The Business of Art: workshops for local creatives to bridge the gap between art and business

The Tannery Arts Center will launch The Business of Art workshop series this May and June, offering a wide range of classes from small business basics, social media marketing, and grant writing to pricing and legal aspects of art. Presented in partnership with Arts Council Santa Cruz County and Intersection for the Arts, the six-class series is open to all Santa Cruz County artists at all career levels. Spanish-language interpretation is available upon advance request.

“Understanding the basics of how to make your business successful and thrive isn’t always intuitive,” says Bonnie Lipscomb, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Economic Development.

“As part of the Tannery Arts Center’s mission to create a home for the arts in Santa County, ‘The Business of Art’ operates as building blocks to fortify the existing capacity of artists, creative leaders, and entrepreneurs. These classes also help create pathways for successful applications for public art and artist residencies, where creatives can contribute innovative ideas and concepts to address some of our pressing environmental and social problems,” says Mercedes Lewis, Tannery Arts Center Program Manager.

Lipscomb agrees, “This online series couldn’t come at a better time as we recover from the devastating impacts the pandemic has had on our local arts economy”.

Sign up today! Full schedule and programing below

Virtual classes will be held Thursdays from May 20th to June 24th, priced at $10 per class. For Spanish-language interpretation of classes, please email tannery@artscouncilsc.org for more information.

Class one – Artrepreneurship: Small business basics for the creative entrepreneur

Sharpen your skills to translate your visions for success into an actionable business plan. This workshop combines your creative mindset as an artist with proven strategic frameworks. Anthem Salgado will guide you in creating, evaluating, mapping, and applying business concepts to current and future opportunities.

Class two – Social Media Marketing: audience engagement cycle

Discover how to attract, engage, and retain social media audiences. Take control of your social media presence to grow your business and your brand.

Class three – Business Foundation: Your vision + values = mission + artist statement

Craft the vision of your arts business practice (the north star that guides you forward) and clarify your values (the guiding principles and beliefs that inform your decisions). Combining these, you’ll be able to articulate your mission (the unique pathway that drives you forward). Then, share your mission with the world through your artist statement.

Class four – Grant Writing Basics: How to write your narrative and develop your budget

Gain confidence in applying for funding opportunities with this guided journey through Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Residencies, and Applications. You’ll get practical guidance on how to apply, what information to share, how to write your narrative, and develop your budget. Relatable examples will ensure you can move forward and get the funds you need to build your arts practice.

Class five – Pricing Your Work: Practical formulas across disciplines

Obtain practical advice and guidance for pricing your work. Regardless of your medium, there are pricing formulas that take into account your true expenses to realize actual profit. We address the mystery and emotion of pricing that sometimes blocks the ability to calculate the worth of your work.

Class six – Legal Aspects of Art: contracts, intellectual property, insurance and taxes

Gain insights into legal contracts, intellectual property, insurance, and taxes. Presenter MJ Bogatin simplifies complex legal concepts and uses arts examples that are relevant to your art practice.

The Business of Art graphics, created by local artist Zephyr Pfotenhauer, is inspired by the repeated motifs seen in textile design around the world, specifically West African and South American traditions. “Symbolic colors and patterns are intertwined to create unity and messaging that matches the topics discussed in each class,” says Lewis.

About the Tannery Arts Center

The Tannery Arts Center is home to 100 live/work lofts, 28 working artist studios,Colligan Theatre, Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center,Radius Gallery, and the North County offices ofArts Council Santa Cruz County. The Tannery was redeveloped as an arts campus by the City of Santa Cruz Economic Development Department, and Artspace, Inc. Today members of the public can experience the Tannery through classes, exhibitions, Open Studios, and events such as First Friday.