FREE Professional Development Workshops (ONLINE & IN PERSON)
The Maine Arts Commission has partnered with Assets for Artists to offer FREE professional development workshops for artists anywhere in Maine.
Assets for Artists is a key resource for Maine artists, providing artist-centered workshops in both online and in-person formats. Topics include personal finances, project planning, wellness, marketing, and more, all designed to support the unique needs of artists and help them grow in their careers.
For more details, visit the Assets for Artists workshops page.
Upcoming Workshops for Artists
power of websites
Instructor: Jessica Burko
Date: Wednesday, Febeuary 25, 2026
Time: 5:00PM - 7:00PM
You are more than social media. While socials are the place for dialogue and networking, having a dedicated website for your work is essential for comprehensively presenting your art and your story. Whether you have an existing site or you’re developing one for the first time, this workshop covers essential principles of design, organization, and usability for boldly sharing your work with the world. With planning and preparation, you can make a powerful home to showcase your work, and yourself, in a way that engages viewers and increases opportunity. A vibrant, user-friendly, and visually dynamic website is what makes you stand out from all the rest and increases cross-platform engagement.
This workshop is closed for in-person and recording access.
Intro to taxes for artists
Instructor: Akeem Davis
Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Time: 1:00PM - 3:00PM
his workshop will cover the basics of taxes for artists, including separating personal and artistic finances, Schedule C filing, self-employment versus employment, and tracking deductions. This workshop will have a particular eye toward artists’ current financial challenges and helping artists navigate updates to tax law. It will not cover specifics of quarterly estimated taxes.
Staying Authentic While Marketing Your Work
Instructor: Daniel Callahan
Date: Monday, March 30, 2026
Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM
They say 80% of life is showing up. How one shows up determines the rest. Whether it’s an interview, Google search, Pinterest post, TED talk or a conversation over tea, making sure the impression one leaves leads to interest, opportunity, and growth for both you and your audience is crucial. In this workshop, participants will learn some strategies and apply practical know-how to promote themselves and their services with excellence and authenticity in both in-person and online spaces. Participants will leave the workshop with a fuller understanding of themselves and some tried-and-true methods for presenting and pitching their art and their practice.
An Introduction to Cooperatives in the Arts
Instructor: Daniel Park
Date: Wednesday + Thursday, April 1+2, 2026
Time: 6:00PM - 7:30PM
After years of participating in an unjust ecosystem, artists and culture bearers are searching for viable alternatives to the traditional models of cultural production that have historically kept resources and power out of the hands of the workers. The solidarity economy, and cooperatives in particular, have started to gain traction amongst artists as an exciting solution. But what's the difference between a worker-owned cooperative and a purchasing cooperative? Is an ensemble a cooperative? Is talking about ownership inherently capitalist? In this workshop, participants will learn about the fundamentals that define cooperatives and how they differ from other types of collectives, explore case studies of cooperatives in the arts and culture sector, and brainstorm how a cooperative could meet their needs and the needs of their communities. Participants are welcome to join as individuals or alongside their collaborators, and will receive resources for further study into various cooperative models.
Artist Residencies 101
Instructor: Yasmine Ameli
Date: Friday, April 10, 2026
Time: 1:00PM - 3:00PM
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. Participants will leave with resources on where to find open calls, funding opportunities, and application dos and don’ts. This workshop will be discussion based and artists should come ready to journal. There will be time for Q&A.
Crowdfunding for Artist Projects
Instructor: Laura Christensen
Date: Wednesday + Thursday, April 1+1, 2026
Time: 6:00PM - 7:30PM
Learn tips and tricks to help crowdfund your art project. In this workshop, Laura will guide participants through the process of preparing and running a successful crowdfunding campaign, from setting funding targets, to identifying potential backers, to sharing your campaign with the world. Participants will take away best practices for running a short-term campaign to fund a particular project on any crowdfunding platform. Laura Christensen is a visual artist who paints on recovered vintage portraits. In 2019 she ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund her book project THEN AGAIN. Since then she has helped many creatives and businesses run successful campaigns of their own.
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.