Every artist can and should take advantage of ways to market themselves in the industry.

But how? 

Learn how to put essential marketing skills for artists to use in making a name for yourself—locally and beyond.

View the “Marketing Skills for Artists” event from the Daemen University Speaker Series, hosted by the Western New York Book Arts Center (WNYBAC), and presented by faculty of the Daemen’s new Leadership and Entrepreneurship in the Arts Program (LEA) that launches in fall 2021.

Top 3 Essential Marketing Skills

Sharing insights into how artists can market themselves is Philip Longson—a VPA assistant professor and director of the illustration program at Daemen.

Longson focused on many topics, including creating licensing contracts, fees and payment structures to protect the interests of artists. 

He discussed how to solicit and fulfill commissioned work. In addition, he walked through the process of working with clients to create custom artwork.

“These subjects are useful for any creative entrepreneur or artist,” said Longson. 

“Every professional artist working in creativity should have some grounding in self promotion techniques,” he added, “and understand the importance of an artist’s portfolio, research, and how to actually get their work in front of people.”

• Portfolio

“These days, a portfolio is usually a website. It is a place for people to find examples of your work, more information about you as an artist and allow them to contact you,” Longson explained. 

• Networking

“Meeting somebody in person and making a connection is much more memorable than an email,” Longson said. “You never know who you’re talking to. You’d be surprised how many opportunities present themselves because of a short conversation or a recommendation from somebody you met at an exhibition.”

• Social media

“Social media is a great tool for freelance artists. It’s free and allows artists to have access to a very broad audience,” Longson said. “It can empower individuals to gain a worldwide following.”

VPA at Daemen

Daemen encourages students to “poke their nose into a lot of different disciplines,” said Longson. “This is important because students are exposed to creative ideas across many fields in the art industry.”

Students can major in one area; however, they can gain skills in many others. In other words, they can take courses in animation, graphic design and more at Daemen. Therefore, students can tailor their education to their interests and career aspirations. 

“The new LEA program combines the arts and management for success as entrepreneurs or artists contributing their talents to a greater organization,” he added. 

Learn more…

Learn more about how to become a successful artist from our other posts about the Daemen University Speaker Series. Explore the importance of grant writing in the art field today!