Monday, January 24, 2011

Artists Mean Business


Sharing Our Water, Kiela Upton-Smith & Nina Smoot-Cain
The more I learn about the history of the creative industry and the life of an artist,  I have discovered most artists don't see themselves as entrepreneurs.  This must change if artists are truly to gain control of how their creativity is viewed by the larger population.   There is a huge movement among certain groups in the African-American community to promote art collection.   This is a consistent topic on Black Art in America.  The Artisan Series, sponsored by Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and Bombay Sapphire, attempts to provide exposure to urban artists and photographers. As collectors and philanthropists continue to recognize art as viable investments, it is important that artists gain the proper recognition and compensation for their work.   Artists must mean business. 

How do artists make the transition from a mere creative force to a business mogul?  One step is to attend the Artists Mean Business Workshop.  The focus of this workshop is to address the artist's needs as a creative professional.  This professional practices and community building workshop is for artists working in Chicagoland, the Industrial Corridor, or Chicago's Creative Industry District.  Artists attending this free workshop will discuss gaining access to low-cost marketing options, protecting your art, and healthy habits for working artists.  Songhay Studios Group, the Institute for Arts Entrepreneurs and Ozinga are the official sponsors of this event.   If you are serious about the business of your art, you must attend this event.

Date:                    Sunday, January 30, 2011

Time:                    3:00 - 4:30 pm

Where:                 Songhay Studios Group
                            629 W. Cermak #205
                            (Enter off Ford Street)

Cost:                     Totally Free

1 comment:

  1. Hi Ramona. Thought I'd answer your questions about snow dyeing here. Can't find you email address. I soda soak my fabric (1/2 ydX45"). Soda soak is about 1/4c soda ash to about a 1/2 gal water plus 1 cup salt. After 10 min I wring out, arrange LOOSELY scrunched on a piece of 1/2 inch hardware cloth. It's rigid enough to suspend the cloth. Then I cover with about 3" of snow and pour on dye (1T per 250ml/1 cup). DO wear the mask when mixing dye. I am pretty generous with the dye. I pour it from my beaker an I always use at least 2 colors. Some secondary or mixed colors split out in snow. An example is Dharma chocolate that splits into reds and brown. That's part of the magic for me. After the snow is almost all gone I put the fabric in a pyrex dish, cover with cling film and poke holes in the film with a sharp knife. I nuke in a dedicated dyeing microwave for 10 min on half (50%) power. You can pick up cheap microwaves for $10-$40. I wouldn't use plastic. I melted some fabric to the plastic container it was in and the smoke was NOXIOUS. I coughed a lot. Use glass. If you have anymore questions, please email me at beth.from.maine at gmail.com

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