate best practices and common mistakes. Live and current calls are explored and many participants will have the opportunity to submit for active calls with instructor assistance. Course is delivered digitally with live teaching and discussions.
To bring this course to your community, contact us here.
Are you an artist looking for available courses? Click here to check out our scheduled workshops.
WHAT ARTISTS SAY ABOUT THIS COURSE
“The training exceeded my expectations. I learned so much about the non-art requirements of being a public artist. The training was encouraging and empowering.”
“Coming into this, I already had 20+ years experience working as a professional artist but I was shocked by how much I learned throughout the six-week course. Not only do I feel inspired and excited to go out and apply for RFQ/RFP’s, it provided me with useful tools and strong presentation materials to confidently apply for public art commissions with the knowledge that I am representing myself in the best way that I can. It fundamentally changed the way that I envision my art career going forward, with a stronger emphasis on collaboration and community engagement, as well as on delegation and working to one’s strengths! My already high expectations for this training were exceeded!”
“Great class, enjoyed the lessons and real life expertise provided by teachers...I’ve already put into practice many of the things introduced.”
Want to learn more about our business training for artists?
Course curriculum includes
Pre-course participant interview
Budgeting for Business
Cash Flow Statements
Pricing for Profit
Retail and Wholesale Sales
Organizing Accounting For Taxes
Regulations and Insurance*
Employees
Marketing and Promotion
Self-worth and Combating Imposter Syndrome
Our instructors combine their personal experience and the best in current business education with the REAL Craft Entrepreneurship Curriculum. Our NC REAL Craft accredited instructors are experienced, successful craft artists and educators with strong ties to both the retail and wholesale markets. They will bring their own experience to the course to help participants build successful craft business.
*Instructors tailor this information for your geographic service area
For Economic & Workforce Development Organizations
Those working in the arts sector in your community not only impact your economic vitality, but also make your community a fun, diverse, beautiful and creative place that people want to live, work and start businesses. By bringing this course to your community, they will get business training tailored to their work AND their learning style. More importantly, you will show this sector that you value their work and their community impact.
For Nonprofits
If your organization works with creatives, this intensive course will provide your community with the business skills they need to move beyond the ‘starving artist’ mentality. Artists and craftspeople can succeed when they have the business skills they need to correctly price their work, record and account for their income and expenses, budget for sustainability and confidently create the work they know will sell.
For Art Councils &
Commissions
The arts and creative sector in your area is largely made up of small businesses, sole proprietorships and single-person businesses that have unique needs often not met by typical small business education programs. Artists and craft artists or artisans need to learn the skills required to maximize their income to create sustainable, profitable businesses. Stronger arts businesses pay more taxes, pay more employees, and produce more work to benefit your community.
Interested in bringing this intensive to your area?
About Our Arts Entrepreneurship Intensive
This course is not pre-recorded. Each course meeting is 2 hours of live instruction offered via Zoom. All participants are also invited to a private Facebook group where the course cohort can interact with one another in between each session and instructors can share relevant materials, and provide coaching. Additional course content is also delivered weekly in scheduled Facebook live chats where participants can ask specific questions. Course materials are delivered electronically prior to the course start date and participants retain access to an online folder containing materials. The dedicated Facebook group remains after the course concludes and our experience shows that many participants continue to interact with one another and support one another. This format allows for participants from your constituency to bond with one-another and to have real interaction with their instructors.
Developed in cooperation with folks at Penland School of Craft, Handmade in America, Haywood Community College and The Sequoyah Fund, the REAL curriculum takes basic business and entrepreneurship training further with activities and experiences designed for visual artists and craftspeople alike.
Meet Our Instructors
Tiffany Coley
Tiffany is a jeweler and silversmith with a background in 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 Coley's work here.
Cynthia Deis
Cynthia is an artist, author and art educator with over 25 years of experience in designing and selling crafts, running a retail crafts store and creating and managing craft-focused pop-up markets. She brings to the course her experience with large wholesale accounts, managing staff and creating multiple income streams. Learn more about Cynthia Deis’ work here.
Melanie Stoer
Melanie Stoer is a glass artist and management consultant, spending the last 20+ years balancing her corporate world with a passion for fine craft and design. She brings a wide range of skills to her students - from project management and corporate training, to grant writing and marketing for small art businesses. Learn more about Melanie's glass business here.