Event: Surviving as an Artist 101

Next weekend in Brooklyn the Dumbo Art Center will host Survivor: An Artist’s Opportunity Workshop. There will be a series of free sessions aimed at empowering artists with information, practical know-how and encouragement in order to advance their careers in the complex and competitive art world of New York City.

What caught our eye is how practical and useful the sessions look in general. Friday night there will be a presentation on ‘The Art of Public Speaking’ by stage and television actor Bob Keiber. Saturday there is a panel of three mid career artists who came to New York without any contacts or connections and successfully established themselves.

Also on Saturday is the aptly named presentation by artist and writer Tucker Neel ‘Getting Your Sh*t Together (GYST)’. He will introduce a new software app created by artists that allows them to do what the name implies. GYST is a database program to help artists keep track of their artwork, business aspects, proposals, mailing lists, etc. It also includes tons of information on every aspect of an artist’s career, including over 200 web links and resources for additional perspectives on business aspects of the arts.

A full schedule is available here. There is no pre-registration required but DAC recommends getting there early to grab a seat.