BY JEANNIE THOMMA
Make.Art.Work., a comprehensive professional practice program for visual artists in Connecticut, offers workshops designed to increase artists”™ business knowledge and expand their entrepreneurial skills. The program, consisting of a workshop series run concurrently in New Haven, Fairfield and Hartford, is designed to support individuals in pursuit of a professional career as an artist. The target audience is made up of artists who have been actively exhibiting or selling their work and are ready to take the next steps toward achieving their professional goals.
Artists who join the Make.Art.Work. program learn to strengthen their ability to set and achieve career goals and develop a close network of peer artists, critical factors for fostering continual development and artistic support. A wide variety of business topics specific to artists are explored over the course of eight workshop sessions.
Many artists choose to register for the entire series and are enrolled as members of a cohort, learning and networking with a core team of peers for the entire program (artists may also register for workshops by topic, attending only select sessions). Cohort members receive several added benefits, including the opportunity to participate in three group-coaching sessions, led by Program Manager, Jeannie Thomma. A highly valued aspect of the cohort model has been its strength in building community, helping participants to “escape the isolation of their studios” while developing business strategies alongside their peers.
All workshops are led by experts and have featured nationally recognized figures including: Jane Pollak, author of “Soul Proprietor”; Galia Gichon, author of “My Money Matters”; and Jackie Battenfield, author of “The Artist”™s Guide.” The majority of workshops are held on weeknights. The exception to this was Super-Saturday, held April 5, when artists from all over the state met at Housatonic Community College to participate in two back-to-back workshops. A creative buzz filled the hearts and minds of participants, as powerful ideas were shared and connections were made. It was an incredible opportunity for learning, networking and career advancement.
With the support of the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, Make.Art.Work. is managed collaboratively by the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County, the Arts Council of Greater New Haven and the Greater Hartford Arts Council.
For more information about this season”™s schedule of workshops and presenters, visit makeartwork.org.
Jeannie Thomma is project manager for Make.Art.Work.
