Assets for Artists in Portland, Maine

maine-portland

We are pleased to announce Assets for Artists has enrolled ten new artists residing in Portland, Maine – the first of several new partnerships outside our home state of Massachusetts. We teamed up with the innovators at Creative Portland (who secured generous support for this program from the City of Portland’s CDBG funding through HUD) to bring financial and business training and working capital matching funds to ten artist-entrepreneurs in Portland.

The eclectic group of visual, performing, and film & media artists have already participated in our financial training “bootcamp” with Esther Robinson of Arthome, and have received intensive business counseling through the Portland office of Coastal Enterprises, Inc., to support them in developing their business plans. “It was exciting to see the level of engagement by these entrepreneurs, and their interest in supporting each other through a business planning process,” said Business Counselor Sarah Guerette of Coastal Enterprises.

At the core of the Assets for Artists program is the matched savings account. Each participant will save, over the course of two years, $2,000 in a restricted bank account. Grant funds provide a 1:1 match for this money– doubling the artist’s savings and offering a powerful boost to their working capital funds. Once an artist reaches their savings goal, the $4,000 targeted investment is used to implement a business plan for their microenterprise. We’re excited to see this group of artists take their careers to the next level with a focused business plan and the savings and matching funds to execute their plan.

Scroll down to meet our Portland, Maine artists, and follow the links to check out what they create.

Shawn_Brewer (2)Shawn Brewer
printmaking
fastfoodprints.tumblr.com
Angela_Ferrari1Angela  Ferrari
illustration
www.byferrari.com
DSC_8713Christopher
Giamo
documentary
www.fogtoothmedia.org
AdriaAdria
Moynihan
painting
www.adriamoynihan.com
Joe_RosshirtJoe Rosshirt
illustration
game design
www.forthousestudios.com
GRybus_GettyPortraits-1501Greta Rybus
photography
www.gretarybus.com
Andrew_ThompsonAndrew
Thompson
sound art
Pete PhotoPeter Winne
folk
blues music
tumblingbones.bandcamp.com
Convery_K_01Kimberly
Convery 

drawing
kimberlyconvery.com
ROSEN_ANDY_DusterAndy
Rosen

sculpture
andyrosen.com

 CEI maine       Creative Portland Logo                  

Spring/Summer Artist Opportunities

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A4A participant Gabrielle Senza installs her work for the exhibition, Bridging Earth and Sky.

Take a look at these time-sensitive calls for entry:

FredericksBurg Center for Creative Arts

Celebrate Color & Form Fredericksburg Center for Creative Arts (FCCA) presents an all media 2-D and 3-D national juried exhibit for July 2013. Theme is “Celebrate Color & Form.” Cash awards.

Deadline:  May 31st, 2013
*$25.00 entry fee

The Aaron Siskind Foundation: 2013 Individual Photographer’s Fellowship

Individual Photographer’s Fellowship grants of up to $10,000 each, for artists working in photography and photo-based art. Recipients will be determined by a panel of distinguished guest judges on the basis of artistic excellence, accomplishment to date, and the promise of future achievement in the medium in its widest sense. The Foundation seeks to support artists/photographers who demonstrate a serious commitment to the field, who are professionally active or employed in the field.

Deadline:  May 24th, 2013
*$10.00 entry fee

Women’S CAuCus for art

A national call for Stories We Tell, portraying the rich tradition of visual storytelling through women’s voices. This call is open to all self-identified women residing in the United States. Seeking artwork in all media and genre: figurative/narrative, text based art, and abstract/conceptual; art that weaves together a story through mood and tone, work to provoke and inspire.

Deadline: Friday, May 31st 2013
* $30.00 entry fee

SlowArt

Strange Figurations: The exhibition will be held at the Limner Gallery in Hudson, NY. This exhibition is open to all interpretations of the concept Strange Figurations. Included are all forms of surreal, visionary and extraordinary figurative art. All interpretations of the theme “Strange Figurations” will be reviewed and considered.

