photography by Evan Nash

ART SCHOOL GUIDE |

A resource guide created to help assist when applying to a post secondary art program.

THE BUSINESS OF ART ARCHIVES |

From time to time we write a blogs with an emphasis on business savvy. Here are the archives for the Business of Art blog.

PAST RESIDENTS |

We love our residency program at Spark Box Studio. It has been an extremely rewarding experience to have artists stay with us from around the world.

The world of art can seem like a daunting place to navigate for even the most experienced of artists. To give you a jump start, the Sparks at Spark Box Studio have gathered and organized all kinds of valuable information that will help you organize and promote yourself as an artist, get your work out there, and understand the business basics of a career in the arts.

GETTING STARTED
- Artist Statement
- Creating a Portfolio
- The Curriculum Vitae
- Documenting Your Work

PROMOTING YOURSELF
- Blogs and Networking Sites
- Business Cards
- Marketing Your Work
- Press Releases
- Publicizing Your Work
- Selling Your Work Online
- Selling Your Work Online: Online Money Transfers

EXHIBITION POSSIBILITIES
- Art Space Rentals
- Artist-Run Centre, Alternative Venues & Creative Spaces
- Commercial Galleries and Dealers
- International Exhibit
- Juried Exhibition
- Public Galleries
- Staging Your Own Exhibit

SECURING AN EXHIBIT
- Developing and Writing a Proposal
- Preparing a Budget
- Proper Follow-up

FINDING AN EXHIBITION LOCATION
- Finding an Exhibition Location
- Finding Your Market
- Knowing the Key Players in the Art Business

THE BUSINESS OF ART
- Bookkeeping
- Choosing a Business Structure
- Federal and Provincial Sales TaxFederal and Provincial Sales Tax
- Income Tax Return
- Insurance
- Registering Your BusinessRegistering Your Business

ARTIST STATEMENT

Writing an artist statement can be one of the most challenging things an artist will have to prepare in their career, as it can be very hard to find the right words to describe your work. Your artist statement is meant to contextualize your art practice. This short paragraph (550-1000 words) should talk about your materials, methods, research and meaning of your work. You may think that your work says all it needs to say but you have to remember that potential galleries and clients may need more in order to understand your pieces.

Emily Carr Institute: Writing an Artist Statement
This site offers questions like who is your audience? What is your purpose or motive? What is the historical, theoretical or critical influence?

How to Write and Use an Artist Statement
This site has a interesting breakdown of what to ask yourself in order to form your artist statement.

Writing an Artist Statement
This site has a short summary of what an artist statement is meant to do and some questions to ask yourself when trying to write your artist statement.

CREATING A PORTFOLIO

A good portfolio is an essential career-development tool for any artist. Your portfolio is a document that creates a bridge between you and the art world. Different portfolios are needed for different types of submissions. Carefully read the guidelines for anything you apply for and follow them exactly. It is likely that anything you’re applying for is getting a number of applications from other people and if your portfolio doesn’t follow the outline it will easily fall into the garbage. When sending portfolios to galleries the best choice it to send packages that have been well edited and carefully prepared.

Step-by-Step Guide to Portfolio . pdf
Exactly what the title says, a guide to creating a portfolio. This article covers the basis of portfolio building and what to consider as you construct it. This article was written by our good friend, Becky Hubble.

Artist Portfolio Guidelines
This site has most of the information seen above. Explains how to create
your portfolio and how to present it to galleries.

Developing your Artist Portfolio
This site has detailed information about each element of your portfolio.
Does not give as much information as above but goes into more detail about
specific items.

Developing your Artist Portfolio
This site has detailed information about each element of your portfolio.
Does not give as much information as above but goes into more detail about
specific items.

THE CURRICULUM VITAE

A curriculum vita is your artist resume and will be a requirement when applying to galleries, grants, open calls and residencies. The most important thing to remember when writing your CV is to keep it clean, straight forward and up to date. This document is how you are going to show your artistic history to galleries and clients.

CV Outline . pdf
This is a basic outline for a simple easy to follow CV. Working at Oeno Gallery Chrissy deals with CV’s frequently and commonly they are presented in this format. This article is written by Chrissy Poitras.

An Introduction to Creating Your Artist Résumé
This has a nice long explanation of the importance of your artist CV. It also explains what CV’s should include for visual artists, performance artists, literary artists and media artists.

Career Planning: CVs and Covering Letters
This link explains the importance of creating a CV and has a breakdown of different types of CVs including artist CV, designer CV and multimedia CV. It also speaks about cover letters and proper follow-up.

How to Write an Artist’s CV
This link has a break down of a basic CV layout and includes details about adding a short biography to the end of you CV.

DOCUMENTING YOUR WORK

Documenting your work is THE most important part of promoting yourself as an artist. Images of your work are what get people interested in what you are doing. Because of this, documenting your work properly is one of the most important investments you can make as an artist and entrepreneur. If you don’t invest in your career by taking quality images than why would galleries or clients want to invest in your work. Have a professional take pictures of your work. Although this is expensive you can learn from the experience–understand how to take your own images properly—and it will aid in getting gallery representation. Commercial galleries work with many clients, many never enter the gallery, work is shown to them via email and art is selected based on the images sent. If your images aren’t quality the gallery may not select your work to show to the client. Invest in yourself, it shows that you take your work seriously, that you are professional and that you understand the art market. If you feel up to the challenge of documenting your work yourself, here are a few pointers and links to other online resources that will help.

Documenting Your Work . pdf
Knowing how hard it can be to find a professional photographer and the cash to pay them we asked our good friend and photographer Paul Hubble to write detailed information about taking great pictures of your work.

How to Photograph your Artwork for a Portfolio or the Internet
Good information about everything. This also has good images of how to set-up your camera, etc. Gives steps from beginning to end (how to set-up, take the image and put the work online or in your portfolio). Is also trying to sell you an online folio. Talks about taking pics of paintings only.

How to Take Your Own Pictures of Your Artwork
This site overviews the importance of documenting your work. In addition it talks about using a digital camera to document your artwork. Written in a very basic way, easy to read. Some information isn’t great but does give a decent general overview.

Images for the Internet
This article speaks about putting images online. Also explains the difference between DPI and pixels, how to resize images, cropping, etc. Very basic photoshop information.

BLOGS AND NETWORKING SITES

One of the most fundamental parts of being an artist, or being an entrepreneur is making connections, and building relationships. You need more than just great art. Remember that most times you are not just selling a product you are selling the idea of yourself, and your story. Blog sites can be effective tools to get people consistently returning to your site to see what is new and what you’re working on. They are easy to use, generally free, and require no programing, but can be customizable and personal. We used wordpress blogs for our sites with great success and are quite happy with being able to do all the work ourselves. Networking sites are amazing for staying in touch with people you have met, and for meeting new people. Ever hear that expression ‘its not what you know, its who you know’? Well in a way there is a truth behind it. So get out there and start making contacts and building relationships.

Blogger
Free to sign up with using a google account. Create a blog site.

Facebook
Facebook is a free-access social networking website. Almost a staple in networking with your peers.

Linkedin
LinkedIn is an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the world. This is primarily a networking service.

Live Journal
A blogging website, free to join up.

Myspace
MySpace is a free social networking website.

Twitter
Twitter is a real-time short messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices. Lets you ‘twitter’.

Vox
Another blogging site.

WordPress
Lets you get started with a new and free WordPress-based blog in minutes. Create a blog site.

7 Popular Art Blogging Styles
So now you have a blog and perhaps you find it difficult to write because you don’t know how to write a blog or what you write just doesn’t sound good, or maybe questioning what is blog worthy. This article examines several different blog styles artists tend to use.

BUSINESS CARDS

A business card is key in representing your self to the public. When meeting some one new they should have your card within the first minutes of the conversation. This card contains some extremely important information, who you are, what you do, your contacts, and perhaps your website. When you walk away from that initial conversation the only thing that person will have to remember you is your business card and a conversation. You want to make sure your card is aesthetically awesome and rememberable. Make it count.

Amazing Business Card Examples on Flickr
When trying to think of cool ideas for business cards it can be hard to come up with something that catches the public eye. This Flickr site link has nearly 1000 business cards. Great place to find inspiration for creating a unique business card that will catch a client’s eye.

Wikipedia Information on Business Cards
Surprisingly wikipedia does give good information on business cards. Supplying useful information on typical paper quality, weight, shape and in addition some terminology in regards to color printing which might be helpful with talking with graphic designers, or the printing companies.

11 Parts of a Business Card
This link provides a good breakdown of the various information to be considered when designing the layout of your business card. Name, Address, Phone, Web Page, Title, Taglines and etc.

MARKETING YOUR WORK

In this section we thought it would be nice to post articles about marketing ideas, strategies, distribution plans, and making marketing material. There are so many ideas and strategies in the world of marketing it can make you dizzy. Some may work well for you, other may not, perhaps you can draw inspiration from these for making strategies of your very own.

Marketing Your Art . pdf
An article focusing on creating marketing and distribution plans. A good article to read to get you started in the right direction. Written by Becky Hubble.

11 Effective Ways to Market an Art Business
Suggests eleven cost effectives strategies for marketing your art. A good read that can be encouraging for the pocket book.

PRESS RELEASES

Write a Press Release
Outlines basic steps to writing a press release for the newspaper. From writing the headline and body to including important information that should not be missed.

Write Proper Press Releases
Gives notes about how to write a proper press release. This link provides useful information for proper formatting techniques when writing press releases.

Examples of Art Based Press Releases
Three examples of press releases. Observe these examples and use their formatting to your benefit.

PUBLICIZING YOUR WORK

Publicizing your work is a key component in an artist’s entrepreneurial arsenal. Effective publicity should form a networking base that enables you to seek out career opportunities, while also creating its own momentum so that opportunities can find you. Whether you’re an old hat or new to the game, one thing is the same, you don’t need to have a marketing degree to form a plan and develop marketing materials that can be invaluable to your career.

SELLING YOUR WORK ONLINE

As an artist you should be aware that the internet can be a very profitable avenue. When you’re independently representing yourself it can be your best friend. There are many online market place sites to use as a venue to host and sell your work, here is a few that we have come across. These types of sites have a tendency to be craft based rather than fine art based.

Etsy
Online Art and Craft Store: Etsy is an online marketplace where you can register to buy and sell handmade items. This website is craft oriented but is also applicable to fine art products. Sales on this site are simple. To list 1 item it costs 20 cents US. This means if you have 4 of the same item, say 4 prints, it’ll cost $0.80 cents to post them. This fee lists the item on the site for 4 months. Upon the sale of an item Etsy takes a cut of 3.5% of the total sale price, this does not include the shipping price.

Fire Art America
Online Art and Craft Store: This site is another site of the same genre, create a profile and upload images which then can be sold. Fine Art America is a social network and e-commerce marketplace for photographers, visual artists, art galleries, and fine art collectors.

