FREE Professional Development Workshops (ONLINE & IN PERSON)
The Maine Arts Commission is thrilled to announce a partnership with the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) to offer professional development workshops that are open to ANY artist ANYWHERE in Maine, and for FREE!
The Assets for Artists program is a key resource for Maine artists, offering a range of free, artist-tailored professional development workshops. The workshops include online and in-person sessions covering various topics such as personal finances, project planning, wellness, marketing, and more. These workshops aim to address the unique challenges and needs of artists, helping them thrive in their careers.
For more details, visit the Assets for Artists workshops page.
INTRO TO TAXES FOR ARTISTS
Instructor: Amy Smith
Date: Thursday, January 9, 2025
Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM
This workshop, led by Amy Smith, covers essential tax basics for artists, including separating personal and artistic finances, Schedule C filing, self-employment versus employment, and tracking deductions. It focuses on navigating current financial challenges and tax law updates.
Registration is closed for in-person and recording access.
BEYOND ARTS GRANTS: CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR PROJECT SUPPORT
Instructor: Yara Liceaga-Rojas
Date: Tuesdays, January 14, 21 + 28, 2025
Time: 12:00PM - 2:00PM
This 3-part introductory workshop helps artists secure resources, partners, and funding for their creative projects. Participants will learn to define their work as a fundable project, communicate effectively with stakeholders, integrate care practices, and gain tips for obtaining financial support.
Registration is closed for in-person and recording access.
QUARTERLY TAXES DON’T EXIST!
Instructor: Akeem Davis
Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Time: 12:00PM - 2:00PM
In this workshop, actor and tax preparer Akeem Davis will demystify the process of paying estimated taxes for artists. Participants will learn what estimated taxes are, how to calculate and pay them, and how they impact a Schedule C and 1040 tax form. Through anecdotes, Q&A, and practical exercises, attendees will gain confidence in managing their tax responsibilities as entrepreneurs.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Instructor: Ana Tinajero
Date: Wednesdays, February 5 + 12, 2025
Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Working on an artistic endeavor, event, or production and not sure where to start? Get an introduction into the basic building blocks of planning, executing, and monitoring a project, no matter the size.
cultural organizing for artists
Instructor: Shey 'Rí Acu' Rivera Ríos
Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Time: 12:00PM - 2:00PM
Artists are often engaged in multiple ways in their communities: as creative businesses, cultural organizers, activists, and participants of social justice initiatives. This workshop will present participants with various ways in which artists collaborate with city government and policy-making, what it means to have a civic role in our communities, how we can move power alongside community, and how to build more robust cultural ecosystems together.
FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS WITH GALLERIES & MUSEUMS
Instructor: Kristen Becker
Date: Wednesdays, Feb. 26 + March 10, 2025
Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM
This workshop will guide artists on how to build meaningful relationships with gallerists and curators, covering communication best practices and the expectations for navigating curatorial opportunities. Learn strategies to access gallery and museum spaces while understanding the current shifts in the art world.
RADIANT THRIVING: BOLD WRITING FOR BOUNDLESS ARTISTS
Instructor: Doctora Xingona Diana Alvarez
Date: Wednesdays, March 12,19 + 26, 2025
Time: 5:00PM - 7:00PM
This workshop helps artists develop a bold, authentic writing voice for bios, artist statements, project proposals, and more. Participants will build unique language styles, explore examples from various disciplines, and refine their own writing in a supportive environment.
How to Survive as an Internationally Touring Indie Artist
Instructor: Maya Azucena
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Time: 3:00PM - 5:00PM
Interested in strengthening your brand and attracting international opportunities for your work? Drawing on her own career as an award-winning, international recording artist and cultural ambassador, Maya Azucena will share strategies she’s developed for establishing meaningful contacts and setting realistic expectations to book oneself worldwide. She will also discuss how to pursue international funding and share the experiences that allowed her to tour to unique locations across the globe.
STAYING AUTHENTIC WHILE MARKETING YOUR WORK
Instructors: Daniel Callahan & Mrs. Nerissa Williams Scott
Date: Thursdays, March 20 + 27, 2025
Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM
This is a 2-part series. Artists are asked to attend both sessions. Do you have an idea for a performance you would like to bring to life? In this workshop, performer Daniel Callahan and producer Mrs. Nerissa Williams Scott will discuss the financial, logistical, and administrative aspects of producing a show with a focus on the creative collaboration between artist and producer.
Essentials of Digital Marketing
Instructor: Francesca Olsen
Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Time: 12:00PM - 2:00PM
Digital marketing can be incredibly effective—and cheap—when it comes to building and connecting with your audience as an artist. But what’s important to focus on in a world where our time and capacity is limited? In this workshop, Francesca will cover the basics of digital marketing for artists, including the importance of branding, audience building, effective social media, SEO optimization and website best practices.
UNDERSTANDING AN ARTIST’S PERSONAL FINANCES
Instructors: Amy Smith & Akeem Davis
Date: Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21 + 28, 2025
Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM
This four-session workshop, led by stage performers and tax specialists Amy Smith and Akeem Davis, provides a class- and race-based analysis of financial systems to help artists make informed financial decisions. Participants will learn fundamental financial tools, demystify money concepts, and leave empowered to approach their finances with an abundance mindset. Suitable even for those who dislike thinking about money, the workshop includes presentations and Q&A sessions.
Artist Residencies 101
Instructor: Yasmine Ameli
Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Curious about artist residencies? In this workshop, we will go over different art residency models and what they have to offer, from artist communities to DIY and micro-residencies. We will discuss how to assess whether you are in the right season of your life and practice to apply, what residency model makes the most sense for you, and navigating residencies as a full-time worker or caregiver.
PRE-RECORDED WORKSHOPS ⇒
A4A now offers a small number of workshop recordings for anyone anywhere! We have worked with our trainers to compensate them for having their intellectual property (the workshop) available for one year on our website. That means more knowledge for more people! But pay attention to the expiration date, because the workshop won’t be on the website forever.