Grow An Online Audience Of Art Buyers & Sell Your Work In Reputable Venues
Professional Artist MBA
4.9 (100+ ratings)
Stage
Emerging, Re-emerging or Transitioning Artist
The Goal
Forever-sustainable art business
Course Length
8 Weeks
Course Format
Cohort Based Course
The Quick Summary:
The Professional Artist MBA is an 8-week-long intimate workshop-style course for visual artists who are serious about making it as a professional artist, designed by a faculty of leading art professionals.
This course is 100% online and consists of short training videos and weekly implementation workshops.
To remedy the growing wave of “one stop shop marketing gurus” claiming to know it all about the Art World. We have invested years and close to six figures in producing the ultimate curriculum to flourish as an artist today.
This program offer is self-paced so it starts when you are ready! (if you enroll before the offer expires).
Who this course is for
Emerging Artist
You are an ambitious emerging artist with no time to waste, you want clear instructions to build your reputation and sell more work.
Re-Emerging Artist
You’ve had to put your art on pause for years and finally have the time again -- but so much is new, you need help to catch up (eg. technology overwhelm).
Transitioning Artist
You always dreamt of being an artist and are ready to make the jump from your current career - but you are lacking a proven step by step plan.
Our Faculty has been featured in or worked with...
Meet the Faculty
(Because no one “guru” has all the answers)
Miguel Mayher
Director of Education, Ex-Partnerships for Google Arts & Culture
Mindset & Business Strategy for Artists
Rosalind Davis
Artist-Curator & Author
Group Shows with Artists You Admire
Jason Horejs
Gallery Owner & Author
Getting Gallery Representation
Dina Brodsky
Social Media Influencer, Artist & Curator
Instagram for Your Artist Career
Gigi Rosenberg
Author of The Artist’s Guide to Grant Writing
How to talk about your art and yourself
Vicki Krohn Amorose
Author of "Art-Write"
Everything you will ever need to write
Guest Faculty
Ana Blanco
Course Facilitator & Head of Art Business Coaching
Former Director of the International Arts & Culture Group
Anibal Luque
Lawyer for Artists
Demystifying Legal Documents for Visual Artists
Ellaine Grogan Luttrull
Author of "Arts & Numbers"
Multiple Income Streams for Artists
Daniel Sharp
Former Arts Outreach Lead | Kickstarter
Getting Paid For Your Art Before You Start, With Crowdfunding
Paul Dorrell
Author of Living the Artist’s Life | Leopold Gallery
Creative Financing for Artists
Curriculum
After taking this course, you’ll be able to grow an online audience that buys your work, show your work with artists you admire, and become a gallery-represented artist. You will leave with a clear roadmap to becoming the recognized professional artist you always dreamed of being.
PART 1: Professionalize Your Profile
Click the arrows to see more details on the course
Objective: Talk about your art with confidence
You’ve been creating your latest art project for more than a year and still when your family asks, “What are you working on?” you don’t know what to say. Or you serendipitously meet a curator and when they turn to you and say, “What do you do?” you’re tongue-tied.
A good introduction is a concise, compelling description of you and your latest project—and is the basis for all your marketing and connecting the world with your art. It sounds so simple! But it’s not easy. If crafting those few sentences that convey who you are and what you do hasn’t been a breeze for you, you’re not alone.
In this lively workshop, Public speaking coach and author of The Artist's Guide to Grant Writing, Gigi Rosenberg, will show you how to distill years of work on a project into a memorable hook that has many uses: virtual introductions, videos, in-person meetings, grant applications, follow-up calls with the funder, bio statements, press packets, and more.
This session answers questions like:
Additional Assets:
Breakdown:
Includes 45 minute Live implementation workshop
Objective: Perfect your professional writings
Learn how to express your work and what you stand for in writing. From polishing an artist statement you (finally!) feel strong about, to making your bio memorable, to knowing what to do with your non-art background in your resume. Let the author of the book on this topic guide you, and use her fill-in-the-blanks templates for a head start.
Includes 45 minute Live implementation workshop
Objective: Polish your artist website so that it converts into leads and sales
This module boils down 20 years of website building experience into the few principles and tactics that matter most for a visual artist -- even if you are not tech-savvy at all.
You will understand how to create the two key outcomes that matter: raising your credibility, and converting visitors into subscribers or collectors.
Through this module, you will create a clear vision for an artist website that makes both you and your work shine. You can then follow the simple steps to bring that vision to life.
When you complete this module, you'll have a fully updated professional artist website you feel proud of. You won’t be shy anymore when people ask to see your art on their phone, or when submitting applications to prestigious international calls for artists.
Everything about your website will clearly state, “I am a professional artist. Here is my work. You can buy now or join my private list.”
