Resources for Individual Artists

These are resources for individual artists.

For organizations, please visit Resources for Organizations Working With Artists.

For grantmakers, please visit Resources for Grantmakers.

Marketing

Sale Strategies

• Professional Artist - A website for visual artists attempting to improve their art businesses.
• Can a Business Model Sustain Art? - Create an innovative business model.
• Most of Your Art Marketing Will Fail - Maintaining the right mindset while selling art.
• Make Your Art Show Booth into a Gallery - Three takes on setting up an art show booth.
• Increase Your Profit Margins: Raise Your Prices
• Know Your Customer
• Is Your Art Right for the Corporate Market?
• Selling More Paintings with an Annual Secret Sale
• Build a Business on YouTube

Internet and Social Media

• 6 Ways to Boost Your Online Art Sales
• How Many People Do You Need On Your Mailing List?
• 5 Steps to Better Email Marketing for Artists
• A Fresh Social Media Strategy for Artists in 2017
• Location-Based Social Media: An Art Form Worth Perfecting
• Social Media Tips: It's About Quality, Not Quantity
• YouTube for Artists

Education

• The MFA Years - Fully Funded MFA Programs - A list of affordable MFA programs.
• The Price to Pay - Four artists weigh in on the merits of getting an MFA
• For Artists Who Can’t Afford to Get an MFA, Alternatives Now Abound
• Student Loan Repayment Calculator - Determine how much to budget each month to pay off student loans.

Emergency Resources

• Studio Protector: The Artist's Guide to Emergencies
• For funding options, see Emergency Funding

Funding

Writing a Grant Application

• RISD Grant and Proposal Tips
• How to Write Grants For Your Art Project - Some steps to earn money for upcoming projects.

Grant Listings

• NYFA Source
• New England Foundation for the Arts
• Arts Midwest
• South Arts
• Mid-America Arts Alliance
• Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation
• Western States Arts Foundation

Individual Grants

• The Alexia Foundation -Funding for students and professional photographers.
• Visura - Funding for photographers.
• The Gordon Parks Foundation - Short-time fellowships for artists who promote social justice.
• The Aaron Siskind Individual Photographers Fellowship Grants - Funding for photographers.
• Art Jewelery Forum - $20,000 grant for midcareer jewelery makers.
• Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize - $10,000 grant for documentary project writer-photographer duo.
• Pollock-Krasner Foundation - Merit-based and need-based grants for visual artists.
• Women's Studio Workshop - Grants and residencies for artists working in printmaking, papermaking, bookmaking, and ceramics.
• Puffin Foundation - $1,000-$2,500 grants for all kinds of artists whose genre/philosophy is uncommon.
• The Sustainable Arts Foundation - Unrestricted cash awards and residency opportunities to artists with families.
• ART WORKS - Grants for media arts professionals.
• Our Town - Grant for projects that help revitalize communities.
• UrbanGlass - Funding for artists working with medium of glass.
• The Vilcek Foundation - Annual prizes for immigrants in the performing arts.
• Princess Grace Awards - Grants for emerging theater, dance, and film artists.

Crowdfunding

• Patreon - Alternative source for funding through subscription system.
• Emphas.is - Crowdfunding for "meaningful projects."
• Pozible - Crowdfunding for projects.
• RocketHub - Global community for entrepreneurs.
• Indiegogo - Launchpad for entrepreneurial ideas.
• ArtistShare - Crowdfunding resource dedicated to artists.

Scholarships

• The Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarships at the Foundation des Etats-Unis - Funding for graduate-level practice in music and the visual art.
• National Sculpture Society, Inc. Scholarship - Scholarships of $2,000 for students studying sculpture.
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Visual Arts Fellowship - Scholarships for artists and art historians who reside in Virginia.
• Worldstudio Foundation AIGA Scholarships - $2,000-3,000 scholarships for arts students from minority or economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Union League Civic & Arts Foundation - Scholarships for visual arts students in Chicago.

Emergency Funding

• CERF+ - Voluntary task force supplying temporary relief to artists.
• HOWL Emergency Life Project (HELP) - Emergency support for artists who have participating in the HOWL Festival.
• The Haven - Assistance for artists facing career-threatening emergencies.
• Alliance of Artists Communities (AAC) Residencies for Artists Affected by a Natural Disaster - Short-term residencies for artists affected by natural disasters.
• Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation, Inc. - Typically-$5,000 award to artists facing unexpected disaster.
• Artists' Charitable Fund - Financial support for artists struck by medical, fire or other distaster.
• Joan Mitchell Foundation Emergency Grant - Emergency financial support for artists working with painting, sculpture or drawing.
• Artists' Fellowship, Inc. - Financial assistance for artists "in times of sickness, natural disaster, bereavement or unexpected extreme hardship."
• Max's Kansas City Project - Emergency funding for professionals in the creative arts who live in New York state.
• Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants - $200-$2500 in funding for artists dealing with hardship or who incur unexpected expenses for projects close to completion date.
• Visual Aid - Assistance to help artists with life-threatening illnesses continue work.
• The Dancers fund - Emergency funding for Chicago-based dancers.