Shop Hand Made
Online Craft Store: Shop Hand Made is an online marketplace where you can register to buy and sell handmade items. This website is mainly craft oriented. To list 1 item it costs 25 cents US. This means if you have 4 of the same item, say 4 drawings, it’ll cost $1.00 cents to post them. Upon the sale of an item Shop Hand Made asks for you to choose a percentage to give back to the site, you can even choose 0%. An interesting feature of this site is upon the sale of item you can choose to sponsor 100 or 250 square feet of an endangered rainforest.

Art Fire
Online Craft Store: ArtFire is an online marketplace for buying and selling handmade, art, vintage, media and craft supplies. This site offers two types of accounts, a basic a and a verified account. The basic account is free to use and has a few limitations. The verified account has upgraded features and cost $12.00 a month, US. The verified account has many customization options for your account page.

SELLING YOUR WORK ONLINE: MONEY TRANSFERS

Selling your artwork online, receiving payments, online transactions and associated applicable fees. When you’re shipping work around the world to people who you have only met via the internet why not collect payment from them via the internet as well. Here is where online banking and online money transfers come in. Online transfers are safe, reliable, faster than mail, and most automatically convert currency. Yet you should learn which system is best suited for you. As a general rule all money transfer services do change a flat fee or take a percentage of the total value.

Interac Email Money Transfer
Interac Email Money Transfers are a simple, convenient, and secure way to send and receive money directly from one bank account to another. There are generally no fees to using this service, only in some circumstances will there be a fee.

Paypal
PayPal is only a Payment Service Provider. PayPal helps you make payments to and accept payments from third parties. The fee PayPal uses for transaction of goods is 2.9% of the price +$0.30

Western Union
Three ways to transfer money, from a store’s location, online or by phone. With Western Union there are service charges that vary depending on the location sending and receiving locations.

ART SPACE RENTALS

An art rental program is, for some artists, a means of potentially making an income and gaining publicity from work that may have otherwise been sitting in storage. A professional art rental program will sign on a certain number of works from an artist for a set period of time and make them available to their clients for a set fee and time-period. If the renter wishes to buy the piece, the rental organization will take a commission. It should be the rental program’s responsibility to insure the work for damage and theft, but you the artist will be required to pay for framing as well as shipping and handling. Many artists have gotten involved in art-rental programs, to greater and lesser degrees of success. Success in the rental world is dependant on whether or not your work is renting, which can be dependent on any number of factors currently unknown to you. If you are thinking about getting involved in a rental program, have done your research, and believe you have found a reputable company, you may still wish to begin slowly and build up this aspect of your career based the practical knowledge you gain from renting over time, i.e. how frequently your work rents, the type of work that is renting, how much you typically spend in shipping and handling, how many sales or contacts have been made because of the program, etc.

ARTIST-RUN CENTRE, ALTERNATIVE VENUES & CREATIVE SPACES

Artist-Run Centres (ARCs) can be as diverse as the artists who run them. Developed in response to the limitations of museum, public gallery, and commercial gallery venues, ARCs are non-profit organizations run by artists who provide other artists with a space to display (and sometimes) produce their art. ARCs quite often aim to appeal to a particular aspect of the arts community by having a focused mandate, i.e. showcase for new-media, space for political critique through art, etc. This makes it relatively easy to determine if the centre would be a good fit for your work. ARCs are often sponsored from a mixed bag of sources and will frequently require membership fees, and will expect some volunteer administrative work to help keep the cost of running the centre covered. As with any organization you choose to become involved with, it is up to you the artist to make sure you are being treated fairly. Take note of any Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council funding, which require a payout of artist fees to you, and make sure that you have weighed the benefits of centre against the costs of participating to the best of your knowledge.

COMMERCIAL GALLERIES AND DEALERS

The decision to show your work in a commercial gallery setting can be a smart career move that has the potential to bring your work to a large audience, to bolster your own name through association with the gallery’s name, as well as to open up previously unavailable opportunities for collaboration with other organizations, galleries, and artists. For an emerging artist, ongoing involvement in the arts community, as well as a credible history of exhibitions (though not necessarily a long history) is an important step toward lending you the kind of credibility a commercial gallery would seek before investing in you and your work. Dealers will often approach those artists they are interested in working with, which, for you, means keeping your work visible through your involvement in the arts community. Failing this, it is also acceptable practise to contact the gallery itself. If you choose to go this route, you should visit the gallery and attempt to meet the dealer informally. This will give you a sense of what the space and the deal are like. If you are happy with what you saw, give a follow-up call indicating that you would like to send in a package of your work for review. Include some high-quality images of your work, a CV, an artist’s statement, and a self-addressed stamped envelope and follow-up shortly with a call to the gallery asking if you could arrange an appointment to meet with the dealer. If exhibiting in a commercial gallery is the right step for you, it is important to remember that involvement with a commercial gallery is first and foremost the beginning of an artist/dealer business relationship, one that should not be entered into carelessly. If you feel prepared to embark on such a relationship in terms of your work and level of professionalism the next step is research. This means first understanding who you are dealing with (the dealer themselves as well as the organization they represent), and then laying out, in a contract, the details and expectations of both parties in the relationship you are about to enter. Some of the areas it will be important for you to give proper attention to are listed below:

Will the dealer have exclusive rights over your any or all of your work?

How often will you be given solo exhibitions?
How will shipping costs, framing costs, insurance costs, documentation costs, and invitation and other publicity costs be handled?

Who will choose the work for your exhibitions and who will be responsible for its display?

What is the commission rate, how are prices determined, will discounts be allowed and to what extent? How soon after a purchase will you be paid? What kind of reproduction rights will you allow?

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBIT

Exhibiting your work internationally can be a rewarding, if logistically complicated, experience. International exhibition opportunities are typically the result of a networking connection. If you have found an international exhibition opportunity that interests you be absolutely certain you will be sending materials (and potentially an entrance fee) to a real event and not a scam. When you are confident about the credentials of the show, doing a bit of research on the copyright laws and economic situation of the country you wish to exhibit in can save you tears later. One last step before you send in your application is to set out a budget that considers all the costs of the show including traveling expenses for you and your work to and fro, packaging costs, commission, taxation, rate of exchange, and accommodations. Any international exhibit has the potential to become extremely costly if you haven’t done your research. If you have done your research and everything seems satisfactory, pursue the opportunity! A number of arts travel grants can be applied for through Canada Council and Canadian Foreign Affairs Cultural and Trade Programs.

JURIED EXHIBITION

A juried exhibition is comprised of works selected by a jury of people, often art-critics, art experts, curators, and artists, or some combination thereof, from the works received in response to the show’s call for submission. Juried exhibitions were once the life-blood of an emerging artist’s career. However, the importance of a juried exhibition is now often more the determinant of a particular artist’s career and aspirations than of the greater arts community’s high regard. Nevertheless, a juried exhibition can be a valuable experience as well as a noteworthy contribution to your artist’s resume. Proper research, as always, is crucial in making the effort of applying to a juried show worth your while. The call for submission to the show will be accompanied by a prospectus outlining the submission requirements, the jurors, fees, and prizes (if applicable), etc. Taking a close look at the information provided in the prospectus, and perhaps on the show’s website as well, will help you to know whether your work will be appropriate for the show. If your research leads you to conclude that your work is indeed appropriate, and has a chance at being accepted by the jurors, be sure you can also answer the following questions satisfactorily before sending off your application:

Does the show’s application material and website give the impression that the group hosting the show is professional and organized?

If the show has been funded by the Canada Council or the Ontario Arts Council are the appropriate artist fees being paid out?

What are all the costs associated with your application and entry to the show: entry fees, slide development, printing, shipping and handling, insurance, and commission?

Do you believe the publicity from the show will be of greater value than the cost to enter it?

If there are entry fees associated with the show, do you know (and are comfortable with) what they support?

Who is held liable if your work is damaged or stolen during the show, in shipping?

Do you know anyone who has entered the show previously from whom you can inquire about their experience?

PUBLIC GALLERIES

Public galleries are typically government funded spaces that exist for the purpose of art preservation and public art education. Exhibitions in a public gallery are curated affairs that often planned years in advance. For most emerging artists, an invitation to show your work in a public gallery exhibition will be the exception, not the rule. In general, focussing on gaining career experience by exhibiting your work in venues other than the public gallery is probably the wisest course of action. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to ignore the public gallery! One of the best ways to get your foot in the door is simply by being an active part of the art world. Public gallery curators and directors often sit on jury panels, they will visit art shows, they read art reviews, and will be connected to some of the people you will meet simply by networking at art events. Being given an opportunity is not only the result of looking for one though, being prepared if one should arise is just as important. Having a body of work from which to draw from, a strong artist’s resume, as well as an organized and professional presentation package will go a long way to being taken seriously as an artist by the institutions that seriously support art. If you have reached a point where you feel comfortable approaching a public institution with your work, you may want to start by sending a presentation package to the gallery that consists of a number of properly documented images of your work, a short CV, a well-written artists statement mentioning your artistic themes and concepts as well as historic influences on your work, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to return the package in if you would like it back. If you would like to show your work to the gallery curator, or invite them to your studio, it is best to phone ahead and set up an appointment rather than to assume you will be entertained if your show up unannounced. For most artists, it takes many years before their work will ever be considered for a public gallery setting. Don’t be discouraged if exhibiting at a public gallery doesn’t seem to be in the cards for you at the moment, use the time to build up your connections in the art world and get your work seen in other contexts.

STAGING YOUR OWN EXHIBIT

Staging a solo or group exhibit can be an exciting alternative for anyone who has wished for more creative control over their exhibitions. Staging your own exhibit also means that you, the proprietor of the exhibit, must assume full responsibility for every detail—an aspect some artists enjoy, others see as an acceptable trade-off, while others find exhausting and overwhelming. If you are in the former two camps consider some of the following suggestions when organizing your show:

Understanding your work’s target audience will help you narrow down the venues and venue locations you may wish to approach with your pitch, giving you a better chance of a successful turn-out.

Develop your promotion strategy and material concepts early and include them in your pitch. If you are not a confident writer, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to work through a number of drafts of your written materials, or hire a writer to do it for you.

Develop a work-flow calendar (that includes publicity distribution dead-lines and permit dead-lines) for yourself, as well as for the people who will be helping you. Leave more time for each task than you initially think necessary.

When you have secured a venue, get a floor plan with accurate measurement of the space, and design your show beforehand to avoid any unfortunate surprises come set-up day.
Have your work ready for sale (if applicable) by documenting it ahead of time, labelling it correctly, and framing it (or getting it display ready) professionally.

Arrange for transportation of the work to and from the exhibit.

Make sure you have set aside a space declaring the title of the show and your name as the artist

Have brochures of your work available at the show, perhaps a catalogue, and a guest-book.

