Retreats & Communities

Penland School

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Penland offers one-, two-, and eight-week workshops in books, paper, clay, drawing, glass, iron, metals, photography, printmaking, letterpress, textiles, and wood. The school also offers artists’ residencies, local programs, and a gallery and information center. Website Video

Haystack Mountain School

Haystack’s core summer workshops include one- and two-week sessions in blacksmithing, clay, fiber, glass, graphics, metals, and wood. Workshops are open to adults 18 years or older of all skill levels – from beginners to advanced professionals. Video Website

Arrowmont

Located in Gatlinburg, TN Arrowmont offers an opportunity for people of all skill levels to spend a weekend, a week or two weeks immersed in art-making – or simply taking time to be fully focused and present in a creative manner without the distractions of daily life. Website Video

John C. Campbell Folk School

The Folk School transforms lives, bringing people together in a nurturing environment for learning and community life that spark self-discovery. Located in scenic Brasstown, North Carolina, the Folk School offers year-round weeklong and weekend classes for adults in craft, art, music, dance, cooking, gardening, nature studies, photography and writing . . Website Video Video

He doesn’t do this for fun… It’s for survival!

This chameleon has learned to survive by adapting. In this global marketplace adaptation is critical to your survival. You might not need to change your color… but there are dozens of ways to alter your brand just a little so that you can step into new markets and channels. You began your business with selling […]

Jewelry Designer Uses Innovative Marketing Approach

In order to promote her collection, she came up with the idea to have a “photo shoot party” and invite friends and fans to come and model her necklaces, earrings and bracelets.

Understand the “Why” of Owning Your Art

Successful artists cultivate collectors by appealing directly to their emotions, and this means that to re-create those emotions, you must be digging deep into the “Why” of collecting and the experience of ownership.

How to Display Your Handmade Work for Maximum Sales

Have a spectacular piece of high-end work that is perfect as the center of attention? Create a display using it as the star, but with lower-end items around it.

Checklist for a Successful Open Studio

Ready to open your studio to the public? Use these tactics to connect with fans and sell more of your work.

Art Business Models: Pros & Cons

How you sell your art has a lot to do with the amount and way you get paid. There are trade-offs with every business model, though.

New Studio Solution Helps Artists Leverage Designs

Available in 39″ and 57″ widths, and affordable priced at around $2,000, they can be used in-house, producing fabric that can be made into clothing, scarves, accessories, pillows or other products.

10 Things Successful Artists Will Not Tell You!

One more thing that successful artists do is avoid getting too high or too low while they practice their art.

Analyze Your Online Art Marketing Results

Although online analytical tools may take some time to get used to, they offer a clear look at the impact of your marketing, and the behavior of your prospective customers.

Art and the Corporate Market

Art consultants make it their business to work with companies to locate, purchase and install art, and that may be a good place to begin your entry into this sales channel.

What You Can Learn from Your Competition

Other artists and makers who are in the same “space” in the market have run into similar problems, and many have found solutions and ways to grow.

How Direct Mail Marketing Can Boost Your Art Business

Direct mail, in the form of letters, invitations, postcards and other pieces, can help you stand out to your prospective customers, especially since it varies from the standard forms of marketing most often used today.

Sell Your Handmade Work to High-End Clientele

If you use beautiful high-end packaging, and plan for a premium unboxing experience, it will go a long way to justify the value of your handmade work.

How to Improve Your Art Website About Page

These six essentials will help your website visitors get more out of their visit – and know you better.

How to Use Product Descriptions to Sell More of Your Handmade Work

Written descriptions add greatly to the shopping experience and are also vital to increasing your sales.