This weeks The Business Side of Art question is: What are graduate schools looking for in terms of potential students?

This was a surprisingly difficult question for me to answer because I have not considered applying for a masters degree. I looked long and hard to try to come up with an answer to this question. After hours of hunting online I really came up with little concrete information. But I did come up with a different way of looking at this question. I considered the fact that every school is looking for something different and therefore there is no one list of traits a potential student should have. After thinking about it this way I realized the real question is “what are you looking for in a potential graduate school?” Once you have this answered you will find that you are what that school is looking for in a potential student.

After creating the new question I started asking myself what I would look for in a school and I came up with a few questions you might want to ask yourself:

1. What type of work you would like to focus on? Are you a painter? Illustrator? Photographer? Are you going to need access to any special type of equipment (i.e. a darkroom or print studio)?
-Not every school is going to offer the equipment you might need for your discipline, in the same vein, not every school is going to focus on every field of art. It is important that the school you select is one that is going to suit you and the art practice you want to focus on.

2. Do they offer private studios to each student? Is this important to you?
-Are you the type of person who likes to have a studio they can have to themselves? Somewhere you can leave your work, shut a door and create independently? You might want to make sure that the school you are interested in provides this. Not every school is going to have the same set-up so always double check.

3. Is the school located somewhere you’d like to live and work in the future?
-This may seem like an odd suggestion but I think it is important that you are going to live somewhere around the place you decide to go to graduate school. If you consider the reasons for attending graduate school – becoming a teacher or driving your career through new contacts – you will begin to see why this is a really important question. It is going to be easier to utilize these connections if you continue to work in the area after you graduate.

4. What are the professors like?
-These are going to be your mentors for the next few years, so respecting their work and philosophies will make this experience much more enjoyable. Take the time to do some research on their work and select a school that has professors that work in a similar medium or style to yours. This way you know you are going to respond well to their feedback.

5. Will you need funding?
-If you need the school to help support you financially through such things as TA-ships it is important to make sure that they are available. Also, it is good to know if there are scholarships available to students entering the MFA program.

These were my top five questions. But after writing these out I went hunting for other questions people were asking when considering graduate school. During this search I came across a great article from the New York Foundations for the Art website. The Ten Tips for Those Considering MFA Programs article made many of the points I had made but had some great reflections from current MFA students. It also added a few additional points such as considering the duration of the program, thinking about your expectations, taking your time and supporting your own decision to get your MFA. I especially thought author Ilana Stanger’s question about becoming a teacher was a good one to consider. The article points out that “… if you’re not excited about teaching, you should apply for residencies instead. The MFA qualifies you to teach. That’s it. Think about that.” Let me ensure you that I don’t just like this point because I run a residency but because I think it is important to really understand why you are taking your masters degree.

Now that you have some questions to help you narrow your focus and you have answered why you want to attend an MFA program I think you will find that you have answered the question “what makes a potential MFA student?”.

If you enjoy this work let other people know by sharing it:

This weeks The Business Side of Art question is: “Where can I access materials to help me with funding and the application process for grants?”

Sourcing funding is an important part of the art world since, like any business, artists need capital in order to produce work. For some artists and art organizations applying for grants can occupy more time than is actually spent making work or running the facility. Along with being time consuming grant writing can be extremely challenging. Being surrounded by artists regularly we have heard our fair share of grant secrets, success stories and failures. We have even experience some of these first hand. Our first two years were successfully funded by a provincial grant but our third year has seen no grants at all.

The hard and fast answer to this question is that there isn’t one right way to apply for funding. There are elements that can make you a more eligible candidate.  Having provoking and well documented work, creating an intriguing project idea, incorporating programs with the local community or addressing current national issues are just some of the ways you can help yourself receive funding. The thing to remember is that reading the guidelines carefully is the most important step. Knowing that your project/work fulfills the grant requirements is always going to help you get further in the granting process. Ensure you are clear about what you are planning to with the funding and be realistic. Most artist grants have a large number of applicants so make sure you review every detail of your application and request a realistic amount for your project.

While it can be surprisingly hard to find solid information about writing grants successfully there are a few online resources that will help you put together a grant application. I have listed a few below:

CARFAC ONTARIO

-CARFAC is a great resource for Canadian artists. Not only do they produce comprehensive publications they also host workshops meant to demystify many of the business challenges artist have.