DEVELOPING AND WRITING A PROPOSAL

If you are responding to a call for submission a set of submission requirements should already be available to you. These requirements will provide the framework of your submission proposal and it is up to you to make the most of them. As a general guideline, everything you submit to a professional organization should look as though it came from someone who is professional themselves. This means that all written content is free of spelling and grammatical errors, images of your work are impeccable, the package is neat and organized, and most importantly, the submission has fulfilled all the requirements of entry in an appropriate and thoughtful way. Another aspect to the development of your submission proposal concerns its “fit” with the organization, event, or institution to which you are submitting your work. Conveying your understanding of the themes and goals of the organization you wish to do business with and articulating a relationship to your work is essential. If you are submitting your work to an organization outside the context of a call for submission, the above rules still apply; only you will be responsible for developing the submission guidelines. If possible, speak to other artists and knowledgeable persons to get a sense of what your submission should include, and look broadly at submission guidelines that have been published by similar institutions. Finally, put yourself in the shoes of the (probably busy) person receiving your submission. Can the information in your proposal be absorbed relatively quickly? Is your contact information easy to find? Do your sentences convey your thoughts clearly and succinctly? You may find it helpful to have someone unfamiliar with your work review your submission before you send it off.

PREPARING A BUDGET

Occasionally, an organization may require you to create a budget as part of your proposal. If you have never prepared a budget before you may want to begin by talking to another artist who could help guide you through the process. If you require clarification on any of the budget requirements, try to contact the organization itself with a list of specific questions. Two simple budgeting tools are to keep a notebook with you and write down expenses you think of throughout the day, and sit down to map out in detail the activities you will undertake to make the event you are proposing happen, and then write down the costs associated with those activities. Attempt to be as realistic as possible with your numbers by preparing your budget early and marking any numbers you have made assumption about. If your experience tempers your assumptions, you will still have time to revise them.

PROPER FOLLOW-UP

Do not badger the organization you have submitted a proposal to with regular phone calls and/or e-mail inquiries, but, unless otherwise noted, calling the organization to whom you have submitted a proposal is an acceptable practise. Be polite, make sure they have received your submission, and ask (depending on which is appropriate for the situation) if they would either be open to meeting with you to discuss your proposal, or when you could reasonably expect to hear back from them. The purpose of a follow up call is not necessarily to found out specific information, but to help the organization associate your name with someone who is not only talented, but responsible, organized and interested in their facility. If you have received a rejection from an organization, it is courteous to thank them for their consideration either through a written letter or e-mail. If you feel the situation might warrant the request, ask for feedback to that you can improve your proposals in the future.

FINDING AN EXHIBITION LOCATION

Exhibition possibilities can be found anywhere there is a concentration of artists. Listserves, such as Instant Coffee, Art Engine, and Akimbo, art centres, such as 401Richmond in Toronto, and even your local arts council are good places to begin looking. Although exhibition possibilities are easy to come by, and many are easy to participate in, taking the time to analyse and articulate your work as it relates to the event you’re applying for will ensure that the exhibitions you participate in are rewarding and educational experiences that will benefit your career.

FINDING YOUR MARKET

“Finding your market” could almost be another way of saying “understanding your art”. The ability to clearly articulate the processes and concepts at work in your art and to situate them within the broader narratives of art history and contemporary art contexts, is an invaluable tool. With this knowledge you will be able to begin mapping the ways in which your art relates to the work of others, and the functions it serves in the social contexts for which it is intended. This understanding will not only give you the confidence to speak about your work to curators and potential clients, but will help you know who of these people will most likely be receptive of your work. Understanding your work in this way may sound intimidating, but take heart, it is an ongoing process only mastered over time. Listed below are a number of helpful ways for you to begin “understanding” your art within a market context:
Seek out opportunities to talk with other artists about their art, your art, and the work of others (contemporary and historical). Make a note of frequently used terms and ways of articulating concepts that seem particularly relevant or enlightening to you.

Step back from your work and look for similarities with other artist’s work. What have these artists said about their inspiration, process, or motivations?

What inspires you? Can you detect any previously unnoticed themes in your older work now that you’ve had some time away from it?

When you feel as though you have a sense of the philosophical and aesthetic themes that inspire your work, imagine yourself in a variety of contexts. Does the work of those around you compliment or clash with your art? Are the values and goals of the exhibition venue in concert with those of your art? Who do you believe would be most interested in the themes you explore in your art? Does the exhibition possibility cater to those people?

When you have found “your market” make sure that you become involved in it! Collaborate with other artists, attend art openings, keep up-to-date business cards on hand, and have a promotion package ready that can, with a few tweaks, be swiftly addressed to interested parties.

KNOWING THE KEY PLAYERS IN THE ART BUSINESS

The art business “key players” are those people whose good opinion and advice will help you establish and advance your career as an artist. Knowing the role these various people play in the world of art, as well as their spheres of influence, can save you time when trying to determine who you should approach (and whose advice you should take to heart) about various exhibition, publicity, and general career advancement opportunities.

Professional Artists are the backbone of the art world! Collaborating with, and gathering advice from, other artists can be some of the most important career moves you can make as an emerging artist.

Curators are people often educated in art history and philosophy who are given creative control over the conceptual development and execution of exhibition.

An Exhibition Co-ordinator will carry out the details of an exhibition as directed by the curator.

An Art Dealer is someone who has agreed to take on an artists work in their commercial gallery in exchange for a commission (usually 40-60%) at the sale of the work. The artists/dealer relationship is typically an ongoing one.

Gallery Representatives are people to whom an artist gives exclusivity over the sale of their work in exchange for publicity and solo exhibitions.

Gallery Assistants are frequently the first people a potential buyer will meet, and can inform a person’s first impressions f your work.

An Agent is similar to a dealer, but has no gallery. The agent will take on an artist’s work and seek out sales opportunities for a commission.

An Art Consultant is someone educated in art history, and understands the business and marketing aspects of a career in the arts. This person is typically paid to help artists and/or galleries better position themselves in the art world, either in their art itself, or through things such as their publicity materials, CV, and artists statements.

A Business Manager will take care of the logistics and administrative details of an artist’s career, such as documenting work, shipping, filling out and submitting forms, contacting galleries, etc. Most artists assume the role of business manager themselves.

A Publicist is paid to generate exposure for an artists work. These people will create publicity packages, write press releases, and generally provide a valuable connection to the media world.

Critics are people often trained in art history and philosophy who write about art. Their writings may range from observations on or inquiry into the broader social implications of art, to reviews on a particular show or artist.

BOOKKEEPING

Keeping financial records can be an overwhelming process, especially if you do not have accounting experience or formal training. However, a good set of records is vital to the success of any business because they: Provide information you need to make sound decisions (e.g. should you carry more or less inventory?). Help with budgeting (i.e. how much can you afford to spend given the amount that you are taking in?). Help obtain financing (banks will want to see your financial statements if you apply for financing). Help in preparing your tax return (financial records hold much of the information that must be submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency). You may wish to hire an accountant depending on the complexity and size of your venture, and your desire/ability to perform the bookkeeping function. Accounting software is available such as Simply Accounting or QuickBooks.

CANADA ONTARIO BUSINESS CENTRE – Basic Bookkeeping
This site provides basic information about bookkeeping.

EASTERN ONTARIO KNOWLEDGE – Accounting and Finance
This is an excellent collection of information about finance and accounting put together by Queen’s School of Business.

CHOOSING A BUSINESS STRUCTURE

When you start a business, it is important to choose the right legal structure because it will affect how much tax you pay, the amount of paperwork required, the personal liability you will face, and your ability to raise money. There are three basic structures that you can choose from, each offering advantages and disadvantages: sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation.

INVEST IN CANADA – Selecting a Business Structure
This site provides information on the types of business structures.

INDUSTRY CANADA – Why Should I Incorporate?
This site will help you assess if you should incorporate your business.

FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL SALES TAX

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) applies to most goods and services in Canada. Businesses are generally responsible for collecting the tax and remitting it to the government. GST is currently 5%. Provincial Sales Tax (PST) is a consumption tax. Like GST, it is paid by the consumer to the business. The business is then responsible for remitting it to the Government of Ontario. PST is currently 8%. Note that there are plans to switch to a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) – one tax that will replace GST and PST – in June of 2010.

CANADA BUSINESS Services for Entrepreneurs – Taxes and GST
This site provides a number of useful links regarding Taxes and GST.

CANADA REVENUE AGENCY – Goods and Services Tax
This site contains a wealth of information about GST, including how to register a GST account.

ONTARIO MINISTRY OF REVENUE – Retail Sales Tax
This site contains a wealth of information about PST, including how to register for a Retail Tax Vendor Permit.

INCOME TAX RETURN

Preparing your income tax return involves a number of considerations, including: Does your business qualify as a business under CRA’s definition (i.e. does a reasonable expectation of profit exist)? If you work from home, are you eligible for the “work-space-in-the-home” tax deduction? If you have donated art, will you have to pay tax on a capital gain? Are you an employee or self-employed? What are the tax implications if you have received a grant? The income tax forms you need to report your business income depend on the form of your business.
If your business is a sole proprietorship or partnership, you report your business income on your T1 income tax form (the same one as your personal income). If you are operating a sole proprietorship, you will report your business income by completing Form T2124 (Statement of Business Activities) or Form T2032 (Statement of Professional Activities). These forms are included in the T1 income tax form package. If your business is incorporated, you will report your business income on a T2 income tax return. Depending on the complexity and size of your business, as well as your desire/ability to complete a tax return, you may wish to hire an account to both prepare your return and advise you on tax-related issues.

ONTARIO ARTIST – Tax and Business Information
This site provides information on the tax implications of receiving grants, motor vehicle expenses, and work space in home expenses. It also contains additional information for artists that you may find useful.

CANADA REVENUE AGENCY – Guide for Canadian Small Business
This is a comprehensive guide that addresses a number of tax-related issues for small business.

CANADA REVENUE AGENCY – Employee or Self Employed? (link .url)
This link will help you make the distinction between being employed and self-employed (sometimes, the distinction is not as obvious as one may think).

BUYING, SELLING, & DONATING ART
This document addresses the tax implications of donating art.

INFORMATIVE TAX INC. – Reasonable Expectations of Profit
This site provides information on how CRA assesses whether or not your business is actually a business. This is important because if CRA disagrees that you are running a business (i.e. they qualify your work as a hobby), they may disallow any business-related deductions that you have submitted and present you with a large tax bill.

INSURANCE

Insurance provides protection from financial loss in the case of an adverse event, such as death, damage, or theft. Insurance companies collect premiums in exchange for assuming risk for an individual or a business. Buying insurance should be near the top of your priority list when you start a business. You should investigate studio insurance, artwork insurance, life insurance, and general liability insurance. It is best to consult an insurance broker to determine what types of insurance you need and how much coverage you should buy. Be sure to contact at least two insurers to ensure that you are getting the best coverage (price and quality) and the coverage that is right for you. You can find local brokers in the Yellow Pages and others online.

HUB PAGES – Artists Need Commercial Insurance
This is a short article that speaks to the importance of insurance for artists.

REGISTERING YOUR BUSINESS

After you have decided on a business structure, the next step is to register your business. You can register a business number (which you will need for things like collecting GST, payroll deductions and paying any corporate income tax) through the Canada Revenue Agency’s Business Registration Online service. You can register your business name and perform a business name search through the Service Ontario Services for Businesses website listed below. When you register your business name, you receive what is called a Master Business License. It can be used as official proof of your business name registration at financial institutions.

