A Colorado organization is focusing on developing business skills in artists, and as a result, some are able to focus on fine art instead of splitting their time with a day job.
AIR (Arts Incubator of the Rockies) offers workshops, resources, and a community through which to develop successful professionals, whether one chooses to be a fine artist or a creative professional in a business setting. AIR works with higher education institutions, corporations, and nonprofits to show how artists can aid in their work, and it teaches artists how to formulate a business strategy and business plan. Its success has earned it press in Fort Collins, Colorado, including a profile of Kirsten Savage, a fine artist who benefited from her participation in AIR programs administered by Beet Street, a Fort Collins art advocacy group.
Participants in an AIR program.
“I was at a tipping point in my life, working part-time and pursuing my art,” Savage told The Coloradoan. “Monday was my first day as full-time artist … I sat at the easel at 8 a.m. and started my workday, and that was really exciting.”
“AIR Programs will teach you the benefits of bringing business planning into your art practice, and provides practical tools to help you succeed through your art,” says AIR instructor Kari Munson. “This may mean marketing yourself in a new way, reconfiguring your pricing structure, or looking at the myriad options outside of the traditional gallery system. You will discover new opportunities, gain new skills, and develop new relationships with people that can help you along your way.”
Learn more about AIR’s programs here.
