Johannesburg-based Artspace Gallery and consultancy Art Source South Africa will be hosting a seminar on professional practice for visual artists.
This is for artists wanting to learn how to effectively direct and manage their careers.
Where: Artspace Warehouse, 3 Hetty Avenue, Fairland
When: 09h30-16h00 on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2009
Cost: R900 (covers all course materials, lunches and refreshments)
Book: Ronel de Jager 011 880 8802 or Artspace@wol.co.za
Seats are limited so booking is essential.
The purpose of this seminar is to provide participants with a wider (artistic) world view as well as provide them with more specific information about how the so-called ‘art world’ works. It will challenge them to think about how to engage with it as a professional artist. It also stimulates artists to consider what happens when they enter the public space beyond their studio walls. They will be asked to consider the nature of their artistic production and where to appropriately place it within the art market.
The seminar challenges artists to take decisions - about themselves, their artistic objectives and their future career path. How to set their goals and what strategies to apply to successfully achieve these will be discussed. Topics will cover the ‘business of art’ and how to successfully engage with it.
The seminar will be stimulating, informative and interactive. It will provide a platform for participants to put forward their particular concerns and challenges and get the benefit of the presenters’ input on these.
The emphasis is on providing practical and useful information on how to negotiate the ‘business‘ side of art; how to build and conduct their careers within the arts sector. The range of topics will offer relevant information to participants to enable them to pursue successful art careers. The course material has been developed from the presenters own experience gained by engaging with the art industry in various capacities over a number of years.
The following are the topics:
• Decisions on how to engage professionally outside of the studio
• How to establish oneself as a professional artist
• Defining a strategy related to one’s individual career plan
• How to successfully build an artistic profile
• The value of networks
• Marketing oneself and one’s work to realize ones objectives
• How to increase and leverage the value of one’s work
• Building a professional ethos in the South African art sector
• The roles and responsibilities of the gallery or agent and the artist
• The value of a well planned PR and marketing plan
• How to engage with and manage the media
• Art projects vs. art exhibitions - the difference
• Exhibition management and curation
• The gallery system and alternatives to the ‘white cube’
• Presenting the work – what to consider in a contemporary context
• Sales and pricing of artworks
• Funding and sponsorship – the differences in approach
• Mobilizing resources (this can be an overview or be extended into the details of fundraising/sponsorship
About the Presenters:
Teresa Lizamore
Over the past 27 years Teresa Lizamore has developed a sound career in the industry as an art consultant, curator and gallerist. She has served as the curator for the Sasol Corporate art Collection for the past 25 years until 2009. Lizamore also currently serves as advisor and curator to Rand Merchant Bank, a position she has held for the past 15 years. During her career, she initiated and managed the Telkom Art Collection and worked on this collection for over five years.
In addition for the past eight years Lizamore has owned and managed Artspace Gallery, a contemporary art exhibition space. The gallery recently relocated to the Art Strip, in Rosebank. A host of programmes are run under the auspices of this gallery - the most significant of which is the Mentorship Programme initiated by Lizamore in 2008.
Les Cohn
Art Source South Africa was established in 2001 by Les Cohn, a qualified artist and an experienced arts administrator. She holds a BA Fine Art from the Michaelis School of Art, University of Cape Town and an H.Dip in Fine Arts from the Technikon Witwatersrand (now University of Johannesburg). Les Cohn obtained her Diploma in Arts and Culture Management from the Public Development and Management School, Graduate School of Business, University of the Witwatersrand. As a fine artist and dynamic arts project consultant she is well networked within the South African cultural sector. Cohn’s unique combination of qualifications, extensive experience in development and management positions, and various board connections, has positioned her to take a leading role in industry initiatives. She brings professionalism, experience and enthusiasm to any project she undertakes. Cohn is above all, passionate about developing the professional image of the sector.
Cohn undertakes strategic career development and project management for individual artists. Strategic career development entails developing a strategic plan to achieve the artist’s goals. This relates to exhibitions, marketing and promotional activities, positioning and projects to ensure the development and leveraging of the artist’s professional profile. It also involves supporting the artist in through their career development so as to realise their career objectives.
Taryn Cohn
After completing a BA Fine Art (Hons) from the University of Stellenbosch, Taryn went on to obtain a M.Phil. in Cultural Development .Since 2002 she has worked in various capacities within the sphere of arts management and cultural marketing. Her past projects and clients include The Sasol Wax Art Award, The Brett Kebble Art Award, The Zenex Foundation and as the marketing manager of Constitution Hill amongst others.
Her areas of specialty include marketing and communications for art and development projects, financial management, project management and strategy. Taryn writes regularly on matters of arts, culture and entertainment for several well known publications. She hosts a weekly radio show focusing on Johannesburg for the community station Radio Today.
She joined Art Source in 2006, bringing her considerable knowledge of the mechanics and impact of media on the contemporary arts in South Africa.
