Are You an Artist Who Wants to Learn How to Have an Art Business?
You’re not alone. ETChster community members around the world are using the platform to show their amazing work to the public, but there’s a lot more to learn.
That said, we’re very excited to announce a new series for 2022 by artist and art business expert, Crista Cloutier, who has been coaching other artists around the world on all aspects of their business via her program: The Working Artist.
Get ready to learn from someone who understands the art business from all sides!
This 13-Part Series Will Teach You the Art Business:
- How Artists Find Their Voice
- The Questions Every Artist Must Ask
- How to Share Your Creative Gifts
- Ways that Artists Make Money
- 5 Secrets to Build an Audience for Your Art Business
- Artist Career Tips: Writing a Perfect CV for Artists
- How to Price Art
- Should You Consider Joining a Co-Op Art Gallery
- How to Get Decision-Makers to Read Your Email
- Overcoming Overwhelm
- How to Work with Art Galleries
- The Artist’s 6 Stages of Initiation
- How to Work with an Artist Coach
How Artists Find Their Voice
Beginning artists need to develop their approach to art or “voice.” What will you become known for and what themes will tie your works and career together?
Sometimes artists get psychologically blocked and struggle to decide which of their many ideas to explore and develop further. Crista has a number of recommendations to help in “How Artists Find Their Voice.” This is a great article if you are just becoming your art business and are not clear on where to focus yet.
The Questions Every Artist Must Ask
Once your voice starts to develop, you’ll want to continually ask yourself a series of questions to ensure you’re staying aligned with your goals. The answers may change over time as your career develops, but the questions remain constant.
You’ll want to record The Questions Every Artist Must Ask and make it habit to answer them periodically, perhaps once a year or even more often. You’ll be glad you did.
How to Share Your Creative Gifts
Are you worried about networking with other artists? Perhaps you’re concerned your ideas will be stolen and used in someone else’s art business if you speak about them candidly.
Crista talks you through this fear and How to Share Your Creative Gifts and the huge benefit of having discourse with other artists, for both you and the local artistic community.
Ways that Artists Make Money
Gone are the days where the only road to income was winning a gallerist’s favor. Learn a number of ways to get your brand and your art in front of art collectors both physically and via your artist website and even an elegantly crafted artist email signature.
To have an art business, you need to build your income, right? You’ll want to read Ways that Artists Make Money.
5 Secrets to Build an Audience for Your Art Business
Before you have art collectors buying your work, you have to have people seeing your work in the first place. Crista talks you through using social media as a “top of funnel” tactic to get seen by potential fans for the first time.
From there, you’ll want to delight them with your website and give them an incentive to stay engaged with you. Learn more in 5 Secrets to Build an Audience for Your Art Business.
Artist Career Tips: Writing a Perfect CV for Artists
At various points in your career, you’ll need to use a curriculum vitae to grow your art business. Some of your resume content is also fantastic for showing on your artist profile section of your website.
Learn how to write a great resume with Artist Career Tips: Writing a Perfect CV for Artists.
How to Price Art
Setting a price for each of your pieces of art can be an intimidating process. You may even be preventing sales from happening with your pricing strategy.
Grow your comfort and learn How to Price Art.
Should You Consider Joining a Co-Op Art Gallery
As discussed above, traditional art galleries are only one option to make money. You’ll want to learn about the co-op option and its benefits as well.
Determine whether it’s the right fit for you with Should You Consider Joining a Co-Op Art Gallery.
How to Get Decision-Makers to Read Your Email
Building your communication skills and converting strangers into advocates are critical skills for growing your art business. While email is very efficient, it’s not without its challenges. Everyone gets so much spam!
Learn how to use email effectively to start conversations with the right people in How to Get Decision-Makers to Read Your Email.
Overcoming Overwhelm
Every entrepreneur gets overwhelmed as their business grows. Art business owners are no different.
But what do you do when you’re feeling burned out and your creative energy stops flowing? Find out with Overcoming Overwhelm.
How to Work with Art Galleries
If you’ve decided a traditional art gallery is a good fit for your art business, you’ll want to know how to pursue gallery representation. There are lots of ways to waste your time.
Instead, find out how gallerists think and what the best way to approach them is with How to Work with Art Galleries.
The Artist’s 6 Stages of Initiation
Like with growing other small businesses, growing an art business has stages. As the owner and entrepreneur, you’ll feel the ups and downs acutely.
Breaking through to a stable, lucrative art business is the ultimate goal reached via The Artist’s 6 Stages of Initiation.
How to Work with An Artist Coach
So your art business is growing and you don’t know where to turn to take it to the next level. You want to keep learning, growing, and perhaps value an accountability partner.
It may be time to do what other business owners do, seek expert help. Learn How to Work with An Artist Coach.
Guest Author: Crista Cloutier
Crista Cloutier has been actively involved in the contemporary art world throughout her career. Having worked as an international art dealer, curator, and gallerist, Crista is now the founder of The Working Artist, an online business school for visual artists.
Honored as an “Influencer in the Contemporary Art World” by LinkedIn, Crista’s work has helped artists in over 80 different countries to exhibit and sell more art.
What’s Next?
Did you:
- Have follow-up questions?
- Have other related thoughts that might be beneficial to the community?
Post them in the comments!
Are You a Visual Artist?
Get the art catalog app and connected, maintenance-free website your art business deserves. Forever Free & Pro versions.
Are You an Art Collector?
You’ll have access to a marketplace of global artists and phenomenal tools to organize your art collection. Forever Free & Pro versions.
You Might Also Enjoy…
The Importance of Art Vision in Building a Cohesive Portfolio
How Creative Spaces Influence Artistic Productivity
Finding Art Inspirations: How to Keep Your Creativity Flowing
