On Art and Money: A Resource Guide And Recap
Introducing Art and Money.
Co-hosted by our founding Executive Director Jane Hervey and a lineup of guest instructors, this three-part series was designed for Austin-based independent and DIY artists, creatives and small business owners. Our inaugural sessions included:
WEBSITES 101 — From ecommerce to artist portfolios, how can you best tell your story—and communicate with the world?
GRANTS 101 — Hosted at DORF’s new gallery, we hosted a candid conversation on applying to (and learning from) grants.
VENUES 101 — In partnership with DASA in downtown Austin, we talked shop on finding, preparing and managing venue relationships for cultural events, short-term creative projects, solo art exhibitions and more.
CONTINUE READING FOR RESOURCES.
ART AND MONEY HIGHLIGHTS
★ No. 1 — WEBSITES 101
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Design for your target audience. The number of pages you make, the kinds of forms you use, the way you set up your homepage should be tailored to the kind of audience you're in communication with and the actions you want them to take.
Identify your call to action or priority message for each page—and make sure it's clear to your audience. Are you trying to get new bookings? Are you wanting to work with wholesalers? Do you need to find new collectors? Do you simply need someone to understand the breadth and variety of your work?
Ensure that your website makes contacting you, collaborating with you or understanding your work clear through visuals, tight text and clear communication.
When in doubt, keep it simple. We all have to start somewhere. Although it's easy to get swept up in branding, SEO and the million other things it takes to make a website, remember that a website is simply a link where people can find high-level information about you and connect to your work, no matter what you're promoting or working on in the moment. This is also what makes a website different from your social media.
KEY RESOURCES
Websites 101 Recording + Slides — https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NRz2hlKLaRGNl12x62mdHGIbXvOSBpoX?usp=sharing
Helpful Website Brainstorming Tools —
https://thecreativeindependent.com/guides/how-to-make-a-website-for-your-creative-work/
https://ilovecreatives.com/internet-gems
https://reallygoodemails.com/
Creative Business Guide + Brand Goals Guide — https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oxIDX-xOyEpNaUkPwai27JIjwKDLJw-9?usp=sharing
DIY Website Builders —
For Creative Projects w/ Ecommerce Focus — shopify.com, square.com
For Artist / Creative Portfolios — squarespace.com, framer.com
For Bios & Simple Landing Pages — milkshake.app, linktr.ee, biosites.com (a squarespace company)
★ No. 2 — GRANTS 101
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Thank you to our staff and volunteers for collecting these highlights: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NRz2hlKLaRGNl12x62mdHGIbXvOSBpoX?usp=sharing
KEY RESOURCES
Open Calls for Artists & Creatives from Future Front: https://futurefronttexas.org/apply
Grant-Writing Pro-Tips from Artist KB Brookins: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hk3W6O80E5OyO4AuyaUds_xLqdecHzUyGE9OuLsFTgA/edit?usp=sharing
How To Apply For Grants & Fiscal Sponsorship Overview by Artist Liz Moskowitz (Slides): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ncoNl-tmJX7KpSAW8-2b0m2nqIKagZtB/view?usp=sharing
COA hosts regular virtual open office hours on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 10am to noon. They have staff from the all the HOT funded programs (Thrive, Elevate, Nexus, Live Music Fund, Heritage Preservation Grant, Creative Space Assistance Fund) available as well as staff from the Art in Public Places Program for those folks who are interested in applying for Public Arts Projects. Get in touch and explore funding options here: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/cultural-funding
If folks are looking to hire a grantwriter to help them with future applications here is a list of local grantwriters that have experience writing Thrive, Elevate and Nexus Grants: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MAPSTDhjDgzZEUXpB0FUSlojIHWM6rCu/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107083371322815718914&rtpof=true&sd=true
★ No. 3 — VENUES AND EVENTS 101
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Thank you to our staff and speakers for contributing to the resources on this presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WwiuE_k0E0nSaBLD-K0LHaMlM8pAGqNwNtBA7NZ0krs/edit?usp=sharing
KEY RESOURCES
DASA Program Discounted Venue Options: https://downtownaustin.submittable.com/submit/296021/dasa-community-activator
Future Front's Venue Database: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U-gjlwAXEwrefTdW0eqW0WIfZ-9yGqfXoVtXnO56fHo/edit?usp=sharin