Fresh Arts provides both online and physical programming to support local artists and arts organizations. Their online services include an arts calendar, artist registry, and resource library. Physical programming includes a community supported art program, workshops, exhibitions exclusively featuring local emerging artists, fundraisers like Cultured Cocktails and a holiday art market, and a marketing incubator for non-profits. Last year their winter art market involved over 60 local artists and sold over $150,000 of art.

2. ABOUT FRESH ARTS
ONLINE SERVICES
• Community Arts Calendar
Online event calendar
• Arts Registry
A warehouse of local artists,
creatives, and organizations
• Resource Library
A wealth of resources for artists
& arts administrators
PHYSICAL PROGRAMMING
• Community Supported Art
A subscription for local art
• Workshops & Professional
Development- Offered to assist arts
administrators and artists
• Exhibitions - We work exclusively
with local emerging artists
• Cultured Cocktails
Raises funds for local arts projects
• Winter Holiday Art Market
An annual holiday art market
involving over 60 local artists (Last
year we sold over $150,000 of local
art!)
• M-Lab - Marketing incubator for
small to mid-sized nonprofit
organizations

3. Basic Business Skills for Visual
Artists
by Taft McWhorter
presents

4. "When a resolute young fellow steps up to
the great bully, the world, and takes him
boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to
find it comes off in his hand, and that it was
only tied on to scare away the timid
adventurers."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

5. “You will never leave
where you are
until you decide
where you would
rather be.”

6. • Taft McWhorter
–Husband, Father
–Professional Artist
–Philanthropist

7. "Figure out what you want.
Find people who have achieved
what you want and find out how
they think and act, and then follow
their lead."

8. Overall Vision & Goals
• What do you want to achieve with your
art?
• Hobby – Sell a few paintings a year
• Part-time – Sell a painting per month
• Full-time professional – Sell numerous
paintings per month, every month
• Before you answer that……..

9. 2012 State of the Art Survey
http://www.xanadugallery.com/wordpress/

10. 2012 State of the Art Survey
http://www.xanadugallery.com/wordpress/

11. Basic Business Math
• Gross Sales – Expenses = Net Profit

12. Gross Sales
• $12,000 per year (*gross sales)
• Selling $200 per painting
– 5 paintings per month
• Selling $500 per painting
– 2 paintings per month
• Selling $1,000 per painting
– 1 painting per month

13. Gross Sales
• $36,000 per year (*gross sales)
• Selling $200 per painting
– 15 paintings per month
• Selling $500 per painting
– 6 paintings per month
• Selling $1,000 per painting
– 3 paintings per month

14. Gross Sales
• $60,000 per year (*gross sales)
• Selling $200 per painting
– 25 paintings per month
• Selling $500 per painting
– 10 paintings per month
• Selling $1,000 per painting
– 5 paintings per month

15. Expenses
• Supplies
• Studio Space
• Shipping
• Client Relations
• Public Relations
• Accounting
• Anywhere from 10-40% of profit,
depending on level of sales

16. Net Profit
(before taxes)
• $12k/year – expenses (10%) = $11k
• $36k/year – expenses (20%) = $29K
• $60k/year – expenses (30%) = $42k
• $100k/year – expenses (40%) = $60k

17. “Never let the fear of striking out
get in your way”.
-Babe Ruth

18. Evaluate Your Current Status
• Be honest about your current status.
• Are you painting every day?
• Are you ready to turn your hobby into a
career?
• Are you selling your work on a monthly
basis?
• Do you have an available body of work?
• Do you have high quality images of your
work?

19. Evaluate Your Current Status
• Do you have business cards?
• Do you have a current bio and artist
statement?
• Do you have a website?
• Do you have an Artist Portfolio?
• Do you have a client contact list?

20. Which Direction Should I Go?
• First and foremost - BE YOURSELF
• If you are an extrovert, you should
consider renting a studio and selling your
own work.
• If you are an introvert, you should consider
applying to galleries and/or having an
agent sell your work.

21. #1 Goal
Create Collectors

22. Your Collector List
• There is nothing more important than keeping
track of your collectors
• Ways to build your list
– Attend local social events
– Exhibit as often as possible and in as many different
venues and avenues as possible.
• TIP – Have a sign in sheet, but collecting business cards
during conversations is much more effective.
– Exhibit with other artists (exchange VIP email lists)
– Donate to art auctions
– Word or excel file with notes
– Constant Contact or MailChimp

23. Presentation
• Look professional
• Style and ability must be up to par
• No ½” canvases
• Paint the sides or frame your work
• Wired and ready to hang
• Signed
• Info on back on painting (title, your name
in print, year and signature)

24. Custom Materials
• Geoff Wilder
• Winter Street Studios
• 970.618.0973
• Geoffreywilder@yahoo.com

25. Pricing your work
• Price based on what your market can bear
• Starting low is good ($100-$150 for 30”x40” piece). Primary goal is to
move your art and create “Collectors” (clients)
– You can easily create 40-50 collectors at a lower price and then
raise the price once a year as long as you’re continuing to sell
• Set your price per square inch
• Remember art pricing is always negotiable

