UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Spring 2024 Workshops
Our signature online workshops provide practical advice and key insights that can make an immediate impact. Click the workshop title below to sign up:
TO BE ANNOUNCED IN MARCH!
All workshops are priced at $30, with a portion benefiting the NAACP LDF and Solar Responders.
PAST WORKSHOPS
Encouraging Sales and Cultivating Collectors
Designed specifically for artists, this workshop will explore where to identify potential collectors and how to cultivate buyers for your work. We will also review helpful techniques and best practices to encourage sales and build your list of clientele. Key topics include pricing, follow-up, first impressions and personal style. Participants are encouraged to bring and share their questions as we’ll be ending the workshop with a comprehensive Q&A session to address specific concerns and scenarios.
How to Choose an Artist Residency that Aligns with Your Goals
Artist residencies can be an amazing way for artists to achieve specific goals, whether it's to expand your network, explore a new art scene in a different country or simply just get away from your routine and find inspiration. During this workshop, Ninth Street Collective member Erin Kim will help you strategically identify artist residencies that align with your personal and professional goals, and share tips on how to best present yourself in your application. She will cover examples of successful applications and share her experiences serving on application review committees of select artist residencies. Please bring your questions and application excerpts for feedback.
Screened In: The Art of the Virtual Studio Visit
Well into the quarantine, artists are seeking creative ways to share their art and practice. With online tools becoming increasingly prominent in the age of social distancing, one effective approach is scheduling a virtual studio visit. During this workshop, Ninth Street Collective members Audra Lambert and Heather Zises will offer tips on how to successfully plan, promote and execute a remote visit, even if you do not have access to your studio.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the NAACP LDF.
Ask a Gallerist with Sara Salamone from Mrs. Gallery
Have you ever wanted to speak to the person behind the desk or in the backroom candidly? Here's your chance to ask questions “off the record” about your career, how the gallery world really works, and any other burning questions. Sara Salamone and Courtney Childress will speak about their experiences in the New York art world and you will be able to ask them questions in a small group setting.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the NAACP LDF.
No Cold Emails: Approaching Curators and Dealers Effectively
Don’t waste your time sending "Dear Sir or Madam" emails, copy/pasting messages to a shortlist of social media accounts or shooting in the dark on LinkedIn. In this workshop, we will cover do’s and dont’s for artists looking to connect with art dealers, galleries, collectors and curators. We will discuss how to cultivate interest in your work and build long-term relationships, including tapping into your existing network, communicating with authenticity and strategically sharing career updates and new bodies of work.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to Black Art Futures Fund.
Extra, Extra! Prep Your Artist's Press Kit
Press is critical for any artist, and when editors and writers come calling for exhibition reviews and interviews, you want to make sure you are organized so you make the best possible impression. We will start with the basics by examining what press contacts need, making small improvements to ensure that your press kit reflects your artwork or exhibition, integrating this process into your studio practice and increasing your prospects of being referred to art critics. Audra Lambert, Editor-in-Chief of ANTE mag and contributor to HuffPost Arts+Culture, Art Nerd NY, Quiet Lunch, Artefuse, The Culture Trip and more, has covered over 200 artists and exhibitions, and will guide artists through best practices to create a "press kit" that will leave a strong impression on critics as a professional working artist.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to Black Art Futures Fund.
Uploading: Image Selection for Your Website and Applications
Is your favorite image of your artwork actually the best choice for your grant application or website landing page? Selecting images for your website, social media and various applications can be overwhelming, yet even more crucial now that artwork is primarily viewed virtually. Your images represent your work to the world, and you should consider your website and social media to be your own online exhibition or showroom.
Join us for a workshop on image selection with one of Ninth Street Collective's founding members, Courtney Childress. With a decade of experience reviewing artist's images, preparing applications for fairs, aiding prospective students applying to art programs and helping galleries and artists with their websites, she will provide guidance to help you present yourself and your work in the best possible light. She will cover how to choose a cohesive set of images of past and current work, formatting images for proper display on various devices, tips on ordering your images and insight into what curators and dealers are looking for when viewing your work!
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the NAACP LDF.
The Rules of Engagement: Social Media Strategies for Artists
In this workshop learn how to make your artwork more visible, expand your audience base and find more exhibition opportunities outside the digital art space using social media platforms. Led by Ninth Street Collective founding member Heather Zises.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to No Kid Hungry.
Taking Stock: Inventory Management
Inventory management is by no means glamorous, and may not seem important in the earlier part of an artist's career. As time passes, it's hard to keep track of the details: "Who did I loan that piece to?" "What are the dimensions of that painting?" "What was the name of the collector that liked that photography?" Provenance is an essential aspect of an artist's work, and this workshop will provide options for different record-keeping systems that already exist and how to put one together on your own if you’re on a budget.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to S.O.F.I.A.
Artist CVs and Bios
Please join us for a workshop where we dig into some of the less glamorous tasks of being an artist! Your CV and bio are crucial to your success and longevity. The formulas for both are very simple, but most people do not have it right, most often due to lack of knowledge or time. Let’s take the time to make yours perfect, so the next time you need it for grant/residency applications, gallery/collector requests, your website, online platforms or an open call it’s ready to send!