Deadline: June 30 2013
*35.00 entry fee

The Blanche Ames National Juried Art Exhibition

The 2013 Blanche Ames National Art Exhibition returns to Borderland in mid-September. The juror for this year’s exhibition is David Preston Wells. Cash Awards.

Deadline: July 6, 2013
*$ 30.00 entry fee

Rayko Photo Center

Me, Myself and I: This competition is open to artists working in photography and photo-based media. Me, Myself, and I pictures the individual, through self-portraiture, images of self-discovery and identity, pictures of friends, family, and place. Not just how you fit in, change, and grow, but how you construct your life, depict your surroundings and illustrate your story. Your photographs can be of yourself or reflect you in any manner of creative styles or approaches. (No cash award.)

Deadline: June 12, 2013
*30$ Entry Fee

Write our next blog post! Assets for Artists is seeking a summer intern.

We’re pleased to announce a summer internship opportunity with Assets for Artists! Working at MASS MoCA as a key member of a small team, the A4A  intern will be involved in all aspects of program administration and development, including artist outreach, data management, grantwriting and stewardship, content development for social media, and researching and promoting artist opportunities to our network. The intern will receive a stipend of $100/week, plus access to MASS MoCA’s fabulous summer programming.

Send resume and cover letter to Briana Halpin, or email for more information: bhalpin@massmoca.org.

Creative Business Book Review: Creative, INC.

Introducing round two of our  business book review series for creatives. This week we share Creative, INC. by Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Choan ambitious collection of interviews and advice to help the creative freelancer gain footing in the industry. 

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Creative, INC. 

The ultimate Guide to Running A Successful Freelance Business

Creative, INC. hits the ground running, and fast! This smart, hip guide to becoming a successful freelancer intertwines personal experience and straightforward know-how, making it a compelling read.

A  ‘freelancer’as described by co-authors Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho, is a self-reliant, self-motivated, confident, and organized individual whose passion and technical skill blend with their ability to self-promote and trust their artistic worth.  Offering insightful interviews with some of the most successful freelancers in the country, this book urges you to look to those whom you admire for inspiration and consider their accounts and innovations when starting your own creative venture.

Both long-time freelancers, Ilasco and Cho offer plenty of advice on the nitty-gritty of all things business: deciphering taxes and licensing, negotiating with clients, writing contracts, working with agents, and the tricky world of intellectual property rights. On the marketing front, the authors stress the importance of keeping a blog with high-quality content, and they remind the reader that maintaining business etiquette and good relationships with clients will lead to referrals and future success.

Through its potent blend of inspiring anecdotes and seasoned advice, Creative, INC. proves a comprehensive guide to striking out as a creative freelancer.

Spring Opportunities-Upcoming Deadlines!

Artists! Listed below are a series of upcoming deadlines for Spring/Summer in all mediums!

THE KALA FELLOWSHIP

International Artists producing innovative work in book arts, electronic/digital media (video, sound, animation, etc.), installation art, social practice, photography, and printmaking are encouraged to apply. Fellowship Awards will be given based on conceptual creativity, originality and artistic excellence as well as project specific technical knowledge.

Deadline:  May 24th, 2013

$1000 WORKING ART GRANT

The Working Art Grant/Purchase Award is a meager one-time purchase award intended to disperse small but vitalizing bursts of funding to support an artist’s ongoing art making process. Award is available to all domestic and international artists working in all media.

Deadline: April 30, 2013

WINNING WRITERS, MA / SHORT STORY CONTEST / CALL FOR WRITERS

Prizes of $3,000, $1,000, $400 and $250 will be awarded, plus six Most Highly Commended Awards of $150 each. Submit any type of short story, essay or other work of prose, up to 5,000 words

Deadline: April 30, 2013

WOMEN IN FILM & VIDEO/NEW ENGLAND: CALL FOR ARTISTS 

The WIFV/NE Screenwriting Competition promotes the work of female screenwriters and supports the creation of multi-dimensional leading film roles for women. Entries must be authored or co-authored by a woman and/or feature a woman or women in prominent roles.

Extended Deadline: June 4, 2013 (see website for entry fees)

BRIDGING CULTURES THROUGH FILM: INTERNATIONAL TOPICS 

This program supports documentary films that examine international and transnational themes in the humanities. These projects are meant to spark Americans’ engagement with the broader world by exploring countries and cultures outside of the United States.

Deadline: June 12, 2013

Artist Residency Resource

A collection of online artist residency resources for you to browse, find the perfect program for you.

Need to make time and space to create work? Want to break through those creative blocks?  Have a project with no resources to complete it? Assets for Artists has compiled a list of artists residency resources for your perusal.  Many residencies come with a fellowship, scholarship or grant, while other programs require a fee for your stay. Start filling out applications today.

Residency Program with the Agora Collective in Berlin Neukölln

Residency Program with the Agora Collective in Neukölln, a borough of Berlin, found on Res Artis website.

Trans Artists

A database with more than 1000 artists-in-residence opportunities worldwide!

Alliance of Artists Communities

Offering hundreds of residency programs worldwide.

Residency Unlimited (RU)

With the ultimate goal of fostering the creation and dissemination of contemporary art, Residency Unlimited provides a unique, multifaceted residency experience. Check out their tailored list of interesting residency opportunities.

Artistay

Have a project requiring a residency? Artistay can help you to achieve it.

Res Artis

The worldwide network of residential art programs.

Art Rubicon

An art resource for artists, complete with a well-curated residency opportunity page.

Creative Business Book Review Series

Looking for the right read to help you take your creative business to the next level? There are a tremendous number of books on the market aimed at helping artists become more successful entrepreneurs. With this post, Assets for Artists is launching a series of book reviews to help you find the best resources for your creative business planning. We start off with two books by western Massachusetts-based writer Kari Chapin! Grow Your Handmade Business and The Handmade Marketplace empower the reader to make practical steps towards envisioning a healthy, fulfilling business.

Grow Your Handmade Business: How to Envision, Develop and Sustain a Successful Creative Business

ImageAn ideal read for those creative schemers who want to structure their daydreams into their day jobs and need a reassuring boost. Kari Chapin’s energetic guidance lays out the foundation for building sustainable business practices in the arts. Her positive, can-do approach is tailored for real people with real passions — no incomprehensible business jargon here.  The book is filled with personal accounts and advice from a variety of creative business owners, and presents a step-by-step plan of action to help the reader strategize for his or her own business.

Drawing on the power of reflection, Chapin asks the reader to take time to write and define what ‘benchmarks’ must be reached to lay out a personal path to success. Even through these exercises, Chapin’s upbeat coaching inspires the reader to keep the goal in mind, and to stick with the planning needed to get there.

The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell your Crafts Locally, Globally and Online

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Crafting on the side can be satisfying, but with Chapin’s guidance, a hobby that you love could turn into the business that you own.   Though this book is designed for crafters, Chapin’s business models and marketing advice can be applied to many types of art-making. Exploring a variety of ways to market to a consumer — whether at craft fairs, online, at events or in stores — Chapin lays out strategies that let you play by your rules.

Having an online presence is a must for modern-day crafters; blogging, online forums, podcasting, online stores and social media are marketing tools available at the click of a mouse. Chapin insists that partaking in online communities is key in connecting you (and your craft) with other like-minded craftspeople, creating a network of supporters and consumers alike.

Chapin also explains the ins and outs of participating in the craft fair scene. Whether regional or local, craft fairs are an important venue for selling products, checking out competition and networking with others.

Chapin’s powerful blend of enthusiasm and practical advice makes it possible for readers to envision the end to the 9-5 work week — and the start of an exciting future as a creative entrepreneur.