Caroll Michels is an artist-advocate and the author of the book How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself without Selling Your Soul. The New York Times says of your book: “Michels explodes the romantic notion of the starving artist.” This ideal has been around for ages---why is dismissing it so important? “Starving … [Read more...]
Art Lights the Way
Art is pure. It is incandescent—the light with which we find our way through this dirty, often disheartening world. Our job on this planet is to uphold and expand the purity and beauty of art. To find the beautiful bits of energy that have been covered and trapped by the grime of bad actions, and uncover them, clean them off, and set them … [Read more...]
The Example of Clark Hulings – Build an Art Career You Love
Clark Hulings wanted to do specific things with his visual art. To succeed, he knew he had to be commercially successful, but that he couldn’t let others determine the shape of his career. It was on him to make his own blueprint for what he wanted. Career Blueprint Hulings would never settle when it came to his own career … [Read more...]
Take the Reins of Your Art Career This September in Dallas – Act Now to Save $
Ready to conquer the changing art marketplace? Sign up today to join CHF’s leaders and your fellow artists in Dallas for our next Art Business Summit, from September 7 - 9. At this dynamic event, you’ll learn how to develop your brand, engage your audience, and translate their interest to sales. Find out what it takes to make your art … [Read more...]
Apply for an Advanced Fellowship This Fall
From September 1 - 30, CHF will be accepting applications from professional visual artists for our 2019 Art-Business Accelerator Fellowships. As part of this year-long intensive course, Fellows will receive customized business training, publicity, network-building opportunities, and one-on-one support to boost their careers and help make … [Read more...]
Artist As Entrepreneur: Becoming the CEO of Your Life
Join 2018 Clark Hulings Fund Business Accelerator Fellows Juliana Coles and Gregg Chadwick, and Steve Pruneau, agile program manager, CHF facilitator and founder of the management consulting firm Free Agent Source as they delve into what it takes to move a goal from theory to already accomplished. Moderator: Ray Beldner, Artist, … [Read more...]
Who Defines the Professional Artist’s Career Trajectory?
Welcome to the world of work As artists enter the workforce, they’re tasked not only with making a living, but with fulfilling the fundamental role of the artist---cultural reflection and creation of meaning. Artists are comfortable with being a cultural force, but some are still getting accustomed to the idea of the artist as … [Read more...]
The Power of Rejection
This month at CHF, we’re talking about failing better---dealing with our failures and rejections in ways that are constructive instead of stagnating. In their blog post Use Rejection as a Catalyst for Change, CHF partner Arts Business Institute makes the point that you can learn from your rejections. While it’s easier to put it out … [Read more...]
Marketing ‘Difficult’ Art – CHF Interviews Janet Culbertson
Janet Culbertson is an award-winning eco artist who has been making art for over five decades. In this conversation with Jennifer Orbom, Janet discusses marketing 'difficult' art, her business' evolution, and what a successful artist looks like. JO: Tell me about your first big sale. JC: It was big for me because a gallery … [Read more...]
How to Meet Stakeholder Demands – Holly Van Hart
Holly Van Hart is a visual artist based in Silicon Valley, and a Clark Hulings Fund Business Accelerator Fellow. In this episode of the Thriving Artist Podcast, Holly and Daniel discuss the ins and outs of building a sustainable business practice: deciding on the direction to take your business, standing out in the online marketplace, and … [Read more...]
Find the Best Representation for Your Art – Stephanie Birdsall
Stephanie Birdsall is a painter who has exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London and the National Arts Club in New York. She has received over 60 awards in national and international juried exhibitions, including Best in Show at the Bridgeport Museum of Arts and Science, and her work is in the permanent collections of … [Read more...]
And Now, A Word About Motivations
Herein lies a bit of Shakespeare, a reference to Ayn Rand, some Disney-like wishing trampled by a one-off reference to the Health Care debate, and goose noises. Enjoy. It’s easy to translate what we WISH were so into what we think MUST be so. But it’s not reality, and not necessarily even good for us. Life would be simpler, wouldn’t … [Read more...]
Practical Business Concerns To Consider Before You Retire
Considered one of America’s foremost sculptors, Glenna Goodacre has been capturing the essence of her subjects for nearly 50 years. Her extensive body of work includes many iconic pieces---from the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and the Irish Memorial in Philadelphia, to the Sacagawea dollar coin and her larger-than-life bronze of Ronald … [Read more...]
Letter to a Working Artist
The first sign that you are an entrepreneur is thinking, "Wow, this is a LOT." If you're NOT feeling a little overwhelmed, you're not in charge of a business. The only people who don't feel that way are employees that punch in after breakfast and walk at the bell. If it weren't a lot, everyone would do it. No one ever became a great … [Read more...]
How Discrimination in the Arts Impacts Your Business
Discrimination---it happens in every field and can take many forms. In the art industry, it’s the curator who leans in and says he really enjoys working with “cute little artist chicks like you.” Or the head of the arts council who asks you to make the lips of the mural’s main figure less full so that “more people will be able to relate … [Read more...]
How Not to Drive Off a Cliff
Our world moves so quickly these days, and we're all pedaling faster and faster just to keep up. That's certainly true at CHF, where the pace of change continues to be intense. (Those of you who know me will not be surprised by that, haha!) We have just completed our 2016 annual report---which you can read here---and are now deep into … [Read more...]