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the NAACP LDF.
Creating an Unforgettable Press Release
Master the elements of drafting and perfecting a press release that seizes your readers’ attention. We’ll discuss the basic building blocks of a standard press release and share specific tips for crafting compelling language that will make your announcement both relevant and remarkable. We’ll also discuss the pros and cons of the trendy “creative” press release. There will be a Q&A session to follow and attendees will receive a template post-workshop for reference.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to Black Art Futures Fund.
Side Hustles and Online Sales
Artists’ incomes are not limited to art sales alone! Artists have many skills and talents beyond their studio practices -- we will talk about ways to use those to your advantage and generate revenue! Understanding how to do this without putting your visual art career at risk is the tricky part. In this workshop we will discuss some of the many ways you can use your creativity to support yourself and help sustain your practice: strategies for websites, edition information, licensing and options for online sales platforms, among many other avenues.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the NAACP LDF.
Mana Contemporary x Ninth Street Collective
August/September 2020
Practical Art Handling for Artists
With an increasing reliance on shipping companies and installers in the “new normal,” we’ll discuss how artists can optimize art handling, packing and shipping. An emphasis will be placed on practical considerations of treatment of different art mediums, developing instructions for installers on-site at exhibitions, considerations for local and long-distance shipping, approaches to shipping via mail services (UPS/FedEx) versus consolidated shuttles, questions around insurance and art shipping and the basics of art handling. Gain insights from an experienced art handler who is also an artist as Lydia Goldbeck shares some of the key tricks of the trade that can benefit any visual artist.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the NAACP LDF.
Testimonials:
“‘Practical Art Handling for Artists’ had a knowledgeable guest speaker who offered real world examples, and raised issues I had not even thought of, such as floating paintings that were still wet in special frame when shipping. It was also great to hear a range of options and solutions for different budgets.”
— M.O., Artist
“I enjoyed the workshop ‘Practical Art Handling for Artists,’ as Lydia and Audra had some very informative points and I also learned a lot from the other participants’ questions and comments.”
— R.S., Artist
The Price is Right
Pricing your artwork doesn't have to be terrifying, mysterious or emotional. Let us empower you with the right information! There are certain criteria to determine how you price your work so you are not jeopardizing your future market/sales or under/over valuing your work. Let us guide you through the proper protocol for pricing. We will lay out a variety of pricing structures with plenty of time to answer individual questions and help you determine the right price for you.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the NAACP LDF.
Demystifying Copyright Law in the Digital Space
As an artist, protecting your work is just as important as sharing it. Learn how to demystify copyright law in the digital space and develop best practices for the use of third party content during a one hour workshop with intellectual property attorney Aaron Pierce and Ninth Street Collective founding member Heather Zises.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the NAACP LDF.
ChaShaMa x Ninth Street Collective
June 2020
Writing a Great Artist Statement
Struggling to translate your creative practice into words? Avoiding the process of writing and editing your artist statement, whether for your own materials or an upcoming application? Face your fears at this upcoming workshop, which helps artists explore how to clearly communicate who they are as creative individuals, and the kind of work they produce, to a broad range of audiences.
Artists will learn the components of creating effective personal narratives, tangible tips for keeping their statements updated on a regular basis, modifying statements for different platforms and more. The instructor will provide personalized feedback and organize breakout groups for peer-to-peer feedback.
Learnings from this workshop can apply to improving applications for grants, fellowships, and residencies; websites; press releases; marketing materials and more. Artists should bring a copy of their most recent artist statement for review and 2-4 images of their own artworks for context.
About the facilitator: Shama Rahman (she/her) is a marketing specialist who has worked in marketing roles at The New York Times, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. She currently works at The Wall Street Journal as a creative strategist and is a founding member of Ninth Street Collective, where she conducts one-on-one consultations for artists. More information: LinkedIn
** Past workshops held (2016-present): Mana Contemporary, The Wing, New Women Space, Eyebeam, The New School, Equity Gallery, Commend, Abrons Arts Center
** Testimonial: “I’m not a strong writer — I’ve described my writing resembling something like a conspiracy theorist mood board. But Shama allowed time for me to read my artist statement in a very inclusive space, only suggesting a few notes and edits to further my own voice. Her encouragement is reinforced with her background working and supporting with artists over the years and I can’t thank her enough for her insight.” - Tommy Kha, photographer and artist
Becoming a Full-Time Artist: Managing a Career Transition to the Arts
This workshop focuses on the unique challenges that face artists who have built careers in other industries, and who are now ready for full-time careers as artists. We will present strategies for artists to build a new (or expand an existing) network in the arts and re-brand themselves as professional artists. We will tackle issues such as finding opportunities to be featured in the press, expanding contacts with curators and art dealers and building on a lexicon of current art industry standard "language" and knowledge to be taken seriously as an artist ready for the international stage.
The format for this workshop will consist of an interactive presentation, followed by small group breakouts focused on problem-solving and a final Q&A.
This workshop is great for artists who have reached a milestone in their life (e.g., retirement, return from maternity leave, vocational change) and are ready to devote themselves fully to building a career as a renowned artist.