Job Search

• Be Creative -- Find a Job in the Arts - Advice on looking for jobs and getting your foot in the door.
• The Business of Art: A Q&A - Advice and guidance for arts administrators and art educators.
• How to Get a Job at a Museum - An overview of the types of museum jobs.
• How to Get a Job in Development - An overview of skills needed to get a job in development.
• Five Commonly Asked Interview Questions - Common questions for arts professionals.
• How Social Media Can Help Your Job Search - Networking on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
• How Does A Gallery Find Me? - One gallerist's perspective.

Housing and Studio Space

• Artspace - National group for artist housing.
• Assets for Artists Space Finder - Selected artist space resources.

Residencies

Picking a Residency

• Choosing the Right Residency for You
• Trans Artists: What are residencies?

Residency Listings

• Asian Cultural Council - Arts exchanges in Asia.
• Japan Foundation - 2-12 month residencies in Japan
• Art Shape Mammoth International Artist Exchange - Exchanges to Iceland, Finland, and China.
• The Nordic Artists' Center - Artistic community in Scandinavia with accomodations provided.
• The American-Scandinavian Foundation - Grants for arts professionals to support intercultural dialogue.
• Arts Envoys - American arts professionals travel overseas to conduct workshops, give performances, and mentor young people.
• US-Cuba Artist Exchange - Encourages cultural dialogue between Cubans and Americas
• Sacatar Foundation - Six-to-twelve week residencies in a beachside town in Brazil.
• Alliance of Artists
• Res Artist
• Trans Artists
• Transcultural Exchange
• Residency Unlimited
• U.S. National Parks Residency
• Beltway Residency Listing
• MesArt Residency Listing
• China Residencies
• Air_J - Residencies in Japan
• Basil Alkazzi Artist-in-Residence - For painting artists who explore impact of light.
• Lighton International Artists Exchange Program - International residencies for visual artists and arts professionals.
• Woodstock A-I-R - For artists of color working in the medium of photography.
• McColl Center for Visual Art - Charlotte, NC-based residency program.
• Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture - Nine-week residency for painters and sculptors.
• The Millay Colony for the Arts - Residency for visual artists and composers of all experience levels.
• Isabel Stewart Gardner Artist-in-Residence Program - Flexible residencies for artists working in any medium.
• The Mattress Factory - Pittsburgh-based residency where artists create site-specific works.
• The Bemis Center - Residency for all types of artists that includes general stipend.
• Engaging Artists - For NYC-based artists interested in addressing the intersecting issues of labor, immigration, globalization, and economic justice.

Care & Preparedness

Health Care

• Insurance in the Arts
• Actors Fund Health Insurance Resource Center
• Fractured Artlas Guide to Insurance for Artists - A collection of resources for health insurance, based on your type of work.
• Actors Fund Health Insurance Resource Center - Information on getting insured and workshops in LA and NYC.
• Artist Access Program, Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center - Brooklyn-based program that exchanges $40 health care credits for one hour of creative work.

Insurance & Preparedness

• NYFA - Emergency Preparedness for Artists - Advice on preparing for natural disasters.
• NYFA - An A/V Presentation Primer for Artists - Advice on backing up data.
• NYFA - Business Insurance for Individual Artists - Advice on insuring your professional assets.
• The Basics of Insurance for Artists - A broad overview of types of insurance an artist might consider.
• Protect Yourself from Fraudelent Job Listings - How to avoid common job scams.

Self Care

• Self Care for Artists - Five short articles on taking care of yourself to maximize productivity.

Legal Services for Artists

Resources

• Common Artist Legal Problems and How to Avoid Them
• Clancoo - News about art law.
• Photographers: Let the Shutters Fly - Know your rights as a photographer.
• Business of Art: Copyright, Fair Use, and the New Borrowers
• United States Copyright Office

Legal Support

• Lawyers for the Creative Arts
• Volunteer Lawyers for Artists - Chicago - Legal help and open seminars.
• Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts - New York City
• The Artists' and Innovators' Legal Clinic - Boulder, CO
• California Lawyers for the Arts

Personal Finance

For Artists

• sm-artly - Personal finance for artists.
• Building a Project Budget - Step-by-step instructions for project budget building.
• Are You Ready for Tax Season? - Three tips on thriving during tax season.
• Personal Finance for Artists - Concise round-up of what artists should know about personal finance
• On the Move - Advice for traveling artists.

General

• Mint - For keeping track of budgets and bills.
• WiseBread - Financial health and general wellbeing.
• Investopedia News and advice for investing.

