The City of West Hollywood has partnered with Rhizomatic Arts to present the 2025 Artist Bootcamp.
The program will be free to those participants selected. Priority will be given to City of West Hollywood residents and grantees of the City of West Hollywood Arts Division.
The deadline to apply is December 6, 2024.
If you’re an artist, you have a business. We want you and your art business to thrive. In this workshop, artists across the disciplinary spectrum will meet weekly to identify our values, strengths, and goals and translate that into a healthy business model.
This bootcamp is ideal for the emerging or established artist or cultural producer who is ready to level-up, make a better living, pay off debt, or pursue new income streams.
- Identify and affirm your core values, mission & goals.
- Gain confidence & skills in the business side of your art practice.
- Clarify & articulate your business model.
- Assess personal strengths & available opportunities.
- Create structures to meet business goals.
- Receive peer feedback & insights from leading art business professionals.
- Share knowledge & build supportive relationships with other artists.
A digital Business of Art workbook and an online toolkit will supplement the workshop with readings, worksheets, and additional resources.
PROGRAM OUTLINE & DATES - Meets Wednesdays from 10am-1pm PT.
Weeks 1 and 11 meet in-person at West Hollywood Library.
Weeks 2-10 meet online via Zoom.
● February 19: Artist Presentations (in-person)
● February 26: “What roots you?” / Core Values
● March 5: “What do you offer to your people?” / Customers + Business Models
● March 12: “Marketing = connecting your people with what you do.”
● March 19: “Debt + Taxes.”
● March 26: “What do you need to earn to thrive?” / Financial Goals
● April 2: “Know your rights + protect your work.” / Legal Protections
● April 9: “Where is the $ coming from?” / Income + Pricing
● April 16: “Moving forward with accountability.”
● April 23: virtual co-working time (optional)
● April 30: Art Business Pitches (in-person)
Time commitment: Expect to spend 3 hours/week in class, and another 2-3 hours/week reading and completing homework. You will prepare a short talk about your art practice in week 1 and give an art business pitch (with pitch deck) in week 10.
Zoom presentations will be recorded, but live participation is important. Much learning takes place in breakouts, which cannot be recorded.
FAQ:
Q: What if I know I have to miss one or more classes? Can I still apply?
A: Priority will be given to folks who can commit to attending every session. The relationships that develop from artist to artist are an important benefit of this workshop. That said, sometimes life happens and you may have to miss a class.
The 8 online seminars will be recorded and viewable for at least 90 days.
If you know in advance that you will have to miss a particular session, please indicate which date(s) in your application.
Q: I am not a visual artist. Will this Artist Bootcamp be relevant to me and my work?
A: Yes! The bootcamp curriculum is designed to be relevant to artists and creatives working in any discipline or medium. We select a diverse cohort representing visual, performing, media, literature, social practice, and multidisciplinary arts practices, and a variety of career stages.
Q. Will this workshop include a portfolio review and information on working with galleries?
A: No, this workshop will focus on business skills for artists and creative entrepreneurs working across the disciplinary spectrum. We will not focus on visual art-specific professional practices. Fortunately, Los Angeles has some wonderful resources for that kind of thing, including Continuous Projects, January Arts, and Kipaipai, to support you instead of – or in addition to – this bootcamp!
The deadline to apply is December 6, 2024.
All applicants will be added to the mailing list for City of West Hollywood Arts Division once-a-month newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time.