Entrepreneurial arts workshop

April 8, 2016

Here's a special deal for Skidmore art students and alumni, especially those who'd like to think more like an entrepreneur and maximize their earnings: the College's Entrepreneurial Artist Initiative is partnering with Saratoga Arts and the Arts Business Institute to offer a free workshop.

Taking place Saturday and Sunday, April 9 and 10, the Art Business Workshop for the Entrepreneurial Artist is free for Skidmore students and alumni, $200 for Saratoga Arts members, and $235 for others. The initiative, part of Skidmore's Arts Administration Program, was created and developed by Molly Haley '64. The program is supported by her and husband Ed Freitag.

Leading the program will be Wendy Rosen, Arts Business Institute founder and publisher of Niche magazine, and Carolyn Edlund, ABI executive director and a successful production artist for more than 20 years. "Both come highly recommended," says Elizabeth Dubben, coordinator of Skidmore's Entrepreneurial Artist Initiative, which aims to provide art students with the business skills needed to build a successful career around their passion for art-making. Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Rosen and Edlund partner with arts organizations and colleges around the country in offering workshops on business topics, says Dubben. She calls this one "a great opportunity to learn from two top experts and from others who are confronting similar challenges in establishing or growing an arts business."

Topics will include defining one's customers, creative marketing and branding, pricing for profit, sales strategies for artists, art licensing, building gallery relations, niche and alternative markets, and creating an effective art website. Participants also may meet with Rosen and Edlund in individual business consultations. On Sunday, there will be a panel discussion in which alumni and local artists share their insights and experiences.

For a special registration code to register at no charge, Skidmore students and alumni should email Dubben.

The workshop will be held at Saratoga Arts, located at 320 Broadway in Saratoga Springs. For more information, click here.