The Clark Hulings Foundation Teaches Business Strategy to Visual Artists
Innovative pilot program offers working artists free targeted training and expertise on how to develop their businesses
Charlotte, NC — (SBWIRE) — 06/09/2016 –– On June 16th, The Clark Hulings Foundation for Visual Artists (CHF) will offer working artists an interactive training session on business strategy led by CHF Director and Co-Founder Elizabeth Hulings, a veteran business consultant who has spent nearly three decades helping entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and multinational companies establish and grow their enterprises. As the daughter of nationally acclaimed American painter Clark Hulings (The Foundation’s namesake), Elizabeth also helped to manage her father’s thriving art business, and she now does the same for his estate. Her session will cover areas such as operations, relationship management, and business planning.
Hulings’ workshop is the second in a monthly series that provides professional working artists with free customized training and knowledge to help drive their careers forward. The series, which is a central part of CHF’s innovative Business Accelerator Program, debuted in May 2016 with a workshop on marketing strategy led by CHF Educational and Marketing Director Daniel DiGriz.
A natural outgrowth of the CHF’s mission, the innovative Business Accelerator Program fills a vacuum in the art world. Artists are the ultimate entrepreneurs, but they lack the incubator and business-development programs that are widely available to technology start-ups and other enterprises. Art schools rarely teach business skills, but these are essential if artists are to take charge of their careers and navigate an industry rife with predatory middlemen looking to exploit their lack of management experience.
The workshop series builds on the success of The Foundation’s Business Accelerator Grants program, which awards $10,000 per year, and provides promotional outreach, management tools, and mentoring opportunities. In its debut year, the workshops are being offered exclusively to CHF’s 2015 grant recipients and finalists, but the program will be expanded in 2017.
Each class is led by an instructor who is an expert in that month’s subject, and workshops are conducted by conference call, accompanied by a slide presentation that attendees follow online. The dynamic hour-long sessions also include at least 30 minutes of Q&A, during which participants receive feedback on their specific challenges relating to that month’s topic.
As a pilot program, the 2016 workshops were designed in close collaboration with artists to ensure that they directly address those topics that are of the greatest relevance to their careers. Each month, attendees are surveyed for additional feedback. After the first session on marketing, artist Elizabeth Corkery wrote, “I was inspired to make direct contact (like this weekend!) with my current mailing list and update them on my work.”
The Details:
Practical, tailored workshops on the business of art, led by expert instructors
Hour-long sessions, held via conference call, with accompanying presentations
Minimum 30 minutes of Q&A/workshopping of attendees’ specific business challenges
Participation is free, but class size is limited to ten to ensure interaction
Pilot program open only to CHF’s 2015 grantees and finalists, but will be expanded next year
Business topics to be covered include:
Marketing Strategy
Business Strategy
Written Communications
Contracts & Negotiations
Managing Copyright Issues
Working with Dealers and Other Third Parties
Administration & Inventory