Professional Development

• Wage for Work - Organization that advocates for equitable salaries for artists.
• Artist U - Artist-run incubator for changing working conditions for artists.
• http://www.tremainefoundation.org/uploads/3/0/7/4/30740769/prof_dev_for_artists_free_resources.pdf
• http://www.tremainefoundation.org/uploads/6/4/6/7/64670527/ehtf_national_artist_resource_list.pdf
• Creative Capital - Workshops, Webinars, and Professional Development Resources for Artists
• Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
• Tips for Artists Starting Out - Advice on networking, setting goals, and being realistic
• The Importance of Following Successful Living Artists - Define success and find role models.
• 10 Techniques from Professional Artists for Breaking Through Creative Block - Strategies to spark creativity.
• Americans for the Arts - Professional Development - Webinars and more.

Books and Literature

Professional Development

• The Profitable Artist, Artspire, 2011 ($24.95) - NYFA's collection of "best practices" for planning and organizing a career in the arts.
• The Artist's Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love, Jackie Battenfield, 2009 ($11.00) - Tough love approach with workbook.
• Getting Your Sh*t Together: The Ultimate Business Manual for Every Practicing Artist, Karen Atkinson, 2014, 2014 ($28.99) - An all-encompassing, easy to follow guide for artists looking to better their business practices.
• The Profitable Artist: A Handbook for All Artists in the Performing, Literary, and Visual Arts, Artspire, 2011 ($15.62) - "Best practices" approach with anecdotes, interviews, and case studies.
• The Artist's Guide to Public Art: How to Find and Win Commissions, Lynn Basa, 2008 ($19.95) - Thorough guide to winning commissions.
• Create Your Art Career: Practical Tools, Visualizations, and Self-Assessment Exercises for Empowerment and Success, Rhonda Schaller, 2013 ($11.42) - 50+ career planning exercises.
• Starting Your Career as an Artist: A Guide for Painters, Sculptors, Photographers, and Other Visual Artists , Angie Wojak et al., 2011 ($11.52) - Evaluating goals and creating plans of action.
• ART/WORK: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career, Heather Darcy Bhandari et al. , 2009 ($12.75) - Comprehensive career guide.
• _encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=145212826X&pd_rd_r=Y2VJXBV56M9AN89M6Y2N&pd_rd_w=Cx4OR&pd_rd_wg=ijiw4&psc=1&refRID=Y2VJXBV56M9AN89M6Y2N Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist, Lisa Congdon, 2014 ($11.52) - Advice on turning your passion into profit, with chapters on copyrighting, marketing, licensing and more.

Writing

• The Artist's Guide to Grant Writing: How to Find Funds and Write Foolproof Proposals for the Visual, Literary, and Performing Artist , Gigi Rosenberg, 2010
• Art-Write: The Writing Guide for Visual Artists Vicki Amorose, 2013 ($7.99) - A practical guide on writing about your own art in order to connect with your viewers and advance professionally.
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life Anne Lamott, 2007 ($11.99) - Part narrative and part advice, a book about finding your voice in writing.
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King, 2000 ($9.91) A "revealing and practical view of the writer's craft" that combines memoir and advice.
• The Writing Life Annie Dillard, 2009 ($8.36) - A collection of stories about what to expect in a life as a writer.

Personal Finance

• Arts & Numbers: A Financial Guide for Artists, Writers, Performers, and Other Members of the Creative Class, Elaine Grogan Luttrull , 2013
• The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing, Benjamin Graham, 2006 ($12.81) - A well-established guide to investing money.
• Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook Tony Robbins 2017, $15.06 - Financial coach shares advice on creating an actionable plan to save money.
• Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing, Burton G. Malkiel, 2016 ($13.56) - A guide to index-investing that will help you save in the long term.

• Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artists, Sharon Louden et al., 2013
• The Artist as Culture Producer: Living and Sustaining a Creative Life , Sharon Louden et al., 2017
• Making Your Life as an Artist - Book and Workbook, Andrew Simonet

Fostering Creativity

• The Art Life: On Creativity and Career, Stuart Horodner et al., 2012
• Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative, Austin Kleon, 2012 ($12.95) - A guide to put readers of the digital age in touch with their creative side.
• Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All, Tom Kelley and David Kelley, 2013 ($32.00) - The founders of IDEO share how to nurture creativity and innovation.
• The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life, Twyla Tharp, 2003 ($7.19) - A set of thirty-two practical exercises to help drive creativity.
• The Artist's Way: 25th Anniversary Edition, Julia Cameron, 1992, $11.55 - A classic book filled with creativity-building exercises.

General

• Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking, David Bayles & Ted Orland, 1993 ($12.95) - Why some art is created and why art often seems to scary to create.
• How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie, 1936 ($9.90) - A timeless book about the best practices to make new acquaintances in order to achieve results.
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, Stephen Covey, 1989 ($10.57) - An all-encompassing manual for building great habits.
• Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill, 1937 ($3.99) - A classic, brief book on maintaining a positive mental attitude and achieving personal success.

Productivity

• The War of Art, Steven Pressfield, 2011 ($9.91) - A short, tough-love read about overcoming mental block.
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, David Allen, 2015 ($9.90) - Book on personal organization with actionable plans.
• Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, 2013 ($8.95) - Practical insights by a psychologist about using "slow thinking" to get things done.