Artist Business
Want to find out how to sell more work?
Keen to get media interest in your art?
Like to know more about how tax and insurance affect you?
Want to spend more time making art, and less time working at other jobs?
If you are a visual artist, then Artist Business is a range of services to strengthen your business skills and help you build a sustainable art practice.
"I attended an AbaF workshop earlier this year run by Melinda Martin. I found this workshop to be incredibly useful in a number of ways and it really helped me to focus and get my art business into order ... I have achieved several milestones in my art career within the last 5 months, including a solo exhibition which achieved 90% sales, and being invited to Exhibit at the Guangzhou International Art Fair where I will be the only Territory artist represented." - Jasmine Jan, artist.
Artist Business includes:
- 50 top tips for visual artists
- free business skills workshops
- adviceBank for visual artists – one-on-one business advice
- adviceLink – for advice and referrals
- fact sheets
- service organisations directory – state and national
- business resources directory – state and national
- gallery and exhibition spaces - state and national
Even if you don’t make a full-time living from your art, Artist Business can help you take care of the business end of your practice so you can get on with creating art.
AbaF will conduct ongoing evaluation of Artist Business to make sure it meets the needs of visual artists across the nation.
The development and delivery of the Business Skills Development Programs and Services for Visual Artists has been made possible by the support of the Australian Government.
NEW! 50 Top Tips for Visual Artists
We asked 50 industry experts to give us their top tips for business success as a visual artist. Drawing on their wisdom and experience, our experts have provided 50 insightful tips to assist with your career. Whether it's the best way to document your work, keep track of your clients, get people to your exhibition or attract a journalist's attention, you'll find a practical idea here. We've grouped the tips under the following headings:
- Developing and maintaining a client base
- Documenting artwork
- Exhibiting artworks
- Marketing
- Media Relations
Whether you work full time as a visual artist, or supplement your artistic career with other work, you can improve your knowledge and skills at this free workshop.
Artist Business will strengthen your business skills and help you build a sustainable art practice.
This practical workshop includes presentations by industry experts, leading visual artists, gallery professionals and arts managers.
What does the workshop include?
- Business basics – an introduction to tax, insurance, risk management and copyright
- Building relationships with clients, commercial and community galleries and artist-run spaces
- Going to market – documenting artwork and building a client base
- Promotion and media relations.
There are interactive panel discussions and opportunities for Q & A sessions with the expert presenters.
Each participant will receive an information kit containing fact sheets, guides to AbaF services and other specialist service providers.
Who can participate?
Any professional visual artist is eligible even if they don’t derive much income from their art practice.
Not sure whether you qualify? Find out by emailing Melinda Martin or telephoning 03 9616 0306.
How much?
It’s free!
The development and delivery of the Business Skills Development Programs and Services for Visual Artists has been made possible by the support of the Australian Government.
Register by emailing Belinda Layton.
Artist Business topic specific workshops
AbaF will develop workshops for five or more visual artists providing in-depth information on topics identified through Artist Business workshop evaluations as well as direct contact with artists or other service providers.
More workshop information
Email Melinda Martin or telephone 03 9616 0306.
adviceBank for visual artists gives professional visual artists the opportunity to work with a business expert to address a specific skills need.
adviceBank places voluntary business advisers with professional visual artists to work together on short-term projects so artists can access free, specialist and up-to-date advice from the business sector.
Projects can involve any business discipline, including:
- Financial planning and management
- Marketing, database and client management
- Insurance and taxation
- Marketing, web design
- Public consultation and working in the public domain
AbaF’s adviceBank has been successfully delivered to not-for-profit cultural organisations since 2001.
Download the adviceBank for visual artists fact sheet.
The Artist Business adviceLink is a telephone and email advice service for visual artists seeking information on business related matters. AbaF will provide appropriate referral services to visual artists who contact adviceLink.
Email adviceLink or phone 1300 794 191.
AbaF is continuing to develop a range of online Artist Business fact sheets and reference materials.
Service organisations directory
Find state and national service organisations for visual artists. More
Find state or national business resources for visual artists. More
Find information on state and artist-run, commercial and public galleries and exhibition spaces. More
Help us make Artist Business better by participating in long-term evaluation of the program.
Visual artists attending workshops will be asked to participate in monitoring and tracking to measure the effectiveness of Artist Business.
AbaF will be looking at how skills gained through Artist Business assisted visual artists in developing, refining and changing their business practices.
Contact us
Contact AbaF in your state for more information.