BUSINESS REGISTRATION ONLINE – Canada Revenue Agency
Business Registration Online is a one stop, online, self serve application that allows you to register for a Business Number, as well as for four major CRA programs (Corporation Income Tax, Goods and Services/Harmonized Sales Tax, Payroll Deductions, and Import-Export accounts).

SEARCH A BUSINESS NAME – Service Ontario, Services for Businesses
This site allows you to perform a search of existing business names so that you can see if yours is unique.

BUSINESS REGISTRATION AND RENEWAL – Service Ontario, Services for Businesses
This site allows you to register for a Master Business License.

APPLYING TO ART SCHOOL
- The Importance of Grades
- The Importance of your Portfolio

PICKING WORK FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO
- Picking Work for your Portfolio
- Application Requirements
- Drawing From Observation
- Personal Art
- School Assignments
- Your Sketchbook
- Work in Colour
- Other Non-Traditional Media
- Making Work for Your Portfolio

PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR WORK
- Your Camera
- Camera Settings
- Location & Setup
- Photographing Paintings
- Photographing Sculpture
- Photographing Paper Works

DIGITAL PORTFOLIOS
- Photoshop: Image Calibration
- Photoshop: Reducing File Size
- File Saving & Naming
- Burning a CD

SUBMITTING SLIDES
- Getting Slides Made
- Labeling and Organizing Slides
- Example Slide List

PORTFOLIO ASSISTANCE
- Portfolio Days
- Portfolio Prep Courses
- Art Fundamental Classes
- Free Resources

INTERVIEWS
- Interviews
- The Portfolio Case
- Your Sketch Book
- Your Physical Art Work
- Sculpture Work

POST SECONDARY EDUCATION IN ART

After four years of high school you may be asking yourself “why put myself through four more years of school?”. Here are several good reasons that come to mind and in addition there are many great unlisted reasons why post secondary is a good idea. It will challenge you in ways you never would have on your own. You will connect with people from different places and different backgrounds. You will:


- push yourself.

- learn so much.

- learn a lot about yourself.

- open doors to opportunities that may not arise otherwise.

- the chance to study something you are seriously interested in.

- work toward working in a field that you want to work in.

Although there are a lot of really great reasons to go to University or College there are still things to consider. It is naive to assume that a post secondary degree is the key to success. A diploma is not necessarily going to be your gateway to a big pay cheque. However, University and College will teach you how to work hard, how to stay focused, how to get over challenging hurdles, how to think critically, how to work through difficult situations, how to collaborate with different people and how to be creative.

Going into a visual arts program of any kind is going to bring a lot of different questions and concerns from people. Unlike going into Engineering, Business or Medicine the arts have less of a direct and simple job answer, however, this doesn’t mean that there are no jobs in the arts. (Please look at our Career Options section for more information about this). Some parents can be concerned about their kids wanting to go to post secondary just to expand their mind.

Don’t just go to school because you aren’t sure what else to do or you think it is the next step. Make sure you are interested in what you are going to school for. Being unsure or only going because you think it’s your obligation can result in a very large debt for little reward and also a very hard and long four years.

The Art School Guide, is meant to be a reference guide for those who are interested in applying to art school. It is meant to help you in the decision process and application process by providing relevant information for some one like you, who is interested in the arts as a post secondary school choice.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GRADES

Grades are important, and your average should be as high as possible to guarantee academic qualification. If you don’t have the required grades (or courses) usually you will not be asked to submit a portfolio. A great portfolio can compensate for some bad marks when the department reviews and considers your application. So don’t get discourage from applying to a certain school just because your grades are just barely above the academic entrance bar. Grades are a reflection of your academic achievements and dedication to the pursuit of academic conquest, high grades show your dedication and devotion to school.

artwork by Genna Kusch

THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR PORTFOLIO

Applying to post secondary school can be a stressful experience for anyone, applying to an art program has the added stress and challenge of preparing a portfolio. Your portfolio is a major component in the application process. Most schools no longer conduct face-to-face interviews and so your portfolio will usually be the only way to make a lasting impression. With that said, it is strongly recommended that you give your portfolio great consideration.

The people reviewing your portfolio will likely be faculty members from the art department and possibly guest jurors from the local art community. The portfolio review process is kept to time restrictions, usually only a few minutes per applicant; therefore, a strong portfolio will make a big difference when it comes down to securing your position.

Creating a portfolio shouldn’t be a scary process so long as you approach it in a thoughtful and serious manner. The more time you give yourself to prepare the better. Take a breath, and try not to get discouraged. Keep in mind that they are not looking for perfection but rather a showcase of work that exhibits ability and a willingness to learn and try new techniques. You are not going to art school because you already know everything there is to know you are going there to develop your passion.

artwork by Kelly Taylor

PICKING WORK FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO

The hope is that you have given yourself a lot of time to prepare. You don’t want to submit a portfolio that has been thrown together at the last minute. The idea of a portfolio is to present completed works that demonstrate your range of artistic abilities and competency. It should contain a balance of different media and categories of work. In this section of the guide you will find some helpful selection tips.

First pull out the application guidelines and see what is required by the school. Get a piece of paper, write a list of what is needed, how many pieces, and key requirements. Most schools ask for a range of 10-25 pieces and may allow for a few additional works outside of the suggested requirements. The admissions board considers many different qualities when reviewing work; technical skill, craftsmanship, presentation, cleanness, concept, composition, expressiveness, experimentation, form, and a variety of other aspects.

Gather all of your artwork, school work, sketch books, paintings, design work, photography, sculptures, story boards, animations, films, etc. and take out all the work you have done in the past 2 years. This pile is what you’ll draw upon when building your portfolio. Sift through the other work and pick out anything that is outstanding (remember you want to focus on recent work so only pick old work if it is really high quality).

These works should reflect your personal interests and demonstrate your abilities. Try to include a variety of works in terms of media and style. A good rule of thumb is that at least 50% of your portfolio work should be original self-directed projects.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The specific requests of a school should be carefully reviewed and executed. The particular assignments the admissions board asks you to complete will be a common assignment that every applicant must complete. This will allow the admissions board to compare the applicants ability to complete the assignment against other applicants. Theses types of assignments will specifically focus on a few key abilities. Such assignments range from a self-portrait, to drawings of bicycles, to drawings of buildings. Have faith in the particular assignment requested, review and complete this assignment carefully. These assignments should be a high priority.

artwork by Min Shin

DRAWING FROM OBSERVATION

Observational art is easily defined as drawing or painting from life. Examples would include sketching a bowl of fruit (still life), drawing from a model (figurative), or drawing a street scene (landscape). The image is not taken from either a photograph or the artist’ imagination, but from real life observation. Traditionally the subject matter is rendered as accurately as possible. Typically most observational work is done pencil, charcoal or other drawing mediums but can include collage and painting.

This category is by far the most important and is vital to your portfolio. These works will demonstrate how you interpret the world, how you make compositional choices, how accurately you can depict form, light and shadow. During school you will be constantly asked to draw upon these skills to create work and will be continuously building this skill set. Nearly every school will ask for about 30-50% of your submitted work to be in this category.

When creating these works don’t be too hard on yourself, everyone struggles with observational art. Remember that it takes decades of practice to perfect this ability and generally all artists will continue to practice and hone this skill for their entire career.

Here are five suggestions to help you improve your life drawing skills:

1. Cut a square or rectangle out of a card-stock. Use this as a tool to help make compositional choices, observe your subject, walk around and select the best vantage point. This tool will help you define the edges of your composition and how you want to situate the subject within that frame work. If you use this tool make note of what in the visual plane two opposite corner reference, this will help you to continually frame the subject consistently.

2. This may sound silly but if you’re going to close one eye to look at your subject make sure you always close the same eye. Your eyes offer two different vantage points and when drawing something that is physically close to you switching eyes can really change the perspective.

3. Wherever you decide to sketch from make sure you move your head as little as possible. By shifting your weight in a chair or changing your posture you dramatically change your perspective.

4. Use big paper, or a really big sketch book, at least double the size of legal paper. A common problem students have when drawing from observation is that their paper is too small, greatly restricting hand movements and their ability to accurately render drawings because their eyes must change focal lengths constantly.

5. You should be looking at what you’re drawing at least 50% of the time if not more. Observe, take a breath and actually look at what you’re attempting to draw. Where do the lines intersect, what angle, what are the basic forms, what are the size and length relationships between certain key lines. Many students spend too much time looking at their paper.

PERSONAL ART

Personal art is considered to be work that you do outside of the classroom. These pieces are meant to reflect your personal interests, subject matter and concepts. It is recommended that your artwork be original, not be copied from a photograph or other another artist’ work. If the school allows for it, these works can be completed in any media including, but not limited to, drawing, painting, performance art, mixed media, digital art, film, sculpture, animation and design work.

artwork by Kyle Topping

SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS

There is no doubt you’ve made a fair amount of work for school assignments. When considering these works try to select pieces you’ve completed in the past two years. School assignments are based upon criteria laid out by the ministry of education. Each assignment is designed to build upon certain skill sets, or teach students new skill sets. You may really dislike a work you made, but it might showcase a set your abilities better than any other work.

artwork by Kyle Topping

YOUR SKETCHBOOK

When considering using images from sketchbooks, journals and notebooks try to only use finished sketches that haven’t been smudged, torn, creased, or damaged. Sketchbook drawings can illustrate your abilities in composition, design, collage, life drawing, development of space, form, or perspective.

The most important element to your sketchbook is it’s ability to demonstrate your creative process. It is important as an artist to continually use your sketchbook to visually think through ideas and build concepts. The sketch book is an integral part of the application review process.

artwork by Amy Uyeda

WORK IN COLOUR

You may love to draw in pencil, or paint in black and white but it is important that you demonstrate your ability to use colour. You must be able to convey an understanding of colour. It is extremely important as an artist that you know how to use it.

OTHER NON-TRADITIONAL MEDIA

Every applicant is different, and will have unique backgrounds and interests. When applying to art school don’t rule out the projects you have done in other fields. Perhaps you’ve worked in a darkroom, made jewelry, done set design, costume design, filmed a movie, built a website, made ceramics, written a storyboard, 3D animation… all of which are totally valid and usable in a portfolio. A lot of applications will ask for ‘other media’ and this is a great section for you to demonstrate specific interests or abilities that are not focused in drawing and painting.

MAKING WORK FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO

After assessing what work you have determine what still needs to be completed or worked on further. It is not unusual to create several new pieces to fulfill your portfolio requirements. It also might be in your best interest to replace lower quality works. Remember that when you make new work to use your sketch book to establish a basic idea and use visuals to develop and build that idea before commencing the final piece.

YOUR CAMERA

You’ll want to use the best digital camera you have access to. If you don’t have a very good camera borrow one from your family or a friend. A digital ‘SLR’ is going to give you the best control and highest image quality.

