Hygienic Artist Academy To Teach The Art of Business

When people think of artists, the image that springs to mind is the artist starving in a garret. And while that may seem romantic to some, it's not such a good deal for the artists themselves. 

While many artists are well known for their works, they're not often known for their business acumen. A new program offered by Hygienic Art aims to change that with its Artist Academy @ Hygienic, which will serve the needs of artists in New London County. 

The program involves a series of workshops to be held at Hygienic Galleries, located at 79 Bank Street, New London, on Tuesday evenings once a month starting at 7 p.m. on October 29 and ending in May, 2014. The series of workshops will feature national and local art industry leaders in two hours sessions with a maximum of twenty-five artists per session.  

The first workshop, Business Development: 10 Essential Skills to Thrive, features nationally recognized entrepreneur Jane Pollak, who used business skills to successfully launch her career in the unlikely field of egg decorating. Other topics covered by the workshops include: Artist Business Plan Development: 10 Essential Skills To Survive, Marketing & Promotion; Web Design & Internet Presence; Show Me The Money: Grant Writing & Fundraising for Artists & Crowd Funding; Legal Issues, Copyright, & Contract Negotiations; Tax & Incorporation, and Financial Management.

"The traditional training and preparation of artists is exclusively focused on the means of production and creation of the artistic product. Artists thinking of themselves as entrepreneurs or small business owners may seem a daunting and odd idea, but artists are unique in the business world as both the producers of their work and the small business entrepreneurs who are responsible for all aspects of their enterprise," the Hygienic stated in a press release. "The Artist Academy is bringing in workshop leaders to share their knowledge and expertise with artists and develop a foundation for career development with basic skills required to enhance an artistic career. Artist Academy @ Hygienic will bring fundamental business skills to independent artists to help them launch and develop their careers as successful small business entrepreneurs."

The project is funded by the Citizens Bank Champion in Action Grant. Hygienic Art was the only cultural organization to receive this highly sought after grant.  

“This award will help the Hygienic to grow its after-school programs and stimulate small businesses in the region by educating artists in core aspects of small arts enterprises,” Ned Handy, President of Citizens Bank stated.

Artists can register for the program and find out more information on the workshops by visiting the Hygienic website: www.hygienic.org and go to the Artist Academy page to register or contact hygacademy@gmail.com