This comprehensive book is informed by decades of experience and years of research into how to perform as a professional artist in the 21st century art world (or worlds). This book is filled with easy-to-follow instructions that will help you teach everything -- archiving work, start a mailing list, write a grant, and everything else you can think of. This straightforward book even addresses topics you may not think artists need to know about now! Consider this a handbook for teaching the business aspects of an art career. This book is written and designed to empower you to help artists understand the wild world of art careers. Syllabus and handouts included. Far too often artists find themselves having to compromise their art and their life because they were not taught accurate up-to-date methods for dealing with business situations. Because of this lack of preparedness artists miss out on valuable opportunities, financial rewards, and access to receptive audiences. This book aims to help teachers teach professional practices to artists everywhere, helping to avoid these pitfalls and get on the track to success on their own terms. Whether you are a gallery-bound artist, a public artist, an emerging artist, a hobbyist, a crafts-person, a student, or a seasoned artist in need of a tune up, this manual will help you train artists.
About the Author: Karen Atkinson is arguably a leading expert on professional practices for artists in America. She basically pioneered the teaching of business skills for artists across the country. Dozens of colleges, non-profits, and established artists look to her for professional guidance. As a visual artist, curator and educator, Karen Atkinson has taught Getting Your Sh*t Together for over a decade at the California Institute of the Arts, Side Street Projects, and all over the world. After sharing her wealth of knowledge with countless artists, and seeing these artists put her advice into action, it made sense to create an artist manual. Atkinson is the co-founder of Side Street Projects, a revolutionary artist-run, artist-support organization in Los Angeles. She has worked with many city and national non-profits and organizations, including the National Association of Artists" Organizations, LACPS, Installation, Foundation for Art Resources, NYFA, Chicago Art Resources, and over two dozen other well known artist-centered foundations. Atkinson has shown her work all over the world. She has experience as a curator, director, editor, writer, installation artist, public projects organizer, grant writer, and teacher. Her involvement in nearly every facet of the art world gives her a unique perspective into how this world works - not just in the rarefied world of the international "art market," but also on the ground floor where artists work.