Get a tripod, if you don’t have one and no one you know has one you can use a box or a table. If you use a makeshift tripod make sure it is solid and sturdy. Tripods are invaluable for taking steady pictures.

CAMERA SETTINGS

If you are unfamiliar with camera settings use an automatic setting, this will produce a decent photograph. Use a setting such as ‘no flash’ or ‘outdoor’. Make sure that your photographs are in focus, crisp, and not skewed. Avoid using the built in flash on the camera. Ideally you should use a manual setting with an automatic focus to get the best control over the image.

Take multiple photographs of each work. Review in the viewfinder the first few shots of each artwork and check to make sure you’re getting a decent exposure, that the image is in focus, the edges of the work are parallel to the viewfinder and that the sun isn’t washing out the colour. Make the necessary adjusts each time until you have the best shot possible.

One common issue is swelling. If your artwork appears to swell in the photograph, move your camera away from the artwork and zoom in slightly. Zooming in slightly will create a more natural depth. This swelling is an issue that stems from the type of lens the camera has.

artwork by Kyle Topping

LOCATION & SETUP

Your best bet is to photograph your artwork outdoors. The natural light outside is a superior quality to the lights indoors. Indoor light will yellow your photographs and if you are using automatic settings on your camera poor lighting conditions will lead to low shutter speeds causing blurry images.

So, get all your work together and head outside. Find a wall to prop your artwork against. Prop you work as straight up and down as possible to limit distortions. Later on you’ll crop down the photos so the wall is not visible in the final photograph.

Setup your work in direct sunlight if possible. If it is really bright out you may find that your photographs are over exposed or washed out, find a shaded wall to prop your artwork against and try taking the pictures there. The most ideal conditions to photograph work is on a slightly overcast day.

Setup the tripod and camera. Zoom out on the camera as far as you are able to. Position the camera far enough away that the artwork almost fills the entire viewfinder window. The camera height should be a little higher than the middle of your artwork. The camera should be slightly tilted down to compensate for minute distortion the artwork receives from leaning. Adjust the position of the camera, the tilt and height until the edges of the artwork are parallel to the viewfinder. The camera should be aimed and aligned to the center of the artwork. Take your time in setting up the shot, you do not want to submit distorted or tilted imagery.

artwork by Julia Stephens

PHOTOGRAPHING PAINTINGS

As mentioned under ‘Location & Setup’, lean paintings against a wall as straight up as possible. Try to find a wall that has a lot of flat ground in front of it. Make sure to fill the viewfinder as much as possible with the artwork and that all the edges of the work are parallel to the viewfinder.

PHOTOGRAPHING SCULPTURE

As mentioned under ‘Location & Setup’, lean paintings against a wall as straight up as possible. Try to find a wall that has a lot of flat ground in front of it. Make sure to fill the viewfinder as much as possible with the artwork and that all the edges of the work are parallel to the viewfinder.

PHOTOGRAPHING PAPER WORKS

Scan paper work if you can. A scanner is exponentially better than a camera.

A great solution to photographing large paper work is to get a blank canvas, board or any flat support, and tape the paperwork to the board and photograph it just like you would a painting. Loosely tape the backside of the paperwork as to not damage the art itself. Make sure to mount the paper work squarely onto the support, if it is crooked you’ll just end up with crooked photographs which will lead to a cropping nightmare later. When you mount the work to a support try to mount it as flat as possible.

Wrinkled, curled, or wavy artwork should be flattened before photographing. If at all possible avoid rolling your work, try to store your work flat and in a safe place that will not lead to damages.

artwork by Eli Wilson

PHOTOSHOP : IMAGE CALIBRATION

Unless you are a professional photographer with loads of gear, your digital photographs can always benefit from some light Photoshop touch-ups. If you do not have Photoshop other photo manipulation programs will work. This guide will be written with the assumption that you have access to Photoshop.

Where to Start:

First, import your images onto your computer. Then, open the images in Photoshop. Assuming you had taken a number of images select the best pictures of each piece and close the rest. What you are looking for is images that are in focus, without distortion, and good lighting.

Next, find the “image” tab in your tool bar and use the “auto tone” function (older versions of Photoshop will have this labeled “auto levels”). This function will balance out the light and dark ranges in the image and usually removes yellow tinting. You may also perform to manually adjust your tones or levels, but you can quickly run into visual complications if you don’t understand how the tool works.

Finer Adjustments:

In the same tool bar you can find ways to adjust finer elements such as exposure, brightness/contrast and colour. This step may not be necessary for each photograph. The best way to determine if your image needs further adjustments is by comparing your original artwork to the Photoshop file.

If you find there is a great difference between the photo and the actual work than you will want to determine what is wrong with the photo. If it is an issue with the contrast of the image you may want to go to “image”, “adjustments”, “curves”. This tool will bring up a histogram of your picture. Adjusting this channel will alter the overall image to be slightly darker or lighter in the specified range. With the “curves” tool, adjustments are made by bending the diagonal line up, down or adding new pivot points along the line. The trick is usually a very subtle ‘S’ curve. Reference your original artwork and make adjustments to best imitate reality. If the image is suffering from a colour issue than you should select the “colour balance” tool from the “image”, “adjustments” menu. Select, shadows, midtones, or highlights and adjust the sliders appropriately until you correct any colour issues.

Once you have the image looking the same as the work select the “crop tool” from the side tool bar. Crop the image to the inside edges of your artwork. You want to preserve as much of the artwork as possible; yet, you do not want to have a background boarder around the work. Never drastically crop out sections of the image unless you are required to submit detail images.

Always Remember:

Your digital photograph should now be a good representation of the original artwork. Again I cannot stress how important it is to avoid extreme adjustments, alterations, or radical cropping and above everything else do not use any filters. The point of a digital portfolio is to replicate original artwork as accurately as possible. Always reference the original image rather than adjusting to your eye’s aesthetic. When referencing artwork try to do so in natural sunlight or under white florescent bulbs.

PHOTOSHOP: REDUCING FILE SIZE

There will be file size limitations when submitting digital portfolios. It is important that you not submit images that go over the requested size or that are drastically under the file size limit. Paying attention to small details like file sizes will demonstrate to the admissions board that you possess a sense of professionalism they are looking for.

Knowing Your File Size:

First you want to determine the size of the file. This can be done by opening the finder or search window and checking the properties.

In Photoshop you can check the rough file size by saving the image.

Go to “save as” and change the format to jpg, click “save”, in ‘JPEG Options’ window look below the “Cancel” button, here you will see a preview options button. Ensure that the preview option is check on. Below you will see a number indicating the rough final file size. Remember how to access this number we’ll be referring back to it frequently, let’s call this ‘the final .jpg size’.

Note that by changing the ‘quality’ slider in the ‘JPEG Options’ window, the final file size will go down the closer the slider approaches 1 (low quality). Never reduce file size by saving an image at a ‘lower quality’ setting, this results in massive amounts of lost information- colour range, amount of colours and pixel sharpness.

Changing Your File Size:

We will use an example to illustrate this process. We are starting with am image that is 7.1 M. The school guidelines ask for images to be under 2.0 M. Therefore we must reduce the file size by 5.1 M. We begin by opening up the image in Photoshop. Then we go to “image”, click “image size”, making the window labeled ‘Image Size’ appear. Next we make sure the ‘constrain proportions’ button is clicked on. We’re going to resize the file by changing the dimensions not the quality. The pixel dimensions of our image are 3504 wide and 2336 high. A word of warning: this process will take some trial and error. Into the pixel width field we type a new

number of 2200. This is a random number and at the moment there is no way to judge what the final file size is until it is saved and verified. Because constrain proportions is clicked on all the other numbers on the page also change to keep the image in it’s proper aspect ratio. Our document is now 2200 pixel in width and 1467 pixel in height.

Now we click “ok” and go through the saving process mentioned above to verify the change in size. It indicates the new final .jpg size is 2.9M. Not quite the 2.0M we wanted to compress the image down to so we don’t save the file.

So after this set, unfortunately, you have to start over. Do this by undoing the last action. Go to “edit”, click “step backward”, or “undo”. Alternatively you can also undo the action through the history menu. It is important to undo the action rather than just continuing to fiddle with the dimensions. If you curious to know why this is important, try changing the pixel width to 100 pixels, clicking “ok”, then changing the pixel width to 2000 pixels. Observe the blurry image.

Now that we’re back at square one, knowing that the pixel width dimension must be smaller than 2200, we can go back to the “image size” pop-up menu and change the pixel width field to 1800, making the final .jpg file size exactly 2.0M.

Now we can save that image into its appropriate folder with the appropriate name format the school requests. Never save over the original image, or the file that was created in the ‘school portfolio’ folder.

It is always in your best interest to verify the file size once more (I know this seems repetitive) by opening the finder or search window and checking the properties of the file. Why is this important? Because when looking at our file with this method it indicates that the file is actually 2.2M not the 2.0M Photoshop had displayed. Which means we have to, once again, play with the pixel width. However, with a small adjustment we end up with a file that is 1700 pixels wide and 1.8M in size, which displays properly outside of Photoshop. Although this process takes some time it will ensure that you send files that are properly formatted and that have not lost any content in the file reduction process.

FILE SAVING & NAMING

Once you have edited all of your photos it is best to save them in one folder labeled ‘school portfolio’ or something similar. For the moment all you are doing is assembling all of the potential portfolio images into one common folder. The following format is the best and most common way to name your files: title_year_media_size.

Remember to:

Only use lowercase alphabet.
 Not to use any symbols.
 Use an underscore instead of a space.
 If the title or media is several words long write it as one word with no spaces
. Use inches as your measurement and state the height first then the width, separating them with an ‘x’.
 No matter what format you use, be consistent when naming the files.

Saving Your Image in the Correct Format:

Save the image as a .jpg file. To do so go to “file”, click “save as”, and in the pop up window click the drop down menu labeled “format” and select “.jpg”, to finish click “save”. Now a new window will appear called ‘JPEG Options’ use the highest quality setting available when you save it as a .jpg, this is quality 12, click “ok”. Do not save over or delete the original imported photographs.

Examples of a Properly Formatted and Named Files:

title / year / media / size (inches) .jpg

judgement_2010_etching_20x24inches.jpg
subjecttothelaw_2007_mixedmedia_60x84inches.jpg
frank_2008_acrylicpainting_10x20inches.jpg
everythingandanythingelse_2007_oilpainting_30x22inches.jpg

Separating Files for Different Schools:

At this point we have not resized the image. We have only built an archive of the works you have selected for your portfolio applications.

Create a separate folder for each school you are applying to. Copy selected images from the ‘school portfolio’ folder and paste them into the school specific folders. As you go through this process consult the guidelines and make sure that the files are named in the school’s desired format and adhere to their specified requirements. Rename and resize the file if necessary.

BURNING A CD

When selecting a burning program you will want to make sure that the program can burn CDs readable by both MAC and PC platforms. Most burn programs have an option you can click to enable this or it will automatically tell you what platforms the CD can be read by. Within the admission requirements there should be a section indicating what platform the CD must be readable by.