S. JOSEPH LEVINE’S GUIDE TO WRITING A FUNDING PROPOSAL

-This guide is filled with great information and takes you through a grant application step-by-step. It gives you hints along with examples and is often updated with new information.

GRANTING AGENCIES (ex. Canada Arts Council)

-It is good to remember that the granting agency has staff that are there to help you write. If you plan well enough in advance these people are a great wealth of knowledge. You can call or write them with all your questions and they will provide you with answers that will help make sure you are writing what the granter is looking for. There are often grant writing sessions offered by granting agencies as well. These sessions will explain what programs are available, who is eligible and how to apply.

YES MONTREAL

-The YES Montreal website has many great resources but their Making Your Way Handbook (which is free) has some valuable information about grant writing, along with tips about pricing your work, making media contacts, etc.

If you know of other helpful resources that can be added to this list send me an email chrissy[at]sparkboxstudio.com

If you found this information helpful please let other people know by sharing it:

When people apply for our Artist Residency Award we ask them to list their top three questions about being a professional artist. It was my plan to answer these questions after each award segment, but, alas time is always an issue and so far that hasn’t happened. The great thing is I am ready to start tackling these now. The first question I am going to address is a great one and also one I have been giving a lot of thought to lately (as I have been updating our Etsy shop). This question is “How do I properly Document my 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 an important investment as an artist and entrepreneur. Personally, I like to hire a photographer to take images of my art work. I struggle with taking great photos and I am even worse with editing them. My paintings often have different textures, vibrant colours and high shine areas which make them very difficult to take images of.  I would rather ensure that I get the best photo possible by hiring a professional. You can see in the example below why working with a professional can give you that added advantage. In the image I took there is glare, the image is dark, the colours are off, but with the professionally taken image the colours are true, you can see the details in the work and there is no glare.

If you choose to take this route here are some tips I have learned over the years when working with photographers:

1. Find a brightly lit area of your home or studio where you can set-up the shots. It would be best if this space has a blank wall you can hang your work on easily (or a place where you can set-up a table for three dimensional work).

2. Have everything prepared before the photographer arrives. I like to make sure I have all the work I want photographed set out in the order I want them taken. I also have a nail in the wall where I can hang each of my paintings. This way the photographer just has to set-up his camera in one spot and I can change the work for him or her. This makes the process much faster which is good for both the photographer and yourself (especially if you are being charged by the hour).

3. Remember to get details. This is something I often forget when working with photographers. If you have the time consider getting some close-up images of your work (especially if there are interesting textures in your pieces). It is also nice to have a “in situ” shot so that a potential buyer can see what your work looks like in a space, this also gives them an idea of size.

If you are confident in your photography skills or if hiring a photographer is just a bit out of your means that is fine as well. We have a wonderful PDF written by a close friend and photographer, Paul Hubble. Paul outlines, in detail, all of the information you need to take images with your own camera.

There are also a number of online resources with helpful tips on this topic. I recently watch a great video on the Etsy website about how to take product images. Even though you might not be photographing crafts these tips can be easily used for paintings, prints or sculpture.

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.

p>

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.

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!

The Square2 team is thrilled to announce the release of their second issue. With more local artists, as well as some great outside talent, issue two is packed with great artists, writers, playwrights and musicians. We have gone up in pages and are happy to say we will be one of the first Eastern Ontario magazines to create an iPad version!

The fall issue of Square2 will be launched at Sly-Fi Chapel in Trenton in conjunction with Emily Fennell’s “Thank You” concert on September 25th. The evening will be filled with good music and interesting reads. Everyone that attends the event will be given a special edition copy of the magazine with a CD from Emily Fennell. Be sure to contact info@square2magazine.com for ticket information (there will be limited seating). We hope you will come out for the launch of our second issue!

Follow us on twitter and facebook to find out more information about the event and future issues.

Check out our website www.square2magazine.com

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!

For more information on getting started as a professional artist check out our Emerging Artist Guide.

If you think the information you find through these blogs or our emerging artist site are good, worth your time and full of handy information you can show us through filling out the survey linked to each post. This survey will not only show us your support and give us a reason to keep working at this part of the studio, it will aid in us staying alive as it helps fulfill our grant!
Click here to take survey

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!

If you think the information you find through these blogs or our emerging artist site are good, worth your time and full of handy information you can show us through filling out the survey linked to each post. This survey will not only show us your support and give us a reason to keep working at this part of the studio, it will aid in us staying alive as it helps fulfill our grant!
Click here to take survey