Artists of all kinds need help learning to market their art. Art is a traded business just as much as manufacturing. Photo by Becky McCray.
My online friend Rick Wolff asked about folks who educate artists on marketing their work. He drew lots and lots of responses.
I think artists are important businesses in small towns. We have plenty of creative and interesting people who paint, sculpt, make pottery, do all kinds of traditional arts, and that’s not counting our crafts people and performing artists. So yes, arts can be a traded business just as much as manufacturing.
The first resource I’ll recommend is HandMade in America. They are focused on rural craftspeople, so you know their advice is free of urban bias.
I’ve also had a chance to look at the materials from ArtistINC, based in Kansas City. I found their business stuff to be solid and looked useful, but they mostly offer in-person workshops.
To help your rural artists market themselves, I’m passing along the resources that Rick’s friends mentioned. I’m not an artist myself, so I won’t presume to evaluate these. Find the one that feels like a good match for your creative soul.
Websites and online resources:
- Cory Huff of The Abundant Artist
- Fine Art Views
- Fabeku Fatunmise
- Art Licensing Info with Tara Reed
- Bhavani Esapathi
- Laura C. George
- Mark McGuinness, Lateral Action
- Entrepreneur the Arts
- Artists Guild of America
- Leanne Regalla at Make Creativity Pay
- Eric Rhoads
- Kelly Pratt
Books:
- “How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist” by Caroll Michels. It was written before our current digital marketing, but still has relevant ideas.
- Art, Inc.
Your Ideas:
- I’m sure you have some! Let’s hear ’em.
New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.
- Cheap placemaking idea: instant murals - September 11, 2020
- Refilling the rural business pipeline - July 7, 2020
- Huge vacant buildings: grants to renovate? - June 9, 2020
- Economic self defense for small towns - June 7, 2020
- The best things you can do for local businesses in light of coronavirus - March 27, 2020
- How to get more parking downtown without adding any spaces - March 7, 2020
- Exact Yeti Blue mic volume and Windows settings to reduce background noise - February 17, 2020
- Getting local businesses to cooperate with you: Shop Hopping Around Brownsville - December 16, 2019
- Survey of Rural Challenges 2019 results - December 5, 2019
- Shop Indie Local adds a new twist to tired Buy Local campaigns - November 11, 2019
