Business Week's Small Biz Insider has just recently run two very interesting articles on artist and musician entrepreneurship. In Business Advice for Artists from Artists, Stacy Perman says that "while most fine artists will not see Picasso-size deals in their lifetime, they have ways to promote themselves and boost their sales." She has this to say about the business of art:
While most artists would not consider themselves entrepreneurs, art is still a business . . . Visibility has always been crucial for artists to get their work out to buyers. Today, with the Internet, resourceful artists can get their work noticed by creating Web sites or establishing a presence in online communities. These serve as a virtual portfolio.
In Teaching Musicians to be Entrepreneurs, Kerry Miller explains why entrepreneurship training is beginning to strike a chord with faculty and students at top music conservatories:
As an end goal, Manhattan School of Music President, Robert Sirota envisions "a new generation of performing musicians who function more like individual small businesses, who work the hypersegmented musical marketplace in an entirely different way."
As a musician, budding artist, and someone who helps entrepreneurial women, particularly the creative type, start up businesses, I find this new approach to the fine and performing arts refreshing. With entrepreneurship being taught to artists and musicians, we can soon expect to see a flourish in art and music in the United States as the artists and musicians themselves, have the business savvy to get their masterpieces our for all of us to enjoy.
What do you think? Good idea or not? Weigh in and let us know!
Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
There are millions of artists with websites out there today, and I don't know how many of them consider themselves entrepreneurs. But they're all trying to get noticed and sell their work. While the creation process itself is expansive, I believe that thinking/acting like a business owner is also necessary. It's a combination of loving your creation and guiding it skillfully into the world.
Posted by: Dana's Energy Drawings at Nine Tomatoes | April 28, 2008 at 11:14 AM
As you know, I've been taking a painting class this spring. On Monday, I asked who is selling their art? No one. Then I asked who had a website? No one. Then I asked if anyone had considered selling their art via the Internet. Everyone said they wouldn't know where to begin and viewed the Internet as something too big to even approach.
As you pointed out, Dana, not one of the women in my class considered themselves an entrepreneur, though they all wish they had an avenue to be recognized. They are happy to take an art class. Happy to give their art away to family and friends. But when it comes to turning their passion into a profit, they are at a loss.
Posted by: The Original Accidental Pren-her | April 30, 2008 at 06:07 AM