A.B.C. workshops and programs are designed to teach vital skills and to provide the resources necessary to grow and sustain a viable professional artistic practice. A.B.C. workshops are open to all interested artists. CAC Members receive free or discounted admission to all programs conducted by CAC.

Through A.B.C. – Art.Business.Create., CAC’s professional development series, artists are trained in skill sets which help guide them through the complex and increasingly business savvy art market. This monthly series of engaging educational sessions covers such vital topics as legal rights and protections, new technologies, tax and record keeping, marketing, business planning, proposal writing, networking and much more. The program has also been developed to include one-on-one consultations with leading experts in the field of arts and business. Professional development is at the core of CAC’s work since all artists need and deserve education about how to earn a living and create a profession that is valued like any other. Armed with the necessary knowledge from professional development workshops, artists are more fully equipped to take advantage of representation from galleries and exhibits across the city and nation, or to establish their own exhibition spaces, seek grant and/or fellowship support.

Upcoming Workshops:

Fiscal Sponsorship and Insurance for Artists and Arts Organizations

Led by Dianne Debicella and Jean Ann Douglass of Fractured Atlas
How do I find money to support my work? What is fiscal sponsorship and is it right for me? What types of insurance should I be considering? If questions like these are keeping you up at night, then this is the workshop for you. This presentation is designed for individual artists or arts groups concerned with organizing a business and building support for your creative process.
Fractured Atlas is a nonprofit arts service organization dedicated to strengthening the infrastructure of the nonprofit and creative communities, and this session will include information about all of Fractured Atlas’s services with a specific focus on fundraising and insurance for artists.

When: March 22nd, 6-8pm.
Where: Chicago Artists’ Coalition, 217 N. Carpenter, Chicago, IL 60607; Street parking is available.
Cost: FREE to members. $10 for non-members. For more info please call 312.491.8888.

IN CONTEXT: The Art of Pricing Your Art

This topic surfaced out of a discussion among emerging, contemporary artists on the importance of defining your art market value in the context of today’s economic climate.  This panel will cover current art market trends and provide practical advice on how to price your artwork sensibly and realistically through the perspective of an emerging artist, collector, curator and gallery director. Speakers TBA.

When: April 14 2012

Where: Chicago Artists’ Coalition, 217 N. Carpenter, Chicago, IL 60607; Street parking is available.

Cost: FREE to members. $10 for non-members

Registration is now open! Call 312.491.8888 or email membership@chicagoartistscoalition.org to reserve your space.

Creating an Effective Online Presence for Artists + OPP Artist Websites

In Creating an Effective Online Presence for Artists + OPP Artist Websites workshop participants will identify what they need from their online presence for their individual art practice. Artist Amber Hawk Swanson of OtherPeoplesPixels (OPP) will lead this workshop by first discussing the following Internet-related topics: “net-iquette,” websites for artists, creating and maintaining an artist’s blog, and using social networking as a tool. Amber will then demonstrate step-by-step how to quickly, easily, and inexpensively build a high quality OtherPeoplesPixels artists website.

When: April 28 2012, 1-3pm

Where: Chicago Artists’ Coalition, 217 N. Carpenter, Chicago, IL 60607; Street parking is available.

Cost: FREE to members. $10 for non-members

Registration is now open! Call 312.491.8888 or email membership@chicagoartistscoalition.org to reserve your space.

Core Weekend Workshop with Creative Capital – May 18-20, 2012

Mark your calendar for Creative Capital’s weekend-long workshop that will give instruction to participants in the fields of business, marketing, funding, and entrepreneurial skills. The Core Weekend Workshop, an intensive two and a half days described as a “crash course in self-management, strategic planning, fundraising and promotion.”, is at the heart of Creative Capital’s Professional Development Program. Creative Capital is a national nonprofit organization that provides integrated financial and advisory support to artists pursuing adventurous projects in all disciplines.

When: May 18-20

Where: Hawthorne Suites, Urbana – Champaign, IL

Applications will be available soon.

For more information please call 312.491.8888.

Past Workshops Include:

- Technology + Art
- Portfolio Perfect Bootcamp
- Legalease
- Secrets of My Success
- Pricing Your Artwork

Additional Services

- One-on-one consultations with legal, financial and business planning professionals
- Artist Statement help sessions
- Panel discussions by established artists, civic leaders, art collectors and more

CAC’s A.B.C. series of programs are funded by: