Artist INC is a program that helps artists of all backgrounds learn how to grow their careers and handle the real-life entrepreneurial challenges that come with being a working artist. It’s open to all kinds of artists—painters, musicians, writers, performers, and more. In each community, 25 artists are chosen through an application process. They’re guided by a team of five local artists who have been trained to lead and support others. During the eight-week program, artists work together in small groups, take part in large group discussions, watch presentations, and get advice from artist mentors. It’s a great way to meet other artists, share ideas, support each other, and get inspired. Over the past 16 years, more than 1,500 artists from 14 different communities in 7 states have participated in Artist INC Live.
Artists are selected for the core Artist INC Live seminar through a competitive panel process that looks at quality of work, readiness for the program, and desire to participate in a peer-supported network. The selection process also looks at the balance of seminar cohort to ensure it includes artists working in a variety of disciplines.
The seminars are most effective when the artists reflect a rich mix of art forms that includes visual, performing, literary, and film. In most cities, artists are commonly siloed by discipline and Artist INC is often the only opportunity they have to learn and collaborate with each other.
Building a strong, supportive community of artists is, in fact, one of the goals of the program. One-on-One Coaching is embedded in the core Artist INC Live program. Utilizing the Artist INC staff and Peer Facilitator team, in-depth arts business counseling sessions are provided to all Artist INC Live Fellows first as a part of the seminar experiences and then by request post seminar.
Photo credit: Amanda Julia Steinback