Past Workshops

2/8/16     Artist Tax Clinic

sold out!

As a working creative you may have several different jobs. This can make filing your taxes a little more complicated than someone who has an everyday 9-5, but it doesn't have to be. If you are unsure about how to file your taxes this year, let Fresh Arts, Project Row Houses, and Texas Lawyers and Accountants for the arts help you file like a pro.

This one-on-one legal clinic will give participants the opportunity to gain valuable advice on music and art related issues. All disciplines are welcome to participate; however, legal issues and questions must be related to work in the creative fields.

4/27/16   Alternative Funding Strategies for Artists

Join Fresh Arts for an overview workshop on strategies and resources for individual artists seeking funds to support their professional art career. 

This workshop will explore:  traditional and new models for funding creative practices and discuss their benefits and disadvantages, identifying local grant opportunities, fiscal sponsorship, and securing individual contributions and institutional support. The workshop will also provide tips for creating and managing successful crowd-funding campaigns and offer examples of how local artists have successfully raised money for their projects. (Specifics on grant-writing and crafting proposals will NOT be covered in this workshop, but will be covered later in Fresh Arts’ workshop series.)

5/25/16   Fiscal Sponsorship 101

What is Fiscal Sponsorship? Do I qualify and how do I apply? 

Fiscal Sponsorship is designed to support worthy art projects spearheaded by artists and collectives existing outside of traditional nonprofit models. A fiscal sponsor lightens the administrative burden for artist projects by eliminating the need to form a new board of directors, by streamlining processes, and by minimizing overhead costs. Join us and learn more about Fiscal Sponsorship and see if you qualify for fiscal sponsorship for your upcoming creative project.

6/29/16  Art in Public Spaces

Creating art in public spaces, whether it's visual art, music, street theater or another creative endeavor, can be a challenge.  Moving creative work out of the gallery, theater, or concert hall can require giving up control over several elements of the experience. Learn how to secure permissions for your work and anticipate the unexpected to successfully create art in public spaces. Join Fresh Arts and representatives from Weingarten Art Group and HAA Civic Art Dept. for a moderated panel discussion with Houston artists who've successfully navigated the public realm to organize cultural performances and projects. 

Learn effective methods for identifying potential patrons, cultivating new patrons, and deepening the patron relationship over time. Get practical tips on efficiently managing patron relationships in small shops, as well as a roadmap for turning attendees and fans into meaningful supporters of your organization.

8/23/16  Selling Local: a new workshop about winning at fine art + craft fairs, in collaboration with Pop Shop America founder, Brittany Bly 

Fine art and craft fairs are a great way to get your artwork out there and interact face to face with a big audience. Let Fresh Arts and Brittany Bly, Pop Shop America founder, guide you through local opportunities so that you can decide if selling at local art markets is right for you and learn how to navigate these selling opportunities successfully. This workshop will also discuss tips on how to grow your craft business and transition from selling at arts markets to approaching local retailers. Representatives from local shops and arts markets will be on hand to discuss their opportunities and application guidelines.

Are you spending hours every week on your social media outreach, yet you have no idea if you are actually reaching your audience? Do you want to grow your social media engagement but don't know what platform to use or how it will fit into your day-to-day marketing activities? Join Fresh Arts and Julie Pippert, Artful Media Group, for a conversation about integrating new social media tools, keeping up with changes in algorithms, and creating a standard for your organization that will help you determine the true value of your social media efforts. 

Learn what goes on behind the curtains at some of Houston’s most well known publications, how they choose what to cover, the basics of strong press releases, as well as a refresher on best practices when writing for any media outlet.

This one-part conversation, one-part workshop, will help provide greater understanding of how it works for the writers and how to write a more compelling press release, so you can be better equipped to effectively engage the local media.

Past panelists have included: Nancy Wozny (Arts + Culture Texas Magazine), Margaret Downing (Houston Press), Bill Davenport (Editor, Glasstire), Molly Glentzer (Arts, Houston Chronicle), and Joel Luks (Listings/Art, CultureMap).