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.
- 3 Major factors in rural remote work: incentives, flexible workspaces, and a sense of community - June 6, 2022
- How to recruit new residents, remote workers, or remote entrepreneurs - June 2, 2022
- How cooperatives improve small town economies - May 8, 2022
- Metaverse business idea: virtual world tour guide - April 15, 2022
- Make extra money from extra workspace: co-working and 3rd workplaces in small towns - March 28, 2022
- Trade show booth design trend: hand drawn visuals - March 21, 2022
- New business sign design? Don’t use cursive script - February 14, 2022
- Way more people prefer rural than urban, new Pew Research study finds - February 1, 2022
- Top 5 Rural and small town trends 2022 - January 3, 2022
- How to start a real small small business - December 17, 2021
