Rosalynn Gingerich

The life of an artist is largely self-directed and self-managed. Reflecting on our current gig economy, we know that artists have always been considered the original gig workers tasked with managing an active studio practice, alongside multiple jobs and projects. DIY: Self-Management for Artists looks to the inherent management tools embodied in artistic practice, as a theoretical and practical framework to apply toward managing a sustainable and purposeful professional and personal life. This class will explore listening and critical feedback, project development and management, marketing and branding strategy, strategic planning, negotiation, building and maintaining networks, and portfolio development.

Readings will vary, and include articles and excerpts from: How to do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell, The Art of Gathering: How we Meet and Why it Matters by Priya Parker, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek, Critical Response Process: A Method for Getting Useful Feedback on Anything you Make from Dance to Dessert by Liz Lerman; The Artist?s Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love by Jackie Battenfield, Making: Your Life as an Artist by Andrew Simonet, Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artists by Sharon.Loudon

Course work will vary but will include readings and critical writing responses throughout the semester, the development of a written project scope, regular class presentations and a final project on one aspect of a student's portfolio.

This interdisciplinary seminar introduces, deepens and extends writing skills and helps to develop concepts that can sustain, guide and propel artistic practice after graduation. Central to the class is the professional completion of two grant applications, followed by a mock jury event that simulates actual jurying procedure. In conjunction with the applications, students write artist statements and develop project proposals. We also discuss how the arts and the public intersect, whether in popular opinion, historic context or professional settings. This includes an assessment of the relations of artists and audiences, artists and administrators and curators, and artists and critics.

It requires practical skills and an understanding of institutional pathways to bring artistic projects to life. In support of public exhibitions, performances and other community engagements, artists and their collaborators work as artistic directors, creative leads, and cultural project managers, often bridging multiple registers to make things happen. Including topics such as project planning, budgeting and documentation, as well as relationship management and conceptual mediation, this course teaches practical skills while exploring how they might be framed by disciplinary critical conversations and course participants¿ artistic practice. We will draw on case studies of individual projects that have been developed, funded and executed. To develop a broader context, we will study cultural funding models, for example the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Students will be exposed to project management practices; current cultural policy models (US) and resulting arts economies; and the related fundraising and programming models. In support of your own practices, students will situate themselves within the field and begin the process of project proposal writing, while exploring communication strategies. Course work will vary but typically will include weekly readings, and a gradually building semester-long project, including the development of a project plan, a budget, and working timeline.