Engage New Sales Avenues to Increase Art Income – Aaron Laux

Aaron Laux headshot

Aaron Laux is an artist who makes 100% of his income from his art—a rarity in the profession. In this episode, Aaron and podcast host Daniel DiGriz discuss Aaron’s business model and the Business Accelerator Program. A recent graduate of the fellowship’s first year, Aaron explains how he expanded his business to explore and utilize more avenues of sale. Listen to the 45-minute episode for Aaron’s ideas on the new and emerging art world models that favor working artists.

On Accelerator and Business Development

  • “Being able to wear two different hats and switch back and forth between different ways of thinking—it’s something that I wasn’t doing when I was young; I was more focused on the art and the adventure.”
  • “What’s been great about this whole process is creating a momentum which involves all of the Fellows, and the ongoing evolution of business concepts.”
  • “My goals have evolved. I was at a transition point, and Accelerator pointed me in the direction of other avenues of sale and different approaches; from working with galleries, to commissions, to e-commerce.”
  • “I realized I can revisit this project I was working on six years ago—to build a solar photovoltaic sculpture that’s functional, but also aesthetically beautiful—I have the skills I need to create this project and make an Investment-Grade Proposal to find commission or investors for it.”
  • “The Accelerator program has broadened my mind to how my art is relevant and how I can make money from it.”

New Models in the Arts

  • “There are ways to give clients more choices, to commission art that they want.”
  • “Collectors aren’t buying the same way that they used to; they’re not buying at shows, but we’re seeing new art fairs and a status quo in terms of how fairs are run. If organizers employed a shared-risk approach, I think we’d see much more creativity in how these shows are put together.”
  • “I do like the concept of Community Supported Art Projects generally, in that putting up initial funds could help create a steady cash flow for artists.”
  • “Being able to talk directly with your potential clients is huge; I’ve learned a lot by starting out with art fairs, but fairs that share the risk more evenly offer a model that’s more artist-friendly.”

On Keeping Perspective as a Working Artist

  • “Surviving as an artist is a big deal. I’ve definitely felt like I’ve had to quit at moments, but with tenacity and support of loved ones, something always comes up.”
  • “The world of corporate and public art commissions is very competitive—before, I wasn’t even playing the game—now I’m in the game.”
  • “It’s been an evolution to be a professional artist, and it’s taken me a long time to get here….I’m coming around to really seeing this as not only what I do, but my lifestyle and my income.”

 

How to Sell More Art

Sell More Art

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Daniel DiGriz
Daniel DiGriz is a corporate storyteller. His background in Fortune 500 life is in sales, education, and technology. Daniel is a musician, storyteller, and karateka.

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