26. Negotiating the sale
• Avid Art Collectors typically ask for a discount
• Discounts are VERY common in selling art
• Don’t be afraid to negotiate
• Know the least you will take for a painting ahead
of time
• Don’t sell for anything that you will regret later
• Don’t protect the “value” of your art and miss out
on a sale
• Think long term
• #1 Goal – Create collectors

27. Local Galleries, Agents, etc
• First Saturday Arts Market
– Mitch Cohen, Organizer
• Fresh Arts (Non Profit Gallery, HUB for the arts in Houston,
workshops for artists)
• Esperson Gallery
– Tammy Dowe, Owner
• Archway Gallery (Co-op gallery)
• Hyde Park Gallery (Pictures Plus)
– Dennis Murland, Owner
• JoMar Visions
– Joana Esteves and Mark Roden
• Skyline Art Services (Design House)
– Charles White, Owner

28. Local Studio Buildings
• Sawyer Yards
– Winter Street Studios
– Spring Street Studios
– Silver Street Studios
– The Silos
– One of the largest group of working artists in the
country.
– 2nd Saturday Art Crawl every month
– 5 annual events
• Hardy and Nancy Studios
– Numerous annual events
– Included in Annual ArtCrawl

29. "You can't wait for inspiration.
Sometimes you have to go after it
with a club."
Jack London

30. Networking
• Networking is key
• Go to local art exhibits
• Meet artists and collectors
• Create a Top 10 list of people you want to
connect with and begin inviting these
people to your exhibits
• Attempt to schedule at least two meetings
a week to network

31. Marketing
• Printed Materials (business cards, postcards etc)
• Constant Contact or MailChimp
• Web presence
– Website
• Include Artist Statement, Bio, images of your work, a calendar of
upcoming events and contact info.
• www.OtherPeoplesPixels.com
– Social media
• Facebook
– Still #1 way to reach art enthusiasts online.
– Business and personal pages
– Post, tag and check-in.
– Let your community know what you are doing
• Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest
– Post your events on FreshArts.org; Artshound.com;
Glasstire.com and Culturemap.com

32. Art Auction Fund Raisers
• Donate as often as possible
• Over 50 annual fund raisers in Houston
• Donate your best work
• Ask for a percentage (typically 25%)
• Ask for contact info of person that wins
your artwork in the auction
• Contact them and add them to your email
list

33. Exhibiting Your Work
• Exhibit as often as possible; when you send your
portfolio to galleries, the first thing they will look at is how often
and where you’ve exhibited
• Organize joint or group exhibits with other
local artists
• Exhibit in your studio
• Rent a local gallery space (i.e. Winter Street
Studios)
• Art markets, co-op galleries, vanity
galleries, restaurants & coffee shops

34. Cater to your “Collectors”
• Organize small, invitation only “Collector
Parties”.
• Ask your collectors to invite a guest.
• Focus on getting to know your collectors
and utilizing them to grow your circle.

35. Submitting to Galleries
• Co-op Gallery
– Run by artists
– Usually pay a small fee and/or volunteer to be involved
– Usually 70/30 split
• Vanity Gallery
– Pay monthly or annual fee for wall space
– Usually 70% artist/30% gallery split
• Fine Art Gallery
– No fees
– 50/50 split

36. Your Portfolio
• Submit under gallery’s guidelines.
• If there are no guidelines, include:
– Cover letter explaining your intention and demonstrating your professionalism
– Artists Statement
– Bio
• List of Exhibitions
• Gallery Representation
– A CD with 6 images that show a consistent style or a small printed catalog
– One or two recent PR clippings
– Any other marketing materials (catalog or small book of your work)
• Have the 6 pieces that you used for images on
the CD ready for shipping (do not use these
pieces for anything else).

37. Follow Up
• Call the day you mail your portfolio to let gallery
know it’s in the mail.
• Make a follow up call 1 week after mailing to
make sure they’ve received your submission
– If not listed on gallery website, ask:
• Process for reviewing artist submissions
• Who makes the final decision
• Call/email every 3-4 weeks until you get an
answer

38. Getting Signed
• Read the contract. Consult with an attorney.
• Only agree to exclusivity in that city.
• Only agree to 50/50 split.
• Negotiate that the gallery pays 50% of shipping to
their city and 100% of shipping to your city.
• They should offer you a group exhibit within 12
months and solo exhibit within 24 months.
• Ship work immediately.
• Follow up to make sure work arrived safely.
• Follow up monthly to check on the status of your
work.

39. Never Stop Evolving
• Study with other artists
– Spend the day with a fellow artist
– Art Supply Dealer Demonstrations
– Art League of Houston
– Glassell School of Art, MFA
• Attend workshops
– JoMar Visions
– Fresh Arts

41. "A clear vision,
backed by definite plans,
gives you a tremendous feeling of
confidence and personal power."
Brian Tracy

42. Taft McWhorter
Taft@TaftMcWhorterArt.com
www.TaftMcWhorterArt.com

43.  This PowerPoint
 Example docs and resources
 Info about upcoming Fresh Arts events
 Link to a post-workshop survey
THANK YOU!
COMING TO YOUR INBOX