Rename the CD and the first folder on the CD to your name, so that when the CD loads the admissions board will see your name first. Drop all required images and documents into the burn folder and ensure that the items are named correctly and in accordance with their requested format.

Now it is finally time to burn the CD. The program will verify if the CD burnt correctly or not. When done pop out the CD and in marker, write your name and information on the front of the CD. Some people have used stickers for this information but this can sometime ruin the CD drive of a computer.

Before you mail your submission check to see if the CD actually works on both a MAC and a PC. It is quite common for the CD to indicate that it will work on both platforms when in fact it does not.

artwork by Kyle Topping

GETTING SLIDES MADE

Shockingly enough you may come across some schools that still ask for physical slides instead of a digital portfolio. Slides can be created from both film and digital files. A commercial camera store that processes film should be able to convert either format into slides. If you have film, bring in the original negatives. To convert digital files use the un-sized image files from your ‘school portfolio’ folder (refer to ‘Building a Digital Portfolio’ section). Creating slides will take upwards of a few business days, so plan accordingly. Most schools will return your slides if you include a self addressed stamped envelope.

LABELING AND ORGANIZING SLIDES

Before you label the slides consider the order they will be reviewed in. It is up to you to determine their suggested viewing order. My advice is to organize them like you would an essay. Strong works positioned at the beginning, middle and end. Intersperse these slides with weaker works and studies. In addition you could also consider grouping slides into themes or subject matter. It is important to give consideration to the order of your portfolio.

Label your slides with a fine black marker in a consecutive numbering system followed by a last name. Example: 001 Smith, 002 Smith, 003 Smith, 004 Smith, etc. Label the fronts of the slides to indicate which direction they are to be loaded into the carrousel. Next you will create a printed accompanying slide list. The list should be clearly laid out and easy to reference. At the top should be your personal information. The list should progress numerically and it should contain: title, year, media, size (height then width) and a brief description.

EXAMPLE SLIDE LIST

Last Name, First Name,
Address etc.

#, title, year, media, size, description

001 – judgement, 2010, etching, 24×20 in.
Colosseum setting, a man on bridge.

002 – subject to the law, 2007, mixed media, 60×84 in.
Two people spray painting a brick wall.

003 – life study #4, 2008, pencil on paper, 12×8 in.
Pencil drawing of a pickup truck.

*Above everything, remember to consult and follow the guidelines that the school provides. Some schools may specifically ask for a certain formatting or ordering.

artwork by various artists

PORTFOLIO DAYS

Some art schools offer a free, or low-cost, Portfolio Day where you can go into the school prior to your scheduled interview and get advice on the current state of your portfolio. The representative will be able to tell you what you need to work on and what should be removed.

PORTFOLIO PREP COURSES

Art schools may offer low-cost Portfolio Prep or Portfolio Development courses, theses are good to attend if you’re uncertain about what to put into your portfolio and if you need assistance on developing certain sections of your portfolio.

ART FUNDAMENTAL CLASSES

During the summer certain art schools and Universities offer Introduction, or Art Fundamental courses. These generally cost a fair amount of money and run for a few weeks. There should be no prerequisite to take these courses. These types of courses are designed to build basic fundamental skills in drawing, colour, composition and usually painting and sculpture. The objective of these courses is to build your fundamental skills up to a first year entry level. If you feel that you don’t have an adequate skill level these courses are a great way develop these skills. Consider taking this type of course at the school you’re interested in attending, it may assist you in getting your foot in the door. Many summer programs also offer housing. Check the school website for more information.

FREE RESOURCES

Discussing your portfolio with your art school teachers is an excellent and free resource. If they’re teaching art they should have some knowledge right? Try and talk to many different people about your portfolio. Ask for criticism, not just praise. You want to know what pieces are weak and which ones are strong and try to improve your portfolio.

INTERVIEWS

Many schools will no longer conduct face to face portfolio interviews. Generally in this circumstance the school will only conduct interviews for applicants within a specified geographical radius. The school will provide a set of guidelines and a list of required materials. You can expect to be asked to bring a sketch book. Expect both quantity and size limitations for you artworks.

Talking with an interviewer who controls whether or not you get into their school can be stressful, intimidating, scary and every other adjective that comes to mind. Relax, it will be okay. The interview is not like the movies, you will not be in a long white room with 5 people sitting behind a table, a blinding light in your face, and impossible questions. It will an informal setting where you have the opportunity to open up your portfolio case, display your work and casually talk with the interviewer.

Be prepared to discuss your work. The interviewer is going to be interested in how you talk about artwork and use that language in a critical way. They will be interested in learning what artists you enjoy, where you see your skill level, what techniques you have developed or could use improvement on. They will want to discuss your creative process through observations in your sketch book. You may talk about why you choose their school or why you want to goto art school. Relax, breathe, be truthful and open with you thoughts and the conversation should go swimmingly. Remember the point of the interview is to learn about you and why you love art.

photograph by Kelly Taylor

THE PORTFOLIO CASE

Spend the money and buy a proper portfolio case to carry and protect your work. These cases can be bought from an art supply store. They will come in all different sizes and quality. Consider this as an investment and buy one that is nice and will suit your future needs. You will probably have this portfolio case for the rest of your life or until it breaks or you loose it.

I personally like the cases that have plastic sleeves for inserting work. The sleeves will protect work from rubbing against each other and will prevent the work from being jostled around when walking and possibly getting damaged. These cases are usually more expensive. If you decide on a shell case, insert tissue paper in-between your works to reduce rubbing, smudging and prevent unwanted image transferring.

artwork by Colleene Rowley

YOUR SKETCH BOOK

Conducting interviews gives the admissions reviewer a chance to see your sketch book in its entirety. In an interview setting the sketch book is as important as your finished work. The interviewer will spend a substantial amount of the time searching through the sketch book and engaging with you about what they come across. You should understand that what they’re interested in seeing is how you think, how you plan out ideas, how you illustrate ideas in a visual language, your rough sketches, your written thoughts, how frequently you use the sketch book and what you use your sketch book for.

Your sketch book does not have to be the stereotypical physical black sketch book. Some artists use a sketch book then rip the pages out. Some artists use loose paper in a box for a sketch book. Regardless, what the interviewer is interested in is your thought process and ability to think in a visual language.

If you have sketch book, consider how full it is and what it is full of. You don’t want to have lots of blank pages or just pages with scribbles and crossed out drawings. Sketch books of this nature do not say anything about you as an artist. You will want to show a sketch book that is full and rich with content. The physical condition of the book does not matter too much, for instance if the spine is broken cause the book is full and well used then that may actually benefit you.

If you’re in the loose paper world, gather up your papers and hopefully they are in somewhat of a decent condition and not balls of crumpled paper. Buy a nice box with a closing lid to present your loose papers in. Don’t be too curatorial with what you put into the box, remember what the interviewer is interested in seeing.

The best strategy to prepare for this section of the interview is to plan ahead, months in advance, and use your sketch book on a regular basis. The worst thing you can do is panic a few days before your interview and attempt to fake months of sketch book use. The interviewer will see through this as you cannot fake genuine use.

YOUR PHYSICAL ART WORK

Since you will be bringing original artwork to the interview demonstrate your professionalism by transporting well kept artwork in a safe manner. Don’t bring torn, or poorly cared for work regardless of quality. You want to convey to the interviewer a sense of your seriousness, dedication, and professionalism. The selected works should primarily consist of what you have done in the past two years. Try to only bring your best work. Try to only bring finished work. Don’t roll your artwork, this is a huge no. If your work has been stored rolled, try to flatten the pieces two weeks prior to your interview. Works that are liable to smudge should be fixed or mounted in frames or interleaved with issue paper to protect them from smudging and damaging other works. Your artworks should be identified with your name.

artwork by Justin Steinburg

SCULPTURE WORK

Sculptural work is usually limited to specified sizes for portfolio interviews with obvious reasons. Some interviews may not even allow sculptural work and will request photographs. However in the event if you are allowed to bring in sculpture there are some things you want to consider.

Make sure you are transporting the work in an adequately safe manner. The best containers are custom built specifically for individual works. Theses are expensive to construct and there are other alternatives for the budget minded person. Cardboard boxes are great temporary substitutes for transporting works. Try and find the heaviest cardboard and avoid using thin cardboard boxes, as this cardboard does not offer much rigidity or protection against mishaps. The box should ideally be a few inches larger in dimension than the actual sculptural piece.

First wrap the sculptural work in thin soft blankets with several layers. Insert a blanket into the bottom of the box. Gently place the wrapped sculpture into the box and fill any negative spaces with fabric. Tuck another blank on top of the sculpture. Finally seal and label the box. The overall idea is to secure the artwork in a barrier of plush blankets that can absorb any shock from transport. Depending on the sculpture other materials like newsprint, paper towel, styrofoam peanuts, or bubble wrap may be used as protective barriers.

Every sculptural piece is going to require it’s own type of security. Blankets and fabrics are pretty standard items when securing work. Fragile objects like glass and paper sculptures require different considerations when packing and are perhaps best to just to be photographed.

At Spark Box Studio we not only want to provide a great space where artists can produce work but we also want to provide those artists with a little business savvy. We feel that most people using the studio get a chance to chat with us about the business of art (although this doesn’t always happen in the most organized fashion, as we often find ourselves complaining about the ins and outs of the art world over dinner and a bottle of wine). Granted we haven’t had a whole lot of experience however the two of us we have been on a major learning curve since opening the studio and trying to get our own art into shows. This section of our website is dedicated to archiving the posts filed under ‘The Business of Art’.

MAKING A WEBSITE ( 03 / 21 / 2011 )
‘Advice on Creating Your Artist Website.’

KINGSTON ARTS COUNCIL MEDIA WORKSHOP ( 03 / 11 / 2011 )
‘How to Work the Media.’

LETS RAISE ENTREPRENEURS ( 11 / 26 / 2010 )
‘Great advice from TED talks.’

HANDMADE MARKETPLACE ( 09 / 22 / 2010 )
‘Great new book called Handmade Marketplace!’

FEELING GOOD ABOUT BEING AN ARTIST ( 08 / 31 / 2010 )
‘The Globe and Mail makes me feel better about being an artist!’

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? ( 08 / 13 / 2010 )
‘Becoming a full time artist.’

GO ORIGINAL ! ( 05 / 05 / 2010 )
‘Why you should buy original art.’

TIME MANAGE WHAT? – ORGANIZATION ( 04 / 01 / 2010 )
‘Time management ideas for the busy artist. Keeping yourself on schedule!’

TO FRAME OR NOT TO FRAME? ( 03 / 19 / 2010 )
‘Learn about framing from Oeno Gallery curator/owner Carlyn Moulton.’

LETS WORK TOGETHER ( 03 / 05 / 2010 )
‘A nod to the most important thing in the small business world – collaboration.’

MAKING A WEBSITE

( 03 / 21 / 2011 )

‘Advice on Creating Your Artist Website.’

