CAA to Hold Two Career-Development Workshops for Artists in November
posted by Michael Fahlund
CAA is pleased to announce two more National Career Development Workshops, to be held next month in Pittsburgh and Detroit. Throughout 2009–10, CAA is offering eight workshops across America, providing essential training to emerging and midcareer visual artists.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: November 10
The next CAA National Career Development Workshop, entitled “Artists & Communities: Hybrid & Hyphenated,” will take place at the Society for Contemporary Craft (SCC) on November 10, 2009, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The workshop, held from 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM with a postworkshop gathering for networking, is a collaboration between CAA and SCC.
After morning registration and a light breakfast, the workshop will be introduced by Susan Schear, CAA national workshop project consultant. Topics for the day will cover networking, artist and digital communities, crafting an art career, community resources, and practical business application. Lunch will be provided, and a tour of the exhibition, Transformation7: Contemporary Works in Wood, will take place.
Workshop presenters include Elizabeth Perry, a writer and new-media artist; Brigitte Martin, a jewelry maker; Laura Jean McLaughlin, a ceramicist; and representatives from the Lawrenceville Corporation, the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative, Braddock Redux, and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council.
General admission is $30; $15 for students and seniors. A limited number of stipends are available—please contact Susan Schear. To attend the workshop, please call 412-261-7003, ext. 26, or send an email to SCC. Credit cards are accepted through PayPal on the SCC website. Please make checks payable to College Art Association.
Detroit, Michigan: November 20–21
For the next National Career Development Workshop, CAA will host a two-day event in Michigan that will focus on students and artists living, working, and practicing in the greater Detroit area. The workshop takes place November 20–21, 2009, at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and will include participation from several universities, colleges, and institutions, including the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Wayne State University, Oakland University, and Lawrence Technical University. The workshop runs from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM each day.
CAA spoke to directors and chairs of programs in the region to garner information and ideas regarding needs for professional development for students and communities. The workshops will address overall protocol; developing a strong and compelling professional portfolio (writing, photography, etc.); researching and writing grants; how to approach a gallery and getting into galleries and other locations; securing residencies and fellowships; marketing and networking; the role of technology and social media; how to transform skills for other jobs or positions in and outside the arts (including teaching, museums, galleries, and design); participating in fairs (e.g., fine arts, design firms, architecture); and listening to stories, dos and don’ts, and recommendations from successful practitioners, artists in various disciplines, and business owners.
The workshop cost, with a discount for students and seniors, will be announced soon. Breakfast and lunch will be included.
About the Workshops
CAA’s National Career Development Workshops are supported by a second generous grant from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation. Topics are chosen in discussion with each venue and its constituents, and range in format and subject in order to provide relevant and useful career-development counsel.
