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.
Assets for Artists Workshops
Assets for Artists offers free professional development workshops designed for artists and creative entrepreneurs. These workshops are artist-tailored, artist-led, and available to artists of all disciplines in Maine and across New England. All workshops are recorded unless otherwise noted, and approved registrants receive access to recordings.
An Introduction to Cooperatives in the Arts
Wednesday, September 30 + Thursday, October 1, 2026 | 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Presenter: Daniel Park
Format: This is a 2-part workshop. Artists are asked to attend both sessions.
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.
About the presenter: Daniel Park is a worker-owner with Obvious Agency and theatre and performance artist, facilitator, and organizer for racial and labor justice in the cultural sector. His work brings people together to understand and experiment with their individual and mutual roles in bringing about the liberation of all people from all systems of oppression.
Best suited for: Artists of all disciplines.
Essentials of Digital Marketing
Friday, October 9, 2026 | 12:30PM - 2:30PM
Presenter: Francesca Olsen
Digital marketing can be incredibly effective and inexpensive 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.
By the end of this workshop, participants will have the tools to build an online audience, evaluate what digital platforms are best for their work, use analytics to guide future decision making, and put together a marketing plan that covers multiple platforms. This workshop will be largely lecture-based with several opportunities with Q&A to address specific questions.
About the presenter: Francesca Olsen is a multidisciplinary artist, writer and consultant with more than 15 years of experience in marketing and communications, from branding to digital strategy.
Best suited for: This is an intermediate-level, lecture-style workshop with several opportunities for Q&A. Suitable for artists who already have a basic understanding of social media.
Project Management
Thursdays, October 15 + 22, 2026 | 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Presenter: Ana Tinajero
Format: This is a 2-part workshop. Artists are asked to attend both sessions.
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. Ana Tinajero will cover the fundamentals of crafting a blueprint for success.
Workshop focus:
- Part 1: Building the Plan — Define goals and scope with finite and clear deliverables. Draft a timeline and budget to help allocate resources and identify those needed. Choose a framework of guiding principles for executing a plan that resonates with your artistic practice and creative needs.
- Part 2: Execution & Reflection — Develop systems and processes to help manage and monitor budget and team workflow. Establish parameters of success, analyze results and evaluate impact. Identify practices for nourishment tailored to you and any collaborators.
This online workshop will involve lecture, small group and partner conversation, solo exercise prompts during the workshop and take-home assignments.
About the presenter: Ana ‘Masacote’ Tinajero is an award-winning Afro-Latin dance artist and performing arts curator who loves engineering spaces for community connection through the arts.
Best suited for: Artists of all disciplines. 30 participants max.
Radiant Thriving: Bold Writing for Boundless Artists
Tuesday + Wednesday, October 27 + 28, 2026 | 5:45PM - 7:45PM
Presenter: Doctora Xingona Diana Alvarez
Format: This is a 2-part series. Artists are asked to attend all sessions.
As artists, we are called to draft artist bios and statements, project proposals, blurbs, email inquiries, grant applications, and more to build a thriving career. In this workshop, participants will practice developing a radiant, bold, unapologetic writing voice that centers their values and identities. Artists will build individual language styles to align with their unique arts practice.
Workshop focus:
- Part 1: Artist statements.
- Part 2: Project proposals and cold inquiries, building on the language developed in Part 1.
- Participants will review writing examples from a range of disciplines, share tools and resources, and workshop their own writing together throughout and on their own.
About the presenter: An expansive multimedia artist and educator, Doctora Xingona’s music, poetry, performances, films, and gatherings center transcendence, kinship, and the co-liberation and nourishment of queer and trans artists of color.
Best suited for: Artists of all disciplines. 25 participants max.
Accessibility and Workshop Access
Assets for Artists offers accessibility services for workshops, including Zoom closed captioning, follow-up resources, and advance-request accommodations such as ASL interpretation, CART live captioning, live language translation, and advance access to digital handouts or slides when available.
For accessibility requests, contact gro.stsitrarofstessa@noitacude. For full workshop details, visit Assets for Artists Workshops.
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.