If you’re like me you may find that you procrastinate on the things that you aren’t that confident doing. For example, building a website for your work. You may not know what templates work best for artists, maybe you are unsure of where to look to get your hosting or domain (maybe you don’t even know what those words are), whatever the case, having a website that shows your work, bio and CV is very important when starting your career.

The first thing you will want to do is pick a domain name that works best for you and your work. For example, my domain is chrissypoitras.com. If people want to search for my work they will be more likely to look up my name in a search engine. If you decide to use something other than your name make sure you think it through and have a good way of making people aware that when searching for you they should search that name in google/yahoo/etc.

Next you will need to purchase that domain name (we use godaddy.com). You should purchase the .com and .ca versions of your site if you are from the USA or Canada. This will ensure that people typing in your site can type either and find you.

Now that you have your domain name purchased you should purchase you hosting service. You can also do this through godadddy.com.

NOW, before I go too far, there are other options as well. You can use sites like otherpeoplespixels.com where you can pick your template, purchase your domain and hosting all in one spot and they work only with artists.

If you decide you want to get a blog template you can either set it up with godaddy.com so that your domain name doesn’t look like this: chrissypoitras.blogspot.com. OR if you don’t really care about having .wordpress or .bloodspot, etc tagged onto the latter part of your domain than you don’t necessarily need to purchase a domain name or hosting service at all.

Have I lost you yet??

I hope not. Lets just recap:

1. Think about what you want you site to be called. Either name it after yourself so that it is an easy search for galleries and potential buyers OR pick something different that relates to your work (just make sure this makes sense before doing so).

2. Think about whether you want to purchase your domain name and hosting services OR if you are fine with having WordPress or Blogspot or Tumblr adding their name at the end of your domain. Once you have decided continue to either start your blog or purchase you domain and hosting.

Now that you have made your choice you can start looking through the many online templates. You can find several different styles at the sites listed below. Your hosting/domain service should have a great troubleshooting service and can help you upload your template to your website.

Artist Website Templates:

artistportfoliowebsite.com
otherpeoplespixels.com
foliolink.com
foliosnap.com
foliotwist.com
mosaicglobe.com
bigblackbag.com
indexhibit.org
cargocollective.com

Blog Websites:

blogger.com
wordpress.com
tumblr.com

Now that you have your template start populating it. Select the work that best represents who you are. Put up your bio, contact information, artist statement and CV. All of these items will give viewers an idea of who you are and what you are about.

You can also post your work on these sites:

artsetter.com
flickr.com
myartspace.com
behance.net
deviantart.com

These sites bring in different clients and it is always a good idea to get your work out on as many sites as possible. This will give you more chance to get noticed.

If you decided that the template sites aren’t your thing you can always hire someone to help you with your website. These can get expensive and it is generally a good idea to have the capability to edit/update your website on your own.

Looking for more fun business information check out our emerging artist website here.

KINGSTON ARTS COUNCIL MEDIA WORKSHOP

( 03 / 11 / 2011 )

‘How to Work the Media.’

Last night we had a great turn out for our collaborative “How to Work the Media Workshop” with the Kingston Arts Council. With 6 panelists and a great group of attendees the night was filled with informative media tips and valuable questions. Our panelists were honest and forthcoming with their advice and our audience didn’t shy away from asking real questions and discussing challenges they face when trying to get their exhibits, openings and events noticed by local and national media.

Greg Tilson, Programming Director for the Kingston Arts Council, picked a solid panel featuring many local media reps including Rene Dick from Scout Design, Steve Campbell from The County Magazine, Katy McIntyre from the Picton Arts Council and Scott Johnston from the Picton Gazette. Below is a sample of some of the great information that was offered to the group. This tidbit comes from Adam Bramburger, the editor from the Picton Gazette. Here Adam tells us what he looks for in a press release.

TIPS FOR PRESS RELEASES

There’s a simple format that I teach reporters and people writing press releases to follow that I’ll pass along. This format should help them get the media’s attention. I think most people have watched the movie Austin Powers and remember my favourite character, Fat Bastard — another oversized redhead — and his catch phrase “Get In ma belly.” Well, if they remember Get INMA, they’ll be set.

INMA to me, is an acronym with all the pertinent questions the media needs to know.

I – The Issue

Simply put, tell us what you’re about in a single sentence with focus – somebody doing something for a reason. That’s enough to build a story on right there.

N – What’s New

We need a hook to tell us what makes what you’re doing different than anything that hasn’t happened before and why it is timely right now for us to be there.

M – What it Means

We need to know why the average joe, whether they’re superbly interested in the arts or not should care that this development happened. Give some context to let us know the broader hopes of what you want to accomplish.

A – What’s Ahead

This is where you make sure you relate to the community what they can do with relation to your event or project — get in the dates, prices, phone and e-mail whatever — and maybe leave them looking forward to things that will happen in the future.

Other things to consider:

1. Contact by email and phone (usually on the same day). Mention that you have sent an email or that you phoned earlier and that you are following up to ensure everything was received. Adam mentions that Wednesdays are the WORST days to try and get in touch with him, consider asking other media representatives the best or worst day to contact them.

2. Don’t clog up your press release with bios and photos. Keep it simple. Send all the additional information as added attachments.

3. Think about timing. It is best to send in a story two weeks before your event. This way the media can plan and have time to get your information out there.

4. Adam would like to reveal a press release myth, that media would rather have press releases or articles written by someone else and submitted in full to save time. For the Picton Gazette it is the exact opposite. They employ many reporters and journalists and they would much rather give them the job of writing about your event, putting together an interview and writing an article for the paper.

5. When you are drafting your press release for the media consider what they generally feature in their paper/magazine/website. The Picton Gazette enjoys featuring local artists who are engaging with the public, doing something interesting and different and enriching the community.

6. Always consider sending a one-line summation. Sometimes it might be a good thing to send as a subject line, as a headline on a press release or as a bold note.

7. It is always a good idea to give the time, date, and place in a simple to find manner.

Looking for more fun business information check out our emerging artist website here.

LETS RAISE ENTREPRENEURS

( 11 / 26 / 2010 )

‘Great advice from TED talks.’

We love TED talks and these two are very fitting with what we encourage here at Spark Box – thinking outside the box, being creative and getting people interested in the things you make. We have been pouring our collected knowledge into our two guide sites: The Emerging Artist Guide and The Art School Guide that are meant to help artists at all stages of their career.

I found the Cameron Herold video on the site Etsy.com and at first his talk sounded a bit too business for me. With all his references to accounting, market research, revenue, etc. I didn’t see where an artist like myself could relate. But after watching it again I started seeing myself in many of his stories. I started selling my art outside my house when I was 10, I created a handmade dog biscuit business and had pet stores selling them when I was in my last year of high school, I saw that kids had nothing to do in my small town so I convinced a local bar to have a Youth Party night where we could dance until 11 PM when I was 13. Sure I may not be doing all of these things now but my parents always stood behind me, helped me out and encouraged me to pursue my dreams. This has helped me immensely as an artist.

I struggle with seeing myself as a business person on a pretty regular basis. I worry about the typical issues of “selling out”. But the reality is artists make things and they want galleries, people, etc. to show these things or buy them. Even if you make art that isn’t for sale you still need to get galleries interested in showing them. No matter how you try to swing it artists are entrepreneurs. So embrace this notion and find the resources out there that will help you get people to see the awesome things you are making!

Looking for more fun business information check out our emerging artist website here.

HANDMADE MARKETPLACE

( 09 / 22 / 2010 )

‘Great new book called Handmade Marketplace!’

I just got a new book for the Spark Box Business Library today. The book is called Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin. I have read great things about this book on several different blogs and am pretty excited to sit down and give it a read. Basically Chapin breaks down the dos and don’ts of the craft industry and provides readers with helpful advice on starting your own craft business. Since Kyle and I have been putting up some prints and things onto our Etsy site I thought it might be helpful to know a little more about the craft industry. Once I give it a read I will pick out some of the most helpful advice I found.

Looking for more fun business information check out our emerging artist website here.

FEELING GOOD ABOUT BEING AN ARTIST

( 08 / 31 / 2010 )

‘The Globe and Mail makes me feel better about being an artist!’

The other week I read an article from the Globe and Mail by Judith Timson. In the article she discusses the legitimate worries of people in the arts and people with artists as children. In fact Timson spoke to many of the issues that I had written about in my last blog – the struggles with money and support. But Timson makes a few points that perhaps I missed.

First, she presents some sound advice from the executive director of Arts Etobicoke Louise Garfield. Garfield points out some of the benefits of choosing an art career. Garfield says that artists led lives that are full of “…vibrancy of their intellect and emotions. Adventure, exploration, drama, deep feeling, playfulness, hilarity, camaraderie and FUN!”

On top of all that loveliness Garfield also mentions that artists are actually pretty good financial managers. Why would that be? Well we are all pretty used to tight budgets!

Ok so if that doesn’t make you want to be an artist than maybe Timson’s reference on how artists influence history will. How could I have forgotten that some of the most interesting characters in history are artists? Perhaps I am being naive but I would say that most people know by name the biggest rock legends, classical musicians, play writes, artists and dancers in history … but how many doctors, lawyers and business executives come to mind? (not to say that those others are not all very important historical figures as well)

Let us also not forget the words of Queen Victoria: “ Beware of artists – they mix with all classes of society and are therefore most dangerous”

So if you’re feeling down about choosing to be an artists maybe it would help to think about the amazing people you will meet on your artistic journey, the power you hold by being creative and free thinking, the life lessons you will learn when you pave the rocky road to stardom and joy you will spread to others when you share your creations.

Looking for more fun business information check out our emerging artist website here.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

( 08 / 13 / 2010 )

‘Becoming a full time artist.’

A few years ago I found an article titled “I wanted to become an artist, so I quit my job and became one” by Christopher Fife on the New York City Foundation for the Arts site. I was a recent graduate when I found this article and I thought that this article offered a good perspective on maintaining balance between practice, work and life. I feel that many of us go through this tough debate in our head and struggle to come to a working balance.

After leaving Queen’s and heading off into the world I was faced with a choice- Do I get a “real” job and paint from time to time OR do I devote myself fully to being an artist?

Unfortunately due to crippling OSAP debt it wasn’t a hard choice … I needed a full time job and art would just have to come second. So I got a full time job at Oeno Gallery and although my job at the gallery was great and gave me many opportunities to stay connected with the art world I was not content because I was hardly making any work.

So last December I quit my job at the gallery and committed myself fully to Spark Box- the business Kyle and I opened together with the hopes we could make our own work and support others who wanted to do the same.

Over the past year Kyle and I have talked with many artist (friends, residents and open studio members) about the life of the artist and the trials and tribulations associated to our careers. Most of these conversations centered around the same theme- money vs. passion.

One resident Susan Gardiner Bourlier went to school for architecture. After she finished school she took on a good job at a good firm and was making decent money. The only problem was she wasn’t really happy. She knew that her heart wasn’t in the business and that she really wanted to be a painter. Much like myself she seemed to have what every post grad wanted … a good job in the field they went to school in. But, also like myself, her heart wasn’t in it. So she quit her job and has now devoted her life to being a painter. She said “I guess I had to pick happiness over money”.

