Elevate Your Artistry: Mastering Creative Practice & Entrepreneurial Skill

BCA's Artist Sustainability Workshop Series (ASWS) returns with Elevate Your Artistry: Mastering Creative Practice and Entrepreneurial Skills.

This virtual workshop series empowers artists to take both their artistic practice and business acumen to the next level. Through workshops and interactive discussions, participants will learn strategies to shift from reactive to proactive mindsets, strengthen your creative practice, and develop entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. This series is perfect for “hobbyists” who wish to advance their artistic goals as well as established artists who feel constantly drained and anxious by an unsustainable freelance economy.

Virtual Workshop Schedule

Workshop I: Hobbyist to Professional

Tuesday, February 18th, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM EST

In this workshop, artist Evelyn Martínez demonstrates how a simple, goal-oriented and intentional project can get you out of the rut of perfectionism and failure to launch. Evelyn will show participants how social media and word-of-mouth marketing can help leverage your work and how creative connections can help you defeat imposter syndrome. Evelyn will be using worksheets from her e-book "From Hobbyist to Professional."

Workshop II: Crowdfunding: From Soul-Sucking to Success!

Tuesday, March 4th, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM EST

Crowdfunding is tough, but it also doesn’t have to be nearly as soul-sucking as it often appears. In this workshop, independent film and screenwriting consultant Bri Castellini will cover everything from designing the individual aspects of your campaign and common misconceptions, to the ins and outs of building a team, and an outreach plan to match.

Workshop III: DIY Art Career: Strategies for Success with Laura James

Tuesday, March 18th, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM EST

Ms. Laura James will give practical advice for visual artists who want to advocate for themselves, sell their work, and play the long game. Topics covered will include art licensing, e-commerce, galleries/fairs, exhibitions, children's book markets, negotiating contracts, residencies, networking, and the importance of newsletter marketing.

About the Instructors

Evelyn Martínez is a Xicana (Mexican-American) artist hailing from The Bronx. Her professional journey as a photographer is anchored in the art of storytelling and visual representation, photographing individuals from diverse backgrounds, ages and body types. Central to Evelyn Martinez's artistic ethos are themes of joy, authenticity, and inclusivity. Evelyn’s work has been featured on Getty Images , Telemundo, Remezcla, HipLatina, The Glam Femme, Edible Bronx, Adobe Express, and most recently on Latino Rebel's Radio for a conversation on Getty Images' Nosotros Collection and the importance of this initiative to represent nuanced stories of Latinx communities. Her stock photography has been used for the U.S. Census, New York State Trainings, Metroplus Health Insurance Ads and more. In her own poignant words, Evelyn encapsulates her approach to her photography work: "Anyone can take your photograph but not everyone will take the time and care to witness you."

Bri Castellini is an independent film and screenwriting consultant and a subject matter expert in arts crowdfunding, indie filmmaking, film festivals, podcasting, romance novels, and the USA television show Burn Notice. As a filmmaker herself, she's known for her short film Ace and Anxious (writer/director, 160k+ views on YouTube) and for her podcast Breaking Out of Breaking In. She personally helped launch over $25 million dollars in crowdfunding campaigns with an 85% success rate while she was the Manager of Creator Success at the artist crowdfunding platform Seed&Spark, and she has spoken at over 200 events and festivals virtually and in person on the subjects previously listed. Full work history can be found on her website BriCastellini.com.

Self-taught artist Laura James has enjoyed a long career as a painter and illustrator. In addition to painting sacred images from various religions, she portrays women, families, and scenes of everyday life; blending intricate patterns, text, vibrant colors and sometimes surreal imagery into what she calls “art for the people.”

Represented by Bridgeman Images for over two decades, Laura James’ images have been published in hundreds of publications and media. In addition to Laura’s work being widely collected and exhibited, Ms. James also organizes many exhibitions and special projects. Laura is a valuable member of her community and is the founder of BX200: Bronx Visual Artists Directory, an online database of some of The Bronx’s best visual artists. With an eye on creative solutions and service, she also promotes art and culture as a member of her community board. Ms. James lives and works in The Bronx, NY.