Includes 45 minute Live implementation workshop
PART 2: Grow Your Audience ONline
Objective: Get your first 100 email subscribers then grow into the thousands
What is the #1 channel to sell art online? It’s not social media… it’s” good old email”. Email is what people with disposable income still use every day. And it allows you to build a one-on-one relationship with your followers in their private inbox.
In this module, you will learn how to build an email list like a pro. You will stop any amateur practices you may have fallen into (which sometimes are illegal without you knowing it).
You will end this module having gained your first 100 subscribers in a week, with specific strategies to multiply your growth into the thousands of subscribers. You will also have a defined frequency that works for you to connect with your private email list that includes opportunities for them to buy your work -- while making them feel special.
Includes 45 minute Live implementation workshop
Objective: Accelerate your weekly Instagram follower growth
Would you like to 10x your Instagram following? If you have been struggling to get traction, chances are you need to change the way you are using social media.
In this module, social media influencer and artist Dina Brodsky will share what steps to follow so you can get all the benefits of Instagram as a professional artist while avoiding the pitfalls of screen addiction.
After finishing this module, you’ll know how to self-audit your Instagram profile and fix what is broken. You will receive plenty of examples of great posts whose style you can model the next time you share your work.
You will also understand the specific do’s and don’ts of what makes people stop scrolling, what makes them like and comment, and how you can best take advantage of the algorithms to maximize your exposure.
Finally, you’ll be able to harness the power of networking on Instagram and create new opportunities in your art career. This module includes a “cheat sheet” of Instagram accounts you can approach to get featured to hundreds of thousands of their followers.
Includes 45 minute Live implementation workshop
PART 3: Show Your Work OFFline
Objective: Learn how to organize successful group shows with other artists you admire
Imagine you could show your work next to artists you admire who are 10 years ahead of you in their art career. Would you say yes? This module will break down in minute detail how to make that happen instead of just hoping for a lucky break.
Artist-curator Rosalind Davis has organized more than a hundred shows. In this module, she will share with you the blueprint to go from obscurity to newspaper mentions. You’ll learn not only how to book the right venue and persuade the right artists but also how to promote the show in social media and press releases for a full house opening.
Once you finish this module, you will have full confidence to level up your artist profile and show your work alongside artists who used to intimidate you. You will stop waiting to “be discovered”. You will understand how to have gallery directors, critics, and other art professionals come to meet you instead of you knocking on their door.
Apply the 4 step formula to one problem you are facing:
Includes 45 minute Live implementation workshop
Objective: Discover how to get represented by one or more galleries that sell your work
What makes the difference between loving or hating your relationship with your gallery?
And, how do you get into a gallery in the first place?
Whether you prefer to market your own work or would rather have someone else take care of it, having the right gallery representation offers you a ticket to higher sales and recognition.
In this module, multi-gallery owner Jason Horejs, author of How to Get Into a Gallery, breaks down his strategy for finding, courting, and signing your dream galleries.
Whether you don’t have gallery representation right now or you want to expand into more galleries (maybe outside your area or even your country), you will end this module with a crystal-clear roadmap of how to find and secure new galleries that sell your work. No more excuses.
Includes 45 minute Live implementation workshop
Objective: Learn how to tie it all together into a sustainable rhythm
Do you ever feel like you are stretched in 10 directions at once? Not only do you need to make new artworks, you also have to photograph them, upload the photos to social media, ship works to customers, organize shows… and of course personal and family time! How are you supposed to stay sane?
In this module, we reveal the exact loop you have become trapped in. Then we give you the tools to get out of it and plan your roadmap for the next 12 months.
As our faculty member Jason Horejs says, “An organized artist is a prolific artist.” You will finish this module with the simplest method for staying sane, becoming prolific, and advancing fast toward your goals as an artist-- without the overwhelm. This module is a grand finale that students say “brings everything together.”
Includes 45 minute Live implementation workshop
Summary List of The Professional Artist MBA
Objective: Learn how to find, nurture, and convert art buyers into loyal collectors.
No matter where you live, there are some people who have both the disposable income and the interest to buy works of art. But how can you find them? And once you do, how can you start relationships? And finally -- how do they turn into clients and collectors?
All these questions have answers, and this masterclass will explain them in detail.
Your instructor: Jason Horejs, author of How To Sell Art & owner of Xanadu Gallery
Objective: Learn unconventional ways to get paid from your art
If you would like an engaging lesson on how to use your creativity to increase your finances, do not miss this masterclass.
You will gain insider knowledge such as:
Your instructor: Paul Dorrell, author of Living The Artist's Life & gallery owner
Objective: Learn the five steps to build an artist budget (even if you would rather not).
Whether you need to:
...you need to know how much it will cost and how to stay on track.
In this step-by-step masterclass, Elaine will explain:
Elaine has the unique ability to make budgeting for artists both easy and fun.
