V.A. Howard, author of Artistry: The Works of Artists and Learning by All Means: Lessons from the Arts
"This book should be in every school of art, college art department, and artist's pocket."


Book Description
How to sell one's art isn't taught in art schools, yet it's an essential ingredient in getting work displayed and attracting art commissions. This straightforward, inexpensive guide is written for artists who want to present themselves and their work in the best possible light to the largest possible audience. Topics include creating a winning marketing package, getting a gallery, finding an artist representative, and obtaining free or low-cost advertising. Also included is a thorough resource listing that includes inexpensive sources for slide development, contact information for artist representatives, suggestions for durable mailing packaging, and contact names for foreign news media.


About the Author
Sean Moore has exhibited nationally for more than 30 years, and his paintings are hung in private and business collections. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.


Excerpted from How to Make Money as an Artist by Sean Moore. Copyright © 2000. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Grants An arts grant is a gift of money (not a loan) to an artist or arts group for the purpose of advancing the cause of the artist or group. The recipients of grants must do only three things: 1. Seek out these opportunities (research), 2. Prepare the proposals to apply for the grants, and 3. Spend the money when you win the award. The difficulty of the first two is the reason that most artists don’t get grants. Another reason is that most artists think of the need for money as a general, overall, and constant need. To get a grant you must detail a specific need, for a particular purpose, with definite limits and a precise dollar amount. This requires planning and research. It’s OK if the purpose is self-serving, such as mounting an exhibition, creating a work of art, producing a catalog or other printed piece about your art, or studying something in the arts. Your aim can also be altruistic, such as teaching at or creating art for an arts center that serves children in need or a small museum of ethnic art. As long as your project is well defined, costs a specific amount of money that you don’t have but need, and is something you are capable of, then you’re ready to apply for a grant. When you research grants, try to narrow your search to those where the qualifications apply to you. Many grants are given only to certain kinds of artists, such as those from a particular region, age, sex, or ethnic background. Don’t waste your time applying for any grants where you aren’t a perfect fit. After figuring out what activity you want a grant to support and how much this activity will cost, the rest of the application process is mostly writing. Writing a grant proposal can be a challenging task. They must be tightly written, pithy, precise, and follow directions exactly. Your library and bookstores are packed with guides on how to write grant proposals. If you can’t do it with the help of these excellent guides, you can hire a grant writer. (See grants in the Marketing Resources section.)

SYNOPSIS

How to sell one's art isn't taught in art schools, yet it's an essential ingredient in getting work displayed and attracting art commissions. This straightforward, inexpensive guide is written for artists who want to present themselves and their work in the best possible light to the largest possible audience. Topics include creating a winning marketing package, getting a gallery, finding an artist representative, and obtaining free or low-cost advertising. Also included is a thorough resource listing that includes inexpensive sources for slide development, contact information for artist representatives, suggestions for durable mailing packaging, and contact names for foreign news media.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal