Hello College of Fine Arts students!
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Art Business 101 workshop and information session with Venessa Castagnoli, Executive Director at Ogden Contemporary Arts. Students who attended this session learned valuable tools for marketing and finding work, and received insight into the dos and don’ts of navigating the art industry.
Ogden Contemporary Arts envisions a creative community where contemporary art is accessible, inspiring, and connected to local and global conversations. They aim to support artists by providing educational opportunities with the Artist Factory Studio Workshops, showcasing work at exhibitions, and offering residency programs. The OCA is committed to supporting artists both financially and creatively, embracing innovation and community experience in the contemporary art field.
Front view of the Ogden Contemporary Arts.
Here are a few key takeaways from the event I would like to share with you all:
Pricing your Work:
- Be honest with where you stand in your career. Ask yourself if you’ve shown in galleries, have institutional collections, sell art consistently, and if your demand is growing.
- Ensure you keep track of the cost to make your art and account for the time it takes. This is your livelihood. Do not rip yourself off!
- Go to galleries or look at what your peers are selling their work for as a reference. If your work is selling quickly, gradually raise your prices. Raising them immediately will steer business away. If your work is not selling, do not lower your prices. Instead, you should increase your visibility.
- Wageny is an organizing infrastructure designed to increase workers’ individual bargaining power and build collective leverage for working artists. You can use this platform to calculate wages in different careers, and to join the artist database to find resources and contacts.
- If you are selling work in a gallery, be wary of the commission percentage they may take. This can range from 40-60% of your profit, so make sure you are pricing yourself within the gallery’s guidelines.
- If you are being paid by an individual or institution, then you need to fill out a W-9 form. You should also utilize invoices when selling products or services.
"Mesmerizing Flesh," by Argentinian American multimedia artist Tamara Kostianovsky. February 2023.
Finding Work:
- Create your own opportunities. Have an opportunity planned for each month, whether small or large.
- When you leave school, you lose easy access to critique and peer feedback, so it is not only important to create a network but to maintain your network. Don’t be afraid of collaborating with others.
- Attend gallery exhibitions, workshops, museums, lectures, city art strolls, studio shows, or any event you can. Make yourself known and stay involved in your community. You’d be surprised what opportunities come your way.
Patrons attend the opening of "GOOD GIRL," an evocative ceramic exhibit by Los Angeles-based artist Elyse Pignolet. Curated by Kasey Lou Lindley for Ogden Contemporary Arts. February 2025.
Project or Work Proposals:
- It is crucial to stick to a timeline and meet deadlines. Failure to do so reflects poorly on your reputation, and you are less likely to receive work from word-of-mouth recommendations.
- When proposing a project to a potential client, think through every component involved in your proposal and be prepared to explain why you made those decisions. Educate yourself on safety, fabrication, and the budget involved in your project.
- Include supporting materials to get people excited about showing your work. Provide images, your resume, CV, portfolio, and mock-ups.
A bus stopped in front of the Ogden Contemporary Arts Gallery with a custom wrap featuring an advertisement through Lamar Advertising for “Real/Surreal: Stories of Ogden & Antelope Island,” an exhibit which featured images of animal/human hybrids created by community members who participated in New Mexico-based artist Suzanne Sbarge’s artist-led collage and painting workshops. November 2025.
Marketing and Branding Yourself:
- Always have an artist bio prepared. A bio written in third person is both professional and preferred when exhibiting your work. Include why you create art and what is important to you as an artist.
- Additionally, you should have a website and at least one active social media account, preferably Instagram. Create a detailed content plan for maintaining your social media page, and keep your posts brief!
If you would like to use some of Venessa Castagnoli’s artist resource templates, you can download them using this link: Templates - Dropbox. All photos in this article are courtesy of Castagnoli.