Your instructor: Elaine G. Luttrull, author of Arts & Numbers and founder of Minerva Financial Arts
Objective: Use your creativity to increase your finances.
Your instructor: Paul Dorrell, gallery owner & author of Living The Artist's Life
Objective: Protect yourself with the key legal documents you need as an artist
...all scary and complicated stuff.
Imagine a friendly lawyer, who specializes in working with artists, offers to chat with you and explain all you need to know -- and not more.
This is what you will get in this masterclass with artist lawyer Anibal Luque.
No matter where you live, you will be well served by avoiding the pitfalls of skipping these crucial write-ups.
NOTE: Includes ready-to-use templates for Licensing agreement, Consignment agreement, and Gallery representation agreement. We paid thousands to their expert legal firm so you don't have to.
Your instructor: Anibal A. Luque, Lawyer for Creatives, Managing Attorney at Luque PLLC
Objective: Stop doubting your pricing and apply a simple approach that works
Have you ever sold a work of art and then wondered -- did I actually make a profit?
After your hours of work, your materials, shipping, frames...
… did I actually make or lose money?
Learn how to never undersell your work again - and why the question about pricing your artwork is a false start. Instead you should be thinking: How can I make my art both accessible to cash-strapped friendly fans and attractive to wealthy collectors?
Your instructor: Miguel Mayher, Director of Education at the Professional Artist Institute, ex-partnerships for Google Arts & Culture
Objective: Take a good idea and transform it into a compelling grant proposal that can get your creative project funded.
In this lively workshop, based on Gigi’s book, The Artist's Guide to Grant Writing, Gigi demonstrates how to use the grant writing process to help you focus your career goals.
Then, she walks you step-by-step through the grant writing process including how to play the matchmaking game with potential funders, enlist a team to help craft your proposal and create a budget that makes your application irresistible.
Along the way, Gigi shares the strategies of successful grant writers and tips from funders. She teaches techniques for finding fresh language to describe a project, an editing checklist to use before you submit your application and other tips that help you stand out from the crowd.
This masterclass answers questions like:
Included:
Your instructor: Gigi Rosenberg, author of The Artist's Guide to Grant Writing
Objective: Connect with anyone in the Art World so you can open doors of opportunity
Do you ever feel like the art world is a black box you can’t seem to figure out? In this module, you will learn how to become a world-class connector online and offline -- even if you are shy or introverted.
We will share with you the mindset shift that changes your experience of social interaction from dread into curiosity.
This module contains specific examples for every situation you’ll face in your career as an artist, from show openings to random encounters. We will provide you with fill-in-the-blank templates that allow you to easily refine the messages in your own voice.
By the end of this module, you will be able to start a relationship with anyone by sending irresistible cold emails that get replies. You’ll no longer be hearing crickets when you reach out.
You will know how to follow up with people without feeling like you are pestering them. And you will have a simple system that requires minimal time and effort for keeping in touch with your growing international art network.
Your instructor: Miguel Mayher, creator of The Fine Artist Summit (30,000+ attendees)
Objective: Set the foundation for your sustainable artist journey by creating multiple sources of income so that you will never have to quit.
When you have a stable foundation that dissolves financial stress, you will sleep better at night and have more time to make art during the day.
After finishing this module, you'll have chosen at least one new income source that fits your available time and suits your strengths. You will have taken the first step toward increasing your monthly income this very month by an extra $£€ 1,000 to 3,000. You will have a renewed sense of confidence from knowing the 2 or 3 income sources in the new phase of your artist career.
Your instructor: Elaine G. Luttrull, author of Arts & Numbers and founder of Minerva Financial Arts
Objective: Earn predictable monthly income by teaching art online once a week
Would you like to know how to get paid for your hard-earned art skills every month? And what if you could do it from home or your studio in just a couple of hours per week? Now it is possible -- thanks to online workshops.
All this is answered in step-by-step, fill-in-the-blanks detail in our newest course, “Get Paying Students Online”.
Born in response to the call for help from our alumni who suddenly lost their face-to-face workshop income because of COVID-19, this blueprint is the fastest offering we have to take you from zero to your first $3,000 in 30 days.
The results have been so fast and impressive that we now recommend all our high-end private coaching clients to start with this online workshop.
Importantly, we find that artists who try to figure this out on their own most often fail or get underwhelming results, making mistakes like first announcing a class in their newsletter or social media and hearing crickets in response.
Instead, in this bonus program, you receive proven word-for-word templates that sell, in the right order to fill your online workshops.
See what some of our students are saying about their results:
Melissa filled 2 online student cohorts in just 6 weeks for ~$3,000
Carol filled her first online workshop by facilitating Drawing+Meditation
Sally made $3,000 from her first-ever online workshops offer
Beth turned her creative journaling practice into a paid online workshop
Here are the five pillars of our A B C D E formula to get paying students online: