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The business of art

Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 04/05) - The Canada/NWT Business Service Centre hosted a series of free seminars during small business week, Oct. 17-21.

They included workshops titled Pricing Your Artwork for Craftspeople and Fine Artists and Working with Galleries and Buyers.

The seminars for artists were lead by Lynn Feasey, a professional arts administrator and past curator of the Great Northern Arts Festival, who also runs Points North Art Marketing Solutions, based in Vancouver.

She spoke about the steps needed to carve out a living as an artist by selling to the commercial and not-for-profit sectors and as a craftsperson selling to wholesalers.

The artists who participated represented a wide range of disciplines, including carving, pottery, painting and glass work.

Feasey walked the participants through a case study, accounting for every expense incurred by artists producing work for sale.

The list of expenses includes all materials used in the production of the art, down to the penny, as well as the depreciation of tools and other costs that artists often overlook.

Fixed costs such as heat, light and rent can be calculated against the number of pieces produced and the amount of time spent working on each piece.

"Do your research" was the theme that ran throughout the workshops.

Artists need to understand the market that relates to their work, she said. In other words, who is buying what, where and for how much.

It is also important for artists to assess their level of expertise and knowledge in their medium, which requires an objective appraisal of the work and the skill required to create it.

When artists approach a gallery, it is important to first prepare a comprehensive and professional portfolio, she said.

The portfolio should include a detailed description of the art, including its composition and dimensions, high resolution photographs, a one-page artist statement introducing the artist and the work and a CV for experienced artists.

"Sometimes by going through this process, an artist may determine that this may not be what they want to do for a living or a business," she said.

"They may want to do it part-time or just for pleasure. By going through these exercises, it does help an artist to determine that."