Although her statement seemed harsh it raised a good point that many new artists don’t like to think about, which is that being an artists requires you to reassess your priorities in life. These priorities can be different for everyone, for some it is being ok with loosing a bi-weekly pay cheque, for others it is losing social time in order to paint after work and for some it is knowing that you aren’t going to have a multi-million dollar life style. I do believe artists can make money at their work, you have work really hard for it to be lucrative but it is an actual possibility.

I suppose all I am trying to say is that when you pick art as your career your life will change and even though those changes will be hard it is worth it!

Looking for more fun business information check out our emerging artist website here.

GO ORIGINAL !

( 05 / 05 / 2010 )

‘Why you should buy original art.’

The May 2010 issue of Moneysense magazine has a great article about buying art and how great it is!

The article explains to its readers how its time for everyone to take down their Michael Jordon dunk shot posters and framed Monet prints and put up some original art! Understanding that this can be an intimidating experience for many people writer Mark Anderson walks virgin art buyers through the process of selecting the best artwork for their home.

Anderson explains that you should buy what you love. Art can’t always be about investment, let’s face it the market is just too unpredictable. “Don’t buy what other people tell you to,” says Peter Simpson, arts editor of the Ottawa Citizen and avid art collector. Buying art that you love means you are going to be happy everyday you wake up to it.

The article tells art buyers to avoid hesitation. He who hesitates looses out! The thing about original art is that… well… it’s original! If you like something chances are so will a lot of other people and there is only one, so jump on it!

Anderson then demystifies the gallery experience. Explaining that you shouldn’t be intimidated or feel like you need to have a Fine Arts degree to enter a gallery. “You’re ultimately the only expert on what you like.” says Simpson.

For all of you artists out there Anderson also talks about the always confusing pricing structure of artwork! “The art market is perhaps one of the least efficient markets on earth… painting of seemingly similar quality can be priced tens of thousands of dollars apart”.

I found this article pretty interesting, with a lot of good points for the artist and patron. It doesn’t seem to be up on the website but I am sure you can find a copy of the magazine at your local bookstore!

Looking for more fun business information check out our emerging artist website here.

TIME MANAGE WHAT? PART 1- ORGANIZATION

( 04 / 01 / 2010 )

‘Time management ideas for the busy artist. Keeping yourself on schedule!’

So we all know how hard it is to balance work, your pets, friends, family, your favorite shows and so on. On top of all of those things how does the creative person fit in time for creating? Well the hard reality is you need to be organized! I know what you are thinking… creative people can’t be organized… they’re all over the place. Well lets fight that stereotype! Because the reality is if you’re a creative person who isn’t making anything chances are you’re becoming frustrated, irritable, angry and well, just down in the dumps.

I bet you’re saying to yourself “creativity doesn’t follow a punch clock. You can’t just schedule ‘creative time’ from 2-4″. Well, in fact, this is what needs to be done. If you don’t schedule time to create you may never find the time and all those other commitments will always come first. So you need to build time for creativity into your life and this will require a little discipline.

So as nerdy as it sounds bring out those day planners and figure out the openings in your schedule. Cut down on TV time. Say no to friends every once and awhile and block in some moments for creativity!

Kyle and I are trying to take our own advice. We have started planning ahead with friends. Making weekly commitments. We also get up early and take our dog for a walk so that we can get into the studio a few hours early to work on our own projects. Sometimes we don’t get any thing made during those first few hours but we are always working toward getting a project on the road.

A great resource is the book Time Management for the Creative Person by Lee Silber.

Looking for more fun business information check out our emerging artist website here.

TO FRAME OR NOT TO FRAME?

( 04 / 01 / 2010 )

‘Learn about framing from Oeno Gallery curator/owner Carlyn Moulton.’

This weeks business blog is on the do’s and don’ts of framing artwork. During my time at the Oeno Gallery I was asked to put up a short “how to” on framing that owner Carlyn Moulton had written for artists. Below are a few of the points as well as a link to the full article. Although this article may, at times, sound a bit sarcastic these are all valid and honest comments. Some of which artists would never really think about. Working with commercial galleries can be a great thing for an artists career, these spaces work very hard promoting and selling the work of their artists. Being considerate when submitting work is quite important and these guidelines can be helpful when trying to send in well framed work.

Random Thoughts on Framing
by Carlyn Moulton

Framing is indisputably a very important aspect of presenting 2D works. Individuals are free to make a wide range of framing decisions and choices, but galleries require a more uniform presentation to avoid looking chaotic and cluttered, and to focus attention on the work itself.

Unless you have conceived the structure and the materials of your work in such a way as to negate the need for framing, the frame is part of your presentation package, and the care and attention and investment you make here conveys much about the value and respect you have for the work yourself.

As a gallery, we have had occasion to receive works by artists framed in almost every conceivable fashion – and some that were inconceivable. We are quite sure that some will have other opinions, but based on our experience to date, here are our observations and preferences.

1. Consider where you want your work to go – presumably your goal is for someone to see it and be able to imagine it in their own bedroom, livingroomor office, and then buy your work. And they need to be able to see why they should pay several hundred or thousand dollars for this work. While it is true that a bad frame can always be replaced, it is not true that clients will make that leap to imagine it framed differently. Nor do they want the hassle. Nor do they have a car big enough to carry the work to and from the framers.

2. Some artists create their own hand made rough hewn pine frames. Others use chipped old frames they got from their grandmother or in a garage sale. Some people whack barn board or lathe onto their work. Some people carve odd little flowers on to their frames. Do not do any of these things. People acquire work like this from their children, friends or relatives perhaps, but it never helps to sell it, at least not through a gallery.

4. A good frame finishes a piece. We have often hung two almost identical pieces together, one framed, the other unframed, to give people the option. They always choose the framed work. They are also prepared to pay for it. So if you choose good frames, the gallery will pay you for them when they sell your piece. Find a framer who will work with you and perhaps allow for stretched payments when you have a show.

8. The work needs to breathe. Leave a reveal around the canvas. Build up the mat so that it sits proud of the paper. Use wider mats.

12. For a collection of works going to a gallery, choose one frame that works for them all. Or if necessary, two. Despite minor size variations in the paper works, frame them up the same size, so that the client has the option of purchasing several pieces and using them in a grouping.

To read all 27 points click here: Random Thoughts on Framing

Looking for more fun business information check out our emerging artist website here.

LETS WORK TOGETHER

( 03 / 05 / 2010 )

‘A nod to the most important thing in the small business world – collaboration.’

My first biz blog is going to be something that we at Spark Box find to be the most important in the small business world – collaboration! Where would Kyle and I be without all the support and hard work given to us by people in this community? Having access to a motivated and helpful group of friends and community members can really make a small business survive. I know this seems like a totally obvious remark but it is seriously one of the biggest components to being successful.

We Need Each Other
The art scene is a small one and so it is pretty easy to get connected and support one another within it. Being a collaborative art studio we know all to well the importance of working with others. Its vital for us to have local artists use the space. So in order to make that happen we need to listen and act on suggestions made by our clients and potential clients. Collaboration for a business has to be good for both participants. That is why we also try to support our studio members outside of the studio space. Kyle and I recently attended an opening of one of our Open Studio members, Mia Lane. Mia currently has a show up at the John M. Parrott Art Gallery in Belleville and we felt it was important that we attend. The show was great and there several other local artists there supporting Mia and her

Learn From One Another
Being an active blogger I have noticed that the arts/crafts world online are all about sharing information, contributing ideas, supporting other artists and their projects and cheering each other on. Bloggers especially love sharing their stories. These stories are a great way to hear about what they are doing but also to learn about small business trouble shooting. You are also supporting their projects by reading and contributing to their site. How great is that? Learn and give back at the same time! Collaboration can be that simple. Support can be that easy.

Etsy (an online arts and crafts market) is a great example of how amazing the arts community can be. Even though everyone on the site is trying to sell their own goods, and create their own client base many seem to want to help each other out. There are TONS of posts from other sellers giving helpful hints and tips on how to get your own shop open, running and successful. I love this about the arts community. We are so eager to give each other a leg up.

Don’t Drag Me Down
We have heard from a few of our residents that in art school professors tend to give little information about promoting your art and getting it seen. Some feel this is a fear of the market getting saturated or that the older generation wants to keep their fame and glory instead of letting new artists move up the ranks. I hope that we can help change this part of the “fine art scene”. The indie crafters are doing it… why shouldn’t the “fine arters”? This is why this part of the website is so important to us. We hope that we can share things we have learned from others, how we got to where we are and what we would never do again. Thinking that your business is all about you and believing that you don’t need anyone else is a HUGE mistake.

Looking for more fun business information check out our emerging artist website here.

photography by Kyle Topping
photography by Chrissy Poitras

SPARK BOX STUDIO PAST RESIDENTS

We love our residency program at Spark Box Studio. It has been an extremely rewarding experience to have artists stay with us from around the world. As the months go by the roster of alumni grows and we are very proud to have hosted so many great artists. We are extremely grateful for being able to host this program.

A
- Ammons, Sarah
- Anderson, Jessica
- Androutsopoulos, Tessa
- Astrachan, Nava
- Atta, Pansee

B
- Bouchard, Miranda
- Boultbee, Glynis Wilson
- Boultbee, Paul
- Bourlier, Susan Gardiner
- Broeders, Collette
- Burwash, Sara

C
- Chan, Amanda
- Cook, Chayle
- Clayton, Laura

D
- Dannin, Josh

F
- Farrell, Catherine
- Flynn, Maggie
- Folyton, Mishi
- Frey, Beth

G
- Gemuend, Julie

H
- Hsin-Ju, Cynthia
- Hur, Hanna

J
- Jarry, Manuela
- Jennings, Catherine

K
- Kanfer, Deborah
- Kang, Laurie
- King, JP
- Kusch, Genna
- Kvarnstrom, Helena

L
- Lacey, Monica
- Laidman, Ryan
- Lang, Lilac
- Lee, Kenny
- Lupo, Max

M
- Marcantonio, Ari
- Maynard, Don
- McCavour, Amanda
- McCrae, Kirsten

N
- Newberry, Steve

Q
- Quail, Jamie
- Quirno, Sofi

P
- Palmer, Matt
- Phillips, Sarah Sands
- Pinder, Sarah
- Pretti, Katie

R
- Rapa, Erica
- Read, Krystal
- Richka, Melinda
- Riesenmey, Sara
- Routhfus, Rebecca

S
- Saba, Chris
- Sage, Vanessa
- Skrypnychenko, Anuta
- Sponder, Tamara
- Sproul, Ruth
- Stinberg, Justin

T
- Thallman, Jessica
- Thompson, Alison

U
- Uyeda, Amy

W
- Wharton-Ayer , Noelle
- Watchorn, Jessica
- Wickware , Lauren
- Wilson , Katharine
- Wiseheart , Jane

Y
- Yuksel, Kate