Work of Art Retreat
Saturday, October 26th and Sunday, October 27th, 2024
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Tuition: $100 for the entire weekend or $30 per workshop
Ely Folk School Instructors may attend free of charge

Join us for the Springboard for the Arts "Work of Art" Retreat! This retreat is all about bringing together local working artists and providing them with business skills and resources to support their practice. Here at the Ely Folk School we are fortunate to have the expertise of several working artists who share their passion for their craft through teaching, while also earning on consignment from the handmade goods sold in our mercantile.

The “Work of Art” retreat is a free opportunity for instructors who teach at the Ely Folk School. For artists in the Ely area who do not (yet!) teach with the Folk School, workshop attendance will cost a fee (per workshop or at a discount for the entire weekend.) The workshops will include training focused on pricing, funding, engaging customers and selling work, and business plan essentials, and the weekend will also offer opportunities for connection and conversation with other creators. Join us Sunday after the final workshop for a potluck and social time.

Funding Workshop: Learn how to think creatively about diversifying your funding streams by exploring different models for generating value, resources, and revenue. This workshop will run Saturday, October 26th from 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM.

Pricing Workshop: This analytical approach isn’t intended to be the only way to price your work. It’s intended to show you the factors of product production that apply to everything in the marketplace. Once you understand what each of the variables are you’ll be able to customize a formula that fits your business model. This workshop will run Saturday, October 26th from 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM.

Business Plan Essentials: Learn how to prepare a simple business plan, in arts-friendly language, to help you organize all the various aspects of your artistic practice and make informed business decisions. This workshop will run Sunday, October 27th from 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM.

Engaging Customers & Selling Your Work: Learn tools and techniques to communicate the value of your work to potential customers. This workshop will run Sunday, October 27th from 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM.

About Springboard for the Arts: Springboard for the Arts' mission is to support artists with the tools to make a living and a life, and to build just and equitable communities full of meaning, joy, and connection. Founded as an independent nonprofit in 1991, Springboard for the Arts has an innovative 30-year history of supporting artists making a living and a life and artist-led community development work.

This event is made possible in part by funding to the Ely Folk School by the McKnight Foundation.